Randolph Henry High School

05/03/2026

05/03/2026

The networks called it junk. They reused tapes. They tossed old broadcasts. They figured nobody would ever go back and rewatch it.

Marion Stokes disagreed. She bought a Betamax recorder, started taping the news, and never stopped. Her family planned trips around the length of a tape. She trained helpers to swap cassettes every six hours when she got older. She lived above an apartment full of stacked tapes, then bought another apartment, then another, until she owned nine properties just for storage.

By the end of her life, the archive included an estimated 71,000 cassettes covering everything from CNN, MSNBC, Fox News, C-SPAN to local Philadelphia broadcasts. Wars, elections, scandals, commercials, weather reports, even sitcoms. All saved.

After her death, her son donated the collection to the Internet Archive. They needed four shipping containers to move it. The digitization project is expected to take many more years and millions of dollars.

Some called Marion a hoarder. Her son called it activism. Either way, what she preserved is what no network bothered to keep.

Quietly, one cassette at a time, she may have done more for media history than any institution.

09/27/2024

Randolph Henry High School Alumni and Attendees
Private group
·

10/07/2021

Class of 72, our 50th is next year. Go to R-H Class of 72 for additional information.

09/21/2019

Joe Reed needs your votes for the Paul Hornung award. You can vote from your smartphone, tablet and or desktop/ laptop. He's currently in 2nd place nationwide and you can vote daily from each of your devices.

08/17/2018

Just a reminder, this page is for RHHS folks, please no advertising or promoting private enterprise. Only RHHS items, the school, your class pictures or class reunions along those guidelines. Otherwise, this page will become an electronic bill board. If you want to do this, I suggest you create a page for your specific interest and invite others to join.

Go Statesmen!

07/16/2018

The message about the ring was sent to me and I reposted it.

07/16/2018

my name is Catie Cannon. I am a manager at a restaurant called Barrel in Washington, DC and we have found a class ring from Randolph Henry High School. I was searching for a page and you admin the "friends" page. I am hoping you could post to the page the following description:
FOUND CLASS RING at Barrel, DC (613 Pennsylvania Ave. SE, Washington, DC) Class Ring with white crystal, name Tiffany and music notes inscribed on side.

02/03/2016

The 1960 Log belonged to my late uncle: Walter A Hamlett,Jr, known as Junior and it was at my Mom's place, so this is why I'm posting 1960s pictures. Some of the folks I know, but there are alot of them I have no clue who they are. I still have more of the Log and may post some more. The ones I've done, were randomly selected.

02/03/2016

Folks, feel free to post pictures of your class. I do ask that no profanity or vulgar words be used and if so, well you're history.