When Union Avenue High School n the future Soldan n opened as Missouri’s fifth high school in 1909, all of its students, faculty and staff were white. Forty-six years later, the school opened its doors to African-American students and then graduated its first integrated class in the late 1950s. In 1993, the school became Soldan International Studies High School.
Its inaugural Alumni Hall of Fame Induction and 95th Anniversary Celebration, held last Saturday in the school’s auditorium, reflected the racial changes of the school’s timeline.
Alumni and faculty from classes dating as far back as 1923 and also including the racially diverse class of 2005 participated in the celebration, which honored 13 alumni of distinction.
Among those honored were the late, great writer Tennessee Williams and internationally known actress Virginia Mayo (White Heat and The Best Years of Our Lives), who died this year. Student-participants accepted their awards.
Former coach Wilbert O. Sanders, the first African-American coach and faculty member, who died in 1989, had his award accepted by his daughter.
She said her most poignant memory of her father was from his wake, when a group of men she didn’t recognize introduced themselves as his “players.”
“These men said they were who they were and their sons were who they were because of my father,” she said. “It was a wonderful tribute to him.”
Honoree Shirley Armstead, a special agent in the U.S. Department of Justice, Drug Enforcement Administration, said she is pleased that Soldan has established a hall of fame because it gives future generations another goal to achieve.
St. Louis Community College Chancellor Henry Shannon, also an honoree, spoke of teachers and counselors at Soldan who touched life.
“I want to thank the teachers and counselors here at Soldan, because if it were not for them pushing me after high school to go to college, I would not be here today.”
Ron Himes, St. Louis Black Repertory Company founder and producing director, couldn’t attend but sent word via colleague Marsha Cann that “Soldan provided a strong foundation for which he was able to build upon to achieve the success he has achieved, and he’ll always be grateful for that.”
Honoree Wayman Smith also expressed thanks, while suggesting that future hall of fame inductions be held during the schoolday “so that the young people here who really need to know about their history might have an opportunity to come see people like Ambassador Stith and Coach Saunders’ daughter.”
He added, “I am inspired, and it would certainly be inspirational for them to see where they can go, what they can be and what they can do.”
Ambassador Charles R. Stith, a scholar and minister, devoted his acceptance remarks to the plight of young African-American men.
“For young people today, particularly our men, these are trying times. Far too many are caught up in the criminal justice system. And we need to be responsive and deal with it,” Stith said.
“There’s a role for home and church, but there is also a role for places like Soldan. As challenging as our young men can be, the message that we ought not ever cease to impart is that it is important that they don’t give up on themselves, and the most profound way to punctuate that message is that you never give up on them.”
Stith added, “In various ways, for those of us who were honored today, there was someone or a number of someones at Soldan High School who would not give up on us or allow us to give up on ourselves.”
Other inductees included former Soldan faculty member Katherine Chambers; Laclede Gas Company President, Chairman and CEO Lee M. Liberman; organist Stan Kann; civic leader and engineer Isadore Millstone; and author/playwright A.E. Hotchner.
