Richard J. Reynolds High School

Richard J. Reynolds High School (often simply R. J. Reynolds High School or Reynolds) is a high school in the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Named for R. J. Reynolds, the founder of the R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company, the school opened in 1923. The school colors are black and gold, and the school's mascot is a " Demon".

Establishment

Made possible through the philanthropy of Katherine Smith Reynolds-Johnston, the widow of R. J. Reynolds, who donated the land on which the School and Auditorium were built.

Campus

The School and Auditorium sit on a piece of land known as "Silver Hill". Original plans for the School included two grand school buildings sitting on either side of an Auditorium. Construction on the School began in 1919, under the direction of Reynolda House architect Charles Barton Keen. The first classroom building was finished in 1923, but construction on the second building was delayed and eventually abandoned after the Stock Market Crash of 1929. In the early 1990's, the high school building was thoroughly renovated and restored to its original appearance with some modern updating (e.g., a computer lab to replace the former language lab, and central air-conditioning).

One of the school's unique features is a tunnel system that connects the main building to the auditorium. The tunnel system was originally used to increase ventilation to cool the buildings and was also used for civil defense purposes after the advent of nuclear weapons. Local legend has it that the tunnel extends to nearby Wiley Middle School. However, the Sanborn map of the West End neighborhood from 1931 shows the tunnel abruptly ending near what is now the auxiliary gym.

The R. J. Reynolds Memorial Auditorium is on the campus and is often used for school functions. The auditorium was constructed in 1927, and a formal opening was held the same year, with Harry Houdini performing. An extensive renovation was completed in 2003.

A fine arts/performing arts building is currently under construction on the campus between the R. J. Reynolds Auditorium and Hawthorne Road. Reynolds became a magnet school for the arts in fall of 2007.

Student Body

R. J. Reynolds is a long-time chief rival of the nearby Mount Tabor High School. This rivalry is fed by the fact that many students developed friendships across school lines. The schools are close enough that neighborhood friends often wind up split between the two schools.

More recently, a rivalry has formed between Reynolds and the new Reagan High School due to several students and teachers having left Reynolds to attend or teach at Reagan, including former principal Stan Elrod, and former basketball head coach Howard West.

Reynolds, situated on a hill, is often referred to as "Society Hill", given that some of the city's wealthiest neighborhoods are but a stone's throw from the campus. However, for decades, the school's student body has included a broad spectrum of students from varied backgrounds, adding richness to the school's environment.

Key Club

From March 30-April 2, 2007, the R. J. Reynolds Key Club, along with several R. J. Reynolds Junior Civitan members, played a basketball game for 72 consecutive hours to raise money for UNICEF. The club attempted to break the Guinness World Record previously held by students at University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill and Duke University. The previous record was nearly 58 hours. Along with attempting to break the world record, the Reynolds Key Club raised more money for UNICEF than any other Key Club in the nation.

In the mid 1980's, the Reynolds Key Club, one of the many clubs at the school, and local promoters and sponsors coordinated to put on a series of benefit concerts at Reynolds Auditorium. Among those acts were Let's Active and the dB's on February 12, 1985, and R.E.M. who played the venue on December 8, 1985.

The Reynolds Key Club is the school's principal student service organization. Since 1947 it has maintained an all-male membership, with only two exceptions. Past sponsors include current Winston-Salem Kiwanis President Roby Walls, and past club presidents include Senator Richard Burr and ESPN commentator Stuart Scott. Other student service organiztions include the co-ed Junior Civitans, and the all-female Girls Council, Senior Girls' Service Club, and Reynolds Girls' Club.

Alumni

Notable graduates include:
*Richard Burr, United States Senator
*Ben Folds, musician
*Dale Folwell, North Carolina House of Representatives
*Tommy Gregg, Atlanta Braves outfielder
*Stuart Scott, ESPN sports personality
*Reyshawn Terry, North Carolina Tar Heels and Dallas Mavericks basketball player
*Will Blackwell, Appalachian State Mountaineers basketball player
*Marc Johnson, a professional skateboarder and recipient of Thrasher Magazine's 2007 Skater of the year award.

External links

* [http://web2k.wsfcs.k12.nc.us/reynoldshs/ Home Page]
* [http://www.reynoldsbasketball.com/ R.J. Reynolds Men's Basketball Site]
* [http://www.rjrfootball.com/ R.J. Reynolds Football Site]
* [http://www.rjrband.org/ Reynolds Band Web Site]

* [http://www.thebaseballcube.com/players/G/Tommy-Gregg.shtml Tommy Greg bio on TheBaseballCube]
* [http://rjr79.com/band.htm Demons-Related MP3 Tracks]

* [http://www.rjrclassof1958.org/ Class of 58 Reunion Site]
* [http://rjrclassof1974.org/ Class of 74 Reunion Site]
* [http://www.rjr1976.myevent.com/ Class of 76 Reunion Site]
* [http://rjr79.com/ Class of 79 Reunion Site]
* [http://www.rjr82.com/ Class of 82 Reunion Site]
* [http://rjrreunion96.myevent.com/ Class of 96 Reunion Site]
* [http://www.piedmontcommunities.us/servlet/go_ProcServ/dbpage=page&gid=01212001150985646947785584 Multi-Year Reunion Site]
* [http://rjrclassof98.weebly.com/ Class of 98 Reunion Site]