Alvin C. York Institute

Alvin C. York established the school that carries his name during the 1920s in the county seat of his home county of Fentress. His goal was to give rural children the chance to obtain a high school education. Beginning in 1919 he toured the United States raising funds for the school, using his status as a war hero to get public attention and raising a total of $10,000.[2][3] He also solicited and received funds from the state legislature,[4] which contributed $50,000, and from Fentress County, which pledged $50,000.[3] Classes began in 1929 and the school operated privately until 1937,[4] when financial pressures related to the Great Depression led York to transfer the school to the state of Tennessee, which continues to operate it as a public school as a living memorial to York.

The school sits on a campus of over 400 acres (1.6 km²) that is said to be the world's largest public high school campus.[5] The campus is designated as a Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency wildlife management area and includes a working farm where students participate in managing a herd of Limousin cattle.[6][7] Five ponds on the campus are used for livestock watering, sport fishing, and waterfowl feeding and nesting.[7]

Campus buildings currently in use include the Main Administration Building (c. 1980), Social Sciences Building (a later addition to the original school), Science Building, Alvin C. York JROTC Building (c. 1940s), and Fentress County Vocational Training Center (c. 1970s).

The main administration building today, built in 1980.

The Jamestown Community Center and Jamestown Community Park are located near the school on York Institute land.[6]

The school enrolls students in grades 9 through 12. It operates on a block schedule, in which the fall and spring semesters are each divided into five blocks, and students take five classes each semester. York also offers vocational programs including agriculture, automotive technology, residential construction technology, metal technology, nursing, accounting, and information management systems.[7]

York Institute was one of nine Tennessee school districts to participate in the Appalachian Mathematics and Science Partnership, funded by the National Science Foundation with the goal enhancing science, mathematics and technology education in Appalachian region schools with low socioeconomic status and student achievement.[12]

The Alvin C. York Institute also operates a community education program. The program consists of various classes, events, and resources that are available to the community at no cost. The major goal of this project is to involve parents and community members in educational programs. Community education classes allow the community to become familiar with the school their children or grandchildren attend. A concerted effort is made to enhance the value placed on education. Courses offered range from basic to graduate level courses as well as many arts and crafts courses. Funding for this program is provided by Union Bank of Jamestown.[13]

Extracurricular clubs and organizations offered at York Institute include:

• Football
• Boys & Girls Basketball
• Baseball
• Softball
• Boys & Girls Soccer
• Boys & Girls Track
• Boys & Girls Bowling
• Boys & Girls Golf
• Cross Country

In 1989 York Institute was recognized as a National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence.[8][14] In 1992 it was one of 140 public secondary schools recognized by Redbook magazine as "America's Best Schools."[15] It was a recipient of a Tennessee Department of Education 2006 Best Practices in Character Education Merit Award.[16]

• Roger Crouch, astronaut[15]
• Lincoln Davis, U.S. Congressman

• York Institute website
• York Institute—A Legacy in Distress by Dr. Michael E. Birdwell
• National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet: York, Alvin C., Agricultural Institute Historic District, Fentress County, Tennessee (additional documentation), by Michael E. Birdwell (August 28, 2008)