Efforts are in progress to rename at least two Alexandria City Public Schools — T.C. Williams High School and Matthew Maury Elementary School — for reasons surrounding racial equity and inclusion.
In addition, Fairfax County Public Schools has started a process to consider renaming Robert E. Lee High School in the Franconia neighborhood. It is one of about a dozen schools nationwide named for the Confederate General.
T.C. Williams High School in Alexandria was named for a longtime Alexandria school superintendent who opposed desegregation. (Read more about the name change here.)
Matthew Maury Elementary School in Alexandria was named after a Virginia resident who was considered the founder of oceanography. Alive in the 1800s, he was also a Confederate Navy member and tried to establish a Confederate colony in Mexico after the South lost the war.
What about Alexandria’s other schools?
Here’s who (or what) Alexandria's school buildings are named after, with links to learn more information about each person:
T.C. Williams High School Minnie Howard Campus — Minnie Howard was a mother of seven children who created what became the Alexandria City Recreation Department. She was a champion of playgrounds and was Alexandria's first probation officer, according to ACPS.
Francis C. Hammond Middle School — Native Alexandrian, Medal of Honor recipient and Medical Corpsman Francis C. Hammond served in Korea in the 1950s. According to ACPS, Hammond continued to administer aid to wounded troops despite being injured himself and saved multiple lives. He died in combat.
George Washington Middle School — Named for the first president of the United States, George Washington was a farmer, slave owner, businessman and much more.
Patrick Henry K-8 School — Considered one of the Founding Fathers of the United States, Patrick Henry is famous for reportedly saying, “Give me liberty, or give me death!” He served as a Governor of Virginia after the Revolutionary War. He was from Hanover, Virginia.
Jefferson-Houston PreK-8 IB School — Named after two people, Jefferson-Houston school is dedicated to Thomas Jefferson, third president of the United States (and an owner of hundreds of slaves), and Charles Hamilton Houston, a pioneer in the movement to integrate public schools in Washington, D.C.
John Adams Elementary School — John Adams was a leader of the American Revolution, a Founding Father and the second president of the United States. He was the father of future president John Quincy Adams.
Charles Barrett Elementary School — Major General Charles Dodson Barrett was posthumously awarded a Distinguished Service Medal for his acts of valor in World War II. He was a native Alexandrian.
Ferdinand T. Day Elementary School — Alexandria’s newest elementary school was named for Ferdinand T. Day, a civil rights activist, education pioneer and Alexandria School Board member. He was named a Living Legend in Alexandria for his work integrating Alexandria’s public schools.
Cora Kelly School for Math, Science and Technology — Cora Lee Webster Kelly was a beloved Alexandria teacher for more than 50 years. She retired from Alexandria City Public Schools and passed away in 1953.
Lyles-Crouch Traditional Academy — Lyles-Crouch is named after two local educators, Rozier D. Lyles and Jane A. Solomon Crouch. Crouch was a principal at the Hallowell School for Girls in Alexandria; Lyles taught at Snowden School and at the first Parker-Gray School.
Douglas MacArthur Elementary School — Army General Douglas MacArthur commanded troops in the Southwest Pacific in World War II. He also led United Nations forces in the Korean War. He was relieved of his duties for insubordination, but was very popular.
George Mason Elementary School — George Mason was a Fairfax native who led Virginians in the American Revolution. He is widely credited with the concept of inalienable rights. He was a politician and landowner who built Gunston Hall. According to one biography, “At the Constitutional Convention, Mason vigorously opposed the provision that allowed the slave trade to continue until 1808 (despite being a slaveholder himself), referring to the slave trade as ‘disgraceful to mankind.’”
Mount Vernon Community School — The electric Mount Vernon Trolley ran down what is now Commonwealth Avenue in Del Ray. It is also the name of George Washington’s estate. The original Mount Vernon school faced Mount Vernon Avenue; it was demolished in the 1960s and the new school faces Commonwealth Avenue.
James K. Polk Elementary School — President James K. Polk was the 11th president of the United States. He led a significant expansion of the United States territory and is credited with establishing the Dept. of the Interior and the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis.
William Ramsay Elementary School — William Ramsay was the first mayor of Alexandria.
Samuel W. Tucker Elementary School — Samuel Tucker was a lawyer and civil rights activist, and a leader of the NAACP. He organized the famous 1939 sit-in at the then-segregated Alexandria public library.
Correction: This story has been updated with correct information about William Ramsay.
