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Article by Dr. Clara Small  Dr. Harrison DeWayne Whittington Anthony E Ward Funeral Home Harrison DeWayne Whittington was born on June 9, 1931 to the late Marilyn Whittington and Alphonso Cottman, in segregated Crisfield, in Somerset County, Maryland. His mother died nine days after his birth, so he was reared by his grandparents, Martina and Harry Whittington, who taught him to revere education and the Protestant work ethic. His grandparents were not educated, but they instilled in him the value of an education. As a child, he suffered from asthma and missed a lot of school, but his first grade teacher delivered his homework to him in order to make sure that he did not fall behind his peers. His grandparents inspired him to excel and purchased him an encyclopedia and years later when his home burned DeWayne still had in his possession the encyclopedia, which was one of his most cherished possessions. As a result, he was an avid reader and he religiously read three newspapers a day. From the third to the 11th grade, DeWayne attended the Crisfield Colored High School. From the ninth grade to the eleventh grade, he served as the janitor at the school as he stoked the school’s furnace for $30 a month. That position required that he rose at five in the morning, walked almost two miles to the school to start the fire in the school’s furnace, returned home for a shower and breakfast and then went back to school for instruction. It also demanded that every hour of the day he had to go down into the boiler room and fire the furnace. He graduated from Crisfield High School in 1948. DeWayne learned to work at an early age which was evident by him working as a janitor at the school. He also delivered clothes for the local dry cleaners. He also spent time at the local barbershop where he was learning to cut hair and shine shoes, while others of his age were going to movies and the theater. He also sat at the feet of his elders and learned of their wisdom and collective experiences. Upon graduation from Crisfield Colored High School, he attended Morgan State College, now Morgan State University, in Baltimore, Maryland. His grandparents were poor and did not have the means to pay his tuition, purchase his books, or provide other amenities that were necessary to make his college experience successful, so he joined the Reserved Officers Training Corp (ROTC), which paid him $27 per month. He also worked as a custodian for eight hours in Holmes Hall from 4 p.m. to midnight. That determination to succeed and his work ethic resulted in him earning a Bachelor of Science degree from Morgan State College in 1952 and he was inducted into the United States Army as a Second Lieutenant. He was sent to Fort Benning, Georgia and to Fort Hurd in California and his responsibility was to train troops for the Korean Conflict. He was also scheduled to go to Korea, but each time he was scheduled to go to war, he became ill. He described that as a blessing because many of his classmates who went to war were killed or severely injured. After having served for two years as a Second Lieutenant, he was honorably discharged from the United States Army as a Captain. At the end of his military career in 1954, DeWayne began his teaching career. He returned to Crisfield and served as a Coach of male sports at Carter G. Woodson School, the former Crisfield Colored High School, where he taught Physical Education for $2,400 per year until 1962. Within one year of teaching, he contracted tuberculosis which had been connected to his military service. He spent six months in the hospital until he recovered from his illness and returned to his teaching and coaching position.  Scorchy Tawes Photo of Class D Maryland State Champions March 12, 1960 Back row from left: Tony Ames, Thomas Byrd, Charles Morgan, Joshua Davis and Lionel Stephenson. Front row: are Samuel Whittington, Lorenzo McCready and Russell Coleman. Other team members not named or pictured were William Fields, Edward Horsey, S. Miles and Elmer Sterling Photo obtained from Crisfield High Crabbers Facebook From 1962 to 1969, Whittington served as Principal of Carter G. Woodson School and guided the school through the desegregation process, which culminated in 1969. In 1969, he was appointed to the position of Title 1 Coordinator of Somerset County Public Schools from 1969 to 1970. As coordinator of the program, he wrote the first grant for the county to improve the schools and to upgrade the audio and visual equipment. As a result of his successful endeavors to improve the Somerset County schools, Mr. Whittington was moved into the Somerset County Office to conduct the grant; the grant lasted from 1970 to 1992. In the interim, from 1970 to 1974, he was appointed and served as Director of Federal Programs for Somerset County and was the Coordinator of Human Relations with the Maryland State Department of Education. His efforts to improve the Somerset County Schools were recognized and in 1980, he served as Coordinating Supervisor of Supporting Services in the County. By 1981, he became the first African American Assistant Superintendent of Somerset County Public Schools. From 1988 to 1992, Mr. DeWayne Whittington served as the first African American Superintendent of Somerset County Public Schools, precisely 34 years after he had served as a gym teacher and janitor for the Crisfield Colored High School. Mr. Whittington’s term as Superintendent of Somerset County Schools was not an easy task, as racism was an ever present factor in all that he attempted to accomplish. The Board of Education did not allocate sufficient funds to improve the schools, nor did it provide adequate resources for technical support. When the schools desperately needed computers in order to facilitate the needs of the students and to help them achieve their educational goals, the Somerset County Board did not supply computers for the schools. In order to supply the needs of the students, Mr. Whittington developed an alliance with various businesses, brought in state-of-the art technology, worked to improve test scores, and instituted an open-door policy with the community. Mr. Whittington understood the necessity to introduce education to students at an early age and as a result, he introduced early childhood education in the county. The program he introduced was ranked second in the state under his leadership. He also introduced algebra in middle school and the concept of counselors in the schools, because he was concerned about the whole student. The working relationship between Mr. Whittington and the Somerset County Board of Education lasted until January of 1992, when the all-white Board of Education voted 3 to 2 not to renew his contract, with no explanation. The non-renewal of his contract was the first time in approximately forty years that the Somerset County Board of Education had not renewed a superintendent’s contract. Regardless of the number of protests by parents and community groups, the Board of Education refused to offer an explanation for Whittington’s dismissal. He even offered to return to his former position as gym teacher, but the Board refused to grant his wish, and instead hired a long-time substitute. When the local community became aware of Mr. Whittington’s dismissal as Superintendent of Somerset County Schools, Dr. Hytche, President of the University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES), offered Mr. Whittington the opportunity to join the staff at UMES. He accepted the position of Visiting Lecturer and Director of Field Experience in the Department of Education and remained in that position until he retired. Another ardent supporter of Mr. Whittington was Dr. Earl Richardson, the President of Morgan State University, also a native of the Eastern Shore.  Dr. William P. Hytche Sr University of Maryland Eastern Shore Mr. Whittington was not idle after he was terminated from his position. As a lifelong learner, and an ardent supporter of education, he chose to continue his education, something he had continued to do once he received his B.A. degree from Morgan State College in 1952. His post-graduate studies included a Master of Education degree from Penn State University in 1961, and a Doctor of Education degree in 1980 from Nova University. Additional post-graduate studies were conducted at Temple University, the University of Maryland, Loyola College, Weber State University, Salisbury University, Makato State University, Bowie State University, George Washington University and East Strodsburg State University. As news spread of his dismissal, half-truths, lies, innuendos and rumors also spread that began to damage his stellar reputation. Reluctantly, Dr. Whittington appealed to a lawyer for a redress of grievances against him. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) assisted him in the trial that began on June 17, 1996. When he went to court, Dr. Whittington had 26 cartons of information to support his claims. During the trial, it was revealed that Dr. Whittington was the lowest paid superintendent in the State of Maryland. To bolster his case, a newspaper reporter testified that the Board of Education Chairman had stated that “they did not want a “Nigger” as Superintendent. Others also testified in support of Dr. Whittington’s ability to successfully and efficiently govern and the fact that he had been instrumental in helping to improve the educational level of students in Somerset County. Testimony also reflected the racial animosity that existed among the members of the Board of Education that led to Dr. Whittington’s dismissal despite support of his leadership capabilities from many white and black citizens. Many local citizens and members of the jury were appalled at the manner in which Dr. Whittington had been treated and the fact that he had worked so diligently to improve the Somerset County School system despite the fact that the Board of Education had not provided sufficient funds to do so. When the verdict in the case was rendered, the Somerset County Board of Education was found guilty of discrimination. Dr. Whittington was granted the monetary award of $835,000. However, the jury stated that monetary compensation was insufficient for such an overt act of “racism.” The jury recommended that a school in Somerset County be named in Dr. Whittington’s honor as a living memorial to his life-time achievement in education. The trial vindicated Dr. Whittington and proved that he had done nothing wrong which had led to his dismissal and the verdict helped to restore his good name. As a testament to his character, and his attempts to improve the education of all people in Somerset County, on the Eastern Shore of Maryland and Delmarva, Dr. Whittington accepted Dr. Hytche’s offer in 1997 to serve on the Advisory Panel to UMES’ President. Others were also cognizant of the injustices that had been done. The Alumni Association at Morgan State University honored him with the Humanitarian Award. In 2007, Dr. Whittington was honored by the Reginald F. Lewis Museum of African American History and Culture, in Baltimore, Maryland, for his history making achievement and community service. He was also inducted into the Lewis Museum Black History exhibit and 35 of Whittington’s Morgan State University’s classmates of 1952 were in attendance at the ceremony.  H. DeWayne Whittington, Ph.D. University of Maryland Eastern Shore Not only was Dr. Whittington known for his educational contributions to the local community, but he was also known for his business, religious, fraternal and civic contributions because he served on over 28 different boards simultaneously. He was a 32nd Degree Mason; a lifelong member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity; a member of the Phi Delta Kappa Fraternity; served on the McCready Memorial Hospital Governing Board for over forty years; a member of the Crisfield Chamber of Commerce; Chairman of the Board of Directors at Shore Up, Inc.; member of the Somerset County Economic Development Committee; Honorary Trooper of the Maryland State Police; and a host of other affiliations. One of many affiliations Dr. Whittington and the community were exceptionally proud of was his appointment to the McCready (Hospital) Foundation in 1964, for which he served continuously until 2009. He served on the board for 45 years and was among McCready’s longest serving board members. He was the first African American appointed to the board of that healthcare facility, and he successfully lobbied the hospital to integrate its patient population and staff in the 1960s. He was also instrumental in recruiting minority doctors to McCready’s medical staff, as well as chaired its building and grounds committee when a new hospital was built in the 1970s. A few of some of the other agencies/organizations on which Dr. Whittington served included:
 Shiloh United Methodist Church As a result of his many contributions to the citizens of the Eastern Shore and Delmarva, Dr. Whittington was also the recipient of many commendations, awards and accolades. One of those awards was from his beloved Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc., from which he was awarded the “Omega Man of the Year” award on more than one occasion. He was also inducted into the University of Maryland Eastern Shore’s Hall of Fame in recognition of Academic Excellence. Regardless of the number of awards he received, it seemed as if his greatest pleasure was knowing that his students excelled in academia and succeeded in life. Dr. Whittington’s passion was education. Even though he was involved in numerous social, religious and fraternal organizations, he was firmly committed to education throughout his entire life. He also worked to change the “attitudes of people so that they would realize our struggles and the things that we, as African Americans, have gone through and try to do something to “improve matters.” As a testament to his life’s work, many of his former students often called to check on him and some even sent money to him to establish scholarships for needy children. Dr. Whittington’s emphasis on education and lifelong commitment to it never wavered, coupled with his desire to improve the county of his birth and the values he was taught as a child, speaks loudly for a man who lost his mother when he was only nine days old but grew to be an outstanding educator and humanitarian. He devoted his life to educating students, all students. Sadly, Dr. H. DeWayne Whittington passed away on November 3, 2012, in Salisbury, Maryland, but his legacy lives on in the local communities, in the school named in his honor, in the hearts and minds of all who knew him, and the student lives he touched.  Dr. Harrison DeWayne Whittington
Crisfield Mural 618 W Main Street, Crisfield
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