Petition to Name the Cambridge-South Dorchester High School Band Room the Robert W. Batson, Sr. Band Room

To the Dorchester County Board of Education, the Superintendent of Dorchester County Public Schools, and the Principal of Cambridge-South Dorchester High School

For generations, Mr. Robert W. Batson, Sr. has shaped the soundtrack of our community. Across a teaching career of nearly four decades at Mace’s Lane High School and Cambridge-South Dorchester High School, he taught, mentored and inspired thousands of young musicians. We, the undersigned alumni, families, educators, musicians and residents of Dorchester County, respectfully ask that the band room at Cambridge-South Dorchester High School be named the Robert W. Batson, Sr. Band Room, in recognition of his decades of musical leadership, mentorship and service.

A Life Devoted to Music

Mr. Batson graduated in 1965 from Maryland State College, now the University of Maryland Eastern Shore, with a degree in Music Education. A gifted bassist, he founded The Vibra-Tones, an R&B band formed during the segregation era. At a time when opportunities for Black musicians were limited by law and by custom, Mr. Batson and The Vibra-Tones made music that brought people together and gave voice to a generation. That spirit of excellence, resilience and joy defined everything he went on to do.

Thirty-Eight Years of Teaching

Mr. Batson began teaching music on Maryland’s Eastern Shore right after graduating in 1965, and he never left the work. Over a career of about 38 years, which ended when he retired after the 2002–2003 school year, he became one of the most respected music educators in Dorchester County.

His career began before integration at the historic Mace’s Lane High School, long the center of education, culture and pride for Cambridge’s Black community. There he led young musicians at a time when Black schools often had the fewest resources and the greatest determination. When Dorchester County’s schools integrated, Mr. Batson brought that same standard of excellence to Cambridge-South Dorchester High School. He helped guide a community through one of the most significant changes in its history, building a band program where students of every background made music side by side.

For the rest of his career, Mr. Batson was the iconic band director of Cambridge-South Dorchester High School. Year after year, his students filled the halls, the football stands, the parade routes and the concert stage with music that made Dorchester County proud. Several generations of the same families passed through his band room, and many graduates still speak of “Mr. Batson’s band” as one of the defining experiences of their lives. His students learned discipline, teamwork, responsibility and the joy of making something beautiful together. Those lessons have lasted long after the final note.

A Servant to His Community

Mr. Batson’s dedication has always reached far beyond the school band room. In 2009, he received the prestigious Ernest A. Lyte Award in recognition of his steadfast service and faithfulness to Dorchester County’s senior citizens, and he has served on the Board of Directors of Delmarva Community Services. Whether caring for our elders or mentoring our youth, Mr. Batson has been a true staple of this community and a profound, positive influence on the lives of so many.

Why This Honor Is Fitting

A band room is more than a classroom. It is where students discover their voices, build lifelong friendships and learn that hard work and harmony go hand in hand. No one better represents those values at Cambridge-South Dorchester High School than Mr. Batson. Naming the band room in his honor would:

recognize a living legacy of musical excellence and educational leadership in Dorchester County;
honor a Black educator and musician whose career bridged the segregated schools of the past and the integrated community we share today;
inspire current and future students to see themselves as part of a proud tradition; and
give our community a lasting way to say thank you.
Our Request

We respectfully ask the Dorchester County Board of Education to approve the naming of the Cambridge-South Dorchester High School band room as the Robert W. Batson, Sr. Band Room, and to mark it with appropriate signage and a dedication ceremony that the community can celebrate together.

By signing below, we add our voices in gratitude for a man who gave his music, his time and his heart to Dorchester County.