» From Avery Classmates to Experts in Their Fields 

This post is written by Nate Hubler, the Avery Research Center’s Liberatory Legacies Archival Fellow, who started in this position in February 2024. She will contribute blog posts about the collections she is processing through the grant.  

During my first year processing the collections of Avery stakeholders, it’s been a common experience to see someone whose collection I processed resurface in someone else’s papers. For example, the Herbert U. Fielding papers were the first collection I worked with at Avery, but his name would resurface while working with the J. Arthur and MaeDe Brown papers and the Elmore M. Browne papers. In many ways, this speaks to the lifelong connections formed between classmates at the Avery Normal Institute that were then drawn upon later in life. 

Still, I was surprised this past week when I realized that the two most recent collections I processed were the papers of fellow 1940 graduates of the Avery Normal Institute, Drs. James E. Brown and Lela Haynes Session. 

1940 Graduates of the Avery Normal Institute 

James and Lela were born outside of Charleston, in Holly Hill and Moncks Corner, respectively, but they ultimately wandered the same halls at the Avery Normal Institute. James and his family moved to Charleston when he was three years old, while Lela grew up in the schools of Berkeley County and then attended the Avery Normal Institute. 

As was tradition at Avery, both participated in various music department and dramatic club productions their senior year at the Institute. James played Hindley Earnshaw in a production of Wuthering Heights and John Hatton in a production of Spring Dance. Lela sang in the geisha chorus in Miss Cherryblossom and assisted with the production of Wuthering Heights. 

Initial Journeys Through Higher Education 

They both pursued higher education, with James attending South Carolina State College and Lela attending Allen University.  While attending Allen University, she worked at the county hospital and became a Licensed Practical Nurse. Lela graduated in 1944 with a Bachelor of Science, but James’s studies were interrupted by World War II when he was drafted into the Air Force in 1943.  He served until 1946 and then returned to S.C. State to complete his Bachelor of Science in biology and chemistry.  

Building a Career as a Dentist  

After graduating from S.C. State, James enrolled at Howard University and graduated in 1951 with a Doctor of Dental Surgery degree. He then returned to Charleston to begin his dental career. James opened his first private dental practice on the second floor of 466 King Street. He practiced there for five years before moving to 34 Morris Street, where he continued to serve the African American community for decades.  

Shortly after opening his practice, Dr. Brown joined the Palmetto Medical, Dental and Pharmaceutical Association (PMDPA) in 1952, recognizing the association’s value as a place to connect with other Black medical professionals and continue his education.¹  He served as President of the Association in 1968 and as the Chairman of the Executive Board from 1977 to 1998.²  

As a historical note, PMDPA is South Carolina’s professional association for Black medical practitioners. The American Medical Association (AMA) refused to admit Black medical practitioners as association members in the late 19^th century. Due to AMA’s refusal to integrate Black doctors into its membership, Black medical practitioners founded the National Association of Colored Physicians, Dentists, and Pharmacists in 1895 (later renamed the National Medical Association). The PMDPA was subsequently established in 1896 as the South Carolina chapter. While the AMA integrated its membership after the Civil Rights Act of 1964 became law, the PMDPA continues to serve as a home for expertise, advocacy, networking, and mentorship for Black medical professionals working in South Carolina. 

Building a Career as an Educator 

Lela started in education as a student teacher at Booker T. Washington High School in Columbia. After completing her student teaching requirements, she was hired as a substitute teacher at the same school for most of the fall semester. After her substitute position ended, she returned home to Berkeley to begin her career in full. Her early teaching experience included time at a two-teacher Brickyard School in Huger, a year at Alston High School in Summerville, five years at Berkeley Training School in Moncks Corner, and one year at Carver High School in Spartanburg. She enrolled at S.C. State in 1950 to begin a Masters program and graduated the following year. 

In 1952, she transitioned to education administration when the South Carolina Department of Education handpicked her as a Jeanes Teacher Supervisor. When experiencing doubts about the position, she consulted Frank A. DeCosta, her former Avery Normal Institute Principal, who “assured [her] that she could do well in [the] position.”³ As a Jeanes Teacher Supervisor in Berkeley County, she focused on supporting the incredible work the teachers were already doing in their classrooms and uplifting the teachers’ “role [as] a link to paved awareness of each other and unifying Black teachers as a powerful voice.”⁴  

Given that she started in the role before even Brown vs. Board of Education of Topeka was argued before the Supreme Court, her work required her to find strategies to subvert Jim Crow apartheid and try to get classrooms more materials. In her memoir, she describes the immense fury and pain she felt when students and teachers were forced to find ways to cope with a system designed to enforce the idea that they were secondary citizens.⁵ 

She worked as a Jeanes Teacher Supervisor until 1959 but remained in education administration with the Berkeley County School District for the rest of her career. Until her retirement in 1980, she worked as Supervisor of Elementary Education, Supervisor of Adult Education, Director of Retirement, and Director of Teachers’ Welfare. She also sought educational opportunities to further develop her knowledge and skills throughout her career. She completed advanced courses at North Carolina University, Duke University, Tuskegee Institute University of South Carolina, and Union Baptist Seminary. In 1967, Union Baptist Seminary awarded her an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters for her work.  

Life Outside of Work 

Dr. Session and Dr. Brown were also active in their communities beyond their professions. Both were faithful parishioners of their respective AME churches, Moncks Corner AME Church and St. Paul AME Church. Dr. Session was also involved with the larger AME Church structure at every level and served as Lay Delegate multiple times. 

Even beyond their religious communities, Dr. Brown and Dr. Session were tireless advocates for their communities. Dr. Brown’s affiliations often focused on an economic approach, including being a Charleston Trident Chamber of Commerce member and serving as director and board member of the Bank of South Carolina Charleston at various times. He was also involved in the Owls’ Whist Club and the Gamma Lamda Boulé of the Sigma Pi Phi Fraternity (aka The Boulé) when it was chartered in 1985. 

Dr. Session often found ways to get politically involved in Moncks Corner and Berkeley County. She served on the Board of Directors of the Moncks Corner Library from 1972-1982, was a state delegate to the National Democratic Convention, Secretary and Treasurer of the Berkeley County Democratic Party, and a member of the Moncks Corner Zoning Commission. She was also a chartering member of the Berkeley County Federal Credit Union and President of the Berkeley County Habitat for Humanity. 

Class Reunion 

From Drs. Brown’s and Session’s papers, it is unknown how much contact the two classmates had after graduating from the Avery Normal Institute. However, they both attended the 1940 class reunion, during which Dr. Brown served as the master of ceremonies, so they spent at least one more day together! 

The James E. Brown, D.D.S. papers and Dr. Lela Haynes Session papers are open to the public for research and viewing. Look through the finding aids and make an appointment to visit our reading room!  

Interested in reading about other 1940 graduates of the Avery Normal Institute? Read the tributes about Cynthia McCottry-Smith written by my colleagues Georgette Mayo, Processing Archivist, and Veer Mehta, Liberatory Legacies Project Archivist! 

We thank the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation for supporting the processing of this archival collection. 

Footnotes

1. Woods, Barbara A. and Tisdale-Clawson, Tracy D., “A Golden Century of Black Medicine: An Historical Overview of the Palmetto Medical, Dental and Pharmaceutical Association 1896-1996, p. 37.  ↩︎
2. Ibid. p. 37. ↩︎
3.  Session, Lela Haynes, and Cynthia Hughes. Unconditional Love, p. 57. Bloomington, IN: AuthorHouse, 2011.  ↩︎
4.  Ibid. p. 57 ↩︎
5. Ibid. p. 58. ↩︎

Image Credits

1. Photograph of the Avery Normal Institute Class of 1940, 1940, Avery Photograph Collection, Folder 40-4, Avery Research Center, College of Charleston, SC, USA. 
2. Avery Dramatic Club presents “Wuthering Heights” program, 1940, Avery School Memorabilia collection, Box 2, Folder 30, Avery Research Center, College of Charleston, SC, USA. 
3. The Music Department of Avery Institute Presents Miss Cherryblossom program, 1940, Avery School Memorabilia collection, Box 2, Folder 30, Avery Research Center, College of Charleston, SC, USA. 
4. Avery Normal Institute Class of 1940 Commencement program, 1940, Avery School Memorabilia collection, Box 2, Folder 30, Avery Research Center, College of Charleston, SC, USA. 
5. Lela Mildred Haynes Avery Institute diploma, 1940, Dr. Lela Haynes Session papers, Oversize Box 5, Folder 1, Avery Research Center, College of Charleston, SC, USA. 
6. Palmetto Medical, Dental and Pharmaceutical Association Centennial Award Presented to Dr. James E. Brown, 1996, James E. Brown, D.D.S. papers, Box 1, Folder 6, Avery Research Center, College of Charleston, SC, USA. 
7. Inside of the 21^st Annual L.W. Long Recognition and Awards Banquet program, 1996, James E. Brown, D.D.S. papers, Box 1, Folder 3, Avery Research Center, College of Charleston, SC, USA. 
8. Cover of the 21^st Annual L.W. Long Recognition and Awards Banquet program, 1996, James E. Brown, D.D.S. papers, Box 1, Folder 3, Avery Research Center, College of Charleston, SC, USA. 
9. Program from the Palmetto Medical, Dental and Pharmaceutical Association 1996 Annual Conference, 1996, James E. Brown, D.D.S. papers, Box 1, Folder 3, Avery Research Center, College of Charleston, SC, USA. 
10. Photograph of Dr. Lela Session standing in front of the Alston High School historical marker, Undated from Session, Lela Haynes, and Cynthia Hughes. Unconditional Love, p. 52. Bloomington, IN: AuthorHouse, 2011. 
11. Gamma Lambda Boule of the Sigma Pi Phi Fraternity charter, 1985, James E. Brown, D.D.S. papers, Box 2, Folder 5, Avery Research Center, College of Charleston, SC, USA. 
12. James E. Brown membership certificate for the Gamma Lambda Boule of the Sigma Pi Phi Fraternity, 1985, James E. Brown, D.D.S. papers, Box 2, Folder 5, Avery Research Center, College of Charleston, SC, USA. 
13. Saint Paul African Methodist Episcopal Methodist Church Resolution in Honor of Doctor James E. Brown, Undated, James E.  Brown, D.D.S. papers, Box 2, Folder 4, Avery Research Center, College of Charleston, SC, USA. 
14. The Order of The Palmetto awarded to Dr. Lela Haynes Session, 1979, Dr. Lela Haynes Session papers, Oversize Box 5, Folder 4, Avery Research Center, College of Charleston, SC, USA. 
15. Certificate of Election as Lay Delegate, 1968, Dr. Lela Haynes Session papers, Box 1, Folder 1, Avery Research Center, College of Charleston, SC, USA. 
16. Layman of the Year Award presented to Dr. Lela Haynes Session, 1985, Dr. Lela Haynes Session papers, Box 2, Folder 1, Avery Research Center, College of Charleston, SC, USA. 
17. Photograph of the Avery Normal Institute Class of 1940 class reunion, c. 1990, Dr. Lela Haynes Session papers, Oversize Box 5, Folder 2, Avery Research Center, College of Charleston, SC, USA. 
18. Avery Normal Institute Class of 1940 Golden Anniversary Meeting program, 1990, Avery School Memorabilia collection, Box 2, Folder 30, Avery Research Center, College of Charleston, SC, USA.