Renan High School - Rambler Yearbook (Gretna, VA)

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DEDICA TION CLASS OF 1964 CLASS OF 1964 Jelinings, Ann Wilson, Linda Roach, Marie Rowland, Gloria Layne, Hilda Williamson, Mary Francis Wilson, Stone, Carolyn Doss, Mary Robertson, Winnie Saunders, Linda Tucker, Ozelle Compton, Ida Lou Allbeck, Power, Hortense Updike, Donald Adams, G. E. Milam, Victor Crews, Billy Anderson, Leslei Johnson, s Hubbard, David Yeatts, Mildred Grant. It is with a deep sense of gratitude, respect, and affection that we dedicate this the eleventh volume of the Rambler to the first class of 1925 and to the last graduating class of 1964 of Renan High School. The Rambler Staff

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DEDICA TION CLASS OF 1925

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IN THE BEGINNING . . . So it ' s a school Years of suffering feminine, despair, elation, eviles, and wisdom have shaped the curricula and aims of Renan High School. The span of years has seen many changes in the school and offerings, but the students whom she serves is the same weird combination of serious intent and gay abandon that she has always been. Here, we will look at our school in a backward glance, trying to recapture the many past faces of our students revealing the intensity of their lives, their depth of feeling, their affinity for the smile and the friendly word. As you glance through these pages these people alternately in tune and at odd with life. Their faces strained for the past difficult note, solemn in the face of an experiment, happy with the sheer pleasure of a windy day and sports, are the faces of Renan High School. HISTORY OF RENAN So far as the people of this community know, Renan had never been heard of until the nineteenth century. The community had a one-room school building, known as the Harmony Grove School, located where the high school was located 29 years ago. The first teacher, that anyone in this community remembers, having taught in this school was Miss Mary Hubbard, in 1883. She later married Mr. Easley. A few of the other teachers that taught in this one-room building were: Mrs. Fannie Lewis, Mr. Christopher Wright, and Miss Bell Wooding. Later this school acquired another room, but was known still as the Harmony Grove graded school. Miss Bell Wooding and Miss Bessie Jones were teachers in this school. A few years later the school again increased in size, kept its name, but became a school of four rooms. In 1897 Dr. W. A. Brumfield built a store in the community, the one that is still used. In his mind he was un¬ decided as to a name for it. Some thought was given to Five Springs because there are five springs near the store. Dr. Brumfield finally decided on Flint Hill. He intended opening a post office here, but when he wrote to the Post Office Department in Washington, there was another Flint Hill in the state . . The name Gladstone was also mentioned as a name for the store, but was discarded for the same reason as Flint Hill. Finally Renan was decided upon and a post office opened about 1900. At that time it was pronounced Renon and was named after the French author, Ermest Renan. Six rooms were added to the Harmony Grove graded school and its name changed to Renan High School. In January of 1926 Renan High School became an accredited high school. Mr. E. L. Dupey, Jr., was at that time principal at Renan. Teachers were Mrs. E. L. Dupey, Jr., Miss Maria Dove, Miss Myra Farmer, Miss Belle Wooding, Miss Inex Farmer, Mrs. W. P. Johnson. During the nine years that Mr. Dupey was at Renan, we always had a Banner League. In the year 1918, the first highway was put through Renan. In 1934 this highway was hard surfaced. Mr. O. H. Kelly of Renan swapped deeds of land and with the aid of the W.P.A. a new high school was erected at Renan, 700 yards south of the old one, and on the highway. In the years some of our teachers made the choice to stay at Renan.