Page 34 - Florida Sentinel 2-4-22

Black History: The History Behind The Names
Bing Elementary School
Built in 1991, Bing Ele- mentary was named in honor of Elijah Lutrell Bing, a distinguished educator. He was principal of Glover Ele- mentary and Junior High School, in Plant City, from 1949 until 1954. He served as principal of Marshal High School from 1954 until 1967.
Bing served as Director of Special Projects, and was appointed as the Assistant Superintendent for Support- ive Services in 1972 and re- mained in that position until he retired in 1978. During his 47 years as an educator, Bing was also a Civil Rights activist.
A native of Plant City, Bing attended junior high school in Jacksonville and high school in Lakeland be- cause there were no schools
ELIJAH LUTRELL “E. L.” BING
for Blacks higher than 6th grade in Hillsborough County. He earned his B. A. Degree from Florida A & M University in Biology, and his Master’s Degree from Co- lumbia University in Educa- tion.
Doby Elementary School
INEZ DOBY
Located in southeastern Hillsborough County in Apollo Beach, Doby Elemen- tary opened in 2006. The school was named after Inez Doby, a former Hillsborough County educator who taught children for over 40 years in the southeastern part of the county.
Clark Elementary School
HAROLD CLARK
In 1998, the Hillsborough School District named a new
elementary school in honor of Harold Clark. Clark Ele- mentary School opened on August 13. Mr. Clark began a career in education that spanned 55 years, beginning in 1954 in Okeechobee County.
He came to Tampa in 1963 to open Just Junior High School. He rose through the ranks of the Hillsborough County School District, serv- ing in several capacities in- cluding as principal. He served as the Assistant Super- intendent of Supportive Serv- ices for 13 years before retiring in 1991.
Dunbar Elementary School
Dunbar Elementary School opened in 1927. The school is named after Paul Laurence Dunbar, the first African American poet to gain national acclaim. In 1997, Dunbar Elementary became a magnet school for medical and science exploration, gifted education and talent development.
PAUL LAURENCE DUNBAR
Hammond Elementary School
JAMES A. HAMMOND
In August 2007, a new school opened in Hillsbor- ough County. The name cho- sen was that of James A. Hammond, a longtime pro- moter of Race Relations and education. A native of Tampa, Mr. Hammond attended
the public schools of Hillsbor- ough County.
Following graduation, he attended college, served in the military, and returned to Tampa in 1955. Shortly after returning to Tampa, Ham- mond launched his long ca- reer in public service. He served as the Commissioner of Community Relations, served as the Chairman of the City Civil Service Board; and is credited with founding the Tampa-Hillsborough Action Plan.
Hammond served on the Unemployment Appeals Commission at the request of four Florida Governors. In 1969, he was presented the Governor’s Medal for his role in helping to end the race riots in Tampa that had taken place in 1967.
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