# The McCallie School

The McCallie School is a boys college-preparatory school located on Missionary Ridge in Chattanooga, Tennessee, United States. The school was founded in 1905 and now has 322 boarding students in grades 9–12 and 657 day students in grades 6–12.

## History

Brothers Spencer Jarnigan and James "Park" McCallie founded the school in 1905, which remained under the control of the family until a board of trustees assumed management of the school in 1937.
Founded as an all-boys school, McCallie became a military school in the wake of World War I, with students wearing uniforms and participating in military drills.
In 1970, McCallie dropped its military program as a result of admission challenges during the Vietnam War.
Like most schools in Tennessee, the McCallie School was formerly racially segregated. While the school's board of trustees agreed to allow the admission of African-American students beginning with day students in 1969 and boarding students in 1970, the school did not admit its first African-American student until 1971.
McCallie has a close relationship with Girls Preparatory School (GPS). One of the co-founders of GPS was Grace McCallie, sister to Spencer and Park. McCallie has maintained a formal coordinate program with Girls Preparatory School in Chattanooga since 1985. Students at the two schools participate in a variety of organized social events and coordinate some academic programming, particularly in music and theater.

## Theater

Founding
From Volume I, number one of the Pennant (April 1907): The McCallie School Dramatic Club was organized on Monday, March 4, 1907. Earl N. Wester was elected president; Wm. Milburn, secretary, and treasurer; L.W. White, manager, and Lawrence Lynch, assistant manager. The honor of inaugurating this club belongs to Mr. White. It had its beginning in the fifth-year English class, which presented a play so creditably that a permanent organization was formed. The object of the club is to study and to render plays. The club has rendered several new plays, one of which will perhaps be given as a feature of the commencement exercises. The play “Between the Acts” was given on Washington’s birthday in the school chapel to a large audience. The cast of the play is as follows:
“Dick” Comfort - Earl N. Wester
Geroge Merrigale (Dick’s friend) - Harry Thompson
Alex Meander (Dick’s uncle) - Eugene Bryan
Harris (Comfort’s new servant) - Will Campbell
Edith Comfort (Dick’s wife) - Lawrence Lynch
Mrs. Celmentina Meander (Dick’s aunt) - John Divine
Sally (Mrs Meanders maid - Wm. Milburn
This play is unique in that all the female characters are played by boys and so fooling is their make-up that several of the stagehands would not believe that the young actors were boys until they took off their wigs. Mr. Earl Wester in the leading role, Dick Comfort, made a great hit and did some clever work, his fine stage presence suggesting the matinee hero, or in the words of a spectator after the show, “Wasn’t he grand.”
Mr. White
Mr. Len White, the founding advisor to the dramatic club, soon died after the organization's founding. In the second volume of the Pennant, in June 1907, the dramatic club wrote the following as a memorial:
Whereas, the McCallie Dramatic Club has lost in the death of Mr. White its leader and promoter; be it resolved: 1. That the club as a body expresses its extreme regard and esteem for Mr. White. 2.. That the club as individuals express their affection and love for their lost friend. 3. That the club will strive to express its regard to Mr. White by fulfilling his expectations of them. 4. That the club have a copy published in “The McCallie Pennant” and a copy be placed in the minutes of the club.
(Signed)
W.F. Milburn, Chairman; John Divine, Eugene Bryan
From an Old School Catalog (1910–11)
”Each year one or more of these organizations is formed, as the boy who counts for something in the school life usually becomes interested in the school and in his work. Moreover, the musical or dramatic powers developed add much to a complete education.”
When We Came to the Ridge
In the book “When We Came to the Ridge” theatrical history is obviously not the focus, however there are still a decent amount of paragraphs covering the topic. The following excerpt is important to understanding early theatrical productions at McCallie “The new North Hall stage that made possible the minstrel show also inspired the Dramatics Club. The “dressing rooms” were second floor classrooms, and the actors awaited their cues in Dr. Wood’s office. But all in all, productions were easier than they had been when the McCallie boys jostled for space at the 1,600-seat Bijou Theater downtown on Walnut Street, where the school’s actors presented, for example, the comedy “A College Town” on April 14, 1914. The Pennant credits senior class President Leopold Chambliss with choosing and casting the play, which presented Joe Davenport in a pair of green tights topped by a dress coat with yellow lapels. A College town was such a success that the cast later traveled up to Dayton and put it on at the theater there.”
Hunter Theater
The Hunter Fine Arts Center opened in 1976 and was the first permanent home of the Dramatics Club. Prior to the construction of the building the troupe worked out of the chapel (constructed in 1955) and the study hall building of North Hall (constructed in 1919) prior to that. A section from a first hand pamphlet from the dedication writes “The Dramatics Club, which has a part time director, presents three plays a year currently. For the third consecutive year, one of these is entirely student produced. Most productions and coursework in theater are possible now that the space and equipment is available. The top level contains the Boyd gallery, a 50 x 50 foot-workshop theater with 175 movable seats, two dressing rooms, and equipment rooms. The building was designed under the direction of Hugh Huffaker. Construction is by Mark K. Wilson Company.” “The new theater is great. It is intimate; you pick up every phrase, every expression…” “In the old theater in the chapel, we had a total of six spotlights. Now we have twenty four…” “We hope to have music, dance, and drama in the new theater almost constantly, such as trios or quartets from the Symphony or Cadek…” “One of the beauties of this kind of theater is its moveable seating - we have the whole 2,500 square feet to work with…”
Walker Theater (Black Box) Opening
According to the 2005 Pennant “In the 2004-2005 school year, Ridgedale was renovated into a grand new drama center; the former location of the Drama Department was housed in Hunter Theater, built in the 1975-1976 school year. When first built, Hunter seemed more than enough to accommodate various school activities, but with the expanding of dramatic performances and the recent movement of art and music into Hunter, a new facility for drama was required. Upon entering the beautiful lobby, which was built in a style that resembled the new Dining Hall, one can see the changes that make Ridgedale a perfect location for the new theater. It is equipped with very spacious dressing rooms, a large stage area for various drama productions, a prop storage area, and a rehearsal room. Ridgedale Theater allows more flexibility in student productions, more collaboration and preparation for its productions, and its vast space leaves plenty of room for the Drama Department to organize projects on almost any scale. This addition to McCallie is a dream come true for both the Drama Department and McCallie students alike.” On October 21, 2004. Ridgedale Gym was converted into the Walker Black Box Theater and opened with "The Petrified Forest", the same play that opened Hunter Theater in 1976. For a few years following the theater’s opening there was confusion on what the theater was called. Although Walker theater is the official name (made even more confusing by Walker Hall and Sports Forum) it was also sporadically called Ridgedale Theater too. However, the name Black Box has stuck and is what it is most commonly referred to as.
The Petrified Forest 2004
The first performances in the Ridgedale building were on October 21, 23, and 24th. In the program the following is written “The history of theater at McCallie goes way back. Old yearbooks chronicle productions in the 1920s. The earliest performances were given on the stage of the study hall in the old North Hall In the 1950s the venue shifted to the Chapel. Hunter Theater opened in the fall of 1975, the first production was The Petrified Forest. Robert Sherwood’s The Petrified Forest won a Pulitzer Prize in 1935. Humphrey Bogart made his Broadway debut in the role of Duke Mantee. Leslie Howard played Alan Squier. The both played the same roles in the 1936 Hollywood version and were joined by Bette Davis in the role of Gabby Maple. The play offers the viewer both excitement and thought. It is highlighted by a loud gun battle. In its quieter moments it offenders reflections on courage, conviction, and action.” The Technical Director was Joseph May, Set Crew included Micheal Turner, Light and Sound was done by Bucky Parks, special thanks was given to Mr. and Mrs. William Cherry and Mr. and Mrs. J. Richard Brown, and advisors included William Royer and Paul Cudd.
The Scott Langley '68 Dramatics Collection
Donated to the theater department, the Scott Langley ‘68 Drama Collection is a comprehensive collection of theater books, which is located in the rehearsal room. This collection is still updated to this day and is one of the best assets of the theater department. Located in the Black Box rehearsal room the collection includes hundreds of plays, theater history books, and more. Mr. Langley graduated from McCallie in 1968 and was the Valedictorian for that school year. He was heavily involved in theater and swimming during his time at McCallie.
Awards
The T.F. and M.L. Walker Dramatics Award
This award has often just been called the Walker Dramatics Award, but T.F. and M.L. Walker Dramatics Award is the official name of it. Named after longtime theater teacher Thomas F. Walker (also the person whom the Black Box is officially named after, hence Walker Theater.) The award appears to have been started in 1992, and there was no major equivalent before this time, excluding the brief Scarborough award. The M.L. in the award’s name is for Mr. Walker's wife, who served as the associate director of the McCallie players, the theatrical group of the school. Besides running the theater program Mr. Walker was also a Spanish teacher, and Mrs. Walker was in charge of helping students with remedial reading.
* 2024 Winner: Robbie Hamilton
* 2023 Winner: Dandy Reynoso Diaz
* 2022 Winner: Ben Johnson
* 2021 Winners: William Hanley and Mason Calhoun
* 2020 Winner: Nate Dallimore
* 2019 Winner: Willem de Waal Dryden
* 2018 Winner: Micheal Maloney
* 2017 Winner: Walt Buzzini
* 2016 Winner: Liam Goldman
* 2015 Winner: Carter Harbin
* 2014 Winner: John Eric Miller
* 2013 Winner: John Eric Miller and Jones Kolbinsky
* 2012 Winner: Samy Lyons
* 2011 Winner: Mark Taylor
* 2010 Winner: Lee Cotton
* 2009 Winner: Dylan Hays
* 2008 Winner: John Harris
* 2007 Winner: Nick Givens
* 2006 Winner: Joseph May
* 2005 Winner: Lars Nelson
* 2004 Winner: Jared Pitcock
* 2003 Winner: Daniel Clayton
* 2002 Winner: Owen Sizemore
* 2001 Winner: William Valadez
* 2000 Winner: Adam Belvo
* 1999 Winner: John Herndon
* 1998 Winner: Trey McArver
* 1997 Winner: Ban Salling
* 1996 Winner: Christian Catlin
* 1995 Winner: Bob Peterson
* 1994 Winner: John David Harr
* 1993 Winner: Alvin Chen
* 1992 Winner: Brett Odom
The David C. Scarborough Dramatics Award
In the 1966 edition of the Pennant on page 108 we see that the first annual “David C. Scarborough Dramatics Award'' was given to Henry Williams. This award appears to be the first theater award at McCallie, or at least the first to be consistently given out. The following is a compilation of recorded winners:
* 1983 Winner: Joe Wilson
* 1982 Winner: Brian Robinson
* 1981 Winner: John Saw
* 1979 Winner: Fred McCallie
* 1977 Winner: Matt Williams
* 1976 Winner: Monk Robinson
* 1972 Winner: William Leckie Jr.
* 1970 Winner: Daniel Chambliss
* 1969 Winner: Robert Chambers
* 1968 Winner: Murrell Eichelberger
* 1967 Winner: Charles Rollins
* 1966 Winner: Henry Williams

## Athletics

Varsity sports, except climbing, crew, lacrosse, mountain biking, swimming and diving, are governed by the Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association (TSSAA).

## Boarding life

McCallie's first dorm, Founder's Hall, had 8 students. In 1907, record enrollment of 110 students required an additional dormitory; the school built the two-story Douglas Hall on Kyle Street, accommodating 35 boys. It also served as the headmaster's office and Park's residence. In the early 1950's the school constructed North and South Hutch, along with Maclellan Hall. In 1962, Belk Hall was dedicated as the Senior dorm, and at the same time Founder's home was being renovated to allow for more housing, giving the building its iconic pillars. And finally when work on Belk and Founder's was completed, the school tore down Douglas Hall, and constructed Caldwell Hall on its site. Later to address the growing boarder population, Pressly Hall was dedicated in 2007, and Burns Hall was dedicated in 2010.

## Rankings

In 2016 McCallie was ranked as the top private high school in the state of Tennessee by Business Insider. In Niche's 2023 high school report, McCallie was ranked the number one boarding high school and best high school for athletes in Tennessee. Nationally, McCallie was ranked the 35th best overall all-boys high school and 123rd of 418 best boarding high schools.

## Summer programs

McCallie School offers seven boarding camps and 18-day camp options. Programs are offered in enrichment, sports, or leadership camps (for children aged five years old and up).

## Notable alumni

* Eric Rivers '2021: Wide receiver for the FIU Panthers
* Sean Ryan '2010: Olympic swimmer
* Michael Bingham '04: Olympic medalist in track and field
* Evan Power '00: Chairman of the Republican Party of Florida and member of the Republican National Committee
* Jon Meacham '87: writer, former editor of Newsweek, contributing editor at Time
* Giovanni Alberto Agnelli '82: CEO of Fiat Group
* Zach Wamp '76: Former member of the United States House of Representatives of Tennessee
* Marshall Fletcher McCallie '63: United States ambassador to Namibia
* Carroll A. Campbell, Jr. '58: former Governor of South Carolina
* Ted Turner '56: founder of CNN and Turner Broadcasting System, former owner of Atlanta Braves, Atlanta Hawks, and Atlanta Thrashers
* Bill Brock '49: Former United States Senator and Secretary of Labor
* Preston Henn '49: Founder of the Fort Lauderdale Swap Shop and race car driver
* Pat Robertson '46: televangelist and founder and Chairman of the Christian Broadcasting Network
* Howard Baker Jr. '43: former Senate Majority Leader, White House Chief of Staff, and Ambassador to Japan
* John M. Belk '39: president of Belk Department Stores, Inc. and former Mayor of Charlotte, North Carolina
* Sonny Montgomery '39: Former member of United States House of Representatives for Mississippi
* James Rhyne Killian '21: former president of Massachusetts Institute of Technology
* Ralph McGill '17: former editor of the Atlanta Constitution
* Kyle Testerman: mayor of Knoxville, Tennessee
* Stephen H. Phillips: Emeritus Professor of Philosophy and Asian Studies at the University of Texas at Austin