At 101, retired Merrill Pittman Cooper finally received his high school diploma after eight decades of waiting.
As a young man, between 1934 and 1938, the elderly man studied at Storer College, in Harpers Ferry, West Virginia.
However, he dropped out of school in his senior year when his family moved to Philadelphia for financial and racial reasons. This is because, under the Jefferson County School System, Storer College was a segregated institution.
It was established in 1865 to serve newly freed slaves after the American Civil War (1861-1865). Black students could not study in schools “for whites” – one of the many forms of racial segregation that prevailed in the USA until the middle of the last century.
Until the 1950s, Storer College was one of the few educational options for West Virginia’s black residents.
Before closing the doors, more than 7,000 students were served. It was there that Merrill studied Latin, English, history, mathematics and biology.
Four years ago, after a lifetime dedicated to the transport sector, the American visited the college, which is now part of the Harpers Ferry National Historic Park.
It was there that he vented to his family his regrets for not having received his diploma. Sensitized by this, they decided to act to make their dream come true.
Among those involved in making it all work were the Jefferson County Schools, Harpers Ferry National Historic Park, the National Alumni Association of Storer College, and the West Virginia Department of Education.
“Jefferson County Schools is committed to helping all students, young and old, achieve their dreams,” said Bondy Shay Gibson-Learn, superintendent of the school system, in the statement.
“For Mr. Cooper, that meant receiving a high school diploma. We are honored to help make that dream a reality.”
