I recently rewatched the 1999 film October Sky, though not set here, it was primarily filmed in East Tennessee, including several spots here in Knoxville. Locations included Gay Street, the Jacob Building in Chilhowee Park, the building that’s now home to The Standard, Brownlow School, Fountain City Elementary and Gresham Middle School.
Gresham was primarily used for the football scenes on Pruden Field where many people in my family played for the Bobcats when the school was still Central High School. This got me thinking about how much Gresham became such a small blip on my memory radar, back when it was still a junior high school for grades 7-9.
The reason for that is because late in the 1979-80 school year, when I was in 8th grade and my younger brother was in 5th, the Knoxville City School System made the decision to shuffle the grade cards and move freshman back into high schools and turn junior highs into middle schools (grades 6-8). Here we were ready to “rule the school” come September and turns out we were going elsewhere. My brother lost out on safety patrol and a trip to Washington D.C.
The decision came so late in the school year, that Central’s band director, the late, great Stormin’ Norman Woodall, added an extra band class just for the incoming freshman because he didn’t know if there would be enough room for all of us. From my sophomore through senior years, the Bobcat band was in the ballpark of 150 strong.
The auditorium at Gresham, the first spot Roy Acuff ever sang for a crowd (Photo: Beth Kinnane)
So, the reason my time at Gresham ranks low in my memory bank is I was only there for two years. I flipped back through my two annuals from that time, giggling at the original unfriending: a heavy dose of black ink over the photos of the duly despised. Occasionally choice words were used. Scribbled messages from friends fill the pages with wishes to “have a great summer” and/or “stay cool.” I can assure I was anything but.
Several of our teachers at Gresham moved with us to Central, just as many moved from elementary into middle schools. Flipping through the faculty section, I see the note from Doug Oliver, one of my favorite teachers, who I had for home room, Tennessee history, and geography: “Best of luck in the future. I’ve enjoyed having you in class the past two years.” I hope you really did, Coach Oliver. That was 45 years ago, and Coach is no longer with us.
Which brings me to the final reason Gresham has been much on my mind is that in the past week the Gladiator alumni have lost two of their favorites. Christine Harness, taught art at Gresham for 32 years, passed away Oct 17. She was an absolute joy. You can read her obituary here. And I think I’ve known Leo Cooper Sr. practically as long as I’ve been alive. The much loved and long serving former principal passed away Oct. 13. You can read his obituary here. They will be greatly missed.
Beth Kinnane writes a history feature for KnoxTNToday.com. It’s published each Tuesday and is one of our best-read features.
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