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Longtime Beaufort County principal dies at 77
Grist remembered for inspiring other educators
By EUGENE L. TINKLEPAUGH, Staff Writer
Retired educator and Beaufort County native Shepherd Russell Grist died Saturday. He was 77.
Grist is perhaps best remembered as a longtime principal at P.S. Jones Junior High School, a post he held for about 20 years.
He began his career with Beaufort County Schools as a 7th-grade teacher in 1955 — before the county and Washington school systems merged. Grist’s first year teaching was at the now-defunct Chocowinity Elementary School. He retired in 1994 as the school system’s assistant superintendent for instruction.
According to information provided by Beaufort County Schools, Grist served at numerous schools in the city school system and county school system during his years in education. During those years, he served as a teacher, guidance counselor and principal.
Marion “Bubs” Carson, current principal at John Cotten Tayloe Elementary School, is one of many educators Grist influenced and served as a mentor.
Grist hired Carson — a fresh college graduate — to teach at the junior high school. Under Grist’s tutelage, Carson eventually became assistant principal at P.S. Jones.
“His overriding strength in a school setting was his people skills,” Carson said Monday. “He made everyone who came into that school feel important and that’s something I try to emulate today.”
Carson said the junior high school was probably the largest school in the county at the time of Grist’s principalship. More than 1,000 students were enrolled in the school, which housed 7th-, 8th- and 9th-grade students, Carson said.
“Shep’s greatest legacy in education is the way he has encouraged other people to continue their careers in education,” Carson said. “Many people have followed his footsteps.”
Current school board member Robert Belcher, retired educator and Bath resident Mike Baker and the late Frank Randolph were among leading educators in the county who worked with Grist and were influenced by his leadership.
Carson worked under Grist for 10 years.
“He was the type of guy you enjoyed talking with because he knew so much about history and the history of Beaufort County,” Carson said. “I thoroughly enjoyed working for him.”
Grist served as P.S. Jones principal from 1968 until moving to the central office in 1989, according to school officials.
He married the former Carolyn Adams in 1951. He had three daughters, five grandchildren and a great-grandchild.
Grist was a graduate of Washington High School and a veteran of the Army National Guard. He earned his bachelor of science degree in education at the former East Carolina Teachers College in Greenville (now East Carolina University) and a master’s degree in guidance counseling at the University of Michigan.
Other than his time in service and in school, Grist spent his entire life in Beaufort County.
During the Korean War, the Army activated the National Guard. Grist’s unit was sent to Germany to bolster forces there in a U.S.-led effort to dissuade Russia from considering a European invasion.
Prior to the Guard’s activation, Grist had been attending the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
“The thing we’re most proud of,” said daughter Lucy Walker, “is he assumed the job of principal the first year of full integration.”
With Frank Randolph as his assistant principal, Grist took over a school facility that formerly was the all-black high school and was being switched over to an integrated junior high.
“He and my dad worked through a difficult time,” Walker said. “I was in the seventh grade that year. Some parents chose to send their kids to private school. My family felt strongly that this is what was supposed to be, and what needed to be.”
Of Grist’s three daughters, all have taught at some point, Walker said; her youngest sister is still teaching in the Chapel Hill area and recently was named Teacher of the Year in her district.
By EUGENE L. TINKLEPAUGH, Staff Writer
Retired educator and Beaufort County native Shepherd Russell Grist died Saturday. He was 77.
Grist is perhaps best remembered as a longtime principal at P.S. Jones Junior High School, a post he held for about 20 years.
He began his career with Beaufort County Schools as a 7th-grade teacher in 1955 — before the county and Washington school systems merged. Grist’s first year teaching was at the now-defunct Chocowinity Elementary School. He retired in 1994 as the school system’s assistant superintendent for instruction.
According to information provided by Beaufort County Schools, Grist served at numerous schools in the city school system and county school system during his years in education. During those years, he served as a teacher, guidance counselor and principal.
Marion “Bubs” Carson, current principal at John Cotten Tayloe Elementary School, is one of many educators Grist influenced and served as a mentor.
Grist hired Carson — a fresh college graduate — to teach at the junior high school. Under Grist’s tutelage, Carson eventually became assistant principal at P.S. Jones.
“His overriding strength in a school setting was his people skills,” Carson said Monday. “He made everyone who came into that school feel important and that’s something I try to emulate today.”
Carson said the junior high school was probably the largest school in the county at the time of Grist’s principalship. More than 1,000 students were enrolled in the school, which housed 7th-, 8th- and 9th-grade students, Carson said.
“Shep’s greatest legacy in education is the way he has encouraged other people to continue their careers in education,” Carson said. “Many people have followed his footsteps.”
Current school board member Robert Belcher, retired educator and Bath resident Mike Baker and the late Frank Randolph were among leading educators in the county who worked with Grist and were influenced by his leadership.
Carson worked under Grist for 10 years.
“He was the type of guy you enjoyed talking with because he knew so much about history and the history of Beaufort County,” Carson said. “I thoroughly enjoyed working for him.”
Grist served as P.S. Jones principal from 1968 until moving to the central office in 1989, according to school officials.
He married the former Carolyn Adams in 1951. He had three daughters, five grandchildren and a great-grandchild.
Grist was a graduate of Washington High School and a veteran of the Army National Guard. He earned his bachelor of science degree in education at the former East Carolina Teachers College in Greenville (now East Carolina University) and a master’s degree in guidance counseling at the University of Michigan.
Other than his time in service and in school, Grist spent his entire life in Beaufort County.
During the Korean War, the Army activated the National Guard. Grist’s unit was sent to Germany to bolster forces there in a U.S.-led effort to dissuade Russia from considering a European invasion.
Prior to the Guard’s activation, Grist had been attending the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
“The thing we’re most proud of,” said daughter Lucy Walker, “is he assumed the job of principal the first year of full integration.”
With Frank Randolph as his assistant principal, Grist took over a school facility that formerly was the all-black high school and was being switched over to an integrated junior high.
“He and my dad worked through a difficult time,” Walker said. “I was in the seventh grade that year. Some parents chose to send their kids to private school. My family felt strongly that this is what was supposed to be, and what needed to be.”
Of Grist’s three daughters, all have taught at some point, Walker said; her youngest sister is still teaching in the Chapel Hill area and recently was named Teacher of the Year in her district.
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