Terrell Academy is a private K3-12 school in
Dawson, Georgia
Dawson is a city in and the county seat of
Terrell County, Georgia, United States.
The population was 4,414 at the 2020 census. Incorporated on December 22, 1857, the city is named for Senator William Crosby Dawson.
Dawson is part of t ...
, seat of
Terrell County. It serves 380 students. The school has a controversial history as a
segregation academy.
History
Terrel was founded in 1970 as a segregation academy.
In the summer of 1970, a senior told the ''Atlanta Constitution'' she enrolled in Terrel Academy so she "didn't have to spend the rest of her life sitting next to a
nigger."
In 1973, headmaster Thomas Church told the ''Atlanta Constitution'' that racial situation in
Terrell County School District boosted the private school’s enrollment.
In 1977, Terrell Academy director W.C. Woodall acknowledged that the school was founded in response to a court order mandating the integration public school faculty. Woodall stated that although he personally supported racial segregation, black students would be welcome at Terrell.
The school was however granted tax-exempt status in 1970.
Alumni
*
Harry Spilman
William Harry Spilman (born July 18, 1954) is a retired Major League Baseball first baseman for the Cincinnati Reds (1978–81), Houston Astros (1981–85, 1988–89), Detroit Tigers (1986), and San Francisco Giants (1986–88). He was also known ...
, baseball player
*
Cole Swindell
Colden Rainey Swindell (born June 30, 1983) is an American rock music singer and songwriter. He has written singles for Craig Campbell, Thomas Rhett, Scotty McCreery, and Luke Bryan, and has released four albums for Warner Bros. Records Nashvil ...
, country music performer
In 2020, in grades PK-12, the school had a total of 351 students and 32.1 teachers on a full-time equivalent basis. The school did not report demographic information to the
NCES.
References
Educational institutions established in 1970
Schools in Twiggs County, Georgia
Private high schools in Georgia (U.S. state)
Private middle schools in Georgia (U.S. state)
Private elementary schools in Georgia (U.S. state)
Preparatory schools in Georgia (U.S. state)
Segregation academies in Georgia
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