Gwendolyn E. Hairston

Gwendolyn E. Hairston, The Bulldog, 1970

The Anderson High School Class of 1970 described Gwendolyn E. Hairston (1929-1992) as one of the "immortals" in 20th century education. Hairston, a Winston-Salem native who attended the segregated local Black facilities, stressed that her students develop as "whole, useful" people. She attended Knoxville College in Tennessee and NC A&T, later teaching in Virginia and North Carolina. Hairston taught at several schools in Forsyth County, including both Anderson and Atkins High Schools. An English teacher, she retired in 1984 having "made a profound and lasting impression" on students.