WHEREAS, Pembroke High School, a former public secondary school in Hampton, ably served young people in the area for many years; and

WHEREAS, Pembroke High School traces its roots to 1940, when Hampton Institute leased a building to Elizabeth City County Public Schools for the purpose of creating a new school for Black children; and

WHEREAS, the school became part of Hampton City Schools when Elizabeth City County was dissolved, and after the landmark ruling in Brown v. Board of Education in 1954, Black residents urged the city to build a new Black high school; and

WHEREAS, negotiations stalled until Hampton Institute refused to allow the Hampton School Board to renew the lease on the building, and plans were made to build a new school building on LaSalle Avenue to be named George P. Phenix High School; and

WHEREAS, George P. Phenix High School opened in 1962 and continued to serve a predominately Black student body until the Hampton School Board ordered the full integration of all city schools in 1967; and

WHEREAS, George P. Phenix High School was renamed Pembroke High School after the district where it was located; the school served many local young people, including children of service members at the nearby Fort Monroe and Langley Air Force Base; and

WHEREAS, by 1980, Pembroke High School was the smallest high school in Hampton City Schools with both the lowest building capacity and the lowest enrollment; the school was closed and the building currently houses a branch of the YMCA, as well as the Hampton Department of Human Services; and

WHEREAS, the proud alumni of Pembroke High School have worked diligently to preserve and maintain the school's history and legacy of excellence, and in August 2022, the Pembroke High School Class of 1972 will host its 50th reunion; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the Senate of Virginia, That Pembroke High School hereby be commended for its legacy of contributions to young people in Hampton as an outstanding public secondary school; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the Senate prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to representatives of the Pembroke High School Class of 1972 as an expression of the Senate of Virginia's appreciation for the school's important place in the history of Hampton.