William Hooper Councill High School

{{Infobox school

| name = William Hooper Councill High School

| image = File:W.H. Councill HS July 2010.jpg

| imagesize =

| caption = W. H. Councill High School building in 2010

| streetaddress = 620 St. Clair Avenue

| city = Huntsville

| state = Alabama

| zipcode =

| country = United States

| coordinates = {{coord|34.7226|-86.5885|type:edu_region:US-GA|display=inline,title}}

| principal =

| faculty =

| type = Public

| opened = 1867

| closed = 1966

| grades = 1-12

| enrollment =

| nickname = Tigers

| colors = White and blue
{{Color box|white|border=silver}}{{Color box|blue|border=silver}}

| homepage =

| module = {{Infobox historic site

| embed = yes

| name =

| designation1 = Alabama Register

| designation1_offname =

| designation1_date = February 2, 2001{{cite web |title=Alabama Register of Landmarks & Heritage Listings as of April 7, 2023 |url=https://ahc.alabama.gov/AlabamaRegisterPDFs/Alabama%20Register%20of%20Landmarks%20&%20Heritage%20Property%20Listing%20(for%20web1).pdf |website=ahc.alabama.gov |access-date=5 March 2024}}

| designation1_number = }}

}}

William Hooper Councill High School served African American students in Huntsville, Alabama, from 1867 until 1966 and is now the site of William Hooper Councill Memorial Park. The first public school for African Americans in Huntsville, it was named for William Hooper Councill who founded Lincoln School in Huntsville and pushed for its expansion into the state normal school it became in 1875, leading to its becoming Alabama A&M University.{{Cite web|title=William Hooper Councill High School Site|url=https://www.huntsvilleal.gov/historicmarkers/william-hooper-councill-high-school-site/|access-date=2020-08-07|website=City of Huntsville|language=en-US}} The high school has several prominent alumni.

In 1965, its football team was undefeated.{{Cite web|url=https://www.huntsville.org/blog/list/post/legacy-of-dr-william-hooper-councill-memorialized-by-park/|title=Legacy of Dr. William Hooper Councill Memorialized By Park|date=February 5, 2021|website=www.huntsville.org}} The school closed during integration (desegregation) and the last class graduated in 1966. The high school building is extant and is listed on the Alabama Register of Landmarks and Heritage.

Community activists organized to have the school site redeveloped as a park.{{Cite web|url=https://theclio.com/entry/58565|title=William Hooper Councill High School Site|website=Clio}} The park is at 620 St. Clair Avenue next to the Huntsville Madison County Public Library. A bronze statue of Councill is in the park.{{Cite web|url=https://www.waff.com/2021/02/10/his-influence-was-everywhere-school-alumna-legacy-william-hooper-councill/|title="His influence was everywhere,": School alumna on legacy of William Hooper Councill|first=Elizabeth|last=Gentle|website=www.waff.com|date=10 February 2021 }} Statues of children are also planned.{{Cite web|url=https://www.rocketcitynow.com/article/news/local/first-look-huntsville-william-hooper-councill-park-high-school-alumni-constuction-update/525-23a45c03-6c53-44ae-a465-74eae2017f77|title = First look at one of Huntsville's newest parks: Memorializing William Hooper Councill High| date=30 July 2020 }}

History

Councill Training School, which later became Councill High School, was a school for African American students in Huntsville, Alabama. It was named for William H. Councill who helped found the State Normal School for Negroes in Huntsville (predecessor of Alabama A & M University). He served as the normal school's principal and as the first president of the college that succeeded it. After growing and expanding over the years to include grades through high school, Huntsville's Councill School closed in 1970 after integration. The school's alumni association is worl to establish a William Councill High School Park and monument at the site.

Councill and his family were enslaved before the American Civil War. He helped start the Lincoln School, four miles west of Huntsville in 1868. It had 36 students by 1870.{{citation |url=https://npgallery.nps.gov/GetAsset/eeec88a1-96b4-4443-a9af-38508ef0b10e |title=Alabama Agricultural and Mechanic University Historic District |type=PDF |series=National Register Of Historic Places Continuation Sheet |section=VII. Narrative |publisher=National Park Service, United States Department of the Interior}} He was a teacher, "colored convention" leader, and also served in government offices during the Reconstruction era.

Image:William Hooper Councill.jpg]]

A three-room school building was built in 1919 for the new Councill Training School. It was designed to serve students in grades 1–6. A grant from the Julius Rosenwald Foundation helped pay for the school. In 1948 a new building was constructed and 600 students from grades 1-12 were served. Additional classrooms were built in 1958 and 1962 and enrollment reached 950. In 1968, as integration was enforced, it was changed to being only a high school. It closed in 1970.{{Cite web|url=https://www.huntsvilleal.gov/historicmarkers/councill-training-school/|title=Councill Training School|website=City of Huntsville}}

Principals at the school were Dr. Charles Orr (1948 – 1953), J.H. Richards (1953 – 1959), and Mr. A.G. Adams (1959 – 1970).

Jeanette Scissum taught at the school.

Legacy

In 2018 the William Hooper Councill Alumni Association broke ground on the William Hooper Councill High School Memorial Park, located on the school's original site.{{Cite web|last=WAFF 48 Digital|title=Ground broken on park commemorating Huntsville's first public black school|date=14 December 2018 |url=https://www.waff.com/2018/12/14/ground-broken-park-commemorating-huntsvilles-first-public-black-school/|access-date=2020-08-07|language=en-US}} The design mirrors the original floor plan of the school, with paths and benches incorporating bricks from the last school building that had remained on site.{{Cite web|date=2018-12-14|title=Former black Alabama school campus will become a park|url=https://www.al.com/news/2018/12/former-black-alabama-school-campus-will-become-memorial-park.html|access-date=2020-08-07|website=al|language=en}} Initial work on the park began in 2019, and city officials have announced that in the future the park will feature sculptures of Councill as well as students from Councill High School.{{Cite web|date=2020-07-30|title=Construction underway for Councill High Memorial Park|url=https://whnt.com/news/construction-underway-for-councill-high-memorial-park/|access-date=2020-08-07|website=WHNT.com|language=en-US}}

In 2020 AMMU announced the construction of the William Hooper Councill Eternal Flame Memorial, which was described as “a lasting tribute to the visionary founder of AAMU and his enduring fight for education that has positively impacted the United States and beyond.”{{Cite web|title=Eternal Flame a Tribute to Visionary Founder - Alabama A&M University|url=https://www.aamu.edu/about/inside-aamu/news/eternal-flame-a-tribute-to-visionary-founder.html|access-date=2020-08-07|website=www.aamu.edu}} The Memorial will include a new structure erected at the current gravesite, with the eternal flame set in the center of a walkway.

Alumni

Joseph Lowery, A.M.E. minister and civil rights leader
John L. Cashin Jr. and his brother Herschel John L. Cashin Jr., Encyclopedia of Alabama http://encyclopediaofalabama.org According to Sheryll Cashin he moved on to graduate from Alabama A&M High School on the university's campus in Normal.
Dr. Sonnie Hereford, civil rights activist who fought school segregation in court

References

Category:High schools in Huntsville, Alabama

Category:Schools in Madison County, Alabama

Category:Parks in Huntsville, Alabama

Category:Former school buildings in the United States

Category:1867 establishments in Alabama

Category:1966 disestablishments in Alabama

Category:Properties on the Alabama Register of Landmarks and Heritage