The Founding of Cours Privés Roger Anglade (CPRA): A Tribute to Haiti's Roger and Raymonde Anglade

Feb. 4, 2011 - PRLog -- Raymonde Anglade was born Anne Marie Raymonde Elie on November 24, 1924 in Port-au-Prince. Educated at Ecole Normale d’Instituteurs Elie Dubois, Raymonde started her teaching career at République du Vénézuela, a public school for girls in Port-au-Prince while she offered private lessons to students at her family’s modest home in Bois Verna, Port-au-Prince.

Meanwhile, Roger Anglade, who had completed his secondary studies at Lycée Pétion earned a scholarship to study biochemistry at la Sorbonne, France. In 1946, he traveled to France where he remained for seven years studying biochemistry, all the while contemplating a career in pedagogy.

Upon Roger’s return to Haiti in 1953, he offered private lessons to students who were academically challenged at Petit Séminaire College Saint-Martial and Saint-Louis de Gonzague. These schools were the two most prominent academic institutions in Haiti, known for the success of their students on the baccalauréat exam in Haiti. They were also two feeder schools for the University of Haiti, Haiti’s unique university.

The success of Roger’s students at those schools earned him a great reputation in Port-au-Prince. By 1954, Roger set out to transform his private lessons into what became Les Cours Privés Roger Anglade (CPRA).

According to Jean-David Borges, Mishta Taluy and Marie-Louise (Malou) Henriquez, Roger’s nephew and nieces, “the actual school started on the veranda of Madame Albert Anglade,” their grand-mother, who resided in a gingerbread house located on Ruelle Villemenay, in Port-au-Prince.

“The school opened with two students: Roger Koster and another fellow. The students wore no uniform; and there were only two teachers: Roger Anglade, who taught French, literature, chemistry and physic, and Roger Colon, a captain in the Haitian Army, who taught mathematics.”

"News quickly spread that Roger’s students were excelling; enrollment subsequently increased, which led Roger to enlarge his pedagogic team. Roger Gaillard, who taught philosophie joined the staff, followed by Toto Lespérance, another math teacher, and Mr. Barateau who came later to teach Spanish.”

“By 1957, the veranda at Ruelle Villemenay became crowded and CPRA had its first student, Daniel Dupont, passing the baccalauréat exam. News got around that CPRA was as competitive on the bac as Saint-Louis and Séminaire, and enrollment to the school increased. The student body eventually reached a total of 20 students, which led Roger to consider relocating the school. By then, Roger had met Raymonde Elie to whom he had proposed.”

Both Raymonde and Roger shared pedagogic dream. They eventually married and set out to found a real school. According to Mishta, “Roger and Raymonde relocated the school in 1957 to an old house situated at Avenue des Marguerites. They resided on the top floor of that house, allocating the ground floor to the secondary school and the veranda to the primary school.”

After its relocation, CPRA student body consisted of family, friends and neighbors of the Elie, Anglade, Taluy, Stines, Charlmers, and Henriquez families. As the student body expanded, Roger and Raymonde appointed Aure Anglade Borges (Madame Borges) as professor of geography and French literature. Eventually, they appointed other professionals on their teaching staff, including among the many Menan Pierre-Louis, Rémy Zamor, Frantz Paillère, Fritz Pierre-Louis and Lucienne Nicolas (Madame Nicolas).

As the school expanded, Roger sought the assistance of Junie Anglade Henriquez, his sister. Junie was not an ordinary teacher. She was well known in Haiti academic circles and admired by a significant number of parents whom she had educated herself.

When words spread that Madame Henriquez was teaching at Anglade, parents transferred their children from Saint-Louis, Séminaire, Sacré-Cœur, Sainte-Rose de Lima (Lalue), and other prestigious institutions to CPRA.

Jean-David who attended CPRA class of philosophie tells us that “His graduating class had a 100% success rate on the baccalauréat exam.” According to the Office of Education Bulletin published in 1948, “characteristics of Haitian secondary schools before, and, about 1957 was its small number of graduates who would then be admitted to various universities, both in Haiti and abroad.”

Jean-David concurs. After graduation, “his classmates were very successful at gaining admission at universities, both in Haiti and abroad.” Seven students made up that 1961 graduating class that “included Georges Anglade and Mireille Neptune who later married. Georges went on to study at L’Ecole Normale d’Instituteurs et l’Ecole de Droit in Port-au-Prince. Both were recipients of scholarships permitting Georges to obtain his PhD in Geography and Mireille to study Zoology in Strasbourg, France. The couple had a brilliant career until their return to Haiti. Sadly, both Georges and Mireille Anglade perished during the January 12th 2010 earthquake in Haiti.

As to the remaining six graduates, Lionel Michaud studied medicine at a university in Mexico; Georges Metellus studied medicine in Spain; Marie Claude Argand was engaged to Lionel Bance. They never married, for Lionel was killed the following year during the Duvalier regime.” As to Jean-David, he studied Economics at Queens College in New York and obtained a master at the University of Colorado.

“From 1957 on, the success of CPRA’s students and alumni was ‘meteorite,” concluded Paulette Tardieu, Roger’s cousin. A number of Haitian dignitaries were educated at Anglade: Cours Prives Roger Anglade (CPRA) is the alma mater of Ertha Pascal (Trouillot), Haiti’s first female president, Raoul Cedras, currently in exile, and Michel Joseph Martelly alias Sweet Micky, the celebrated musician and one of Haiti’s current presidential candidates.

Philippe Dodard, a world renowned artist was educated at CPRA; so did Rachelle Salnave Nicolas who founded Pomme d’Api of Haiti, a reputable pedagogic institution. Maitre Dilia Lemaire, an advocate and specialist for the welfare and rights of women and children in Haiti; Danielle Magloire, a well known sociologist and human-rights advocate; Anaïse Chavenet, a journalist, founder of Communication Plus, and Fritz Nivose, who became a reporter for CNN, are  products of CPRA.

Mahalia Stines, Raymonde’s niece and CPRA alumna attributes CPRA’s success to the school’s motto “Toujours plus haut”… “with such motto, students could only aspire to reach the top.”  

Ludmilla Joseph an alumna who founded the Association des Anciens du CPRA remembers that “Raymonde took great pride in asserting that CPRA students display their best foot forward … She enriched our lives immeasurably” Ludmilla said.

Raymonde spent 54 years administering CPRA, which became College Roger Anglade (CRA). After Roger’s passing in 1983, she co-directed the school for 25 years with Manoel Anglade, her eldest son, overseeing the education of children, young men and women at the school. No political or demographic challenges stood on her way. Despite the 7.0 January 12th, 2010 earthquake where her house collapsed on her, with Manoel and a dedicated teaching staff, Raymonde kept the school going with the same passion and perseverance and “Toujours plus haut.”

Roger passed away in 1983; Madame Henriquez, who devoted 40 years at CPRA, died in 2001. As for Raymonde, she remained actively involved in the school until her passing on January 11, 2011. The epitome of a true alma mater, the dedication of both Raymonde and Roger to their students and to the college was legendary as was their commitment to educate generations of children to become responsible adults for the service of humanity and for the benefice of all.

A Raymonde and Roger Anglade Scholarship Funds has been established in Raymonde’s honor. For all enquiries, consult the school’s website at:
www.CollegeRogerAnglade.com