Rossville to a casual observer seems to have changed little visually with many of the old commercial buildings standing along the main Rossville Boulevard near the state line still intact.

Of course, a closer examination reveals that it has changed, with different or no current uses for many of these buildings. The same can be said for the old former Rossville High/Middle School structures a block or so off McFarland Avenue. While the old gym and football field are still used some, the remaining part of the old school a block or so west is now fenced off, causing concern for everyone from proud graduates to historic preservationists.

While the future of these buildings and Rossville’s efforts to reinvent itself after decades as a longtime working-class community might be a good story for another time, what quickly caught my eye during a recent Rossville High reunion for all classes was that the graduates’ love for their old school has not changed.

As Rossville High Alumni Association president Sherry Whitton Daniel told me with pride, “The school closed in 1989, and as of today, we have almost 600 members of the Alumni Association. And that is for a school that does not exist anymore.”

I had been invited to attend some of the reunion activities by Sherman Ross, whose 1976 class was also having its 50-year reunion on Saturday night, June 6. The entire Alumni Association also held a luncheon at the old gym building – also called the Peerless Gym – earlier that day that I attended, and some had taken part in a benefit golf tournament the previous Thursday at Battlefield Golf Club.

At the latter, the alumni and supporters additionally showed their appreciation for their old school by raising funds for scholarships for graduating students from Ridgeland High School. That is the Walker County school that now draws students from the Rossville community.

As someone who attended Baylor School but followed Rossville a lot over the years, mainly on the sports pages, it was fun to meet these proud graduates and even check out the football field, where I remember playing a B-team football game one Monday in the mid-1970s.

The school also has a large and very impressive collection of old school memorabilia in the gym building, as well as many class pictures on the walls of the main hall there. I checked them out and found two of the more famous Rossville High graduates – former Tennessee Vol star quarterback Bobby Scott from the class of 1967, and former Georgia quarterback and later defensive standout Dicky Clark ’73, who also enjoyed an SEC coaching career.

I also found the photo of the late John Crane from the Class of 1968, who later taught and coached at such schools as Hixson and Red Bank and whose family I know.

The gathering also had a reflective manner for another reason, as longtime former Rossville head football coach Lynn Murdock had passed away on May 9 at the age of 91. It quickly became obvious from conversations that coach Murdock – who was the head coach from 1964-84 and taught math -- had positively affected many graduates through his guidance that several alumni said was grounded in his strong Christian faith.

His widow and daughter also attended, as did son Mark, whom I remembered playing some occasional golf with during high school. Mark, who became a physical therapist and now lives in the Ringgold area, proudly recalled during a brief conversation that Rossville had beaten both Baylor and McCallie in golf the same season when he played.

Below are some memories of some of the other graduates and reunion attendees in the general order in which they were interviewed.

Sherman Ross ’76 – Mr. Ross said the biggest memories he has are of the school spirit, how the faculty was interested in every student and how much community support they received. “We had a motto, ‘Be Rossville,’ that was given to us by one of our faculty members, Ms. (Mary) Knight. She was the girls PE teacher for years,” he said. “I played football and the entire coaching staff, they were also interested in us.”

He remembers some of the players and others helping build the still-standing press box building by the football field.

He said the class of 1976 also has a good bond, which grew stronger through their efforts to join with the current Alumni Association several years ago and enhance the scholarship program for Ridgeland graduates.

Among his favorite teachers, he had many, he said. “I was a history type guy, and I liked Ms. Joanne Carter. And Ron Jones, he taught U.S. Constitution, and Ms. Lorraine Battle taught literature and became a counselor. And Ken Woods, he was our counselor. They were all great people.”

Mr. Ross, who has worked as a State Farm Insurance agent for decades, has also put his U.S. Constitution and other Rossville school knowledge and advice to work, as he currently serves as the mayor of Rockmart, Ga., near Rome.

Jim Reed ’76 – Mr. Reed recalled that Rossville was definitely a middle class school when he attended. “A lot of people’s parents worked at the (Peerless) mill,” he said.

He added that he played football and wrestled and was in several clubs. “I was a regular high school boy,” he said.

While the school activities might have been ordinary, he said the experience, on the other hand, was special. “I wouldn’t take anything in the world from what we did at Rossville,” he said.

Mr. Reed, who retired from railroad work and lives in Fort Oglethorpe and who first met Mr. Ross when they were in the nursery together at Fairview Baptist Church, has also been involved in helping organize the benefit golf tournament.

Sherry Whitton Daniel ’84 – Ms. Daniel has plenty of positive memories of attending Rossville High, and that helps explain how she is president of the school’s Alumni Association. “Everybody who grew up here loved being here,” she recalled. “It was very community oriented. If I could go back today, I would.”

She also said that her mother, June Culberson Whitton, attended Rossville before graduating in 1960, as did her aunt and brother. “It’s a family tradition,” she said of this school that opened in 1923. “It was a great place to grow up in.”

Ms. Daniel added that gym teacher and cheerleader coach Mary Knight was her biggest influence among the faculty. “She also taught my mother,” she said of the woman who lived into her 90s. “She was like a mother to all of us.”

Ms. Daniel, who recently retired as a billing manager for a neurology group, said that her class had about 150 students in it.

Another memory she has is of how big football was at the school, adding, “The town closed on Friday night because everybody was at the stadium. And it didn’t matter if the game was home or away, we all went.”

David Harris ’76 – Mr. Harris said his biggest memories are of the closeness and togetherness of the class.

He also played football as a starting defensive back and backup quarterback and was one of about two dozen blacks as the school had integrated several years earlier. He remembered no issues as the different races were getting used to each other.

“We got along. There were no problems,” said Mr. Harris, who went on to work for TVA. “Coach Murdock, he taught us how to get along with each other. We met every Sunday and went to different churches and that was great.”

He also fondly recalled his basketball coach, coach Young, and said the school had a great overall group of teachers.

“It has been great to be a Rossville Bulldog,” he said in summing up his overall experiences and memories.

Beth Murdock Hess '77 – As the daughter of coach Murdock and whose mother also worked at the school, Ms. Hess said the experience attending Rossville High in the mid-1970s was great.

“It was just amazing,” the current Tampa, Fl., area resident said. “I look back at the age I am now and realize what a true blessing it was to be a coach’s daughter. I not only had him as my dad, but he was my teacher. I was also a cheerleader. And he and my mom were instrumental in our salvation.

“It was like everybody should have their parents surrounding them. It was great. It did not feel like we needed to hide out. It was awesome.”

And it was just not because her parents were there, but the entire school community also offered something special for that time, she added. “I was a career educator. I taught in 22 different schools in three different states. Working in all those high schools, I’ve seen a lot of different things, but I’ve never seen a school that has what Rossville High School had – the camaraderie, that bond, the foundation.

“There are so many people who came through Rossville and have had incredible careers, and I give that credit to the teachers we had.”

Ms. Hess said she also tries to go by the old school grounds when in town and reminisce. And while she hates to see the condition of some of the buildings – jokingly saying their condition makes her feel older than she is – she still has pride when she is back in town.

“I grew up in these walls,” she said. “I grew up going into the gym and classrooms and the old bowling alley and eating hamburgers at the center and having classes in the high school. Even though the buildings are somewhat dilapidated, the memories are always special. It is the most wonderful place on Earth.

“Rossville will always be that wonderful, wonderful place of so many memories and so many friends.”

Tim Ellis ’76 – Now living in the Daytona Beach, Fl., area, Mr. Ellis said as he looked around the room full of Rossville High memorabilia that he was glad to be back in Rossville.

“It’s fantastic to see all my friends I grew up with,” he said. “It’s great reminiscing and seeing this room.”

He admitted it was also a somewhat somber time with the recent passing of coach Murdock, but added that he has great memories of him. “I got to see his wife and son and daughter, and they are all great people to know,” he said. “The impact coach Murdock made on this community is felt so many years later. Lynn, you were always a Christian and your testimony shined through everything else that you did. No one can ever take that away from us.”

Mr. Ellis, who went into printing company work, also tried to practice coach Murdock’s philosophy of giving back. He served as president of the Rossville Lions Club for a few years, and he and his wife helped the Rossville High Alumni Association get back on its feet a few years ago.

“When I was active with the Lions Club, we raised money for the school and bought tons of kids eyeglasses,” he said.

Harriett Murdock, widow of coach Lynn Murdock – For Ms. Murdock, many of her memories are of helping her husband by supporting the team and players.

“I remember all of those years driving to the Atlanta area to play football, because none of those schools was in our league,” she said. “But I only missed one game.”

Ms. Murdock, who also worked in the library and guidance office at Rossville High, said her husband had grown up in Lewisburg, Tn., and he had assisted on the 1962 state championship team before becoming head coach.

She recalled that the coaches would gather at their house after games, and she also would cook steaks for a group of five or six players during the week if they had a certain accomplishment during the previous game, and sometimes children Mark and Beth would join them.

She added that seeing everyone at the reunion was great. “I always look forward to seeing everybody because I know all the people from all the classes,” she said.

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Jcshearer2@comcast.net