ABOUT US

The Alumni Association

The association was organized in September 1986, and by August 1987 the IRS had granted us a 501(c)(3) status of a non-profit organization. This made donations and memorials tax-free. The group set its goals to support the school with financial aid and to encourage alumni support for various projects.

Early projects included the Coach J. D. Cox Roast and the very successful Ultimate Reunion in June of 1987 along with the first “Hall of Fame” Luncheon. In 1994 there was a fund raising drive to refurbish a dismal concrete area off of the cafeteria. This became a lovely landscaped area to honor former Assistant Principal Charles Ravenna. During the following years hundreds of alums worked on plans for the Ultimate Reunion II. This was 3 days of great events drawing thousands of alumni back to “The Hive” in 1996. Since then the Alumni Association has sponsored the 75^th Birthday celebration of Byrd. As a birthday gift to the school, the Alumni Association raised $109,000 to refurbish the school auditorium with new drapes, curtains, carpeting, new lighting, and a new sound system. Lately, the Alumni have sponsored several alumni dances known as “Keep the Hive Alive.” We have funded teacher grants, student travel funds for distant conferences, additional computers, security cameras, and many other items. Dues are $20.00 a year. Lifetime Memberships are $200.00. The dues go to pay for our alumni office expenses. All alumni office workers and alumni Board of Directors are volunteers.

Scholarships

TBA

Alumni Association Projects

$10,000 for equipment to set up KBYRD, Byrd’s closed circuit video system studio.
$37,000 for the C. E. BYRD HIGH SCHOOL sign at the Line Avenue/Kings Highway intersection including landscaping, lighting, and a sprinkler system.
$116,000 Ravenna Courtyard and perpetual care.
$13,000 for lot and removal of house next to Byrd.
$40,000-50,000 landscape front of school and install sprinkler system.
$7,000 to remodel Foyer
$17,000 to install French doors across front of school and side door on southwest entrance.
Seed money (which was repaid) for writing and publishing “Glimpses of the City of Byrd”, a 208 page coffee table book.
$52,500 for computers in library and additional software and research towers (this was before the school bought computers for the schools).
$5,000 for computer and programs for art department for computer graphic training.
$3,000 for individual keyboards for use by students in the classroom.
$109,000 refurbishing the auditorium, including new carpet, repair of chairs, new stage drapes, new window drapes, refurbish piano, new sound and lighting systems.
$20,000 in matching grants for teachers to attend workshops.
Alumni match $250.00 of each grant a teacher wins.
$300 to $1,000 for funding of five scholarships a year. Scholarships are funded by endowments.
$15,000 spent to repair a riding lawnmower, heavy duty blower and edger.
$10,000 for video history of the school.
$10,000 for fencing and landscaping of newly constructed parking lot on Kings Highway. Lot was given to Byrd by Kings Highway Christian Church and Walgreen’s.
$25.00 for a memorial book in the library for deceased faculty members.
$5,000 for office computer and set up web page.
$10,000 for video security cameras.
$500.00 a year for advertisement on digital sign at baseball stadium.
$600.00 for bricks for newly constructed brick walkway.
Replaced office furniture in Alumni office.

Alumni Association Committee

Officers

President - Laird Evans '64

Vice President - Henry Robinson '56

Secretary - Marilyn Prothro '80

Treasurer - Bill Emery '63

Historian & Memorials - Zoe Ramsey '51

Coresponding Secretary - Elizabeth Oglesby Eldredge '79

Co-Executive Director - Charles Allen '53

Co-Executive Director - Zoe Ramsey '51

Committe Chairmen

Alumni High Life Editors - Joanne Sherrod Sigler '50, Charles Allen '53 &

Zoe Ramsey '51

Computer and Web Site - Charles Allen '53

Membership - Robin Ramsey '92

Class Representatives - Robin Ramsey '92

Building and Grounds - Linda Dowden Willis '64

Lifetime Membership - Bill McVey '52

Office Volunteers/Operations - Elizabeth Oglesby Eldredge '79

Board of Directors

Charles Allen '53 Jon Flair '75

Gerald Badgley '76 Callie Wilhite Hamm '92

Hoyt Bain '59 Sam Hilburn '60

Henry Robinson '56 Merrilee Streun Leatherman

Mary Cochran '53 Molly Henderson Maranto '92

Penny Durham '65 Ian McElroy

Elizabeth Oglesby Eldredge '79 Bill McVey '52

Joanne Sherrod Sigler '50 Ronnie Parnell '64

Bill Emery '63 Marily Prothro '80

Laird Evans '64 Robin Ramsey '92

Janet Nicholson Nash '67 Zoe Ramsey '51

Linda Dowden Willis '64

Honorary Board Members

Lynne Fitzgerald '61

Mary Alice & Doug Roundtree '68

Tem McElroy '61

Minnett Thornton

Honorary Alumni Members

Minnett Thorton

Mary Teekel

Linda Rowland

The Alumni Association

Scholarships

TBA

Alumni Association Projects

$10,000 for equipment to set up KBYRD, Byrd’s closed circuit video system studio.

$37,000 for the C. E. BYRD HIGH SCHOOL sign at the Line Avenue/Kings Highway intersection including landscaping, lighting, and a sprinkler system.

$116,000 Ravenna Courtyard and perpetual care.

$13,000 for lot and removal of house next to Byrd.

$40,000-50,000 landscape front of school and install sprinkler system.

$7,000 to remodel Foyer

$17,000 to install French doors across front of school and side door on southwest entrance.

Seed money (which was repaid) for writing and publishing “Glimpses of the City of Byrd”, a 208 page coffee table book.

$52,500 for computers in library and additional software and research towers (this was before the school bought computers for the schools).

$5,000 for computer and programs for art department for computer graphic training.

$3,000 for individual keyboards for use by students in the classroom.

$109,000 refurbishing the auditorium, including new carpet, repair of chairs, new stage drapes, new window drapes, refurbish piano, new sound and lighting systems.

$20,000 in matching grants for teachers to attend workshops.

Alumni match $250.00 of each grant a teacher wins.

$300 to $1,000 for funding of five scholarships a year. Scholarships are funded by endowments.

$15,000 spent to repair a riding lawnmower, heavy duty blower and edger.

$10,000 for video history of the school.

$10,000 for fencing and landscaping of newly constructed parking lot on Kings Highway. Lot was given to Byrd by Kings Highway Christian Church and Walgreen’s.

$25.00 for a memorial book in the library for deceased faculty members.

$5,000 for office computer and set up web page.

$10,000 for video security cameras.

$500.00 a year for advertisement on digital sign at baseball stadium.

$600.00 for bricks for newly constructed brick walkway.

Replaced office furniture in Alumni office.

Alumni Association Committee

​Officers

Officers