10/14/2026
What was Bethel High School like more than 120 years ago? This 1902 advertisement gives us a fascinating glimpse.
Under the leadership of principal J. W. Sherrill, Bethel High School advertised itself as a “First Class School for Young Men and Women.” The school was coeducational and non-denominational, offering courses designed to prepare students “for College, for Business and for Life.”
Students could study bookkeeping, commercial law, shorthand, typewriting, music, and a full college-preparatory course. The advertisement tells us the school expected between 100 and 200 pupils, with tuition ranging from $1.50 to $3.00 and board from $5.00 to $7.00 per month.
It is important to place this advertisement within its time. Schools in Bethel were segregated in 1902. The “co-ed” description referred to the education of male and female students within this particular school, not to an integrated school system. Black students in the Bethel community attended separate schools under the segregated education system of the era.
The advertisement also proudly promoted Bethel itself, describing the school as being located in “one of the most beautiful and healthful locations in Pitt County.”
Advertisements like this offer more than a look at an old school. They give us a glimpse into education, opportunity, and daily life in Bethel at the beginning of the 20th century — while also reminding us that this history must be understood within the realities of segregation that shaped the community.
Photo Credit:
Bethel High School Ad - The King's Weekly, October 14, 1902
