Alcoa’s schools for black citizens played a vital role in the city’s growth and development. From 1916 to 1926, classes were held in one-room buildings and on the top floor of the Commercial Building. The first building on this site for African American youth was completed and officially named Charles M. Hall School in 1926, with eight grades; a high school was added later, and the first seniors graduated in 1939. The school earned honors and awards through its outstanding scholars, musicians, and athletes, and its campus was known as one of the most beautiful in the area. With the complete integration of the City of Alcoa schools in 1970, Charles M. Hall ended as an all-black school, but its rich heritage and tradition of service to the community continued.