Alcoa High School Alumni Association Newsletter Traditions are Forever

Fall 2013 Volume 32 Organized 1996

Alumni Officers and Board of Directors

President: Danny Oliver 1958 Bd. Member: Bill Baird 1954 Bd. Member: Leonard Stinnett 1956 Bd. Member: Shirley Richardson McFee 1959 Bd. Member: Dan Oliver 1958 1st V.P.: Ann Wade 1956 2nd V.P.: Tom Moore 1965 Secretary: Carolyn Tallent McClurg 1959 Treasurer: Nelda French Kidd 1950 Prog. Chm: Betty Rogers Henry 1953

New Alcoa High School

Don’t you love it when a plan comes together?! After years of dreaming and planning for a new high school, a ground-breaking ceremony on June 20, 2013, officially got the project underway. With all their legal ducks in a row, the Alcoa Public Building Au-thority will provide project design, construction, and adminis-trative services and serve as the contracting party. The city and the school board will make staff members available to assist in the PBA’s performance of its obligations, and Tom Shamblin, Alcoa City Schools’ director of finance will work with the school board’s School Building Committee to prequalify subcontrac-tors. Of course, the city will be responsible for all direct costs, including all costs of development, programming, planning, de-sign, construction, and equipping of the project. Fifty-three acres of land is being purchased from Chattanooga-based developers Kinsey Probasco Hays, who own the 375-acre former ALCOA Inc. West Plant site. At a cost of $235,000, Alcoa has purchased 25 acres southwest of the current high school’s location and 28 acres in the Lake Louise area, a former waste disposal site that was filled in several years ago. As of 9/19/2013, there is a small plot of land where the new track will go that is still in negotiation for purchase. It had required more soil testing and Dr. Bell says that purchase should be completed shortly. That tract will complete the fifty-three desired acres. According to officials, there are three development phases for the building project. The project’s first phase will be the school, parking lots and roadwork, the second phase will be an auxiliary gym; and the third phase will be football stadium renovations and the construction of a track. The stadium renovation pro-ject’s scope will include a new field house, press box, and con-cessions area. Officials also plan to install a synthetic turf field system. The second and third phase of the project will be com-pleted as funding becomes available.

In 2015-16, Alcoa City Schools will start operating four schools. The district will:

Open Alcoa Primary School, which will serve pre-K-2 in the current Alcoa Elementary School,

Open Alcoa Intermediate School, which will serve grades 3-5, in the current Alcoa Middle School,

Open Alcoa Middle School, which will serve grades 6-8, in the current Alcoa High School, and

Open our new high school to some mighty lucky teenagers, grades 9-12.

Architectural Highlights

The Lewis Group of Architects from Knoxville was responsible for the design of the new building. Dr. Bell said one of his favorite fea-tures of the new building is the three arches at the front entrance. Alumni will remember that there were three arches at the portico of the original high school building that were later removed to create the breezeway between the old school and the current high school building. The new arches are a nice reminder of that original school building’s legacy. Two other architectural highlights of the new school building are currently being planned for and manufactured. A 65-foot-tall alumi-num dome, which will be visible from nearby roads, is being fabricat-ed. The manufacturer will ship the 38-foot-diameter dome in four pieces. Mr. Heatherly, Merit Construction’s vice president, said the workers will assemble the four pieces of the dome on the building’s south side and lift the 32,000-pound dome by crane to the finished roof. That will be a great construction-site video to watch!!! Team members are also working on a 12-foot- diameter aluminum medallion, Heatherly said. They will place the 1 1/2 inch thick me-dallion, which recreates Alcoa High School’s 1957-58 seal, in a floor recess and put a protective covering on top of it. Mr. Heatherly reported that ALCOA Inc. is designing, fabricating and installing the medallion. Director of Schools Brian Bell envisioned placing the medallion in the building’s rotunda underneath the 65-foot dome. Continued on Last Page

SPORTS NEWS History -- 50 Years Ago On September 13, 1963, Friday the 13th. Alcoa fullback Al-bert Davis became the first black player to play in a Blount County high school game with whites. Alcoa played Everett that night. Albert was big, already 6-foot-1 as a freshman. A blend of power and speed, weighing 218 pounds and timed at 10.8 seconds in a 100-yard sprint across Alcoa’s Goddard Field – in pads and cleats. He and eight others from all-black Charles M. Hall had begun the integration of Alcoa schools two weeks before, four oth-ers from all-black Hale enrolled at Maryville the same day. Coach Bill Bailey was nothing but shrewd. He knew there would be a backlash, when he played Davis, and sure enough longstanding-rival Lanier canceled that season’s game. The landmark civil rights march on Washington, where Dr. Martin Luther King delivered his “I have a dream” speech, took place two weeks prior to the Everett game. Davis didn’t dress for the Week 2 game at Loudon. When game night at Everett finally arrived, security was extensive. Representatives from the FBI, uniformed officers of the Tennessee Highway Patrol, Blount County Sheriff’s office and the Maryville and Alcoa police departments were all on hand. The stage was set, Davis did not disappoint. On his very first carry as a Tornado, Davis scored. Alcoa went on to win the game 27-0. Davis would do things in future years they’ll talk about as long as they play football in Blount County. During the Jack Raby era as coach of the Tornadoes, Albert set records that remain standing nearly 50 years since. Excerpts from an article by Stefan Cooper (AHS 1978) - www.blountpressrow.com

College Football Time Find your favorite team and listen for an Alcoa grad’s name. UT Knoxville Jaron Toney Derrick Brodus Maryville College Corey Bach Ezeckial Koko Daniel Robinson Alex Soule Tennessee Tech Autsin Tallent Jordan Patrick John Tucker Rankin Kentucky Tyler Robinson Darrel Warren Cody Lewis Maddie Sharp (Majorette) Carson Newman Derek Evans Steven Isom Thomas Loy Union College Zach Chapman Steven Manuel MTSU Dalton Ownby UT Chattanooga Taharin Tyson W.VA Wesleyan Tyler Bailey West Alabama Dee Herbert Lindsey Wilson Chazz Barnes Loomis Chaffee Prep Mustafa Anthony

Maryville / Alcoa

Football

8/30/13

Maryville 31 / Alcoa 2

We’ll get ‘em next year!

For the first time since 2003, neither Al-coa nor Maryville brought home a state title in 2012. If one of the two win a gold ball in 2013, it would be the 26th title be-tween the two teams. Maryville holds a 13-12 advantage. One thing bout this ri-valry is how clean it is played, and how the respect is generated and felt from

both sides. This has a lot to do with the coaches. Several of the coaches are friends, which helps the situation.

OCTOBER DUSTING OFF MEMORIES Do you remember …….

1. Your favorite place to hang out?

2. The Senior Prom?

3. High school clubs?

4. Band trips?

5. All-time favorite movie?

6. Favorite outdoor childhood game?

7. Who was your first date?

8. First kiss? Who and where?

9. Who was your high school principal?

Did you walk or ride to school?

Alumni Breakfast Join us the 1st Wednesday of

every month at 9:00 am

for breakfast at Shoney’s

on Alcoa Highway!

Congratulation Alumni!! Alcoa Fire Chief, Roger Robinson (1978) has been elected to lead the Tennessee Fire Chief’s Association for the coming year. This association has about 400 members and represents about 700 Fire Departments across the state. Jennifer Ingram Wackerhagen (1993) is the new CEO of Blount County’s United Way. Jennifer is the wife of Jason Wackerhagen (1993), and daughter of Joe Ingram (1966). David Duggan (1975), Blount County Circuit Court Judge, has been elected secretary in the Tennessee Judicial Conference and will serve on the executive committee. Ken Gentry (1977) owner of Gracie’s Restaurant is stepping up to fight hunger in Blount County. He has committed to Blount County’s Community Action Agency for 100 meals once a week for six weeks. He was inspired by Michael Colquitt (1996) of Bread Of Heaven, when he fed the homeless and hungry at Christmas.

Reunions

1968 celebrated their 45th Reunion on Sunday, September 1, 2013 at Louisville Point Park. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed the all day, cas-ual event and are now looking for-ward to the 50th!

1978 celebrated their 35th class reunion at Sullivan’s Downtown on July 6th. Over 75 classmates and their guests attended the event. Old acquaintances were renewed and many stories were told. Some were probably even true! Everyone had a good time eating and visiting with one another.

1973 celebrated their 40 year reunion August 17, 2013 at Sullivan’s Downtown.

1963 will celebrate their 50 year reunion October 19 at Green Meadow Country Club.

OCTOBER Correction

This year’s summer newsletter announced we would have Alumni Homecoming October 18. Since that time, the high school changed their Homecoming to

October 11, so the alumni event has also been changed. Sorry for any inconvenience this may cause.

Deceased Alumni 2013* 1938 Helen Pitts Watson 06/15/13 1939 Margaret Waters Wear 09/07/13 1941 Lola Newman Fogleman 06/01/13 1942 Jean Bates Stafford 09/11/13 1943 Jonnie Hancock Hedrick 08/ /13 1943 Marion Henderson Miller 07/27/13 1944 Joyce Riden Blackburn 04/24/13 1944 Edwin Nicholls, Jr. 04/11/13 1944 Howard Yearout Parker 08/25/13 1945 Carl Richard Vaughn 01/29/13 1947 Edna Garner Prince 07/02/13 1950 Ann Nell Clifton Gillam 06/10/13 1952 Doris Marmon Voorhees 08/10/13 1954 Ralph Creasman Hyatt 08/22/13 1956 Frank Reed 03/13/13 1959 Patricia Gregory Younce 03/28/13 1960 Richard McGill 05/08/13 1960 Glenn Ray Younce 01/08/13 1962 Darla Jean McGuire Hileman 04/25/13 1964 Maurice Lichlyter 01/16/13 1964 David A. Riddick 03/03/13 1966 Diana Gail Henry 03/31/13 1966 Betty Jo Bailey Mosser 05/23/13 1968 Larry Lee Jones 08/27/13 1968 Andy Terryl White, Sr. 08/12/13 1975 Valerie Eaton 09/08/13 1976 Howard H. Wisecarver 08/09/13 1981 Eric Barnard Anthony 03/01/13 1981 Scott M. Carter 06/09/13 1984 A.L. Turbyfill, Jr. 02/03/13 1994 Robert Jason Davis 08/16/13 Faculty / Staff: Dorothy Dean 02/07/13 Gilbert Oxendine 08/05/13 Peggy Wing 08/24/13

Thanks for Sharing

A new scholarship was given to a 2013 AHS grad. The $6,000 schol-arship was given by The Alton and Pauline Doolittle. Foundation.

Pauline Jenkins Doolittle is a 1936 AHS grad. This Foundation also gave similar grants to 2013 graduates from Maryville, William

Blount and Heritage High Schools.

Do You Know Who? …..or who did?

1. CEO of Regal Entertainment?

2. If you fly Delta in the west, one of your pilots may be…..

3. Wife of current Tennessee State Senator?

4. FBI Agent?

5. Inducted into Michigan Coaches Hall of Fame?

6. Blount County’s Administrator of Elections?

7. Missionary Aviator?

ALUMNI ASSOCIATION CONTACTS Bill Baird w_baird@att.net Carolyn McClurg cmcclurg@charter.net School Alumni Web site www.alcoaschools.net

PRSRT STD

US POSTAGE

PAID

KNOXVILLE TN

PERMIT NO 127

Alcoa City Schools

AHS Alumni Association Newsletter

P.O. Box 157

Alcoa, TN 37701--0157

Continued from First Page

Mr. Heatherly expressed his gratitude to Mr. Ken McMillen, ALCOA Tennessee Operations Location Manager, for a tremen-dous job in helping make the medallion a reality. It will be a unique and poignant reminder of our school and our city.

The ‘A’ Team

It will take an ‘A’ team to complete this 33.4 million dollar school- building project. Dr. Bell says the chain of command goes like this: Board of Education Construction Committee (Consisting of Dr. Brian Bell (Superintendent), Dr. Scott Porter (AHS Principal), Tom Shamblin (Alcoa City School’s Director of Finance) and Steve Marsh (Board Chairman) Lawler Wood LLC, of which the Project Manager is Barry Brooke, who is executive vice president of commercial development and man-agement Merit Construction ,which is the General Contrac-tor, Steve Heatherly , senior vice president, overseeing construc-tion Architects , the Lewis Group. Educators and staff also have input in the building process. Cur-rently they are completing a survey of brick and mortar colors to help with those selections. In addition, Dr. Bell reported that educators are gathering items from the district’s three schools to place in a time capsule to be opened 50 years from now. The team will place the items in a nitrogen-sealed container that will be placed within the building’s walls and covered with a plaque. What would you put in the capsule?

Steve Heatherly, Merit Construction’s vice president, was happy to report in early September that the excavations for the building’s foundations have started about six weeks ahead of schedule de-spite a very rainy summer. The team worked Saturdays and holi-days to compress the grading schedule and to get utilities under-ground. Mr. Heatherly said it would take about five months to complete the foundation work. Check the Alcoa City Schools web-site for live feed of construction site progress and a video of the blasting done to remove rock, etc. NEAT!

Answers: 1. 1984 Amy Brown Miles 2. 1983 Joe David Cobb 1986 David Millsapps 3. 1969 Cindy Pope Nicely 4. Can’t reveal her name 5. 1956 Frank A Reed 6. 1970 Libby Hayes Breeding 7. 1973 Robert Meredith