[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 163 (Saturday, December 17, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2592]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




HONORING DUNBAR HIGH SCHOOL, WASHINGTON, DC, AND THE DUNBAR HIGH SCHOOL 
                             CLASS OF 1955

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. ELEANOR HOLMES NORTON

                      of the district of columbia

                    in the house of representatives

                       Friday, December 16, 2005

  Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, I rise to ask the House to honor Dunbar High 
School, a legendary high school whose importance in American history is 
well known. I had the good fortune to graduate from Dunbar High School 
50 years ago and my class has asked that I bring Dunbar's proud history 
to the attention of the House on the occasion of the 50th anniversary 
of the Class of 1955.
  Dunbar High School was America's first public high school for African 
Americans and rose to prominence in the era of segregation and remained 
segregated until 1954, when the District of Columbia was one of the six 
Brown v. Board of Education jurisdictions that successfully challenged 
segregated schools in the United States. Dunbar's excellence was so 
recognized and well known nationally that the best colleges and 
universities annually visited Dunbar to recruit students. An unusually 
large number of this country's most distinguished African Americans 
graduated from Dunbar. Among them are Edward Brooke, the first black 
Senator, Robert C. Weaver, the first black Cabinet member, Benjamin O. 
Davis, the first black general, Wesley Brown, the first black graduate 
of the Naval Academy, Charles R. Drew, the discoverer of blood plasma 
and Mary Jane Patterson, the first African American to achieve a 
college degree.
  The 50th anniversary of the class of 1955 is another occasion for 
pride in our class and in our alma mater. Pride and gratitude as 
graduates of Dunbar High School, which prepared us so well for life and 
career. Pride in graduating from the first public high school in the 
United States for African Americans. Pride in Dunbar's storied history 
of educating so many African Americans who have made notable 
contributions to society. Pride that our alma mater encourages today's 
students to strive for the same excellence Dunbar encouraged in our 
class. And pride that we can celebrate magnificent, irreplaceable, and 
lasting memories of the fun and fellowship we shared together.
  For all these reasons and more, I take special pleasure in 
congratulating our class, Dunbar High School Class of 1955, on our 50th 
anniversary. I ask the House to join me in congratulating the Class of 
1955 and in recognizing the historic achievements on Dunbar High School 
itself.

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