Pope High School: Who was Alan C. Pope (1959-1975)?
Pope High School in East Cobb (Marietta, Georgia) consistently ranks among the top 5 schools in Cobb County and is a popular choice for families moving into the area. It’s one of the newer high schools around, first opening its doors to students in 1987 and graduating its first alums in 1989. With 2 academy options (STEM Academy and Globalization Academy) and over 50 extracurriculars, clubs, and sports to choose from, Pope is an exciting place to be as a student.
Less exciting, however, is the tragedy of the man for whom Pope High School was named.
Alan C. Pope was born in Alabama but moved to Cobb County at a young age and graduated from Sprayberry High School after attending Mountain View Elementary and East Cobb Junior High. In addition to playing baseball and basketball, he also ran cross country. Not only an avid athlete, Alan was well-rounded in other extracurriculars. He was President of Ambassadors for Christ, part of the Latin Club, Vice President of Student Council, Valentine King, and Mr. Sprayberry High School.
Pope High School
After attending Athens University in Alabama as an honors student, he declined a fellowship offer from Vanderbilt, instead opting to dive right back into his passion: teaching and coaching. He coached cross country and basketball at Sprayberry High School until a position at Walton High School opened in 1975. He was coaching, teaching high school science and having quite a positive impact on his students. He and his wife Marie had their first child the year before, and by all accounts, Alan was living his dream life.
Unfortunately, it wasn’t to last. On November 30, 1975, only 3 months after he began his position at Walton, tragedy struck. Alan, then 26, his 24-year-old wife Marie, and his 14-month-old son Charles were killed in a car accident returning from Thanksgiving festivities at a family member’s house in Alabama. They never made it back to their 3 bedroom home in Kennesaw.
After Alan Pope’s death, a memorial scholarship fund was established and ran for many years. When a new school was needed to reduce overcrowding at Lassiter and Walton High Schools, Pope’s legacy was selected and he become the new school’s namesake.
The inaugural student body at Pope High School had just over 1100 students, with the first graduating class walking in 1989.
The original Pope High School was designed to reduce student distraction and actually had very few exterior windows! With nearly 200,000 square feet initially, the building has grown over time with a large theatre building, new gym, and many upgrades in the past 3 decades.
Alan C. Pope may have lost his life at a young age, but his spirit of determination and kindness lives for all those who walk the halls of Pope High School.
Sources:
Sprayberry High School Yearbooks 1966, 1967
Atlanta Journal November 20, 1974
Gainesville Times December 1, 1975
Atlanta Journal December 2, 1975
Atlanta Journal Obituaries December 3, 1975
Atlanta Constitution November 20, 1986
Atlanta Journal August 6, 1987
*Note - The Atlanta Constitution and the Atlanta Journal were merged in 1982 but operated under separate names until 2001.
