R J Reynolds High School - Black and Gold Yearbook (Winston Salem, NC)

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Until World War II, all students were required to attend a morning chapel twice a week. Wednesday morning chapels were set aside for devotional programs, while Friday morning chapels were set aside for educational purposes and pep rallies. All football games were played on Hanes Field on Saturday afternoons. Because of insufficient bleachers, the fans stood, sat on the ground, or ran up and down the side- lines cheering and yelling. Saturday nights, after the game, there was an open house at RJR. on the first floor. Each spring, the seniors looked forward to the “Senior Class Picnic” which was held at a local picnic area. All students brought a “basket” for an old-fashioned style picnic. Auditorium dedicated to R.J. Reynolds 11

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New gymnasium The school newspaper, “Pine Whispers”, was begun in 1925. Elizabeth Wilkinson was the first editor-in-chief. In 1925, Reynolds won five awards in the state-wide musical contest. Reynolds had an overall football record of 8-1 in 1926. The girls’ hockey team won the state championship the same year. In 1926 RJR’s drama team accepted an invitation to give a performance in New York City. The Grand Trophy of the High School Music Contest in North Carolina became a “personal possession” when Reynolds won the trophy for the fourth year in a row in 1927. Reynolds won the State Baseball Championship in 1927. Both the Reynolds’ boxing and wrestling teams won the state championship in 1928. During these early years Reynolds had its own print shop. At one time, the shop printed all educational materials for the school system. The shop also printed the school annual and newspaper. Thus the print shop, at one time, gained the reputation of being one of the best high school print shops in the state.

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Transportation for students included walking, bicycling, and riding the streetcars. Students walked from as far away as Salem and Southside. Ard- more was considered close to the school. Enough students rode bikes to school to necessitate large bicycle racks with locks. Before and after school, special streetcars brought students from town without their having to transfer. In 1938, the first parking permit was given to a student. At this time, all teachers parked their cars behind the auditorium. During the earliest years of Reynolds, school was never closed for snow. Everybody left home early to walk in order to get to school on time. For several years, in the late twenties and early thirties, double school ses- sions were held because of the large number of students. Each group of students came for half a day. At first, Reynolds included the eighth through eleventh grades. When the state added the twelfth year requirement, the eighth grade was shifted to Wiley Elementary School. At a much later time, the eighth grade was again shifted to Reynolds. They occupied the third floor and continued under an elementary school program while the ninth through twelfth grade students used the first and second floors. Homeroom periods were thirty minutes in length. This allowed time for teacher counseling and guidance, daily devotional programs, student com- mittee meetings, and course planning. At one time, a superior student could skip half a year’s work and graduate e arly. Therefore there were two J unior- Senior Proms and two graduations occurring in January and June. Each student selected a four year course in Latin, foreign language, science, or in commercial subjects. He then took his specialty course each of the four years along with his required course. Homerooms were organized according to the courses taken by the students. The Student Cooperative Government, based on the Honor Code, has been the most important organization at Reynolds. Encouraged by the principal and faculty, the students, themselves, assumed the responsibility of setting a good example for their fellow classmates. For years, public opinion frowned on the school’s sponsoring dances. Therefore the Junior-Senior was not a prom. The juniors entertained the se- niors in the auditorium with dramatic performances. Later, after the perform- ance, the seniors were taken to the highly decorated gym for the Grand March of the school celebrities, followed by a reception.