In the Fall of 1958 Carolyn Porter and Essie Knowles from Little Rock, AR transferred to
HVRHS when the public schools of Little Rock were closed due to the unrest and violence of school desegregation in the South. Ms. Daisy Bates, a local civil rights activist in Little Rock, had a friend in Lakeville, Catherine Aller, who agreed to have Carolyn and Essie live with her for the school year. Dr. Paul W. Stoddard, HVRHS Principal, welcomed the plan for the young women to complete their high school studies at HVRHS. Carolyn and Essie answered the challenge with all their best, were elected to
the National Honor Society, and graduated with the HVRHS Class of 1959. They both went on to Boston University. Carolyn became a physician and practiced for 35 years, and Essie became a music and language arts teacher, author, and earned her doctorate, becoming a music therapist. Both attended the HVRHS Class of 1959’s 50 th Reunion in 2009.
During the 2022-2023 academic year Mr. Peter Vermilyea, History Teacher and Department Chair at HVRHS, guided a group of his students in a local history project to research and document this remarkable story. The following documentary film was created by students Kara Franks, Ayla Hill, Aron Ladanyi, Spencer Markow (drone photography), Amber Ramcharran, Dana Saccardi, Ben Willis (Class of 2003, editor), and Eason Zhang.
                      Click on the link below to view a unique chapter in the history of HVRHS.