The Ruston High School Alumni Association has a rich history that is deeply intertwined with the school’s own journey.

This organization did not begin overnight. The creation of the Ruston High School Alumni Association was initiated by Mrs. Paula Pardue, Senior Guidance Counselor at Ruston High School. Her vision was for a method to furnish additional scholarships for graduating RHS seniors to attend college.

When a group of RHS alumni approached Mr. Kenny Henderson, former RHS Principal, and Mrs. Pardue about establishing a memorial for teachers through the alumni association, it was discovered that with her other duties, Mrs. Pardue was over dedicated with school duties and the association.

At that point the group agreed with Mr. Henderson to re-organize the association into a Non-Profit Corporation. This was completed in April 2004. Mrs. Pardue, being an RHS Alumni and an RHS Faculty member, was appointed the task of coordinating business between the school and association.

An initial start-up committee made up of Ruston High School alumni established the groundwork for the creation of the Ruston High School Alumni Association. These committee members were:

Mirian Pipes Savage

Mary Allen Belton

Helen Knotts Shrell

Patricia Reese Edwards

Ann McKee Boyd

Joe Richardson

Marvin McBride

Glen Neaville

Charles Buck Stewart

Charles Jimerson

Fredric Hoogland

Joyce Mathewes Sutton

Willie Green

Jessie Boyd Frazier

Jane Fuller Ball

Roberta Green Hinton

Ernest Lee Young

Diane Williamson Stuckey

Pat Moyers

Angie Brewster Green

Antionette Riser Anderson

We are the result of a lot of hard work by a lot of people - people who love and support Ruston High School and what she stands for.

We are proud Ruston High School graduates and friends who formed this non-profit corporation to support our Alma Mater. We encourage all alumni, former students, parents, staff and faculty to join us in our endeavor.

Ruston High School has a rich history that spans over a century.

The school had a humble origin, housed in a rambling frame building and included only eight grades prior to 1911. It was located on North Trenton Street in Ruston, with Mr. J. G. Ray as the principal when the first brick building was erected.

A new era at RHS began in 1918 with the arrival of Mr. H. E. Townsend as principal. Under his capable and energetic administration, backed by a progressive school board under the leadership of Superintendent H. L. Campbell, Ruston High School became one of the finest schools in the state.

In 1921, the state recognized Ruston High School as a four-year high school. That year, twelve students made up its first graduating class. In 1925, the school became an accredited member of the Southern Association of Secondary Schools and Colleges.

The school continued to grow, and by 1938, a twenty-nine-acre plot adjoining the property on Cooktown Road was purchased from the Holstead estate for $12,000. The spacious new $940,000 building was one of the first in the nation to incorporate color and was planned with thirteen color harmonies in the classrooms and foyer.

The federal government appropriated 45% of the funds to build the school. The home economics cottage was one of the finest in the United States and was built at a cost of $35,000. As the student body grew in size and interests, the curriculum, as well as the physical plant, was expanded to meet its increasing needs.

In the first thirty years of its history, Ruston High School produced four State Championship football teams.

In 1951, the State Department of Education evaluated Ruston High School just as they did many others in the state. A committee composed of school officials from over the state visited the school in April of 1951, and it was most satisfying to the principal and his staff to learn that the committee awarded the school the highest rating and commendations.

Mr. Townsend served as principal of Ruston High School for thirty-four years (1918 - 1952), and in those years, the people of Ruston saw Ruston High School progress from a few spare classrooms in the elementary school to one of the most modern and well-equipped plants in the nation. In 1952, Mr. R. G. Hanchey was appointed principal of Ruston High upon Mr. Townsend’s retirement.

Today, Ruston High School continues to be a beacon of academic excellence and community spirit, carrying forward the legacy of its rich history into the future.

Ruston High School was officially recognized as a four-year high school in 1921. However, the institution that would eventually become Ruston High School existed in some form prior to 1921.

Before 1911, the school was housed in a frame building, included only eight grades, and was located on North Trenton Street in Ruston. The first brick building was erected when Mr. J. G. Ray was the principal. Mr. C. V. Reeser and Mr. H. G. Campbell followed Mr. Ray as principals of the school. In 1916, a ninth grade was added to the school’s curriculum.

So, the principals listed prior to 1921 were leading the institution that would eventually evolve into the Ruston High School we know today.

Here is a list of past and current principals of Ruston High School:

• J. G. Ray

• C. V. Reeser

• H. G. Campbell (1911 - 1918)

• H. E. Townsend (1918 - 1953)

• R. G. Hanchey (1953 - 1964)

• James H. Napper (1964 - 1973)

• R. W. Phillips (Fall 1973)

• Fred Higginbotham (1974 - 1978)

• Gerald Cobb (1978 - 1980)

• Les Clark (1980 - 1984)

• Gerald Cobb (1984 - 1988)

• Danny Garbarino (1988 - 1992)

• Fred Higginbotham (1992 - 1993)

• Randy Moore (1993 - 1998)

• Charles Scriber (1998 - 2003)

• Kenny Henderson (2003 - 2006)

• Mike Milstead (2007 - 2013)

• Ricky Durrett (2014 - 2017)

• Daniel Gressett (2018 – present)

Please note that the years in brackets represent their tenure as principals at Ruston High School.