Benjamin Russell High School - Echo Yearbook (Alexander City, AL)

Page 12 text:

top: ‘‘1-2 3. Learning tricks of the trade in shop. middle: “BRHS’s Einstein, von Braun, and Tiller. lower left: Suspense! lower right: Biology is fun!

Page 11 text:

top: Something brewing in the chemistry lab.” “Mama, bring my lunch money. middle: “ Time out for a Coke.” bottom: ‘‘Library staff. Hunt and peck in typing class—not at BRHS!”

Page 13 text:

Ou% Zc aat 1 he Benjamin Russell High School is an outgrowth of activity on the part of the citizens of Alexander City in developing adequate educational opportunities for their children. This school, together with the junior high, the elementary and the mill schools, are monuments to a city’s continuous effort over a period of eighty years to provide for the training of its young people. Before 1874 very little attention was paid to the cause of education in the thriving little community called Youngville, later to be named Alexander City. A few private schools existed but no concerted effort had been made to build a school for all the children until Mr. A. G. Holloway gathered a number of young people together to give a concert in order to start the building fund. This first city school building was erected in 1879 on the hill where the junior high building now stands. The building contained two rooms which were neither ceiled nor plastered. It was heated by stoves and open fireplaces. Several teachers taught for short periods of time, but the present sch x)l system really had its birth in the work of two men, J. I). Dickson and J. M. Pearson, who assumed control of Alexander City’s infant educational program in 1887. On the first Monday of September in 1887 when Mr. Dickson and Mr. Pearson opened the school, eighty pupils enrolled. The school was not graded at that tim , and the pupils were taught on the basis of their previous learning and ability. 1 here were no standard tcxtbcxjks, so the students read from whatever books they were able to secure—history books, biographies, the Bible. Spelling, reading, writing, grammar, arithmetic, geography, and history were stressed. Latin, higher Mathematics, music, and advanced science were taught to the more advanced pupils. 7 here was surely a sharp contrast between the facilities of the early school and those of today. Before the turn of the century the sch x l grounds were rough with rocks, gullies and scrubbv trees in evidence everywhere. Drinking water was taken from a spring on what is the present football field. There were no cars, no telephones, no radios, no electric lights, no standard b x ks, no educational movies, no television, but in spite of those handicaps the teachers, the children, and the parents enjoyed life, enjoyed learning, and were proud of their school. As the years passed improvements were made in the schtx l equipment and buildings. The school was graded in 1901 with ten grades. The twelfth grade was added in 1912, and the first class consisting of four girls was graduated in 1918. The mill schrnds, previously operated by Avondale and Russell Mills, became a part of the Alexander City school system in 1989. Every effort that the citizens of this community have made for educa.ion during the last eighty years became foundations upon which the next generation could build. Thus, the Benjamin Russell I ligh School stands as the ultimate in cooperative human endeavor. The community financed every dollar of the money which went into i:s construction. The Benjamin and Roberta Russell Foundation and the Avondale Mills contributed gen erously, with the remainder of the cost being financed by local citizens.