ALBEMARLE HIGH SCHOOL ALUMNI ASSOCIATION

2024 HALL OF FAME

A Night to Remember 2024 from CCMC on Vimeo.

On October 18, 2024, at six o'clock, we gathered in the Albemarle High School Cafeteria for our tenth A Night to Remember program. It was like I enjoy seeing – very few were sitting, they were standing and in conversation and laughter. But it was time to start the program so I requested that they grab a bottle of water and a cookie and find a seat. Phil James AHS class of 1970 and Hall of Fame member started the program, as he has the last nine, with the Invocation.

The founder and president, Charles Crenshaw, presented the history and progress of the Albemarle High School Alumni Association since it was organized in the Fall of 2008. In 2010, we developed our Alumni Association website. To date, we have had 434,853 home page visits. We now have 4,992 Alumni Association members, which is 20.7% of AHS graduates. We started with $10.00 dues but many wanted to donate extra, so we went to donation levels where the member selects their amount from $10.00 to $1,000.00. We have selected projects that benefit all students, faculty and staff, including the sound and visual system in the cafeteria and the sound and visual system in the library. The cost for these two projects was about $30,000. We are now saving for a major project, and we currently have $43,628 in our general fund.

We adopted a Scholarship Program in our first year. To date, we have assisted about 115 graduating seniors totaling about $130,000. Most of our scholarships are sponsored by members and friends of the AHS Alumni Association. They are based on need, merit and contributions to the school and community. This is our tenth A Night to Remember program, and we are inducting the 39th, 40th and 41st Hall of Fame members.

Phil James read the list of thirty-eight current Hall of Fame members from the printed program. Our keynote speaker, Sterling Howell, Program Manager of the Albemarle Charlottesville Historical Society, followed our request and presented local history. It was very educational. Then it was time for our Hall of Fame inductions.

Donald Wright who nominated Steve Carter, AHS Class of 1983 introduced Steve followed by some words from Steve’s wife. Donald Wright was Steve’s baseball coach at Albemarle. Steve shared his life story going back to his early childhood days in Greenwood, his Little League Baseball, playing baseball, basketball and one year of football at Albemarle High. Steve played baseball in college, was drafted by the National League Pittsburg Pirates and the big break never came. Steve continues to have a successful career in Parks and Recreation. Steve lives his life for God.

Kristen and David Dillehunt introduced Fay Cunningham, who in 1997 became the Director of the Albemarle High School Drama Department for the next twenty-three years. Fay is a 1971 graduate of Albemarle High School. Fay told the story of how her career began, she was in the third grade and had to give a book report to the class. She requested to act out the report and the teacher permitted and invited other teachers to attend. That was the beginning. Fay admitted that she was very demanding of her students to bring out the best in them. Fay previously served as President for the Virginia Theatre Association, served on the Virginia High School League Advisory Committee for Theatre. Fay has been named Teacher of the Year awarded by The National Speech and Debate Association, and was previously chosen Forensics Teacher of the Year and Theatre Teacher of the Year by the VAFTDC.

Donald Wright who nominated Dr. Barry Davis, AHS Class of 1983 introduced Barry. Barry told of his Little League years in Charlottesville and how family was always there. His early time at Albemarle was disappointing, as Barry got cut from the Junior Varsity baseball team and basketball team. Barry said he used these experiences to work hard and exercise and build himself up. The next year he made the team and at the end of the season he was moved up to Varsity. He thought that shortstop was his position but Coach Wright played Barry at second base. Barry searched for a baseball scholarship in small colleges but there were none, he went to Bridgewater and played baseball. Barry became a baseball coach and coached thirty-five years at many colleges and was very successful with a career record of 1,026 and 693, Barry has now been selected to five Hall of Fames and has been Coach of the Year seven times. Barry received his Doctor of Philosophy in Sports Leadership from Concordia University in Chicago.

The Albemarle High School Alumni Association presented a framed certificate to each new Hall of Fame member. Charles thanked the ninety-five people in attendance for their support of the Albemarle High School Alumni Association Hall of Fame program. Additional thanks to David Dillehunt and the Charlottesville Community Media Center for filming the program and showing on local television.

The full program can be viewed above, and airs Mondays at 7:00 PM and Saturdays at 8:00 AM on Education Channel 14, Comcast Cable in the Charlottesville area.