The Gwyn Story

Some said the relationship couldn’t last. Jule Gwyn was raised in a well-established family in a small town in North Carolina where he attended public schools and demonstrated early on that he had strong leadership skills. Trish Wright, born in Montreal Canada, moved with her family to various large cities in the Northeast and attended private secondary schools. They had their first date at Duke University in 1948 – it was the beginning of a partnership that lasted decades.

Trish graduated from Duke in 1951 with a degree in English. Jule graduated from Duke Law School in 1953. They moved to Jule’s hometown of Reidsville where he established a law firm and, together, they raised their three children. 

Throughout their lives together, Jule and Trish worked to improve the welfare of the Reidsville/Rockingham County community. Jule served as mayor for 2 terms during the 1960’s, a time of great civil unrest and economic uncertainty. As mayor, he worked closely with leaders of the Black and White communities to integrate the restaurants, movies, pool, etc. of Reidsville without sit ins or violence (* Reidsville, NC: Establishing Civil Rights Without Chaos or Violence). He went on to promote the development of the Community College system in North Carolina, becoming one of the original trustees for Rockingham County Community College. And, working pro bono, Jule helped establish the Early Childhood Education Endowment at the Rockingham County Partnership for Children as well as the Gwyn Endowment for Youth, designed to support the local YMCA.

Trish began her outreach by directing her energies to the support of children in the community. She opened the first integrated kindergarten in Reidsville and operated it for seven years. She then directed a child development center for four years. After completing her Masters’ degree in Library Science, Trish worked in the County Library system for 22 years, first as a Book Mobile librarian and, later, as the Director of County Libraries. In her “retirement”, Trish served on the Rockingham County Board of Commissioners and became the first woman Chair of the Commission in 1999.

Both Jule and Trish volunteered with numerous governmental and civic organizations. They received dozens of awards and recognitions during their lifetimes. Most importantly, they established friendships and forged strong communication links that served to improve the lives of the people around them.

Their work serves as the inspiration of the Gwyn Initiative.

* Reidsville, NC: Establishing Civil Rights Without Chaos or Violence was the last project Jule completed before his death.  This short but interesting manuscript describes how a few individuals made such a large community impact.