Circle of Honor

Sarah Y. Brown

     Sarah Y. Brown began her teaching career in 1946 in a one-room schoolhouse for black children on Daufuskie Island, overseeing 30 students of all ages. After that year she went back to school, earning a degree in elementary education from Savannah State University in 1954. She returned to teaching, in 1962, she spent two years teaching second grade before the opportunity arose to become trained as a special education teacher. More schooling? Sign me up, she thought. She spent her summers earning a Masters Degree in Special Education from Tuskeegee Institute (now University). She retired from teaching in 1986.

     “S.Y.” Brown enjoyed years traveling to such places as California, Texas, Canada, Hawaii, Germany and Alaska. She served in many capacities in her Church, First Zion Missionary Baptist, and was known by many in the community for her volunteer work at Bluffton Self Help. She also is involved with the nondenominational group Church Women United, even serving as the group's president in the early 1990s.

     She encouraged one of her former students to enter a poetry contest in Washington, DC. He finished in the top 100 of 300 poems. He went on to author two poetry books. She was the wife of the late Oliver Brown, mother to two sons, grandmother of six and had one great-grandson.

MRS. ODESSA W. SIMMONS (1929-2019)

Odessa W. Simmons

     Mrs. Simmons or Mrs. Odessa as many people called her, was a phenomenal woman who was a servant of God, dedicated her life to serving her family, community, school, and church. Wherever she served, she always focused on encouraging young people.

     The daughter of the late Reverend Abraham F. & Mrs. Hestelle W. Woodbury, she was the wife of the late Arthur Simmons Jr., the mother of Myrna & Sherice, the grandmother of Johnathan Avery Bolden (DaNina) and great grandmother of Imani. Having begun her career in a two-room school in the Low Bottom Community as a 1st & 2nd Grade Teacher, she retired from the Beaufort County School System after serving 36 years. Those years included transferring from the community school to Michael C. Riley High School. There she served as teacher, senior class advisor and retiring June 1987 as Librarian at Michael C. Riley Elementary School. She served as first African American Secretary for Beaufort County Board of Education and was one of the initial staff hired to work with the Migrant Head Start Program in Beaufort County.

     Mrs. Simmons was a lifelong member of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, where she served with distinction 80+ years as a member of the Historic Grace Chapel AMEC Beaufort, SC, Additional service to her church and community organizations included but was not limited to : Life Member of the Women’s Missionary Society; musician on all levels of the AME church; designation as Poet Laureate by the late Bishop John Hurst Adams, Presiding Prelate of the 7th Episcopal District (State of South Carolina) for her gift of writing original prose and poetry; membership and/or officer Mizpah Chapter #4 Order of Eastern Star, National Federation of the Blind, United Order of Tents, Clemson University Extension Family Community Leaders, Beaufort County Retired Educators, Senior Bowling League and recipient of the NAACP Image Award.

     A retiree who enjoyed traveling, she visited many islands in the Caribbean as well as tours of the United States and Canada. Mrs. Simmons’ Favorites included: Scripture-Isaiah 40:31; Song “Jesus Is All The World To Me”; Motto: “Don’t down the man who’s down today but cheer him up in their sorrows; for this old world is a funny old world and you may be down tomorrow.”

Miriam J. Brown

According to Ms. Brown, "if you learn how to read, write and do arithmetic, you pretty much got it - the rest is easy." Miriam J. Brown was born and raised in Beaufort, SC to James and Minnie Jenkins. She graduated from Robert Smalls High School in 1925 and moved to Bluffton, SC the same year.

She graduated from Savannah State College in 1929, Savannah, Georgia, with a BS Degree in Elementary Education; she taught for forty-two years (42) in Beaufort County rural schools

Broomfield School - St. Helena Island, SC, 2 yrs.

Laurel Bay School - Beaufort, SC, 4 yrs.

Belfair School - Bluffton, SC - 10 yrs. - at the one room school building in Belfair Plantation; she was the lone employee; therefore, she served as principal, teacher, counselor, custodian, secretary, etc. The instruction centered around the three "R's" - reading, writing and arithmetic. · According to Ms. Brown, "once her students mastered the three "R's;" their "academic educational career" were completed.

She taught 6 years at Bluffton Graded - before the school was named Michael C. Riley, under the principalships of: Ellis Dean, Larry McDuffy, Jonathan Francis, Sr., and William Henry Richardson, Sr.

She taught 20 years at Michael C. Riley Elementary School - connected to and located on the campus of Michael C. Riley High School.

At Michael C. Riley, she taught through the principalships of every principal the school ever had; namely, George W. Lebby, Sr., Eugene E. Neal and James B. Hildebrand. During her thirty-six years of teaching tenure in Bluffton, SC, it is documented that she taught three generations in one family. She retired with "Honors and Tributes" in 1974.

Isaac W. Wilborn JR.

... MC RILEY "Swiss Army Knife"...

Isaac W. Wilborn JR. - We could easily name Mr. Wilborn, 'MC Riley Swiss Army Knife.' He taught at Bluffton Graded' from 1950 to 1951; served as the men's basketball coach, when they played on the outdoors court; was the school's Chaplin; taught on both the high school and elementary school levels.

Served in U.S. Army from 1951 to 1952
Returned to Bluffton, SC and taught at MC Riley High School 1953 to 1954.
Assumed the principalship at Hilton Head Elementary School in 1954 and remained there until he retired - 1981.
Parents: The late Presiding Elder Isaac W. Wilborn, Sr., and Ms. Marie Waymer Wilborn of Elloree, S.C.

Mr. Wilborn received his high school education at Orangeburg County Training School of Elloree, S.C.; he received his BS Degree in Elementary Education, from Allen University, Columbia, SC. He received a master's degree in education from SC State College, Orangeburg, SC; additional studies - Tuskegee University, Savannah State College, George Peabody College, University of South Carolina, and Erskine Theology Seminary.

His career activities included the followings: 1) retired educator (elementary school principal), 2) college dean (Allen University), and 3) business owner. His civic activities included the followings: 1) chairman, Palmetto Electric Cooperative, 2) chairman, Communities in Schools, and 3) director, Community Development Corporation.

He achieved the following honors: 1) Good Citizen's Award, 2) Alice Glenn Doughtie Award, 3) Certificates of Appreciation, Hilton Head Hospital, Hilton Head Bluejays, Shiloh A.M.E Church, Band Booster, and 4) College Fund/UNCF Distinguished Award.

Family - wife Romona Johnson of Latta, SC; she taught at Bluffton Graded and Michael C. Riley from 1950 to 1954; children, Sharon, Isaac Ill, and Lizzie; 13 grandchildren.

"After retirement, Mr. Wilborn 'pastored' Campbell Chapel AME Church - Bluffton, SC"

Diogenese Ezekiel Singleton

Diogenese began his early education in a “one Room” school in the Chaplin Community here on Hilton Head Island. He was taught by Rev. Solomon Campbell from grades one through four and Mrs. Mary Patterson Houston while attending school at the Church of Christ in the Jonesville community for grades seven and eight. His next four years was spent at the Penn School on St. Helena Island, graduating in 1947. While at Penn, he was mentored by his Science Teacher Mr. Robert Lewis who challenged and encouraged him to excel. After graduating from Penn, he enrolled in Savannah State College now (University), where he received a Bachelor of Science degree in Agriculture.

He was Principal and Teacher at the Robinson Junior High School on Hilton Head Island. After the school’s closure he was sent to Michael C. Riley High School in Bluffton in 1961. His teaching career spanned 14 years after which he retired and became a successful business man and farmer.

MR. DIOGENESE E. SINGLETON (1947-1961)

Rosalie Janet White Barnwell

Rosalie attended the public schools through the 5th grade on Hilton Head Island. The trend of the sisters continued as she enrolled and became a boarding student at Mather School in Beaufort, SC. Rosalie continued her education after graduating from Mather School by enrolling at Savannah State College in Savannah, GA., where she earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Home Economics with a Minor in Education.

During several summer breaks from her teaching career, Rosalie was relentless as she continued to pursue a Master’s Degree in Guidance Counseling from Atlanta University in Atlanta, GA. Her teaching career began in Jasper County, South Carolina, and two years later an opportunity became available for her to teach middle school students at Robinson Jr. High on Hilton Head Island. After the closure of Robinson Junior High, she was hired to teach elementary students at Michael C. Riley in Bluffton, SC., where she taught fifth graders for twenty-four years.

After a 34 year teaching career she retired from Beaufort County School District in 1978. During her career, Rosalie was an active member of South Carolina Education Association and the National Educators Association.

Phoebe Wiley Driessen

I was born and raised on Hilton Head Island and attended one if the Island’s Elementary School. I had never heard of or saw a school bus and here is why. We lived within walking distance of our schools, because each community had its one or two room school building.

I attended the Cherry Hill School which is located on Beach City Road across from the St. James Baptist Church. The school building is still standing and has been placed on the National Register of Historic Buildings. It is the only one of the community school buildings left. These small community schools had these advantages, good teachers, small classes and individualized instructions.

My teaching career began in the following way. The superintendant found out on Friday that one of the teachers was not going to return on Monday, and they needed someone to take over that classroom. Mrs. Lucinda Patterson told them about this girl who had recently graduated from Mather School in May 20^th 1949 and that she could fill in. I was that recent graduate. For five years I was fortunate to have taught at Chaplin Elementary, one of the Island’s two room schools. I stayed there until the schools were consolidated in 1956. I then left that year to get my degree in education and returned and taught at the Consolidated School for 25 years. I spent 30 years as a classroom teacher before retiring. I have now been retired longer that I taught.

Ruth E. Jones

Miss Ruth E. Jones was born on Hilton Head Island on October 28, 1904 to Benjamin and Rebecca Jones. She received her formal education at the Mather School in Beaufort, South Carolina and Benedict College in Columbia, South Carolina.

Her teaching career began in 1927 through 1929 at the Grand Army Hall School, teaching first through fifth grades and was the only staff. She then taught grades sixth to eight at the Brownsville School on Hilton Head Island from September through December of 1948, again as the only staff. Her next teaching assignment was the Hilton Head Consolidated School from 1949 through 1954 and finally the Hilton Head Elementary School from 1954 through 1970 teaching sixth and seventh grades.

On June 18, 1983, Miss Jones was honored at Abe’s Shrimp House by her students, co-workers, parents and community leaders as “Our Best Teacher” at the Hilton Head Elementary School. Miss Jones’ teaching career spanned a period of 43 years on Hilton Head Island.

High School Alumni Association

circle of honor