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Please send pictures of events or classmates who attended this school anytime 1st-8th grades 
Furnished from "Raising Washington" display Raising Washington features the history and research done on Washington School of Stillwater by OSU Public History Chair Dr. Laura Arata and her students. The school served Stillwater Black community until 1956 when public schools were integrated. The building still stands and interested parties are looking into its preservation. This exhibit is on display throughout the months of February and March, 2023 during regular museum hours. The exhibit may also be loaned for use at other sites in Payne County. Call 405-377-0359 or email director@sheerarmuseum.org for more information.
In recognition of African American History Month, we wanted to share the story of an important part of Stillwater's African American History... Washington School which was located south of 12th street, across from where Southern Woods Park is now. Segregation of Stillwater schools began with the 1889 Town Charter and lasted until the fall of 1956. A number of territorial, state, and federal laws authorized the policy including Oklahoma's 1907 constitution, which was the only one in the union with a mandate that black and white children must attend separate (racially segregated) school facilities. Today, these schools are important places that tell the story of local community life as well as a significant part of Oklahoma's history. Named for Booker T. Washington, Stillwater's first separate school opened in 1900 with eleven students and one teacher. It included 1st through 8th grade. To go to high school, an African American student was required to enroll in a "Negro" high school in Oklahoma City, Norman, Guthrie, Tulsa, or the preparatory school at Langston. From 1900 until 1936, if an African American student in Stillwater wished to continue his (or her) education, he had no choice but to move to one of those communities. In 1936, a brick building was constructed on 12th street, across from where Southern Woods Park is located now, and Washington began offering a High School diploma. Besides academics, Washington offered activities such as marching band and athletic teams that won many state honors in their conference. The school population grew from the original eleven pupils to 113 students and eight teachers by 1954. In 1954, the pivotal Supreme Court Case "Brown v. Board of Education" challenged the constitutionality of "separate but equal" schools and led to the desegregation of schools across the nation. By 1956, Washington's students were integrated into the Stillwater Public School system and Washington began its life as a community service agency. Washington School continues to hold a special place in alumni memories. It was as a result of one of an alumni reunion that the Sheerar Museum of Stillwater History received the gift of the Washington School's lectern which was presented to the school by the class of 1944 and its athletic bench which was signed by returning students at a reunion several years ago. Washington played an integral role and served as a source of pride in the African-American community. Mrs. Ruth Haskins Johnson, who taught at Washington for twenty years, said about Washington's students "...they all loved Washington." Please send pictures of events or classmates who attended this school anytime 1st-8th grades to Diane Smith Preston, cdiane1957@aol.com
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