The History of the Salem Educational Foundation and Alumni Association
The Foundation was incorporated as a 501 3(c) organization in 1983 with six charter members. Dr. Richard H. Fisher was chosen as the first president and served in that capacity for 17 years. Other charter members were Annie C. Aldridge, June H. Long, James E. Taliaferro, Carl E. Tarpley, Jr. and Stephen M. Yost. Today the Foundation is governed by a Board of Directors as prescribed in the Constitution and Bylaws and presently has 21members. All members of the Board are volunteers. There are no paid positions in the Foundation. Dr. Walter A. Hunt, former Superintendent of City of Salem Schools, was elected president of the Board in the year 2000 and served as president until passing away in 2008. Other officers are David W. Shelor, Vice President; James A. Robertson, Treasurer; and David L. Foster, Secretary.
The Board of Directors is composed of all officers and the following members: Chance Crawford, Douglas Dowe, Dr. Richard H. Fisher, Kristi Gerhart, John Givens, Scott Habeeb, Charles Hammersly, John Lamance, Jr., June Long, Betsy McClearn, Martha McClure, Ray Moore, Joyce Noell, Jane W. Painter, Christine Poarch, James Tobey, and Dr. N. Wayne Tripp.
The Board has regular scheduled meetings on the second Tuesday of each month. The Foundation has 130 Life members and many regular annual memberships. Members have input to the Board but have no voting rights. All decisions are made by the Board.
The primary purpose of the Foundation is to develop endowments and give scholarships to deserving graduates of Salem High School. Two scholarships were given in 1984; and since that time, over $1.8 million has been awarded to graduates. In June 2007, seventy-three (73) awards were made totaling $150,000.
At the end of December 2007, the Foundation had eighty endowments worth $2.3 million. Seventy-three of these are over $10,000 and provide scholarships. Approximately 5% of each fully-funded endowment is given in scholarships each year to Salem High School seniors. The largest endowments are as follows: David Lamanca Memorial with a balance of $243,000; Brian H. Thornhill Memorial with a balance of $162,000; City of Salem Endowment with a balance of $94,000; Annie Cook Aldridge Latin with a balance of $93,000; Dr. Richard H. Fisher Medical with a balance of $106,000; Anne Fletcher Fisher Memorial with a balance of $102,000; Salem American Legion Post 19 with a balance of $71,000; Margaretta & Roy Spain Science with a balance of $66,000; Corinne Moeschler Fund with a balance of $63,000; Salem Educational Foundation & Alumni Association Grant with a balance of $61,000; the Dr. Charles H. Fisher Fund with a balance of $51,000; George A. and Isabel Jeffreys Science Endowment with a balance of $44,000; the Andrew Lewis Endowment with a balance of $40,000, Walter & Avis Hunt Endowment with a balance of $34,000;and the Jennings Family Endowment with a balance of $32,000. Six endowments are below $10,000 and will not provide scholarships until they are fully funded.
The first alumni directory was published in 1993 with listings of 11,621 alumni in 49 states, Washington, DC, at seven military posts, and in 14 foreign countries. A history of all public high schools in Salem from 1895 was included. There have been six high schools in Salem: Salem High School on Academy Street, 1895-1912; Salem High School on Broad Street, 1912-1933; Roanoke County Training School, 1921-1940; Andrew Lewis High School, 1933-1977; George Washington Carver High School, 1939-1966; and Salem High School on Spartan Drive, 1977-present. An updated directory was published in 1998, and the latest directory was published in May 2005.
In 1996, through the efforts of Robert Craighead, the Foundation established the Alumni Hall of Fame for graduates of Salem high schools. In all, 103 distinguished alumni have been elected to the Hall. The first recipient was J. Leonard Shank from the Class of 1917 at Salem High School on Broad Street. Douglas Dowe, Class of 1947, was the first recipient from G. W. Carver High School, and the first recipients from the present Salem High School were Dave Lamanca, a 1985 graduate and Brad Braxton a 1987 graduate. November 20, 2000, the Hall of Fame inducted 10 members. In that group the first father and son recipients to the Hall of Fame were inducted: Harold E. Shelor (A.L. ’42) and David W. Shelor (A.L. ’68). The last induction ceremony was held on November 10, 2003. At that time 17 new members were inducted into the Hall of Fame. The next Hall of Fame will be held in September 2008.
A “Millennium Gala,” which was the forerunner of the Andrew Lewis tribute held on September 9, 2000, was held on December 31, 1999 to celebrate the historical deeds of General Andrew Lewis.
On September 9, 2000 at the Salem Civic Center the Salem Educational Foundation and Alumni Association presented “A Tribute to General Andrew Lewis.” Four speakers presented the life and times of General Andrew Lewis, and a life-size statue of Andrew Lewis firing a 6-pounder cannon was unveiled in front of the Civic Center. The statue was sculpted by artist Anne Bell. The cannon is of the type used in the Revolutionary War. Inside the Civic Center the Foundation placed a large painting of Andrew Lewis done by Anne Bell. Beside the portrait an eight minute recording on the most important events in the life of Andrew Lewis was added in February 2002.
For the past eleven years, the Foundation had published a newsletter which is sent to all alumni.
Anyone interested in the Foundation is invited to contact members at P. O. Box 1461, Salem, Virginia 24153.
