Rosenwald legacy celebrated as Ken-Tenn Committee announces 2025 reunion

The once-thriving South Fulton Rosenwald High School, which closed its doors in 1963 following the integration of Obion County Schools, is a beloved testament to the diverse history of this region. Six decades later, all that remains of the school is its gymnasium, but the legacy of the school—and the community it nurtured—continues to live on through the tireless work of the Ken-Tenn Homecoming Committee.

Originally built in 1926 as part of the Rosenwald School program, South Fulton Rosenwald High School was one of nearly 5,000 schools constructed across the South through a groundbreaking partnership between philanthropist Julius Rosenwald, then-president of Sears, Roebuck and Company, and educator Booker T. Washington. The program aimed to provide educational opportunities for Black children during the segregation era. Tennessee alone became home to an estimated 354 Rosenwald schools, with South Fulton’s campus standing as a proud testament to this historic initiative.

Although the original school structure has deteriorated over the years and is no longer usable as a meeting space, the gymnasium was saved from demolition through the determined advocacy of the Ken-Tenn Committee. Discovery Park of America in Union City, partnered with the committee to preserve important artifacts from the school’s history. The items are currently being housed in the museum’s climate-controlled storage to ensure their safety until restoration efforts can begin.

Now, the school’s location will be permanently marked with a memorial marker at its site, on Rosenwald Dr. in South Fulton. As the school building has been gone for many years the gymnasium still stands, the marker will guarantee South Fulton Rosenwald High School will never be forgotten, even as time marches on.

To honor the school’s legacy and the community that formed around it, the Ken-Tenn Homecoming Committee has announced the highly anticipated 2025 reunion, themed “Back by Popular Demand,” scheduled for July 11–12, 2025. This year’s reunion will include the official installation of the memorial marker on Saturday morning at 11 a.m. as one of many events to take place over the two-day celebration.

The 2025 reunion schedule will include two events on Friday, June 11, registration from 2-5 p.m. and a fish fry from 5-8 p.m. at the Pontotoc Community Center, 100 West State Line St. On Saturday, July 12, a full day of events are planned.

There will be a breakfast held at: 8 a.m.at the  Pontotoc Community Center, followed by the iInstallation of the memorial marker at 11 a.m. at site of the former school, now known as the Ken-Tenn Building at 800 Rosenwald Drive. A banquet will be from 6-8 p.m. at the Pontotoc Community Center, with a dance winding down the reunion from 9 p.m. until midnight, also at the Pontotoc Community Center.

This year’s reunion promises to be a heartfelt celebration of history, community, and resilience. Attendees will not only reconnect with old friends and family but also pay tribute to the powerful legacy of education and perseverance that the Rosenwald School represents.

For more information about the reunion or to contribute to preservation efforts, contact the Ken-Tenn Homecoming Committee.