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Page 12 text:
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The Benjamin Russell High School: A City’s Pride I HE Benjamin Russell High School is more than a building; it is a visible reminder of what a town can accomplish when all its citizens unite for a worthy cause. The high school is unusual in that when it was constructed in 1950, not one penny of federal or state money was used in its construction. It was financed completely by donations from local citizens and industry. Built at a cost of $645,000, the school is now valued at one and one-half million dollars. As early as 1942 plans were being made to erect a school which would be equipped and staffed to meet the needs of all the young people of Alexander City, those who would attend college and those who would enter local industry upon completion of high school. During the war years and for a few years thereafter, local civic leaders contacted citizens for pledges to the proposed high school. These pledges, in varying amounts, were paid over a three-year period. The Benjamin and Roberta Russell Foundation contributed generously in setting up the fund, as did Avondale Mills. The problem of a site for the new school was solved when stockholders in the East Alabama Fair Association, a corporation, donated a 31-acre plot of land to the local board of education. It was on this site that the Benjamin Russell High School, visible evidence of Alexander City’s concern for and interest in its young people, became a reality. To complete the school plant, in October of 1963 a new auditorium was finished at a cost of $323,000. Of this amount $138,000 came from state funds; local funds used in its construction amounted to $185,000. Opening its doors for the first time on Sept. 4, 1950, the Benjamin Russell High School began its work with a student enrollment of 479 students in grades nine through twelve, with a staff of 24 teachers. The enrollment reached 868 for the current term, and the faculty numbers 36. Named for the late Benjamin Russell, the high school contains approximately 75,000 square feet of space. It has 34 classrooms, of which 19 are air conditioned. Plans are to have the building completely air conditioned in two years. Also included in the facilities are two shops, two auditoriums, a library, a lunchroom with a seating capacity of 250, offices for the principal, counselor, librarian, lunchroom manager, and Eight
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Page 13 text:
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coaches, numerous lounges for faculty and students, and a central lobby. The gymnasium, with its hardwood floor, has a seating capacity of 1,250. Of particular pride to students is the Spanish lab, which has 30 individual booths, each with a tape recorder and a set of headphones. The master control also has a tape recorder and switches which allow the teacher to listen to a student as he practices pronunciation. There are also switches that allow one student to listen to another practice. The math lab is also a new addition to BRHS. This air conditioned room contains 30 individual desks, each imprinted with a graph on an adjustable top, which may be raised or lowered, depending on the preference of the student. A special chalk board, with a graph on one side, is moveable, enabling the teacher to work a problem and then move the board to allow each student to see the solution. A special projector with a transparent plastic surface allows teachers to show different steps in the solution of a math problem or, without the plastic sheet, special slides may be shown. In the modern chemistry lab an instructor’s table with sink allows the teacher to demonstrate experiments which are not safe for the students to perform. Special charts and other equipment give science students a chance to study subjects properly. Eight tables with sinks are included in the chemistry lab, providing an adequate environment for experimentation. The commercial program provides a two-year secretarial course. The rooms are equipped with numerous posters instructing students on correct procedures. The typing room is equipped with 41 manual and 2 electric machines. In the home economics program, 268 girls are enrolled during the school day. The foods lab contains six complete kitchen units. The clothing lab is equipped with 18 sewing machines, cutting tables, and a fitting room. In the words of the Cinder, in reference to the new auditorium, “$323,000 worth of beauty was officially finished in October.” The rich “Alabama red” of the master curtain is the same shade as the seat cushions. The grand drape is of gold and cream brocade. A complete switchboard type lighting system is included in the stage facilities which is large enough to seat a 120-piece orchestra. The auditorium has a permanent seating capacity of 1,048, with space for an additional 250 chairs. — Cooper Askew. Nine
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