West End High School (Birmingham, Alabama)
| West End High School | |
|---|---|
| Location | |
|
1840 Pearson Ave. Birmingham, Alabama United States | |
| Coordinates | 33°29′06″N 86°52′01″W / 33.485°N 86.867°WCoordinates: 33°29′06″N 86°52′01″W / 33.485°N 86.867°W |
| Information | |
| Type | Public |
| Established | 1930 |
| Closed | 2008 |
| School district | Birmingham City Schools |
| Mascot | Lion |
West End High School was a public high school in the Birmingham City Schools system of Birmingham, Alabama. The school's red-brick building, completed in 1930, was a collaboration between noted local architects Warren, Knight and Davis and David O. Whilldin.
In 1963, a boycott of the school by white students took place after two African-American students tried to register for classes. Those who boycotted shouted "Two, four, six, eight, we don't want to integrate." The boycott ended in a week.[1]
On June 27, 1982, West End alumnus and shuttle pilot Henry W. Hartsfield carried a West End banner into orbit aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia.
Under a consolidation plan approved by the Birmingham Board of Education in February 2008, West End High School was closed during the summer of 2008 with students transferring to Wenonah High School, A. H. Parker High School and Jackson-Olin High School. The closing was marked by a ceremony on June 7 with a parade, pep rally, picnic and alumni basketball game.[2] Demolition of the school building began in March 2009.
Alumni groups are active. Many classes meet annually, albeit informally. One distinguished group of alumni is known as The West End Yacht Club, which is a group of men graduated in 1968. The West End Yacht Club's members are Don Bevill, Lee Crapet, Tom Browne and James Musgrove, local executives, and an attorney, Wayne Morse, who took West End memorabilia with him when he appeared before the Supreme Court of the United States. The West End Yacht Club meets quarterly.
Athletics
West End High School was well known in the Birmingham area for its basketball program. The Lions won two straight class 6A State titles in the 1996-97 and 1997-98 school years. West End was also the last Birmingham City School to compete in the class 6A title game in American football during the 1993-94 school year. The Lions finished 13-2 that year and they were led by a defense dubbed the "dog pound." From 1996-98, the Lions baseball team won Birmingham-metro area championship under Coach Jimmy Holifield; the dynasty was highlighted by three student-athletes, James Coleman, Tremaine Fields, and Travaris Radford.
Alma-Mater
Nobly enshrouded
With faith and loyalty
Here stands our alma-mater
Stands old West End High
Pride of each student
May she ever be
Hail to our alma-mater
Dear old West End High
Notable alumni
- Earl Bennett, American football wide receiver for the Chicago Bears
- Pernell Davis, former American football defensive tackle
- Henry Hartsfield (1933–2014), former NASA astronaut
- Gus Niarhos, Former MLB player (New York Yankees, Chicago White Sox, Boston Red Sox, Philadelphia Phillies)
- Ann Waldron (1924–2010), author.[3]
- Travis McNeal, Class of 1985. NFL Tight End For Seattle Seahawks/LA Rams
References
- ↑ "1963 Year In Review"
- ↑ Ruisi, Anne (May 18, 2008) "Birmingham's West End High School gets set to close its doors." Birmingham News
- ↑ Hevesi, Dennis. "Ann Waldron, Biographer of Southern Writers, Is Dead at 85", The New York Times, July 6, 2010. Accessed July 13, 2010.