By Shawn Nowlin
Dr. Doris Ennis personifies the word “icon,” which Webster’s Dictionary defines as “a person widely admired, especially for having great influence or significance in a particular sphere.”
For Ennis, an education trailblazer who selflessly gave nearly 60 years of her life to Roanoke City Public Schools, it seemed like one day she was graduating from college and the next, officially calling it a career.
In 1962, Ennis broke the color barrier when she became one of the first African American educator in the city school system. Before joining the staff at Patrick Henry High School, she taught English at Booker T. Washington Junior High, an all-Black school, for nearly a decade. To aid Black students throughout the integration process, Ennis established a human relations council.
After 18 years at PH, she worked her way into an administrative role. She also served as a principal and interim superintendent.
Given how beloved she is, it should come as no surprise that Ennis left a lasting impression on thousands of students over the years.
Recalling what Ennis was like as a teacher, Amy Jones said, “Certain adults garner tremendous respect by the way they carry themselves. Anyone who has been around Dr. Ennis knows that she is one such individual. Even when she held you accountable for your actions, you knew that she had your best interest at heart.”
Two memories of Ennis are embedded in Tracy Morrow’s mind. “I remember one time a hostile parent was upset with their child’s grade. Instead of getting out of character, she handled the situation with tremendous class and professionalism,” Morrow said before adding, “When I was having a hard time understanding a subject matter, she worked with me until I fully understood it. Let’s just say every teacher would not make that type of investment.”
On her Facebook page after Ennis retired, Carolyn Patterson, a longtime local community activists wrote, “Congratulations to my dear friend who is a former Superintendent of Roanoke City Public Schools. The Roanoke City School Board has approved that the Downtown Administration’s Board Meeting Chambers will be named in her honor and known as the Doris Ennis School Board Meeting Chambers.”
A native of Greensboro, North Carolina, Ennis moved to Roanoke after marrying husband Hugh.
“At an early age, my parents taught me that if you have the capacity to serve, you should do just that. As Black educators, we are so much more than just teachers. We often assume the roles of mentors too,” she previously told the Roanoke Tribune. “Knowing what awaited them in the future, I felt a sense of responsibility to make sure my students had a solid foundation so they could make a seamless transition into adulthood.”
