Kavanaugh School operated as Kavanaugh Academy from 1904 to 1909, Anderson Co. High School from 1909 to 1920, and Kavanaugh High School from 1920 to 1949. Rhoda C. Kavanaugh, A.B., was its founder and principal for 41 years. Under her direction, it ranked among the nation's foremost preparatory schools for Annapolis and West Point. Known as Mrs. "K," Rhoda C. Kavanaugh dedicated her life to teaching boys and girls and built the school into an institution recognized nationwide for the quality of its instruction. She was remembered for her power to instill in her students a hunger for and a pride in achievement.