Booker T. Washington Senior Highschool Collection
Item
Collections Identifier
Ms_00266
Date Started
07/10/2026
Collection Title
Booker T. Washington Senior Highschool Collection
Date Span
1956-1997
Inclusive Subjects
Education Collection, Organization Collection, Newspaper Collection, Marian H. Shannon Papers, Booker T. Washington Alumni Association.
Scope and Content
The Booker T. Washington Senior High School Collection documents the history, community legacy, and enduring symbolism of the first public high school built for Black students in South Florida. Designed in 1926 as a public school for African Americans, Booker T. Washington opened in 1927 after its initial opening was delayed when the building was bombed during construction. It is one of the oldest public schools in Miami-Dade County and the second oldest public school built specifically for Black residents, after George Washington Carver School. For decades, it served students from across the region from Palm Beach County to Key West,who traveled to Miami to pursue a secondary education that was otherwise denied to them.
Abstract
The Booker T. Washington School Collection documents the history, student life, and community impact of Booker T. Washington Junior High School and Booker T. Washington Senior High School in Miami, Florida. The collection consists of scrapbooks, yearbooks, commemorative materials, reunion memorabilia, newspaper clippings, correspondence, programs, photographs, and organizational records spanning the 1950s through 2018. Materials include a handmade scrapbook containing student drawings and writings; records honoring educator Marian H. Shannon for her outstanding service in the field of education; the 1983 Booker T. Washington Junior High School yearbook; and the 1956 Booker T. Washington Senior High School Tornado yearbook. Also included is a community school scrapbook featuring photographs of athletic teams, student clubs, classes, and other school activities, as well as class T-shirts commemorating the Booker T. Washington High School Class of 1957 during its 40th reunion in 1997.
The collection further includes newspaper clippings that provide historical background on the school, records related to the Social Laboratory program, correspondence concerning school board matters, programs and materials from school and community events, photographs documenting students, faculty, campus life, and special occasions, and records of the Booker T. Washington High School Foundation, Inc., dating to 2018. Together, these materials provide insight into the educational experiences, extracurricular activities, faculty achievements, and alumni traditions associated with one of Miami's most significant historically Black educational institutions. The collection also highlights the school's lasting impact on Miami's African American community and preserves its legacy as a center of academic excellence, leadership, and community engagement. As a whole, the collection serves as a valuable resource for the study of African American education, local history, and the social and cultural development of South Florida.
The collection further includes newspaper clippings that provide historical background on the school, records related to the Social Laboratory program, correspondence concerning school board matters, programs and materials from school and community events, photographs documenting students, faculty, campus life, and special occasions, and records of the Booker T. Washington High School Foundation, Inc., dating to 2018. Together, these materials provide insight into the educational experiences, extracurricular activities, faculty achievements, and alumni traditions associated with one of Miami's most significant historically Black educational institutions. The collection also highlights the school's lasting impact on Miami's African American community and preserves its legacy as a center of academic excellence, leadership, and community engagement. As a whole, the collection serves as a valuable resource for the study of African American education, local history, and the social and cultural development of South Florida.