USJ alumni start national group; plan museum
Graduates of Ulysses Simpson Jones High School in Demopolis are honoring their school’s founder and namesake by organizing a National Alumni Association.
The school, now known as U.S. Jones Elementary, celebrates its 100th anniversary this year. To mark the occasion, organizers will have the names of the first 100 Charter Founder Members displayed on a plaque in the future USJ Museum to show commitment to support the formation of the association.
Contributions from charter members will make it possible for the Alumni Association, a 501 (c)(3) association, to become a reality.
Organizers of the new group are Camilla Ratliff-Eatman and Lawrence Lee, Class of 1970; Doris Carter-Henderson, Class of 1969; Dianne Allen-Reed, Class of 1968; Dorothy M. Russell, Class of 1961; Rebecca Todd-Russell, Class of 1963 and Thomas Moore, a former USJ student and Demopolis High School graduate.
The last class to start at USJ when it was an all-black school was in 1969, said Moore. Those students would have graduated out of the system in 1980, but by then Demopolis schools had integrated.
“To keep the legacy alive, we had to start while we had people in the system,” said Moore.
The main focus of the alumni is to establish a museum – preferably in the eastern wing of the school itself – filled with memorabilia of U.S. Jones High School. Moore said the group hopes to work with the Demopolis City Schools system in setting up a site.
People already are gathering items for display in the museum. A trophy case that was in the building for years will be among the museum exhibits.
Originally the group had planned to celebrate the centennial of the school with a reunion this year, but with the new coronavirus pandemic, the event has been postponed until May 2021, he said.
Those interested in joining may send contributions and alumni information to U.S. Jones National Alumni Association, P.O. Box 543, Demopolis, AL 36732.
Three levels of charter membership are provided: Liftetime Platinum for $1,000; Diamond Decade, $500, and Gold Key, $100. Contributions can be made in honor of a friend, classmate or family member.
The committee requests the following information be returned with the contribution: name, year of graduation, address, email address (required), phone number and month and day of birth.