150 Years of Achievement 1834-1984

Jennie Wheatle is a Virgin Islands educational and cultural icon who taught from Primary to Tertiary levels during her sixty years of public service. She was an English teacher who explored the cultural heritage of Virgin Islanders through her writing. She taught her students about their heritage and how to conduct oral-history research. She was the first Director of the Virgin Islands Studies Institute at the H. Lavity Stoutt Community College. Together with her students and faculty, she conducted extensive research on the lives of Virgin Islanders. Eileene L. Parsons is one of the Territory's cultural icons who spent many years teaching at high School. She was the Territory's first cultural officer, leader and organizer of the annual August Monday Festival, founder and lead dancer of the Heritage Dancers, member of the B.V.I Singers, and Minister of Government for several years. She spent many decades helping Virgin Islanders preserve their heritage amid the socio-cultural changes that have taken place since the mid-twentieth century.