[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 11]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 15665-15666]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




   HONORING THE CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION OF I.C. NORCOM HIGH SCHOOL IN 
                          PORTSMOUTH, VIRGINIA

                                 ______
                                 

                     HON. ROBERT C. ``BOBBY'' SCOTT

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, October 10, 2013

  Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the 
Centennial Celebration of I.C. Norcom High School, located in 
Portsmouth, Virginia. This weekend, members of the I.C. Norcom High 
School Alumni Association, Inc. are gathering for a parade and banquet 
celebration honoring their alma mater's 100th anniversary.
  I.C. Norcom High School was founded as the High Street School in 1913 
as the first high school for black students in Portsmouth. The school 
was originally located in the True Reformers Building at 915 High 
Street and graduated its first class of just nine students in June 
1915. After the end of World War I, the school was relocated to a 
facility at the corner of Chestnut and South Street and again in 1920 
to the corner of Chestnut and Clifford Street. In 1937, the school 
relocated to a larger building nearby, sharing the facility with George 
Peabody Elementary School. Sixteen years later in 1953, a new facility 
was built at the cost of 2 million dollars on Turnpike Road, to honor 
the legacy of its first supervising principal, Israel Charles Norcom. 
In 1998, the school relocated to its present location, a new, state-of-
the-art facility located at 1801 London Boulevard.
  The school carries the name of the pioneer educator Israel Charles 
(``I.C.'') Norcom, who was born in Edenton, North Carolina on September 
21, 1856. Norcom attended Yale Preparatory School in Connecticut, 
graduated from Andover Preparatory School in Massachusetts, and studied 
at both Yale and Harvard Universities. He also took courses at Howard 
University, Hampton Institute (now Hampton University) and the 
University of Virginia. Norcom taught for several years in Bedford 
County, Virginia before relocating to Portsmouth in the 1880s. Norcom 
served as a teacher and supervising principal until his death in 1916. 
Norcom was described as a pioneer educator, civic leader, churchman, 
businessman, fraternalist, guidance counselor and an outstanding 
citizen. It has been said that Norcom guided with unmatched 
intelligence, wisdom and greatly expanded the educational opportunities 
for young African Americans in Portsmouth.
  Norcom's successors have faithfully carried on his tradition. William 
E. Riddick served as principal of the High Street School until 1942. 
William E. Waters followed Mr. Riddick as principal from 1942 to 1966. 
Mr. Waters built on Norcom's educational methods and tailored the 
school's operations to meet the special needs of its students. Waters 
was so proud of I.C. Norcom High School that he often claimed that it 
was the best high school in the South. Albert T. Edwards succeeded 
Waters as principal in 1966 for 14 years. By then the school's total 
enrollment exceeded 1,900 students for a facility built to only 
accommodate 1,400 students. Since Edwards' retirement, many more have 
committed themselves to enhancing the educational opportunities of I.C. 
Norcom's students. These principals include Mr. Eugene Blair, Mr. 
Lindell Wallace, Mr. Vernon Randall, Dr. DeWayne F. Jeter, Jr., Mr. 
Walter Taylor, Jr., Mr. Timothy E. Johnson (acting) and Ms. Lynn F. 
Briley. It was under the tenure of Ms. Briley that I.C. Norcom's 
basketball team won both the 2010 and 2011 AAA Virginia state 
championship--something I remember fondly having personally attended 
many of those games. Today, Dr. Rosalynn

[[Page 15666]]

Sanderlin serves as principal of I.C. Norcom High School and continues 
the tradition of excellence set by her predecessors.
  The world has changed dramatically since I.C. Norcom High School's 
founding in 1913. But one thing has not, and that is the commitment of 
the faculty and staff to ensuring that every student that enters the 
doors of I.C. Norcom has every opportunity to succeed, graduate and go 
onto college or into the workforce. I commend the Mighty Greyhounds on 
their Centennial Celebration and 100 years of educating the young men 
and women of Portsmouth. They have so much to be proud of and so much 
to celebrate.

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