During a visit to his former high school - after integration - Emmett O. Green, class of `56, discovered a need to preserve the schools history of education in Halifax County. He had a vision of forming an alumni association. Emmett called other graduates from Halifax County living in the Washington metropolitan area and shared his concerns regarding the forming of an alumni association. On Saturday, July 28, 1973, the first official meeting of the Mary M. Bethune Alumni and Associates was held in Washington, D.C. Those present at the first meeting were: Emmett and Pam Green, Agnes and Von Poindexter, Mary and Richard Lee, Jean Coleman Contee, Faye Brewer Taylor, Phyllis Pannell Wilkerson, Rose Crawley Adams, Geraldine Sadler Washington, J.P. Logan and John Lee. Emmett Green was elected president.
Area Chairpersons from sixteen cities and towns were appointed to coordinate the first reunion that was held on Saturday, June 29, 1094. There were over one thousand in attendance. It was decided that the next reunion would be held in 1976, and every other year thereafter. The Executive Board met in 1975 and made the decision that member- ship fees will be $10 a year. Major objectives of the association were to encourage alumni in various areas to establish local Mary M. Bethune Alumni Chapters, to establish a Bethune Scholarship, to establish a historical Mary M. Bethune Trophy Case and to finance our history book. The book, The History of the Education of Black Citizens in Halifax County: 1866-1969, written by W.C. Edwards, Preston M. Royster and Lazarus Bates was published in 1979. Copies are still available.
Membership of the Mary M. Bethune Alumni and Associates will consist of: persons who attended Bethune or other high schools which were established for educating Black residents of Halifax County, persons employed in these schools, spouses of the above, and other residents of Halifax County-South Boston who are interested in affiliating and assisting in implementing the purposes and objectives of this organization.
The alumni association's main objective was to award scholarships to local high school students regardless to race, creed or color. Because of this objective, in 1978 the Mary M. Bethune Scholarship Foundation was formed. The Foundation is a separate non-profit, tax-exempt organization that has as its goal to raise $100,000 in sustaining funds. These sustaining funds are needed to insure that scholarships are continued for years to come. When the last graduate of Mary M. Bethune is gone, the school name will continue to survive because of the scholarship foundation.
The first Mary M. Bethune Scholarship was presented in 1978 to a local high school graduate. Eighty-seven $500 scholarships have been awarded over the period of 1978 to 2000. 5 scholarships were awarded in 2001 and 2002. Many of these scholarship recipients have excelled in their chosen professions. There are local Mary M. Bethune Alumni and Associates chapters in Washington D.C./ Maryland, Richmond, New York/New Jersey and Halifax County. Presently each of these local chapters plus the national chapter raises money each year for scholarships plus gives financial support to the Bethune Scholarship Foundation.
If every individual that attended or graduated from Halifax Training School or Mary M. Bethune High School would contribute $100 to the SCHOLARSHIP FOUNDATION we would reach our goal of providing substantial scholarships to the young people of Halifax County in the very near future. If 100 individuals would contribute $100 a year for 10 years to the SCHOLARSHIP FOUNDATION we would reach our goal of providing substantial scholarships to the young people of Halifax County in the very near future
“MAKE YOUR TAX-DEDUCTIBLE DONATION TO BETHUNE SCHOLARSHIP FOUNDATION INC, C/O MARY HAMLETT, P.O. BOX 729, SOUTH BOSTON, VA 24592.”