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Ramsay High SchoolHistory
USINFO | 2014-01-07 13:58
The school structure was designed by the firm of Warren Knight and Davis with William B. Ittner of St Louis, Missouri, as a consulting architect. The design called for multi-story facades facing north and south with wings for a cafeteria and an auditorium. and expansive terraces. Only the south-facing portion of the central building was finished.
The school was opened on September 19, 1930. It was later named for Erskine Ramsay, a noted industrialist who was serving as the president of the Birmingham Board of Education at the time. The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools accredited Ramsay High School in 1932. An auditorium and athletic facilities were constructed in 1949. A flat-roofed annex was added onto the main building in 1962. In 1968, the Ramsay High School Class of 1968 erected the sign in front of the school. (Prior to that time, there was no sign visible from the street with the name of the school on it.) In 1975, Ramsay High School became a magnet school, serving above average students from throughout the city. The school currently has just under 600 students. $21 million worth of renovations and additions to the school's buildings are scheduled to begin in the summer of 2008 for a fall 2009 completion. A science wing and competition gym will be added with new space for the school's Junior ROTC program, counseling office, and cafeteria. After construction is completed, the 1962 "flat top" annex will be demolished to make way for expansion of the school's courtyard and parking lot.
The school was opened on September 19, 1930. It was later named for Erskine Ramsay, a noted industrialist who was serving as the president of the Birmingham Board of Education at the time. The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools accredited Ramsay High School in 1932. An auditorium and athletic facilities were constructed in 1949. A flat-roofed annex was added onto the main building in 1962. In 1968, the Ramsay High School Class of 1968 erected the sign in front of the school. (Prior to that time, there was no sign visible from the street with the name of the school on it.) In 1975, Ramsay High School became a magnet school, serving above average students from throughout the city. The school currently has just under 600 students. $21 million worth of renovations and additions to the school's buildings are scheduled to begin in the summer of 2008 for a fall 2009 completion. A science wing and competition gym will be added with new space for the school's Junior ROTC program, counseling office, and cafeteria. After construction is completed, the 1962 "flat top" annex will be demolished to make way for expansion of the school's courtyard and parking lot.
