Sampson Legacy Fund

OUR HISTORY

 

Picture a sunny afternoon in 1940, in the southern Military town of Fayetteville, NC.  The cotton is high and the fields are filled with flowers. Helen is busy preparing for her church’s youth program of which she is in charge. She frantically rushes around the church making sure all the details of her musical program are complete.

 

George and Helen both attend E.E. Smith high school in Fayetteville but have never met. During the weeks prior to Helen’s youth program a relative who knows George sings in a quartet encourages Helen to invite the group to sing on the youth musical. Helen willingly agrees and George‘s quartet is scheduled to participate.

 

All of Helen’s hard work paid off and the youth musical was a success. After the program Helen made her way to all the guest and participants to show her appreciation for being a part of the youth program.  George was among those greeted by Helen.   During their exchanged George found out that they were the same age of 15, and they attended the same high. George was so taken by this poised young woman that the very next day he wrote Helen a note asking if he could walk her home from school.

 

That was the beginning of their life long journey together. At 15 Helen was not allowed to have gentleman callers, so George and Helen would spend their time getting to know each other during their walks to and from school.  All that year they continued to find unique ways of spending time together until Helen turned 16.  In August of 1941 when Helen turned 16 she invited George to her home for the first time. Together they enjoy a wonderful meal prepared just for George by Helen. You can say this was the meal that sealed the deal.

 

In 1942 George & Helen graduated from E. E Smith High School. George stayed close to home and attended A & T College in Greensboro, North Carolina while Helen left for Morgan State College in Baltimore, MD.  During this time they wrote letters, sent cards and made sure they stayed in contact with each other.  Also in 1942 George moved to New York to peruse a career in Music. After a year of traveling from New York to Baltimore he knew he wanted Helen in New York by his side. 

 

At the time the legal marriage age in the state of New York for a man was 21. George was 19 but he didn’t let that stop him from making Helen also 19 to be his bride.  On June 18, 1943 George & Helen were married in New York City at the home of a local preacher.