Curator Michael S. Williams talks about how D.C. Virgo arrived in Wilmington and hit the ground running to continue the legacy of strong Black educators in the Port City.

Mr. Virgo (1880 - 1955) served New Hanover County students for nearly 40 years, becoming the first principal of Williston Primary and Industrial schools when he arrived in 1915. Virgo walked "door-to-door" pleading with parents to allow children to continue their education. He enrolled the first Williston Industrial High School students in 1919, and in 1924 asserted Wilmington provided opportunities in Black education "comparable with any other city in the state and indeed she stands foremost in many particulars."