Richard J. Reynolds High School now the Richard J. Reynolds Magnet School for the Visual and Performing Arts (often simply R. J. Reynolds High School or Reynolds) is a

high school A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper seconda ...

in the

Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools (WS/FCS) is a school district in Forsyth County, North Carolina. WS/FCS has over 80 schools in its system, and it serves 54,984 students every year. WS/FCS was formed in 1963 by the merger of the Forsyth Coun ...

located in

Winston-Salem, North Carolina Winston-Salem is a city and the county seat of Forsyth County, North Carolina, United States. In the 2020 census, the population was 249,545, making it the second-largest municipality in the Piedmont Triad region, the 5th most populous city in ...

. Named for R. J. Reynolds, the founder of the

R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company The R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company (RJR) is an American tobacco manufacturing company based in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and headquartered at the RJR Plaza Building. Founded by R. J. Reynolds in 1875, it is the second-largest tobacco comp ...

, the school opened in 1923. The school colors are Old Gold and Black, 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 and the mother of Zachary Smith Reynolds, who donated the land for the school and the auditorium.

Campus

The School and Auditorium sit on a piece of land known as "Society Hill". The complex consists of five buildings, three of which are contributing buildings on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

. They are the High School Building (1922–1923), the Power House (1923), and the Auditorium (1923–1924). They were designed in the late 1910s by architect Charles Barton Keen of Philadelphia and built as part of a single project. 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 The Wall Street Crash of 1929, also known as the Great Crash, was a major American stock market crash that occurred in the autumn of 1929. It started in September and ended late in October, when share prices on the New York Stock Exchange colla ...

. In the early 1990s, 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). The R. J. Reynolds Memorial Auditorium is on the campus and is often used for school functions. The auditorium was constructed in 1924, and a formal opening was held the same year, with Harry Houdini performing. An extensive renovation was completed in 2003. A customized acoustical shell was added to Reynolds Auditorium in 2009. A fine arts/performing arts building, named the Judy Voss Jones Arts Center for a member of the class of 1968, is on the campus between the R. J. Reynolds Memorial Auditorium and Hawthorne Road. Reynolds became a magnet school for the arts in fall of 2007. The Richard J. Reynolds High School and Richard J. Reynolds Memorial Auditorium was listed on the

in 1991.

Notable alumni

* Bonnie Angelo journalist and author * Robert J. Bach former President of Entertainment & Devices Division at

Microsoft Microsoft Corporation is an American multinational technology corporation producing computer software, consumer electronics, personal computers, and related services headquartered at the Microsoft Redmond campus located in Redmond, Washin ...

Richard Burr Richard Mauze Burr (born November 30, 1955) is an American businessman and politician who is the senior United States senator from North Carolina, serving since 2005. A member of the Republican Party, Burr was previously a member of the United S ...

United States Senator *

Howell Binkley Howell Binkley (July 25, 1956 – August 14, 2020) was a professional lighting designer in New York City. He received the Tony Award for Best Lighting Design in a Musical for ''Jersey Boys'' in 2006, and again in 2016 for ''Hamilton''. He died du ...

professional light designer in New York City * Debra Conrad member of the North Carolina House of Representatives from the 74th district * Carter Covington television writer and producer * Luciano Delbono former professional soccer player * Kenny Duckett former NFL wide receiver * Rick Duckett college basketball coach *

Mitch Easter Mitchell Blake Easter (born November 15, 1954) is a musician, songwriter, and record producer. Frequently associated with the jangle pop style of guitar music, he is known as producer of R.E.M.'s early albums from 1981 through 1984, and as fron ...

musician, songwriter, and record producer *

Jim Ferree Purvis Jennings "Jim" Ferree (born June 10, 1931) is an American professional golfer who played on the PGA Tour and the Senior PGA Tour. Born in Pinebluff, North Carolina, Ferree grew up in Winston-Salem and graduated from Reynolds High Sch ...

professional golfer who played on the

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and Senior PGA Tour * Ben Folds musician * Lois Patricia (Peaches) Golding High Sheriff of Bristol, England, 2010–11 *

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former

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player and current coach * Kimani Griffin American

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who competed at the

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actress *

George Hamilton IV George Hege Hamilton IV (July 19, 1937 – September 17, 2014) was an American country musician. He began performing in the late 1950s as a teen idol, switching to country music in the early 1960s. Biography Hamilton was born in Winston-Salem, ...

American

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ian * Mark Harris pastor and politician * Whit Holcomb-Faye professional basketball player *

Peter Holsapple Peter Livingston Holsapple (born February 19, 1956) is an American musician, who formed, along with Chris Stamey, the dB's, a jangle-pop band from Winston-Salem, North Carolina.Strong, Martin C. (2003) ''The Great Indie Discography'', Canongat ...

musician who formed

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, a jangle-pop bandFrom The Desk Of Peter Holsapple: "A Short History Of A Small Place" By T.R. Pearson
''Magnet''. Retrieved Nov 30, 2019. * Frank L. Horton founder of the

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* Greg Humphreys singer, guitarist, and songwriter *

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of the

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and EuroLeague *

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actor * Lindsay Jones composer and sound designer for theatre and film * Earline Heath King

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who specialized in portraits and statues *

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NFL

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* Ed Lyons former MLB second baseman *

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actress best known for her role as Carol Peletier on the

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series ''The Walking Dead'' * Norman M. Miller highly decorated

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Aviator during

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film director * Ryan Odom men's

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head coach * T. R. Pearson writer *

Riley Redgate Riley Redgate is the pen name of Ríoghnach Robinson (), an American author of young adult fiction. Life and career Robinson was raised in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. She attended Richard J. Reynolds High School, where she began her first no ...

author of

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* Brian Robinson basketball coach *

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former

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anchor, sportscaster and media personality *

Chris Stamey Christopher Charles Stamey (born December 6, 1954) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer. After a brief time playing with Alex Chilton, as well as Mitch Easter under the name Sneakers, Stamey formed The dB's with Peter ...

musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer *

Reyshawn Terry Reyshawn Antonio Terry Sr. (born April 7, 1984) is an American professional basketball player for Vaqueros de Bayamon of the Puerto Rican Baloncesto Superior Nacional (BSN). He played college basketball for North Carolina. College career At the ...

professional basketball player and 2005 NCAA Champion with

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* Michael Wilson stage and screen director * Earl P. Yates former rear admiral in the

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Yates, Earl Preston
''Naval History and Heritage Command''. Retrieved September 16, 2020.

References

External links

Richard J. Reynolds High School
{{DEFAULTSORT:Reynolds, Richard J., High School High schools in Winston-Salem, North Carolina Public high schools in North Carolina Magnet schools in North Carolina School buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in North Carolina School buildings completed in 1923 National Register of Historic Places in Winston-Salem, North Carolina Buildings and structures associated with the Reynolds family 1923 establishments in North Carolina