Charles L. Harper was the first principal of Booker T. In addition, Charles L. Harper Memorial Park, near the Ashby MARTA Station, are dedicated to Harper.
Washington High School, which opened in 1924 as the city's first post-6th grade public education institution for African-Americans. The former Harper High School and, currently, Harper-Archer Middle School, 3399 Collier Dr., carry his name. Born in 1877 in Sparta, Ga., Harper graduated from Morris Brown College in and worked as principal of the Morris Brown College high school program before becom
ing principal of Washington. According to a report by the City of Atlanta, Harper "built a firm educational foundation for the school by hiring well-educated teachers... who did not mediocrity. The strong leadership of Professor Harper and the faculty had a tremendous influence on the students. Highlights of Mr. Harper's principalship include the erection of the Booker T. Washington statue at a cost of $7,500; the expansion of the school building; the organization of educational tours for honor students; the initiation of student government; the purchasing of additional land, adjoining the campus, for athletic fields; the building of a stadium; and the organization of the Music Festival and Dramatic Association for Secondary Schools in Georgia." Harper was an education and civil rights leader known throughout the state for lobbying for better pay for African-American teachers and more state aid for black graduate students. When Harper retired in 1942, Washington High was home to 4,200 students and the largest African-American high school in the United States. In addition to his ground-breaking public school leadership, Harper also served as Sunday School Superintendent at the historic Big Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church and NAACP state vice-president and Atlanta chapter president. Harper died in 1955. To see the Jet Magazine announcement of Harper's passing go to: http://patch.com/buPgx. Visit the Harper High Alumni Association page go to: http://www.clhtrojans.com.
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