Parker High School

A.H. Parker High School is a secondary school in Birmingham. Named after A. H. Parker a long-time educator in Birmingham. It is located in the Smithfield Community in Birmingham The school was first named Negro High School and later became Industrial High School which first opened in the fall of 1900 with its freshmen class. The school's first graduation was June 3, 1904 at the 16th Street Baptist Church, the same church where four little girls were killed 59 years later.

New location

In September 1910 the school moved to a new location called the Lane Auditorium and began offering skills for women such as sewing, knitting, and child care. By that time the enrollment was about 100 students. In 1920 the negotiations for the final location for the school were done.In Spring of 1923 a new building began being built. By 1929 the school had an industrial building, a library and a gymnasium.

Legacy

The school continued to grow steadily from its 18 students in 1900 to its 3,761 students in 1946. Because of that large number, the school soon became known as the largest high school for Negroes in the world. In 1953, the school was accredited by the Southern Association of College, which it has kept since. A.H. Parker retired in 1939.Later the school was named after this great man.

Today

Parker is known as the first African-American High School in Birmingham and still carries its legacy.

Final constuction to the new Parker High School Gym is complete. (2006)

References

• Parker, A. H. (1933) A Dream That Came True: Autobiography of Arthur Harold Parker. Birmingham: Industrial High School Press. - accessed through the Birmingham Public Library Digital Collections on January 4, 2007.
• Mrs. Claudette Camp, John T. Cargill, Jr., and Zackary Sims. A. H. Parker History Page. A. H. Parker High School United Alumni Association. Accessed January 5, 2007.