In 1942, with the country fighting wars in Europe and the pacific, Homewood could no longer ignore the fact that Shades Cahaba was getting a little old in the tooth and it would have to be replaced in the next decade. Not to mention that it was

Shades Cahaba Athletics

Mar 31st, 2020 17m 33s

As soon as the school was built, teams were formed and Shades Cahaba entered competition with other Birmingham area high schools, which had already been competing for a number of years. This was no small feat. You only have to listen to the epi

Social Distancing in Homewood

Mar 24th, 2020 5m 21s

When I recorded this episode, it was the second day that Shades Cahaba and other schools around the state had been shut down due to the state of emergency declared by Alabama Governor Kay Ivey. Coronavirus COVID-19 has been quickly spreading ar

Homewood Elementary Schools

Mar 17th, 2020 15m 8s

We talk about Shades Cahaba a lot on this podcast for obvious reasons. With a school that taught grades 1-12 you get a little tunnel vision and start to think this is all there was in Homewood. Not true. There were other schools and we are goin

The Building

Mar 3rd, 2020 10m 38s

This episode is about the Shades Cahaba building. How it grew over the years. What changed and why. This podcast is audio-only but there is a version with pictures and an overhead view of the building to better illustrate what I am talking abou

The Underpass Show

Feb 25th, 2020 13m 7s

This episode is about the Shades Cahaba Underpass. Some of you may call it the tunnel but from the time it was conceived in the early 1950s and for the next 40 or 50 years it was called the underpass. I had actually forgotten it was called the

Michael Gross and Homewood High Athletics

Feb 11th, 2020 13m 31s

This is the second episode of my conversation with former Homewood High School Principal and Superintendent Michael Gross. In the first episode we talked about the beginning of the school system, opening of the high school and the unique challe

Michael Gross and the beginnings of the Homewood School System

Feb 4th, 2020 51m 22s

We have talked a lot about the beginnings of Shades Cahaba High School and the beginnings of Shades Valley High School but now I want to talk more about the beginnings of other schools in Homewood and the beginning of the Homewood School System

Wade Kirkpatrick, Fighting Patriots - Special Edition

Jan 28th, 2020 32m 36s

This episode is a Special Edition of the Shades Cahaba Oral History Project. We talk with Homewood High School Alumnus Wade Kirkpatrick. Wade played on the first Homewood Football team to win a state championship in 1974. He wrote a book about

The 2019 Year In Review

Jan 14th, 2020 22m 40s

If you have been a listener to the podcast then you know this is the 100th Anniversary of Shades Cahaba as a school. The first day of school was September 19, 1920. There was a dedication held a few days before and It was on that day that the t

All About The Shades Cahaba Owl

Dec 10th, 2019 16m 11s

The Shades Cahaba Owl has had a very interesting life. It first appeared when Shades Cahaba High School was built in 1920. It stood watch over the front entrance as “a symbol of learning to all who enter here.” It stayed there until the end of

Sheryl Summe - Author of "Homewood: A Life of a City"

Dec 3rd, 2019 37m 41s

When I decided to start an oral history of Shades Cahaba I knew it would be difficult. Luckily I was able to find people that I could interview and I have others who have become valuable resources for me.What really turned things around for me

A Thanksgiving story with Principal Sue Grogan

Nov 19th, 2019 5m 55s

I spoke with former Shades Cahaba Principal Sue Grogan in episode 5 of the podcast. She shared with me a Thanksgiving story that I saved to share with you during this Thanksgiving season.Support the show

Veterans Day

Nov 11th, 2019 5m 9s

In this episode we learn about the origins of Veterans Day, and its connection to Birmingham. When Shades Cahaba High School was built, honoring veterans was a high priority.Shades Cahaba was dedicated on Labor Day, Monday, September 6, 1920. T

Herman Maxwell - Integrating Shades Cahaba in the 1960s

Nov 5th, 2019 30m 44s

Herman Maxwell has a special place in the history of Shades Cahaba. He was one of the first children to integrate Shades Cahaba Elementary School during the 1967-1968 school year. This didn't just happen overnight and Herman tells the story abo

Lunchroom Ladies Special Edition

Oct 29th, 2019 17m 8s

Today's edition of the podcast is dedicated to the school lunchroom and to everyone who has worked there.I have known my guest, Ken Kirk, for many years. We attended the same church, junior high and high school and both were members of Troop 97

Laura Estes - Kindergarten Teacher

Oct 22nd, 2019 19m 46s

Today’s episode features former Shades Cahaba teacher Laure Estes. She started her career as a first-grade teacher but quickly switched to kindergarten, where she spent the rest of her career. If you went to Shades Cahaba when she taught there,

Herb Griffin - Class of 1948

Oct 15th, 2019 24m 4s

I have probably known Herb Griffin for most of my life. We attend the same church and I am around the same age as his children. If you have spent any time in Homewood you probably heard about his accident with a streetcar when he was in 8th gra

Principal Sue Grogan and a visit to the 1940s

Oct 8th, 2019 39m 7s

Sue Grogan was principal at Shades Cahaba from 2000 until her retirement in 2013. She is the first person I met when my oldest son started Shades Cahaba in 2008 and she made a big impression on me and my family. Sue is probably best known for h

Bill Cleveland - Homewood City Schools Superintendent and Alumni

Oct 1st, 2019 28m 59s

Dr. Bill Cleveland is the Superintendent of the Homewood City School system and he has been in this role since 2008. But more importantly, Bill is a homegrown student and was a Shades Cahaba student before moving on to the middle school and hig

Don Harbor - Alumnus

Sep 24th, 2019 28m 50s

On this episode of the Shades Cahaba Oral History Project, I interview with alumni Don Harbor who attended elementary school at Shades Cahaba starting in 1948 in the second grade. He was in the last 8th-grade class at Shades Cahaba before they

Alexa McElroy and the 1920s

Sep 17th, 2019 20m 33s

On this episode we talk with current Shades Cahaba PTO President Alexa McElroy. We talk about what the PTO is currently doing at Shades Cahaba. We also talk about how Shades Cahaba grew during it’s first decade in existence, the 1920s. Shades C

Principal John Lowry - Episode 1

Sep 6th, 2019 22m 50s

In this inaugural episode, we sit down with Shades Cahaba Elementary School Principal Dr. John Lowry. He lets us know what has been happening at Shade Cahaba. Then we take him to school and learn about the principals who served before him. We a