Generations of alumni of the old Sims High School will come together for a “grand reunion” that will honor the educator their school was named for and dedicate the new Sims Middle School.

Since 1926, Sims has been the name of three different school buildings in Union County. The first Sims High School was built in 1926 on what is now South Boulevard. The second was built in 1956 on Sims Drive. Built during the era of segregation, these were all black-schools. In 1970, schools in Union County were integrated and Sims High became Sims Junior High School. Sims Junior High closed at the end of the 2008-2009 school year but the name will continue as Sims Middle School on U.S. 176.

The schools are named for the high school’s first principal, A.A. Sims. Hired in 1905 as principal of the all-black Howard School, Sims became the dominant figure in black education in Union County during the first half of the 20th century. Sims’ prominence as an educator was so great that when the high school was built it was named for him. He was one of only three men to serve as principal of Sims High School.

Sims’ legacy will be at the heart of a dedication ceremony for the new Sims Middle School. The ceremony, which will be held at the new school on Oct. 11 at 3 p.m., will be part of an all-classes grand reunion of Sims alumni planned for Oct. 9-11. The theme of the dedication will be “Sims: The Legacy Continues,” honoring not only A.A. Sims but his daughters, Mary Sims Moorer and Senia Riggins.

“We want to honor and express gratitude for the legacy and continuation of the name of Rev. Andrew Sims,” reunion coordinator Tom Crosby said. “He was a great principal for the school and he had a number of activities that the black community attended through the years. He had the ability to interact, to communicate with both the black community and the white community. He was quite political; he knew how to get things done by communicating with both races. He was highly respected by both races.

“For example, at the dedication for Sims High School, the first building, in 1926, half the seats were reserved for white persons,” he said. “When he invited the Fisk Jubilee Choir to sing in Union, half of the seats reserved for the program were for whites. He was quite astute and political.”

Crosby pointed out that Sims High was the first black high school in the Upstate to receive accreditation from the State Department of Education. The school received the accreditation two years after it opened due to the efforts of Sims, who traveled outside Union County to recruit teachers who had four-year college degrees in education.

“When Sims High was dedicated, persons from surrounding counties were in attendance,” Crosby said. “A number of persons were attending Sims High because there were no accredited high schools in their counties. Rev. Sims said that if they wanted schools in their counties they should get together both black and white people and hire a good faculty.”

Most of the other reunion activities will be held at the old Sims High/Junior High building. These include:

• A “get reacquainted reception” on Friday, Oct. 9, at 7 p.m. The building will be dedicated and recognition given to former athletic coaches, male/female student participants, band members, cheerleaders, bus drivers and chaperones.

• A “smooth jazz multicultural luncheon” featuring Caribbean, African and other musical styles on Saturday, Oct. 12, at noon. It will be dedicated to and recognition given to honor graduates, National Honor Society members, persons who were Miss Sims High School, Miss Homecoming, Miss Beauty Queen, Miss Senior, oratorical winners, All State Band members, and members of the UDC Club, TPC Club, Drama Club, Dance Group and others.

• A “smooth jazz honorary banquet” on Saturday, Oct. 10, at 7 p.m. The banquet will be dedicated to former elementary and Sims High School teachers, elementary/high schools principals, assistant principals, elementary/high school staffs, parents and some distinguished alumni.

The scheduled speaker for the banquet is Howard Jeter, Class of 1964, the former U.S. ambassador to Nigeria.

An Old School and Southern Soul congratulatory dance dedicated to President Obama and his family will be held following the banquet.

Saturday, Oct. 10, from 1 p.m.-5 p.m. will be set aside individual and combined class activities.

Admission to the weekend’s events is $45. Organizers are also asking participants to make donations for scholarships for one or more 2010 college freshmen and for placing a historic marker at Sims Junior High School. The marker will cost approximately $2,000.

For more information, contact reunion coordinators Tom Crosby (441-3273) and Ernest Talley (426-0668).