Harry Waters

Dunbar High, Lynchburg

Coach Waters was born in Wildwood, NJ and graduated from Wildwood High School. He attended St. Paul’s College for two years then transferred to and graduated from Virginia Union University and Columbia University. He worked for a time as a manager at Seaview Beach in Virginia Beach, VA. This was a recreational area used exclusively by African-Americans during Virginia’s segregated era. In 1949 he began a career as history teacher and football coach at Dunbar High in Lynchburg. He became the basketball coach in 1950. He won the VIA’s Western District Championships in 1956, 1962 and 1969. The 1966 team was Western District Champions, VIA State Champions and runners-up in the National Negro High School Tournament in Montgomery, Alabama. In 20 seasons as Dunbar’s basketball coach, he won 386 games. Coach Waters’ Track and Field teams were distinguished by winning the mile relay at five consecutive Penn Relays. He later coached basketball at E. C. Glass High School and taught at Sandusky and Heritage High Schools. Mr. Waters is fondly remembered as an outstanding coach, teacher and mentor to his many students. He passed in July 2003.