Howard History

In 1867, the Society for the Improvement of Morals of the People of African Descent started to educate the Black children of the community. This action led to the birth of Howard High School. It was then just a small five-room building located at Twelfth and Orange Streets with a few students and teachers and the principal, Miss Sallied Miller.

The school was named in honor of General Oliver Otis Howard. In the years immediately following the Civil War, he was a national leader in the work of the Freedman's Bureau, which sought to improve Black education throughout America. General Howard was the father of the late Mrs. Joseph Bancroft of Wilmington. 

In 1871, Miss Edwina B. Kruse became principal and continued in this service for fifty-one years. Two years later, the school came under the control of the City Board of Education and was known as School 16. The records show that there were four teachers: Annie D. Evans, Nellie Graves, Susan Goodwin and Arean Ruffin.

As the years passed, new rooms were added to the old building and new teachers were hired as the enrollment increased. Eventually, the Howard School was serving the needs of Black children from kindergarten through high school. 

In 1922, Mr. H. Ray Wooten became principal and served for two years.

In 1924, Mr. George A. Johnson began his thirty-five-year tenure as principal. Both Mr. Johnson and Mrs. Nellie B. Taylor, vice principal, served on the staff of the old school. Mrs. Taylor, whose name will be forever linked with Howard High School, began teaching mathematics in 1919. Another beloved member of the early faculty was Mrs. Alice Dunbar Nelson, who was once the wife of the well-known poet, Mr. Paul Laurence Dunbar. 

Howard was completed and occupied in 1928. Given through the generosity of Pierre S. duPont, the building overlooked the historic Brandywine. It housed 27 teachers and 476 pupils in grades seven through twelve. It included 23 rooms, six shops, two home making rooms, a health suite, a soundproof music room, cafeteria, and faculty dining room. In 1930, Howard became accredited by the Middle States Association of Secondary Schools and Colleges, and has maintained this status throughout the years. 

In 1941, the Carver Vocational School was established to teach trades and skills to Black students. The school was located on French Street between Fifth and Sixth, in honor of George Washington Carver, a renowned scientist. Therefore, because of the increased demands, the vocational department at Howard was moved to Carver.

In 1952, to meet the continuous needs of the school community, the Board of Education appropriated funds for additional building and facilities for carrying on a comprehensive program. A year later, the Carver School closed. The vocational students returned to Howard and the Junior High School 860 pupils moved to its present Bancroft location.

When Mr. Johnson retired in 1959, Dr. LeRoy M. Christopher became Howard's principal and remained in that position until 1970 when he became Director of the Howard Educational Park, a proposed multi-million dollar expansion of the present Howard campus for which ground was broken in November 1972. 

Mr. Robert M. Pearcy was appointed principal in 1970. He served in this capacity until 1973. During this period, the ninth grade returned to Howard providing an enrollment of 550 students and a faculty of 43 teachers. 

In 1973 Mr. C. Charles Carmichael was appointed principal and served for one year.

On September 4, 1974, Howard opened its doors for the school year 1974-75, with the youngest principal in its 40-year history, Mr. Quinton F. Sterling. Mr. Sterling, a Howard graduate of the Class of 1956, was at the helm of 742 students and a faculty of 45.

In September 1975, many changes took place at the Howard complex. Mr. Sanford Pariser became the principal. Mr. Pariser was certified as a vocational principal. At that time, the Howard Comprehensive High School became the Howard Career Center, and in essence, became a truly vocational high school. Portions of the building were occupied at different times during the 1975-76 school year. In February, the final move was made into the "Gymnasium" and the total educational program was now located in the new building. 

In September 1976, Mr. John E. Pickett became the acting principal and was appointed permanently in February 1977. The new year began with approximately 900 students and 27 foil-time shop programs. Students from the suburbs were attracted to Howard, and it became a school that would serve the needs of students from the entire New Castle County. 

On July 1, 1978, House Bill 22, passed by both Houses of the General Assembly and signed by the Governor, became effective immediately. On that date the Howard Career Center became a member of the countrywide vocational system under the control of the New Castle County Vocational-Technical School District. 

With the incorporation of Howard Career Center into the New Castle County Vocational-Technical School District in 1978, five principals followed. 

Dr. Joseph F. Mozzani was appointed principal of Howard Career Center in July 1980. In the school year 1983-84, Mr. Joseph Ambrosino became principal and served until July 1984. Mr. Gordon B. Saunders succeeded Mr. Ambrosino. He served as principal until June 1990, when Mr. Henry A. Stenta, Jr. succeeded Mr. Sanders. 

The late Dr. Henry A. Stenta, Principal of Howard High School of Technology from 1989-1999, was recognized as an innovative educator and visionary. Through an endowment that he created, a resource center was developed to provide professional development, school-to-work career experiences and post secondary research opportunities for students. 

This center that opened in September 1999 is also used for staff in-service, student clubs and organizations activities, PTSA meetings and to host the educational organizations that come to visit Howard High School of Technology. 

The Dr. Henry A. Stenta Career Development Center has a volunteer Board of Directors, consisting of business industry representatives, educators and family of our late Principal. Howard is very proud to be the first school in Delaware to have a facility like this and believes that this will be a model for high schools throughout the nation. 

One of the last major accomplishments under the Wilmington Board of Education was a $400,000 EDA grant that permitted the updating of three major areas in the Howard complex.

1.          The Howard High School Auditorium and Music Area, 
           dedicated in honor of George A. Johnson.

2.          The former Howard High School library renamed "The Memorabilia Room" in honor of Miss Pauline A. Young.

3.         The gymnasium in the Howard Career Center dedicated in memory of Arthur E. Wheeler, Sr., and
Millard A. Naylor.

Today, under the leadership of Mrs. Joyce A. Ayres, the student body at Howard, is divided between college preparatory, business, vocational, and technical areas. Many Howard graduates have taken prominent places in the community, in the professions, and in business. Others have attained professional standing in colleges and universities throughout the country.  

During Mrs. Ayres' time as principal, Howard has received many awards. It has been recognized as a Delaware Blue Ribbon School in 1997 and 1999. It has been named a National Service Learning Leader School since 2000. Mrs. Ayres was named the Principal of the Year in 2001. Howard continues to grow. 

For all those who once walked through Howard's halls, the remembrances of Howard and the part it player for over a century in educating the Black Community of Wilmington will always remain. Howard has a rich, proud heritage that will be admired for centuries to come.