Williston HS holds legacy graduation for Classes of 1969 and 1970

Over 50 years after they last attended the school, the Williston High School classes of 1969 and 1970 held a legacy graduation at the school on Saturday, July 1st

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — Normally, high school students only have to wait 4 years to graduate. However, for a group of over 150 people, the wait lasted decades.

Over 50 years after they last attended the school, the Williston High School classes of 1969 and 1970 held a legacy graduation at the school on Saturday, July 1st.

Those 2 classes had been unable to have a proper graduation ceremony due to the school board closing the school when it was forced to integrate.

Chappell Green Sr was one of the graduates.

He said it was tough not being able to have a proper ceremony.

“Oh man, we were really saddened because it was a community school and our parents, in the community, had always had an emphasis on Williston being a school of higher education and everybody in the community wanted to graduate from Williston at the time,” Green said. “And when we were not able to graduate, it was disheartening to a whole lot of us and me especially. But when I heard about the opportunity to graduate, it was rejuvenation.”

As part of the ceremony, former MIT chancellor and Williston graduate class of 1962 Philip Clay was the guest speaker.