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

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Curriculum Before entering the ninth grade of the Benjamin Russell High School, each student should counsel with the principal or the guidance director and decide his course of stud for the four years of his attendance. He may choose a commercial, a vocational, or a college preparatory course. The commercial courses offered include Typing I and II, Shorthand I and II, bookkeeping, record keeping, business law, and business arithmetic. Many BRHS students who have followed the commercial course have gone directly from this school into full time employment. Vocational courses which train students for future work include journalism, agriculture, industrial arts, and diversified occupations. Training in home economics is also offered. For students who wish to attend an institution of higher learning upon graduation, some of the college preparatory and academic courses are in the field of social studies. They are American history, civics, Alabama history, world history, democracy and economics. The mathematics department offers Algebra I and II, plane geometry, solid geometry, trigonometry, as well as general math. General science, biology, physics and chemistry are subjects taught by the Science Department. Spanish I, II, III and IV are the only foreign language courses offered. The basic requirements for graduation are as follows: four years of English, two years of social studies—one of which must be American history, one year of mathematics, one year of science, and six electives in addition to four years of minor credit. Minor elective credits may be earned in physical education, band, chorus, office, or library work. [ 13 ]

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Zhe benjamin Russell High School The Benjamin Russell High School, valued at approximately two million dollars, opened its doors for the first time on September 4, 1950, when 479 students in grades nine through twelve appeared for registration. Since that time, each year has found an increase in enrollment, with the present student population being 920. Named for the late Benjamin Russell, the high school contains more than 100,000 square feet of space. It has thirty-four classrooms, of which nineteen are air conditioned. Also included in the facilities are two shops, two auditoriums, a library, a lunchroom with a seating capacity of 500, offices for the principal, counselor, librarian, lunchroom manager, and coaches, numerous lounges for the faculty and students, and a central lobby. The gymnasium has a seating capacity of 1,250, and the main auditorium will seat 1,048 people. During the school year 1964-65, construction work was in progress on an extension of the lunchroom, on the boys' Physical Education Department, and on the girls' Physical Education Department. The north wing, which was added this year, will house the library and the Choral Department. It also has four regular classrooms and is completely air conditioned. These new additions added approximately 18,000 square feet to the school plant. The Benjamin Russell High School is accredited by the Southern Association of High Schools. [ 12 ]

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School Opens 920 Enroll The school year at BRHS for 1964-65 began on August 28, with an enrollment of 920. This figure represents not only the largest total enrollment on record for BRHS but also the largest Senior Class that BRHS has ever had. There are 256 freshmen, 216 sophomores, 197 juniors, and 251 seniors. Assigned to the job of assistant principal was Mr. Thomas Traylor, a one year veteran at BRHS. He also served as principal of Russell School. Miss Nadine Mask, who was a 1964 graduate of BRHS, has joined the office staff. She is assisting Mr. Traylor and Mrs. McGhee. There is one new teacher at BRHS. Mrs. Jerry Farrow in the Math Department, took the place of Mr. Walter Myer, who left this year to further his education. Two new courses are being taught this year. These are high school psychology and clerical record keeping. Psychology is being taught by Mrs. Anne Askew and clerical record keeping by Mrs. Elizabeth Chapman. Building Program According to Principal W. B. Causey, the new building program which is now under way at BRHS will be completed by the first of March. The new addition will cost approximately $215,000.00 when completed. The new addition to the lunchroom when completed, will seat 125 additional people, and there will be space to accommodate a banquet seating of 500. The entire lunchroom will be air-conditioned. Construction is expected to be completed by the middle of November. Another wing to the school is being built on the north side of the office. This building will house the new library completely equipped with work rooms, audi-visual room, and storage rooms. It will also have the new choral room and five new classrooms. The entire addition will be air-conditioned. The addition to the P. E. Department will include dressing rooms, and coaches offices. This is expected to be finished the first of March. (Pam, Joyce, and Deborah) Causey To Head Junior College W. B. Causey, principal of the Benjamin Russell High School, has been named president of the Alexander City Junior College. Mr. Causey said, So far all the college has is a president. He stated that he hoped that the junior college would be open to students by September, 1965; however, nothing is definite. The 90-acre site of the junior college, which was the location of the former Alexander City Country Club, is complete with administrative building, swimming pool, bath house, golf course, storage building, and two tennis courts. This land is valued at $600,000. Bids on the construction of two buildings will be announced in the near future. So far the state has allotted $750,000 to the college. (Charles Lamberth.) Col. Cribb To Be New Principal It. Col. William J. Cribb, Jr., has been named by the Alexander City Board of Education to succeed Mr. W. B. Causey as principal of the Benjamin Russell High School. He will assume his new duties in the early spring when Mr. Causey leaves BRHS to become president of the Alexander City Junior College. Col. Cribb holds a B. S. and an M. S. degree from the University of Maryland and has worked closely with the Army's educational programs, having served as head of several Army schools and as the U. S. representative to Turkey in language training. Although the new principal has been serving in various places for the past twenty-three years, he has been a legal resident of Alexander City for the past sixteen years. ’64 Echo Rated Superior At UA The '64 Echo received a rating of superior, the highest rating a yearbook can receive in its classification, at the Alabama High School Press Association, convention, held Oct. 2-3 at the University of Alabama. Awards to winning publications over the state were made by Prof. C. E. Bounds, head of the University's Department of Journalism, at the banquet on Friday night. Attending the convention from BRHS were Joyce Phillips, Brenda Yates, Jerry Cannon, Buddy Spivey, and Mrs. Anne Askew. Prof. Bounds presided over the opening session and introduced Al Cedarholm, president of the AHSPA, who welcomed the 500 student journalists and sponsors present. Dean Frederick W. Conner also extended a welcome on behalf of the University. Following the introduction of the workshop faculty by Dr. Hugh L. Taylor, group meetings were held for yearbook and newspaper staffs. The fifty-five schools represented at the convention were grouped by student enrollment. Group A schools had an enrollment of over 1500 students in the top three grades. Group B schools had enrollments of 1000-1499. BRHS competed in Group C, which included schools with enrollments of 350-999 in grades 10-12. Schools with enrollments of less than 350 comprised Group D. Echo Staff Named Here Heading the '65 Echo staff is Lynda Hebson, editor. Assistant editors are Buddy Spivey and Joyce Phillips, Glenda Price and Pam Smith are business managers. Sales hit an all-time high this year when 730 yearbooks were sold. Last year the Echo increased in size from 128 pages to 152. This year's book is expected to contain 168 pages. The '65 Echo will feature Anita Gordon, who won top honors by being named Miss Echo in a schoolwide poll. Class maids are Mary Brantley Thompson—senior, Judy Oliver—junior, Jennie Harris—sophomore, and Janis Reeves—freshman.