UPDATE: Parkersburg native publishes book on historic Sumner School

A Parkersburg native hopes his book on a historic site in Parkersburg “preserves the history of the school.”

The novel is called, “The Sumner 7: A History of Sumner High School Parkersburg, WV” and is written by Dr. Michael J. Rice, the associate director of admissions and recruitment for Ohio University’s Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine.

Dr. Rice said, “The book is specifically about the origins of the school, how it was founded, some of the challenges the founders have to overcome, what the nation was undertaking in terms of black education during that time, and the school’s closure.”

Dr. Rice started thinking about writing the book in the early 2000s and started writing it in 2016. His research took him everywhere from the Wood County Historical Society to Ohio University’s archives. He also got the chance to speak with Sumner alums.

“Without knowing your past you don't know your future, it's important to preserve the history because it served as a blueprint for many other black school initiatives not only in the state of West Virginia but nationwide,” he said.