RESOLUTION NO. 040875
Honoring Lincoln High (now
Lincoln College Preparatory Academy) and R.T. Coles Vocational/Junior High
School.
WHEREAS, Lincoln
High School was originally founded in 1865 to educate black children of the
newly freed slaves. During the early stages of development and growth the
school survived several relocations and various academic reorganizations with
the elementary grade school curriculum being added in 1869 and the high school
department being officially organized in 1886; and
WHEREAS, in 1860,
Richard T. Coles came to Kansas City and was appointed to teach in the Lincoln
School, the first public school for Negros. He was a teacher and principal in
the Kansas City school system for 50 years; and
WHEREAS, in 1936,
the Board adopted the name R.T. Coles Vocational/Junior High School. Through
the years, Lincoln High and R.T. Coles has graduated students who excelled
academically; and
WHEREAS, Lincoln
High became a magnet school changing its name to Lincoln College Preparatory
Academy and has remained open and continually operated as an integrated school
in the Kansas City School District; and
WHEREAS, in 1988,
the Lincoln High/R.T. Coles National Alumni Association was formed with the
goal being to maintain an ongoing relationship between the individuals who
either attended or graduated from Lincoln High, R.T. Coles and Lincoln College
Preparatory Academy and to rediscover, develop, preserve and promote awarenss
of the heritage the schools have provided; and
WHEREAS, in
April, 2002, Lincoln High (Lincoln College Preparatory Academy) was designated
as a historical site; NOW, THEREFORE,
BE IT RESOLVED BY
THE COUNCIL OF KANSAS CITY:
That the Mayor
and Council hereby honor Lincoln High (now Lincoln College Preparatory Academy)
and R.T. Coles Vocational/Junior High School; and
BE IT FURTHER
RESOLVED that this Resolution be spread upon the Minutes of the Council in
testimony thereof and that a copy hereof be presented to Ronald L. Walton, Mary
T. White, Reginald C. Taylor and A. Ralph Brown in token of the appreciation of
the Mayor, Council and citizens of Kansas City for the more than 100 years of
outstanding teaching that these schools have been providing the children of
this community.
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