Kelly Miller High School

Introduction

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Kelly Miller High School, located in Clarksburg, West Virginia, was established in 1919 as a school for African American children. It was named after Kelly Miller, an African American scholar. The school closed in 1956 when integration began to take place and the Kelly Miller student body was absorbed into other public high schools.

Images

Kelly Miller High School, also known as Water Street (Colored) School.

Dr. Kelly Miller

Backstory and Context

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Kelly Miller High School operated from 1919 until 1956 when integration began and its student body was absorbed into other public high schools. Throughout its almost 40 years, Kelly Miller High School was recognized throughout the state of West Virginia for having strong academic and athletic programs. In response to high unemployment and the lack of training and post-secondary opportunity in the area, Kelly Miller alumni began the Kelly Miller Foundation in 1985. The Foundation provides opportunities for needy youth who want to further their education or seek vocational training.

Kelly Miller, the school's namesake, was a prominent African-American mathematician, essayist, sociologist, newspaper columnnist and author. Born in Winnsboro, South Carolina in 1863, he became the first African-American to enter John Hopkins University. He would become a professor at Howard University. He has been considered "The Bard of the Potomac."

Sources

Byers, R. Charles, Bryson Cyrus, Florette Walton, Jhaun Jasper, Irene Ivy, and Emma Nelson. "Honoring Our Past." Blask High Schools in West Virginia (1988). Marshall University Special Collections.