Wadleigh High School, located in Harlem, was founded as a high school for girls and moved to its current landmark site in 1902. Beginning in the 1920's Wadleigh High School began to accept black students and hire black faculty. By 1945 the student body was predominately black and by 1948 all the students were black. Reflecting the general shift towards co-education, Wadleigh was converted to a co-educational junior high school in 1954. The school underwent some renovation and alteration and reopened in 1956 as Wadleigh Junior High School 88. By 1995 the school was transformed to include grades six through twelve. The new entity incorporated three separate and specialized schools as the High School of Communications, Media and Technology with separate vice principals for its schools of writing and publishing, the arts, and science and technology. Later Wadleigh focused only on the performing and visual arts.
An African American, Doris Brunson taught English at Wadleigh Junior High School 88 from 1957 to 1990. She also served as chair of the 100th Anniversary Steering Committee, which planned and celebrated the school's anniversary in 1999.
From the description of Wadleigh High School collection, 1938-2007, (bulk 1960's-l 999) (New York Public Library). WorldCat record id: 277632478
