In April 1967, Mayor Vereen and other local residents met with Superintendent Higginbotham and other school board officials to discuss changes coming to Hungerford. The subject of the meeting was the upcoming name change to the school. According to Higginbotham, declining enrollment “shrunk [Hungerford] to an economically unfeasible size” and it soon faced closure. He believed it was “far better to retire the name with honor than let it go down in defeat.” Some expressed concerns that the name change would erase the history and heritage associated with Hungerford. Others feared the impact of the change on sports teams. [1]
[1] “Hungerford Name Switch Explained,” Orlando Sentinel, April 20, 1967.
[2] “100 to Protest Change to Hungerford Name,” Orlando Sentinel, April 24, 1967.
Four days later, the Orlando Sentinel reported “at least 100 persons”—comprised of parents, teachers, and members of the school’s alumni association—were ”expected to appear before the board on Monday” with the intention to protest the change. The association’s president, Chet Solomon, spoke on the group’s purpose and protest. While the name change was the main point of contention, they also cited its sudden announcement as another. The board had announced the change just a week prior. [2]
The transition marked the first of four schools to "offer both a full high school curriculum and vocational training" following a "conver[sion] to a technical type school." Recent developments and improvements, as well as declining enrollment, likely made the school an ideal candidate for the launch of the program. The article’s mention that the new "school will use the same physical facilities as the present Hungerford," with no mention of new developments, implies the state of Hungerford was sufficient to host the board’s new pilot program to offer technical education. [2] It is also worth mentioning that Hungerford offered technical education as early as 1962, as seen in this photo of Eugene Winston "training for electronics employment." [a]
[a] "Training for Electronics," Orlando Sentinel, October 15, 1962.
It is also worth highlighting that opposition to the change was in name only. Advocates for Hungerford were not opposed to the curriculum shift. The school frequently experienced periods of change and development. It also possessed a lengthy history of providing hands-on training for vocational careers. Advocates felt the school should retain the name of its origin and associated with its legacy. However, it was not the intention of the school board to retain the link between the school’s name and legacy. Chairman Charles Potter felt the transition to technical education and vocational training “calls for a new name” and favored geographic association for the new name. [2]
With the school board committing to the change originally decided on March 20, three local residents—George Townsel, Mosella Wells, Matilda Mosely—filed a suit in the Ninth Circuit Court, assigned to Judge George E. Adams, to challenge the change. It sought to either keep the name or change it to Robert Hungerford Industrial School. Mentioning the residents of Eatonville, the PTA, and alumni association sharing the same opinion, the article demonstrates the community’s commitment to honor the original donor’s intentions, preserve connection to its history, and continue its legacy by carrying the name into this latest development. Despite this, in an expansion on his preference for a geographic name for the school, Chairman Charles Potter “felt [they] carry more significance to the public.” It is unclear from the article the reason for this discrepancy of public opinion. Further research is required to identify the public cited by Potter and what significance or benefit a more geographic name would possess to them. [3] School board officials later gave an additional reason for the new change. [4, next week]
[3] “Hungerford New Name Suit Filed,” Orlando Sentinel, June 26, 1967.
Sources
[1] “Hungerford Name Switch Explained,” Orlando Sentinel, April 20, 1967.
[2] “100 to Protest Change to Hungerford Name,” Orlando Sentinel, April 24, 1967.
[a] "Training for Electronics," Orlando Sentinel, October 15, 1962.
[3] “Hungerford New Name Suit Filed,” Orlando Sentinel, June 26, 1967.
[4] “Board Insists on Name Change for Hungerford,” Orlando Sentinel, July 11, 1967.
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