Beach High School

Beach Institute (1867 to 1919)

The school traces its origins to the Beach Institute, established in 1867 by the American Missionary Association (A.M.A.)^[4] and the Freedmen's Bureau. The institute was funded by Alfred Ely Beach, editor of Scientific American, to educate newly freed African Americans after the Civil War.^[5][6]

In 1870, the Chatham County Board of Education sought to assume responsibility for educating black children. After negotiations, the Board rented the Beach Institute building from the AMA in 1874 and reopened it as a public school, still named the Beach Institute. A fire in 1878 forced the relocation of students to the Fair Lawn House on East Broad Street and Gaston Street. Subsequently, a new Beach Institute building was constructed at 502 Harris Street, where the AMA operated it as a junior and senior high school since the public school system did not offer these grades for black children. The AMA managed the school until 1919, when funding shortages and the opening of Cuyler Junior High, the first public junior high school for black students, led to its closure.^[7][8]

Beach Continuation School (1922 to 1929)

Concerned citizens then prompted the Reverend Arnold Erasmus Gregory to open the Beach Continuation School in 1922, a private high school for black students located in the old Beach Institute building. This school was overseen by the First Congregational Church which had been given the building by the AMA. In 1924, this school was integrated into the Board of Education system, continuing education for black students. However, due to the economic difficulties of the late 1920s and declining enrollment, the Board closed Beach Continuation School in 1929 and merged it with Cuyler Junior High. The resulting institution was Beach Cuyler Senior High School.^[9][8]

Beach Cuyler Senior High School (1929 to 1949)

Enrollment at Beach Cuyler grew significantly, leading to overcrowding. In response to community advocacy, the Board of Education in 1949 officially separated the two schools. Cuyler reverted to a junior high school name, and Beach became Alfred E. Beach High School.^[8]

Alfred E. Beach High School (1950 to present)

In 1950, Beach High moved to its current facility at 3001 Hopkins Street. Since then, it has functioned as a public high school for African American students and later for a diverse student body until it was replaced with the new facility opening of the new 200,000-square-foot facility in 2013.^[10][8]

March 2000 shooting

On March 10, 2000, 19-year-old Stacy Smalls was shot and killed outside the high school. 16-year-olds Lamar Jenkins and Ramone Kimble was also injured, with Kimble dying in hospital the next morning.^[11][12][13] The attack followed an after school event celebrating the Lady Bulldogs' state championship victory.^[11] Despite school officials stating that the event was restricted to students only, Smalls did not attend the school at the time of the shooting.^[11][12]

In the early hours of the following day, 19-year-old Darrell Ingram was identified as a suspect and arrested. During his trial, it was argued that another person had shot the three students, and Ingram had simply fired into the air as a response. Despite this, he was found guilty of two counts of first-degree murder and one count of aggravated assault.^[14]

On November 5, 2000, Ingram was sentenced to two life terms plus 35 years in prison. An earlier request to allow Ingram to undergo a psychological evaluation and IQ test was denied. Despite being interviewed about his crime, a motive for the shooting has never been established.^[14]

State championships