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The celebration Saturday featured a theme of “Capturing our history, preserving our legacy and advancing our future.�

Lockerman Schools Association Chairperson Willie Woods called the event “gratifying� as different generations came together to celebrate Lockerman.

“It was very gratifying to see the community continuing to just work together and come together to celebrate the rich history that Lockerman has and the role it has played in the lives of multiple generations of residents of Caroline County,� Woods said.

Lockerman School started in 1930, when Isaac Thomas donated land to the Black Parent-Teachers Association for a school. In 1931, the school was named after Joseph H. Lockerman, a Black educator who was born 1862 near Denton.

The school remained Joseph H. Lockerman High School until 1966, when the school closed its doors as a Black high school and became the integrated Riverview Middle School.

The Lockerman name was restored in 1993 at a Lockerman Middle School pre-dedication ceremony, which highlighted the history of Lockerman School.

The president of the Caroline County Board of Education at the time was George W. Fisher. William D. Brown was president of the Concerned Friends of Lockerman, the forerunner of the current Lockerman Schools Association Inc.

The Lockerman Schools Association Inc. was established in 1993 as a nonprofit to engage in educational, literary or charitable activities that benefit students who have ties to any of the Lockerman Schools.

Woods described the process of planning Saturday’s event as honoring the past and addressing the present.

“You sort of share the vision, the idea, brainstorm with individuals and then begin to establish It’s a working plan,� Woods said. “...Then we look at some things we want to recognize and honor. If you look at our theme, capturing our history what other kinds of things are happening or we’re experiencing that we can bring to the forefront, so that our members and the community in general are aware and some of those were highlighted during the presentation of awards and certificates.�

Members of classes 1935, 1945, 1955 and 1965 came to celebrate class anniversaries.

While some members weren’t able to attend, family members or friends accepted plaques and small trophies on their behalf. Caroline County and Board of Education officials attended the anniversary event.

The Lockerman Association also presented 13 scholarships to Caroline County students pursing higher education.