Year Minimum Foundation building program completed

Year of total integration 1970.

Known high schools A.R. Johnson (Augusta) Haines Institute (Augusta) Immaculate Conception (Augusta) Lucy Laney (Augusta) T.W. Josey (Augusta) Tutt (Augusta) Walker Baptist (Augusta) Haines, Walker Baptist and Immaculate Conception were all private schools. A.R. Johnson opened in 1937, renovating the former Gwinnett School. Laney sprung up hurriedly in 1949, the Richmond board being so desperate for a public Black high school in the city that the Sept. 13, 1949, Augusta Chronicle said a 999-year lease was signed for the Haines Institute building. That is not a typo; multiple articles said 999 years. So what happened in between? A.R. Johnson opened in 1937. This was only 12 years later. How did Augusta get so desperate so quickly? In 1943, A.R. Johnson was in its Gwinnett Street digs. A letter to the Augusta Chronicle editor on Feb. 1 of that year concisely spelled out the problem. "At the present time Negro youth are receiving two years of high school training at public expense at the Augustus R. Johnson High school, in buildings and with equipment not completely adequate for even these two years of work." Six months later, the Richmond board of education upped that number to three years, with students going to Paine College for the fourth year (Aug. 22, 1943 Chronicle), with plans to let A.R. Johnson handle all four years in 1944. But they could not do that easily. The Gwinnett Street home was not just inadequate, it was being outpaced in offerings by another Black school in the city, Charles T. Walker Elementary. So, Richmond moved the students there, the July 7, 1944, Chronicle mentioning the move would "give additional home economics and science laboratories to the high school." Walker students were supposed to switch to the Gwinnett building, but little, if any, change occurred in housing. In 1948, the Chronicle noted that A.R. Johnson High was located on the second floor of Charles T. Walker. "The most that can be said of this school," said the Augusta Chronicle on April 11, 1948, "is that it affords the beginning of secondary education for Negroes." Quoting a report by the Richmond County Board of Education in the article, "Housed in the same building with smaller children, conditions are demoralizing and conflicting." It said a building was urgently needed. June 1949 saw the system increasingly desperate, multiple ideas tossed out in the June 26 Chronicle. One was to fully convert Charles T. Walker to a high school, another was to do the same to Steed Elementary. Another plan suggested a new building near the farmers market ... if the city would sell the land to them. The other option was to reach an agreement with Haines, still a functioning private school. That won out. Not all reaction to the move was positive. Many letters to the Chroicle said the buildings at Haines were inadequate and that Black citizens deserved a new building. The deal was done - for that 999 years - but the board decided in 1951 that Lucy Laney deserved a better space. The old buildings were torn down and more space cleared for a new school. The name change in 1949 to Lucy Laney made perfect sense as Laney had established Haines in 1886. Tutt was only a high school from 1966-70, rising from a junior high school, then reverting to one. The April 10, 1970 Augusta Chronicle wrote about the reasons behind the change: "This was one of the recommendations made last year by the Department of Health, Education and Welfare and a change the school board had anticipated for the next school year when it submitted its integration plan to Judge Alexander A. Lawrence last fall." Students were to be split between Richmond Academy and the new Westside High, called Washington Road in its planning stages.

Known schools 1908-09: Lucy Laney, Mauge Street, Walker Baptist Institute 1918-19: Baconville, Broadway, Corinthian, Gracewood Colored, Holcomb Hill, Rose Hill 1923-24: Fifth Ward, First Ward, Gwinnett, Nellieville, Second Ward, Shiloh, Weed 1930-31: Baconville (48 students), Brandon, Broadway (50), Cawley, Corinthian (60), Fifth Ward (65), First Ward (314), Fourth Ward (177), Gwinnett (775), Holcomb, Jones Chapel, Live River (78), Miller, Nellieville (337), Pineola, Pleasant Grove, Rose Hill (60), Second Ward (375), Steed (493), Third Ward (310), Weed (390) (possibly a full list) 1939-40: P.H. Craig, Doughty, Fifth Ward, Silas X. Floyd, A.R. Johnson (only public high school), Shiloh Orphanage, Springfield, Steed, C.T. Walker, Weed (full city list); 1939-40: Immaculate Conception (Catholic) 1940-41: Air Line, Alexander, Baconville, Brandon, Cawley, Corinth, Covenant, Craig (city), Doughty, Ebenezer, Fifth Ward (city) Silas X. Floyd (city), Gordon Grove, Johnson Grove, Jones Chapel, Lucky Grove, Nixon, Pineola, Pleasant Grove, Rose Hill, Ross Grove, Shiloh, Springfield (city), Steed (city), Usher, C.T. Walker (city), Weed (city), Wylds 1941-42: Immaculate Conception (Catholic) 1943-44: Immaculate Conception (Catholic) 1949-50: P.H. Craig, S.X. Floyd, A.R. Johnson, Lucy C. Laney, Springfield, Steed, C.T. Walker, Weed 1952-53: Ursula Collins, P.H. Craig, Doughty, Fifth Ward, Silas X. Floyd, Hephzibah Consolidated, Lucy Laney High, Charles T. Walker, Weed (full list) The Georgia Department of Education begins publishing a list of schools in 1956-57. 1956-57: Ursula Collins (grades 1-7), Peter H. Craig (1-7), Doughty (1-3), Silas X. Floyd (1-7), Hephzibah Consolidated (1-7), A.R. Johnson Junior High (?-9), Lucy Laney (?-12), C.T. Walker (1-7), Fifth Ward (1-4), Weed (1-7), Levi White (1-7); Immaculate Conception (1-12) (private). Not a complete list. 1957-58: Ursula Collins (grades 1-7), Peter H. Craig (1-7), Doughty (1-3), Fifth Ward (1-4), Silas X. Floyd (1-7), Floyd Graham (1-8), A.R. Johnson Junior High (8-9), Lucy Laney (10-12), C.T. Walker (1-7), Weed (1-7), Levi White (1-7); Immaculate Conception (1-12) (private) 1958-59: Ursula Collins (grades 1-7), Peter H. Craig (1-7), Doughty (1-3), Fifth Ward (1-4), Silas X. Floyd (1-7), Floyd Graham (1-8), A.R. Johnson Junior High (8-9), Lucy Laney (10-12), C.T. Walker (1-7), Weed (1-7), Levi White (1-7); Immaculate Conception (1-12) (private) 1959-60: Boy Scout Road (grades 1-7), Ursula Collins (1-7), Peter H. Craig (1-7), Doughty (1-4), Fifth Ward (1-5), Silas X. Floyd (1-7), Floyd Graham (1-8), Griggs (1-7), A.R. Johnson Junior High (8-9), Lucy Laney (10-12), C.T. Walker (1-7), Weed (1-7), Levi White (1-7); Immaculate Conception (1-12) (private) 1960-61: Ursula Collins (grades 1-7), Peter H. Craig (1-7), Doughty (1-4), Fifth Ward (1-4), Silas X. Floyd (1-7), Floyd Graham (1-8), A.C. Griggs (1-7), A.R. Johnson Junior High (8-10), Lucy Laney (11-12), Telfair Street (1-8), John M. Tutt (1-7), C.T. Walker (1-7), Weed (1-7), Levi White (1-7); Immaculate Conception (1-12) (private) 1961-62: Ursula Collins (grades 1-7), Peter H. Craig (1-7), Doughty (1-4), Fifth Ward (1-4), Silas X. Floyd (1-7), Floyd Graham (1-8), A.C. Griggs (1-7), Hornsby (1-7), Clara E. Jenkins (1-7), A.R. Johnson Junior High (8-10< Lucy Laney (11-12), Telfair Street Junior High (1-8), John M. Tutt (1-7), C.T. Walker (1-7), Weed (1-7), Levi White (1-7); Immaculate Conception (1-12) (private) 1962-63: Ursula Collins (grades 1-7), Peter H. Craig (1-7), Doughty (1-4), Fifth Ward (1-4), Silas X. Floyd (1-7), Floyd Graham (1-8), A.C. Griggs (1-7), Hornsby (1-7), Clara E. Jenkins (1-7), A.R. Johnson Junior High (8-10), Lucy Laney (11-12), Telfair Street Junior High (1-8), John M. Tutt (1-7), C.T. Walker (1-7), Weed (1-7), Levi White (1-7); Immaculate Conception (1-12) (private) 1963-64: Ursula Collins (grades 1-7), Peter H. Craig (1-7), Doughty (1-4), Fifth Ward (1-4), Silas X. Floyd (1-7), Floyd Graham (1-8), A.C. Griggs (1-7), Hornsby (1-7), Clara E. Jenkins (1-7), A.R. Johnson Junior High (9-10< Lucy Laney (10-12), Sand Bar Ferry Junior High (8-9), Telfair Street (1-8), John M. Tutt (1-8), C.T. Walker (1-7), Weed (1-7), Levi White (1-7); Immaculate Conception (1-12) (private) 1964-65: Ursula Collins (grades 1-7), Peter H. Craig (1-7), Fifth Ward (1-4), Silas X. Floyd (1-7), Floyd Graham (1-8), A.C. Griggs (1-7), Hornsby (1-7), Clara E. enkins (1-7), A.R. Johnson Junior High (9-10), T.W. Josey (8-11), Lucy Laney (10-12), Sand Bar Ferry Junior High (8-9), Telfair Street Junior High (1-8), John M. Tutt (1-8), C.T. Walker (1-7), Weed (1-7), Levi White (1-7) 1965-66: Ursula Collins (grades 1-7), Peter H. Craig (1-7), Fifth Ward (1-4), Silas X. Floyd (1-7), Floyd Graham (1-8), A.C. Griggs (1-7), Hornsby (1-7), Clara E. Jenkins (1-7), A.R. Johnson Junior High (9-10), T.W. Josey (8-11), Lucy Laney (10-12), Sand Bar Ferry Junior High (8-9), Telfair Street (1-8), John M. Tutt (1-8), C.T. Walker (1-7), Weed (1-7), Levi White (1-7) 1966-67: Ursula Collins (grades 1-7), Peter H. Craig (1-7), Silas X. Floyd (1-7), FLoyd Graham (1-8), A.C. Griggs (1-7), Hornsby (1-7), Clara E. Jenkins (1-7), A.R. Johnson Junior High (9-10), T.W. Josey (8-11), Lucy Laney (10-12), Sand Bar Ferry Junior High (8-9), Telfair Street (1-8), John M. Tutt (1-8), C.T. Walker (1-7), Weed (1-7), Levi White (1-7) 1967-68: Ursula Collins (grades 1-7), Peter H. Craig (1-7), Silas X. Floyd (1-7), FLoyd Graham (1-8), A.C. Griggs (1-7), Hornsby (1-7), Clara E. Jenkins (1-7), A.R. Johnson Junior High (9-10), T.W. Josey (8-12), Lucy Laney (10-12), Sand Bar Ferry Junior High (8-9), Telfair Street (1-8), John M. Tutt (1-8), C.T. Walker (1-7), Weed (1-7), Levi White (1-7) 1968-69: Ursula Collins (grades 1-7), Peter H. Craig (1-7), Silas X. Floyd (1-7), FLoyd Graham (1-8), A.C. Griggs (1-7), Hornsby (1-7), Clara E. Jenkins (1-7), A.R. Johnson Junior High (9-10), T.W. Josey (8-12), Lucy Laney (10-12), Sand Bar Ferry Junior High (8-9), Telfair Street (1-8), John M. Tutt (1-12), C.T. Walker (1-7), Weed (1-7), Levi White (1-7) 1969-70: Ursula Collins (grades 1-7), Peter H. Craig (1-7), Silas X. Floyd (1-7), FLoyd Graham (1-8), A.C. Griggs (1-7), Hornsby (1-7), Clara E. Jenkins (1-7), A.R. Johnson Junior High (9-10), T.W. Josey (8-12), Lucy Laney (10-12), Sand Bar Ferry Junior High (8-9), Telfair Street (1-8), John M. Tutt (1-12), C.T. Walker (1-7), Weed (1-7), Levi White (1-7)

Additional notes