1930 - 1970
World War II
“Twice during his tenure, Mr. Hoxton had the grief of seeing his boys leave to serve their country and the greater grief of the casualty list. These boys were as dear to him as if they were his own, and the loss of so many he felt to his dying day.” - Richard Pardee Williams Jr., The High School
On December 7th, 1941, America entered the second World War after Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor. With the draft age lowered to 18, this again meant significant changes to Episcopal, its curriculum, and the student body. The administration worked to find faculty to replace those fighting in the war while preparing students for the impending draft. The requirements for graduation had to be shifted to consolidate the number of students in the war. 43 EHS students and alumni died serving their country in WWII; in his book The High School, Richard Pardee Williams writes, “In World War II, eighteen deaths were accidental, four were from sickness and twenty-one were battle casualties.”
For the annual yearbook dedication, the 1946 edition of Whispers was dedicated to those students who gave their lives serving in WWII. The dedication page reads, “With sad but loving hearts, we, the students of 1945-46, proudly dedicate this book to the memory of those, our boys, who faithfully and bravely gave their all that we might be free. We shall not forget them, for they lived such lives as only brave men live; they died such deaths as but the deathless die.”
Civil Rights Movement
“Various other things stand out in my memory of the year... the race disputes, with the 'Ku Klux Klan raid' and the freedom rallies in Washington -- these are the things that make life here livable and even enjoyable." - Editor-in-Cheif Richard Gwathmey, Whispers 1965
From 1954 to 1968, the civil rights movement peacefully fought to end legalized racial discrimination and segregation toward people of color. A hallmark of this campaign was the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom on August 28, 1963, in Washington, D.C., only four miles away from Episcopal’s campus. The proximity of this historical event was mentioned in the 1965 edition of Whispers, where the editor-in-chief, Richard Gwathmey, acknowledges the prevalence of the civil rights movement on and off campus.
To fully understand Whispers and EHS in general, we must acknowledge the darker aspects of their history. The majority of the yearbooks from the 20th century include deeply bigoted content, primarily Anti-Black Imagery, Lost Cause sentiments like Confederate pride, and recognition for clubs such as the Cotton States Club. Fortunately, EHS is taking steps to acknowledge their racist background and right their wrongs through education and reconciliation.
Integration
“... the announced integration of the student body for next year is unquestionably necessary for our changing world…” - Editor in Cheif Jonathan Adams Barrett, Whispers 1968
As racial segregation in public schools had been outlawed by Brown v. Board of Education in 1959, Episcopal started its journey toward integration soon after. In 1965, Episcopal’s board of trustees unanimously voted for the integration of African American students into the school, as race would play no role in an applicant's qualification for admission. In 1968, Sam Phascall and Regi Burns began the first two black students ever to attend EHS.
Besides Phascall and Burns's yearbook photos, and a small blurb regarding the announcement of integration in the 1967 yearbook, Whispers barely addresses this monumental moment in the school's history. This lack of recognition might be attributed to the controversy regarding EHS’s integration at the time, as the decision resulted in many adverse reactions from the community. Nonetheless, the choice to start integrating black students into Episcopal has been beneficial to every realm of the institution, whether it's shown in Whispers or not.