The Altamont School was established in 1975 through the merger of the all boys Birmingham University School and the all girls Brooke Hill School. The school today includes grades five through twelve and is one of the premier college preparatory schools in the state of Alabama.
The Birmingham University School was founded in 1922 with thirty-two boys under the direction of Captain Basil M. Parks. In 1945 the school reorganized as a non-profit institution belonging to the patrons and operating under the supervision of a Board of Trustees and a Headmaster. Mr. William Haver was the last Headmaster of B.U.S. and the first of The Altamont School. Left: B.U.S. Crest Below: Boys of B.U.S. |
The Brooke Hill School was founded under the name of The College Preparatory School for Girls. The school received its later name from Tucker Brooke, a noted Yale Shakespearean scholar and the father of one of the first directors, Mrs. George Blackburn. By the 1950s, the size of the school necessitated expanded facilities. The school purchased land on top of Red Mountain and by 1958 had moved into the location in which The Altamont School now occupies. Left: Brooke Hill Crest Below: Girls of the Brooke Hill School |
Several former students have made national and international acclaim in the fields of writing and acting (no game creators yet). Wayne Rogers, Kate Jackson, Mary Badham, and Gail Strickland have gained recognition through participation in movies, television, and live theater. Walker Percy, Charles Gaines, Daniel Wallace, Margaret Wrinkle, and Warren St. John have gained great acclaim for their novels. Pat Conroy's envy of the school led to his honorary degree, a title both he and the school hold dear.
Though the school has always boasted a wonderful history staff that has produced many amateur historians, there has yet to be one of renowned stature. Who knows, maybe this website will be the spark to produce the first one.