Timeline+Text

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 * 1921** | Principal A. Quinn Jones arrives in Gainesville to be principal of Union Academy (the largest African American school in Alachua County) with a monthly salary of $125.


 * 1922** | Principal A. Quinn Jones raises enough money to extend school year to a full 8 months.


 * 1923** | Principal A. Quinn Jones opens Lincoln High School to teach 1st - 10th grade.


 * 1923** | During first three months of opening, Principal Jones told by school board that Lincoln would have to close early due to a lack of funds. Principal Jones successfully raises $600 to keep school open.


 * 1923** | Coach Charles Chestnut becomes Lincoln's first football coach, leading the team to an undefeated first season.


 * 1925** | Eight young people become the first graduates of Lincoln High School. Among them are a college math professor, a school principal, two Lincoln English teachers, a physician, a sports editor, and a musician.


 * 1926** | Lincoln becomes the second fully accredited African American school in Florida.


 * 1941 |** School board spends $1.85 on every white student's diploma and only $.90 on every black student's.


 * 1942 |** Florida Committee of Southern Association of Colleges and Schools visits Lincoln. School board had refused Lincoln's necessary recommendations for accreditation.


 * 1954 |** U.S. Supreme court decides "seperate is inherently unequal" in the case Brown v. The Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas.


 * 1956 |** In May, US Supreme Court orders lower state courts to enforce Brown v. Board "with all deliberate speed."


 * 1956 |** In June, a new building for Lincoln High School was completed. Alachua County School Board decides to equalize separate systems instead of integrating them.


 * 1957 |** January 31, 1957, Principal A. Quinn Jones retires after 34 years of service.


 * 1964 |** Three African American students are chosen to integrate Gainesville High School.


 * 1965 |** Continually plagued by high dropout rates, LHS records dropouts at 13% due to pregnancy, marriage, and economic hardship.


 * 1964 |** Civil Rights Act passed.


 * 1965 |** Voting Rights Act passed.


 * 1967 |** Alachua County School board elects "Freedom of Choice" plan, allowing students to voluntarily integrate. At the same time, they decide Lincoln High School will be closed and reopened as a vocational-educational school.


 * 1967 |** Two white teachers assigned to Lincoln High School. By 1969, 21 out of 78 teachers at Lincoln are white. Given a choice, white students do not choose to attend Lincoln, though hundreds of Lincoln's best students begin attending traditionally white schools.


 * 1969 |** In November, the 5th Circuit Court orders county boards to desegregate or close down schools that remain black. The black community in Gainesville protests loudly.


 * 1969 |** Students begin protesting by boycotting school costing the school board $2,000 a day. Between November 20- December 12 average attendance at Lincoln hovered around 70 students.


 * 1969 |** December 12, 1969 an agreement is made between black community and school board giving blacks some control over their football coach and choral director.


 * 1970 |** January 31, 1970 Principal John Dukes officially closes school. A racial disturbance at Lincoln results in 17 arrests, 2 hospitalizations of teachers, and 91 broken windows. Alachua County schools remain closed for four days. They do not reopen until Friday February 5.


 * 1970 |** April 22 students of Gainesville High School parade in preparation for school desegregation.


 * 1991** | In the Lincoln High School biyearly reunion a scholarship of $1,500 is set up for local youth.