Mr. Hunter enjoyed his years at Ligon. He graduated June 4th, 1955. 138 students graduated from high school that year. He estimated that around 200 students were in his class at its largest. . The other students respected him. He served as Freshman Class President, Sophomore Class Vice President, and Junior Class President. He chose not to run for Senior Class President.

As Junior Class President, Mr. Hunter served as Grand Marshall for the Junior-Senior Prom.

As junior class president Mr. Hunter served as a host at the first Junior-Senior prom for Ligon High. The prom went off without a hitch despite the torrential rainstorm that night, one of Raleigh’s worst. The juniors decorated the gym beautifully and provided a live band for the evening festivities. A controversial challenge by the principal, Dr. Watson, almost undermined the event.

As junior class president Mr. Hunter went with the senior advisors (teachers) to present the plans for the prom for Dr. Watson’s approval. He looked over the plans and then he made the statement that he saw no underclassmen were invited to the prom.

Mr. Hunter remembers, “I told him that this was a Junior-Senior prom for high school students. After four years in school one of the highlights was the prom. We had already had an all-school party that all students could attend. He listened, then made the statement that underclassmen including seventh and eighth graders should be invited to the prom. Upon hearing this I told Dr. Watson that he could issue the invitation and there was nothing we could do about it. We would carry out our responsibility to decorate and have the band there, but not one junior class member would attend. I could almost guarantee that half of the senior class wouldn’t be there either.

He said, ‘Mr. Hunter, I don’t think that you could do that.’

‘I was elected as president and they will follow my lead. I will go to the senior class president Ann Coble and get her to assure that the seniors will not come. If we have to hold the dance in my grandmother’s back yard we will!” Mr. Hunter retorted.

Dr. Watson thought about it for several days and then relented. We had our junior-senior prom with the sophomores as waiters and waitresses. He tested our resolve.”

Dr. Watson was a very special person. He was a special principal because we looked up to him as having a doctorate, which at that time not many African-Americans had. He liked to test our sense of will and us. He made us show how strong we believed in something, He also tested how strongly we believed in our abilities and ourselves.

The teachers and administrators cared deeply for their students.  They encouraged the students to do well despite difficult circumstances.  The teachers provided excellent instruction.  Mr. Hunter has special memories of his teachers, especially Mrs. Elsie H. Perry, a French teacher; Mr. CC. Lipscomb who taught English and dramatics; Mr. Whitaker, also known as “Chief,” who taught math; Mrs. E. M. M. Kelly, the choral director who wrote the alma matter; Mrs. Gertrude Harris, an  English teacher; Mrs. Ethel Clark, who also taught English; Mrs. E. H. Perrin, a history teacher; and Mrs. V. K. Newell who taught math. Mr. Peter H. Williams, fondly known as "Coach," holds special memories for others as well. The football stadium at Athens Drive High School is named for him.
 
 

The Royal Theater in 1937

The Ligon faculty and administration were strict. One day Mr. Hunter and his friends decided to cut some classes and go to the Royal Theater, "the Rat Box,"  for a matinee. After sneaking off campus in small groups, they met to walk up town. The theater owner sold the students tickets and snacks before he called the school. Just as they got settled in their seats with popcorn and drinks ready for the movie, they heard the booming voice of Dr. Watson blasting from the stage, “If there are any Ligon High schoolers here, if you are not back to the campus by the time I arrive you are expelled.” They raced back to school and arrived just in time to attend classes.

Ligon students could not get by with anything! It was true. No matter where you went in the city everyone knew you were from Ligon and most people knew your parents.

Mrs. Susie V. Perry was a special chemistry teacher. She caught Mr. Hunter using poor judgement and lovingly brought him back to the right path. She caught him sharing a test paper with a buddy. She took Mr. Hunter out in the hall with his paper where she threatened to send him to the principal, Dr. Watson. Everyone knew it would mean expulsion and that would mean even worse when his grandmother found out. So Mr. Hunter got on his knees in the hall and begged Mrs. Perry not send him to Dr. Watson. He knew if he got expelled his grandma would kill him. Mrs. Perry decided that the two boys must retake the chemistry test…two different tests. If either boy scored  under 95 on the retest they would have to go to Dr. Watson. They  took the test and the other boy scored a 97; Mr. Hunter scored a 98! Mrs. Perry laughed at them.
 
“Ligon teachers were very special. They would not accept less than the best that you had to offer. They seemed to always know that there was a little more there and they had a way of bringing it out. They had an insight about our abilities that being young we didn’t even see. They were some special people, some truly special teachers!

Even when we were mischievous and did things not according to school standards of behavior and they had to punish us, they did it in a way that now in reflection it does not even seem to be a punishment. I guess that’s the love they had for us.

As we went forth in life we just wanted to make them proud. I just hope we did.”