Farragut Schools: Recent Years

Farragut High School, named for Admiral David Glasgow Farragut, who was born in this area, began in 1904 as a six-room frame academic building on 12 acres at the junction of Concord Road and Kingston Pike. Its early curriculum combined practical agriculture, domestic science, and manual training with Latin, English, and science to prepare students for college entrance. The first class graduated in 1907, with one student awarded a diploma, and students each in the following two years. Over time, the school underwent many additions and modifications: the first county gymnasium was added in 1917, a grammar school building in 1923, another high school addition in 1932, an auditorium in 1938, a new gymnasium in 1941, a new elementary school in 1949, and the final addition to the high school on the original campus in 1959. After World War II and the Cold War, many employees of Oak Ridge National Laboratories remained in the area, increasing the population and changing parental expectations and the curriculum offered at Farragut High School. The school moved away from its rural roots and began offering a more advanced curriculum, including college prep classes. By the 1970s, Farragut had completely outgrown its original campus, and in 1975 construction began on a new $11 million facility on 55 acres overlooking the Farragut community. In 1983, the high school was one of 10 in the nation to receive a $10,000 special arts grant from the Rockefeller Foundation, and on June 14, 1983, President Reagan visited the school for a luncheon, a briefing with Tennessee Governor Lamar Alexander about Alexander's Master Teacher Plan, and a visit to Shirley Mynatt's English class. Today, Farragut is one of the largest high schools in Tennessee and has maintained the excellence shown throughout its history. In 1990 and again in 2004, it was recognized by the College Board for student achievement and participation in the Advanced Placement Program. The school is among state leaders in producing Nation Merit Scholars and has been named by West Point Military Academy as a "Spotlight School." Since its creation in 1904, Farragut High School has remained an important part of the Farragut community, supported by groups including the Parent Teacher Association, the Education Foundation, parent booster groups, and community businesses.

Farragut, Tennessee · United States