Campbell High School Seeks Wills, Nash Alums

EDITOR’S NOTE: This article was edited after publication.

The new administration at Campbell High School in Smyrna is looking for alumnus of two of Smyrna’s old schools to help paint a clearer picture of the legacies left behind by those former student bodies.

In 1989, the “old” Orme Campbell High School Panthers and F.T. Wills High School Tigers merged to become Smyrna High School, but a 1990 court ruling forced the new facility to maintain the Campbell name. The new Spartan mascot and silver and blue colors were allowed to stay. Seven years later, Campbell High School relocated to the site of the old Wills High School and Nash Junior High School.

Now, almost 20 years after the move, the stories of Wills, Nash, and “old” Campbell High School are starting to fade from memory.

“Trophies won and jerseys retired from days gone by are displayed prominently but the story of their acquisition, the story behind them, is nowhere to be found,” says a post on a Smyrna school-centric Facebook page. “Yes, there’s even a CHS Panther painted on one hall, but most students and faculty have no idea why. You will find a Nash Mustang on one hall and you might even hear someone ask, ‘Why not paint over that?’”

In an effort to build more student pride in the Campbell community, administrators want to draw from all three schools’ pasts to bring the stories of old glories to a new generation.

“There is a treasure trove of artifacts at the school, in the hands of some alum, and tons of resources at the Smyrna History Museum. An effort to document and display the story behind the story – the story behind the new and improved Campbell High School is sorely needed before it is lost,” the Facebook post says.

If you have memories or artifacts that might help tell the story of Smyrna’s old schools, please request an invite to “Wave of Excellence- Smyrna Public Schools” on Facebook.