Junius H. Rose High School - Junius Harris Rose

Junius Harris Rose

The school was named for longtime Greenville area educator Dr. Junius H. Rose (1892–1972). Rose was a World War I veteran who came to Greenville in 1919 to serve as principal of Greenville High School, a predecessor institution to the present school. In 1920, he was appointed as superintendent of the former Greenville City Schools district, a position he was still holding as of 1957. He was also the Civil Defense Chairman of Pitt County and a Boy Scout Leader. According to local historian Roger Kammerer, "... Rose almost missed the life he found in education. He wanted to be a railroad man, but was persuaded by his professor at Trinity College in Durham (now Duke University) to take a position in education in Kinston. From there, he came to Pitt County and remained for the rest of his life. Known to be very involved with the students, Rose even missed the announcement of his appointment as superintendent because he was on a trip with students. Rose was active in his church, Jarvis Memorial, and in statewide civic organizations." A portrait of Dr. Rose, which originally hung in the library on the South Elm campus, now hangs in the administrative area of the Arlington campus.