Winston Douglas
Booker T. Washington was a Principal and founder of Norfolk State University. The creation of a junior college that would eventually become the Norfolk Division of Virginia Union University was led by Winston Douglas, the administrator of Booker T. Washington High School. Ruth Hucles, an educator and community leader; the Reverend Richard Bowling of the Historic First Baptist Church; Drs. G. Hamilton Francis and D.W. Byrd, presidents of the National Medical Association; the Reverend Bravid Harris of Grace Episcopal Church; William Rich, president of Metropolitan Bank; P.B. Young, owner and publisher of the Journal and Guide; John C. Brooks, a well-known contractor and philanthropist; the Reverend Adolphus Hobbs, president of the Baptist General Association of Virginia and the Colored United Charities of Norfolk; and other community leaders.
In addition, under the direction of Mr. Winston Douglas, Booker T. Washington achieved unprecedented success in the 1920s and 1930s, earning the nicknames "The Mighty Booker T" and the "Fighting Bookers." Mr. Albert Preston assumed leadership in 1961 and led Booker T. Washington High School through numerous significant social, economic, and educational transformations with unwavering resolve and quiet dignity.
Furthermore, there were African Americans who thought and understood that a future full of vast potential was attainable during a period when many believed that their future was limited. He believed that a Norfolk-based university would foster the development of a locally educated elite who would probably stay in Hampton Roads, where their knowledge would guarantee the community's expansion and prosperity.