On June 7, 1889, the junior class of Dayton's Central High School presented a lengthy program of speeches and music. The school typically held assemblies at the end of the academic year that gave students in ninth through eleventh grades an opportunity to speak and perform. The freshman (first year) class assembly took place about a month before graduation, the sophomore (second year) assembly was week later, and the junior (third year) assembly was the following week.
The Junior Class of the Central High School held its closing exercises in the school hall yesterday afternoon.
"Closing Exercises." Dayton Daily Journal (Dayton, Ohio). June 8, 1889. Page 1.
Paul Laurence Dunbar was sixteen years old and a student at Central High School, though not in the Junior Class. He attended the assembly and wrote comments about his schoolmates in the margin of the program.
Closing Exercises
Junior Class
Central High School
Friday Afternoon, June 7, 1889
Program
Essay - Workers and Drones
Ella Crandall very good
Oration - France
Ezra Kuhns fine
Essay - Bread
Lillian Amend pleasant
Oration - The Spirit of the Pioneer
Will P. Breneman tolerableProgram for Central High School Junior Class Closing Exercises, June 7, 1889. Paul Laurence Dunbar Papers, Ohio History Connection (Microfilm edition, Roll 3).
One of the day's speakers was Ezra Kuhns. Along with Paul, Kuhns wrote for the High School Times and was a member of the school's literary society. He later became an influential Dayton attorney, assisted Paul with the preparation of his will, and was a pallbearer at his funeral.
During the sophomore class assembly the following year, Paul again made notes on his program. Regarding one of the speakers, he wrote, "What a handsome neck that Bessie Kemper has."
Closing Exercises
Second Year Class
Central High School
Thursday Afternoon, May 29th, 1890
Program
Essay - "Silhouettes"
Bessie Kemper good +
Violin Solo "Stabat Mater"
Jeanette B. Freeman grand +
Essay - "The Puritan Character"
Henry M. Lydenberg very goodProgram for Central High School Second Year Class Closing Exercises, May 29, 1890. Paul Laurence Dunbar Papers, Ohio History Connection (Microfilm edition, Roll 3).
A photograph from 1890 shows Paul (in the upper left) with some of his Central High School classmates, including Orville Wright (standing in the doorway). Bessie Kemper (with the handsome neck) was in a younger class, so she is not in the photo.
Many years later, Paul reflected fondly on his high school experiences in an autobiographical letter to a reader.
My school life was pleasant. I was the only Negro in my class and apparently popular. My chums encouraged me. My teachers encouraged me. Then the boys made me president of the school society -- the Philomathean -- after that, editor-in-chief. I set earnestly to work to live up to these honors and succeeded in bringing out the paper a month late every time, but with such editorials as are still pointed to as marvels of school-boy -- well -- audacity. I laugh at these things now, but as I look back upon them, I have a fancy that they must have been very serious to me then and done much to mold my life.
Paul Laurence Dunbar to A. S. Lanahan, February 17, 1898. Paul Laurence Dunbar Papers, Ohio History Connection (Microfilm edition, Roll 2).