When it comes to school spirit, Ernie Hamilton has a lot of it. The problem is Beck High School, his all-Black alma mater, hasn’t existed for 50 years.
Beck is one of five all-Black high schools that ceased to exist after Greenville County integrated in 1970. For Hamilton and his classmates, losing their high schools meant losing a piece of themselves. And for decades, it’s meant no homecoming, no chance to walk the halls and reminisce.
“All we have are memories,” Hamilton, 70, said.
However, in 1991, Hamilton and representatives from the five schools planned what would become the Piedmont Athletic Association Hall of Fame (PAA HOF), a group that celebrates the athletic accomplishments of students from those schools. Since then, the Hall of Fame has inducted nearly 250 people.
Hamilton, a standout athlete, went on to play football at Michigan State before he became the first Black person hired by the 13th Circuit Solicitor’s Office as an investigator. He later earned his law degree from the University of South Carolina School of Law and continued to work for the solicitor’s office as a prosecutor until he went into private practice. Hamilton continues to practice law in Greenville and remains a guiding force for the PAA HOF, serving as its public relations representative.
“It’s history, it’s something we do,” said Hamilton. “Look at all the wonderful memories we’ve got.”
The PAA HOF doesn’t only include past players. A number of coaches and supporters are members, like Joe Mathis, who was a football coach at Sterling High; Eddie Jones, a football coach at Washington High; and James Floyd, a football and track coach at Beck High.
In the interest of keeping the memory of these schools alive, organizers in 1996 created an annual Hall of Fame banquet and all-star basketball game that brings together some of the best student athletes in their senior year of high school in Greenville County Schools. The organization is planning a March 12 banquet this year, but COVID-19 considerations could put that on hold.
Students who play at the all-star game receive partial college scholarships through the PAA. The organization has given out more than $100,000 in scholarships since it created the all-star game in 1996, according to its website.
“Hearing about the joy of (the game) would bring tears to your eyes,” Hamilton said.
Athletes making history
Abbie Collins, a Hall of Fame inductee, was active in several sports at Washington High in the 1960s. She played basketball, track, softball and was captain of her cheerleading squad. She graduated from Washington in 1968, and thought her high school days would just be a memory — until the PAA.
“I had no idea there would be an association,” she said. “We didn’t know we were making history.”
Collins is now on the board of the organization, and enjoys keeping the memories of her school alive. And some who show up to the banquet, she said, haven’t seen each other in more than 50 years.
After high school, Collins earned an associate’s degree from Greenville Tech and a degree from Cecil’s Business School (now South College-Asheville Campus) in marketing and finance. She later worked in real estate and as a wedding and home designer; her work was featured in several local publications.
As for Hamilton, his most recent honor was being inducted into the Greenville County Schools Hall of Fame as part of the 2021 class.
“It’s been an interesting ride,” Hamilton said.
The five schools in the PAA HOF
- Washington High School: 41 HOF’ers
- Sterling High School: 69 HOF’ers
- Lincoln High School: 48 HOF’ers
- Bryson High School: 46 HOF’ers
- Beck High School: 38 HOFers
