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, high school, or senior school, is an institution that provides secondary education. Some secondary schools provide both ''lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper secondary education'' (ages 14 to 18), i.e., ...

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 Co ...

located in

Winston-Salem, North Carolina Winston-Salem is a city in Forsyth County, North Carolina, United States, and its county seat. At the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 249,545, making it the List of municipalities in North Carolina, fifth-most populous ...

. Named for

R. J. Reynolds Richard Joshua Reynolds (July 20, 1850 – July 29, 1918) was an American businessman and founder of the R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company. The son of a tobacco farmer and major slaveowner, he worked for his father and attended Emory & Henry Col ...

, 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. Founded by namesake R. J. Reynolds in 1875, it is the largest tobacco company in the United States. The company is a w ...

, the school opened in 1923. The school colors are Old Gold and Black, and the school's mascot is a

demon A demon is a malevolent supernatural entity. Historically, belief in demons, or stories about demons, occurs in folklore, mythology, religion, occultism, and literature; these beliefs are reflected in Media (communication), media including f ...

Establishment

Katharine Smith Reynolds-Johnston (1880–1924), the widow of

(1850–1918), donated funds and land for the creation of the school in memory of her first husband. The site was known as Silver Hill. Just weeks before Reynolds-Johnston's death, a souvenir program for the dedication of the Memorial Auditorium says: "In 1919, the City of Winston-Salem, in the course of its ex-tended school building program, planned a model high school, and wished to honor the memory of Richard J. Reynolds, by naming it 'The Richard J. Reynolds High School.' It seemed to his wife, now Mrs. J. Edward Johnston, that a memorial of this kind was very fitting, as Mr. Reynolds had had such a large part and was so interested in the development of this city. Mrs. Johnston had wanted to erect some really worth while memorial personally, and when notified of the action of the city authorities, it seemed that this plant, which would be so closely identified with the life of the people, young and old, presented the opportunity for which she was looking. She therefore notified the city that she would be glad to give a suitable site upon which to erect the high school, the selection to be left to the City, and to present as a personal memorial, a beautiful auditorium in connection with the high school plant."

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 Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

. 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 The Reynolda House Museum of American Art is an art museum located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Built in 1917 by Katharine Smith Reynolds and her husband R. J. Reynolds, founder of the R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company, it displays a collecti ...

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. 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 The R. J. Reynolds Memorial Auditorium, located in Winston-Salem, NC, was built 1919–1924 under the direction of architect Charles Barton Keen (designer of the R. J. Reynolds estate, Reynolda House). Keen also designed the adjacent Richard ...

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 Erik Weisz (March 24, 1874 – October 31, 1926), known professionally as Harry Houdini ( ), was a Hungarian-American escapologist, illusionist, and stunt performer noted for his escape acts. Houdini first attracted notice in vaudeville in ...

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. To mark the school's 100th anniversary, artist Nick Bragg created an 32-inch by 8-foot mural ''Silver Hill to Diversity'' on the second floor whose 40 images illustrate events in the school's history as well as major events in world history. It is the 24th mural created by Bragg, whose work is featured in other areas of the campus.

Athletics

State Championships

R. J. Reynolds has won the following

North Carolina High School Athletic Association The North Carolina High School Athletic Association (NCHSAA) is the governing organization of high school athletics in North Carolina, United States. The association maintains the official rule books and governs the officiating standards across ...

(NCHSAA) team state championships: * Boys Basketball: 1949 (2A), 1975 (4A), 2000 (4A), 2001 (4A), 2002 (4A) * Boys Cross Country: 1974 (Open), 1975 (Open), 1976 (Open), 1977 (Open), 1978 (Open) * Football: 1952 (3A), 1953 (3A), 1958 (3A), 1964 (4A) * Boys Golf: 1945 (Open), 1946 (Open), 1968 (Open) * Boys Swimming & Diving: 1984 (Open) * Boys Tennis: 1976 (Open), 2010 (4A), 2011 (4A), 2012 (4A) * Girls Tennis: 1997 (4A) * Boys Indoor Track & Field: 2006 (Open) * Boys Outdoor Track & Field: 1953 (Open), 1955 (Open), 1962 (Open), 2005 (4A) * Girls Outdoor Track & Field: 2001 (4A)

Notable alumni

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

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United States Senator *

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professional light designer in New York City *

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member of the

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from the 74th district *

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television writer and producer *

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Rick Duckett Ricky Lane Duckett (August 3, 1957 – January 7, 2024) was an American college basketball coach. He served as the head coach of the Fayetteville State Broncos, Winston-Salem State Rams and Grambling State Tigers and compiled a 156–98 overall ...

college basketball coach *

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musician, songwriter, and record producer *

Jim Ferree Purvis Jennings "Jim" Ferree (June 10, 1931 – March 14, 2023) was 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 Ric ...

professional golfer who played on the

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and

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Ben Folds Benjamin Scott Folds (born September 12, 1966) is an American singer-songwriter from Winston-Salem, North Carolina. After playing in several small independent bands throughout the late 80s and into the early 90s, Folds came to prominence as the f ...

musician * Lois Patricia (Peaches) Golding

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, England, 2010–11 * Tommy Gregg 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, along with Chris Stamey, formed the dB's, a jangle-pop band from Winston-Salem, North Carolina.Strong, Martin C. (2003) ''The Great Indie Discography'', Canongate, ...

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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singer, guitarist, and songwriter *

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former

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player, professional basketball player for

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of the

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and

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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

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actress best known for her role as

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on the

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

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during

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film director *

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men's

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head coach * T. R. Pearson writer * Riley Redgate author of

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football player * Brian Robinson basketball coach *

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former

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anchor, sportscaster and media personality *

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musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer *

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First Lady of North Carolina *

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professional basketball player and 2005

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with

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* Michael Wilson stage and screen director *

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former

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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 of the Reynolds family 1923 establishments in North Carolina Brick buildings and structures in North Carolina