In 1907, the Alabama Legislature established a mandatory county high school system, and at the same time decided to create local centers of agricultural, industrial and vocational training throughout the state. These two decisions led to the creation of nine Congressional District Agricultural Schools that were supported by the fertilizer and tag tax fund. This funding came just in time for Clay County, since only two of its original allocation of sixteenth sections used to support county schools were remaining at this time. Lineville received one of the new Congressional District schools, named North East Alabama Agricultural and Industrial Institute (NEAA & II). NEAA & II was built in 1910 and became the new public school for grades 1 through 12, replacing the old Lineville Academy. This new school began classes for the 1911-12 school year, and operated under this name until 1918.
The first principal of NEAA & II was Brandt Le Boon. According to a 1914 NEAA & II handbook, the stated purpose of the school was to educate the boys and girls, young men and women of east Alabama, both theoretically and practically in the science of Agriculture, Farm Mechanics, Domestic Science and Art, together with giving them a well rounded education in the literary branches. The handbook went on to say that in the past our boys and girls were lured away from the farms and had their minds fixed on the overcrowded professions of law and medicine. It continued by saying that changing conditions have now provided the possibility of profitable scientific farming, and the child must now be educated toward the farm and not away from it. The slogan for the new school was: "back to the farm!" With such strong emphasis on agriculture, it is not surprising that the nickname of the NEAA & II student body became "The Aggies,"a nickname that continues until this day.
The NEAA & II building was a large, two-story brick structure, located on almost the same site as today's Lineville High School. In addition to the school building, NEAA & II owned a nearby school farm that was used as a school garden, experimental farm, and for the school's practical agricultural work. No tuition was charged at NEAA & II, but all students were required to pay a $2.50 matriculation fee at the beginning of each term. Initially, the school had no dormitory, but many of the town's private homes boarded out-of-town students for a fee of $10.00 to $15.00 per month. As an example of the school's out-of-town boarders, during the 1917-1918 school year there were a total of 41 boarders listed. 32 of these boarders were from Clay County, 7 from Randolph, 1 from Tallapoosa and 1 from Georgia. For the 1914-1915 school year, NEAA & II had a total enrollment of 408 students and a new Principal, Professor Sharps. His faculty included the following: J. D. Pepper – mathematics, J. E Shotts – science and agriculture, Lenna Arrant – French and expression, Nora West – English, literature and Latin, Dorothy Caldwell – home economics, Stella Browne – music, Emma Hardy – fifth and sixth grades, and Bonnie Williams – first and second grades.
1913 was the first graduating class of NEAA & II, and it included J.O. Barfield, Carrie Billingsley, Ester Billingsley, Bessie Birchfield, J. C. Fuller, Vada Glass, G. W. Griffin, O. D. House, Earl G. Smith, and Luther T. Young.
Many bright young men and women have graduated from Lineville High School and gone on to make major contributions in all walks of life. In addition to academics, Lineville High School has also made a name for itself in the field of athletics. In recent years, the Aggies were declared state 2A football champions in 1961, and were voted by the Birmingham News for the top spot in 1962. They also won the state 2A championship in basketball in 1996, and were state runner-ups in 1963, 1965 and 1966. More recently, in 1996, Lineville and Ashland each won their respective divisions in the football playoffs, and for the first time in state history, two teams from the same county played for the state 2A championship. That day was declared an official holiday in the county and a large portion of the population attended the game at the Iron Bowl in Birmingham – Ashland won the bragging rights for that year.
By: Don C. East
The NEAA & II building was a large, two-story brick structure, located on almost the same site as today's Lineville High School. In addition to the school building, NEAA & II owned a nearby school farm that was used as a school garden, experimental farm, and for the school's practical agricultural work. No tuition was charged at NEAA & II, but all students were required to pay a $2.50 matriculation fee at the beginning of each term. Initially, the school had no dormitory, but many of the town's private homes boarded out-of-town students for a fee of $10.00 to $15.00 per month. As an example of the school's out-of-town boarders, during the 1917-1918 school year there were a total of 41 boarders listed. 32 of these boarders were from Clay County, 7 from Randolph, 1 from Tallapoosa and 1 from Georgia. For the 1914-1915 school year, NEAA & II had a total enrollment of 408 students and a new Principal, Professor Sharps. His faculty included the following: J. D. Pepper – mathematics, J. E Shotts – science and agriculture, Lenna Arrant – French and expression, Nora West – English, literature and Latin, Dorothy Caldwell – home economics, Stella Browne – music, Emma Hardy – fifth and sixth grades, and Bonnie Williams – first and second grades.
1913 was the first graduating class of NEAA & II, and it included J.O. Barfield, Carrie Billingsley, Ester Billingsley, Bessie Birchfield, J. C. Fuller, Vada Glass, G. W. Griffin, O. D. House, Earl G. Smith, and Luther T. Young.
Many bright young men and women have graduated from Lineville High School and gone on to make major contributions in all walks of life. In addition to academics, Lineville High School has also made a name for itself in the field of athletics. In recent years, the Aggies were declared state 2A football champions in 1961, and were voted by the Birmingham News for the top spot in 1962. They also won the state 2A championship in basketball in 1996, and were state runner-ups in 1963, 1965 and 1966. More recently, in 1996, Lineville and Ashland each won their respective divisions in the football playoffs, and for the first time in state history, two teams from the same county played for the state 2A championship. That day was declared an official holiday in the county and a large portion of the population attended the game at the Iron Bowl in Birmingham – Ashland won the bragging rights for that year.
By: Don C. East
Gymnasium
Upchurch Field
Ag Building
Lineville High School 1964