Echo Mill McCeachern - Hillgrove controversy (West Cobb)

[aries4118]

Originally Posted by David1502

Here is the history of the Campbell High to Smyrna High to back to Campbell High. In the late 1990's, Cobb County School Board made the decision to close Wills High and move those attending Wills to the existing Campbell High School on Atlanta Rd. (which is present day Orme Campbell Middle School). The School Board was concerned that the former Wills High students would feel like outsiders at Campbell, so they decided to change the name to Smyrna High School, so that all would feel included.


However, there was one problem: The Campbell family (Of Aunt Fannie's Cabin fame) had donated the land to Cobb County Schools back in the 1950's with a caveat that the name of the school would always be Campbell. The Cobb County School Board spent about $100K in legal fees to keep the Smyrna High name, however, they lost and the Campbell family won and hence the name went back to Campbell High. Later, the School Board decided that the student body had outgrown the Campbell High facility and decided to move the High School to the present location on Ward St. which had previously been Nash Middle School as well as Wills high School. This much larger facility seems better able to handle the Campbell high student body, now the largest high school student body in Cobb County.


After the move, Nash Middle School closed and the Middle School moved to the former Campbell High location and became Orme Campbell School.


The Campbell family name was always have a presence in Cobb County.

Yep, I remember those events (except it was the late 1980s ).



I still wish, though, that Campbell High was called Smyrna High. It would still honor the Campbell family since Campbell Middle would remain Campbell Middle.

[Saintmarks]

Originally Posted by aries4118

Yep, I remember those events (except it was the late 1980s ).



I still wish, though, that Campbell High was called Smyrna High. It would still honor the Campbell family since Campbell Middle would remain Campbell Middle.

Agreed, especially since it is no longer in that original building.