Robert P. Lyons
First Principal at VHS
August 1980-August 1988

The Beginning

The construction of Volunteer began in 1978. The vocational building was completed in 1979 and students were bussed from Surgoinsville High School and Church Hill High School. Some students came for their classes in the morning and stayed until lunch, while others were brought in for the second half of the day. The new school implemented classes that were not offered at Church Hill and Surgoinsville.
Building Trades was the first class offered at VHS. The students in this class helped to build several houses, all of which are on the street beside the school. These houses were sold and proceeds went to the school.

Some of the original building plans never materialized. The school was supposed to have a pool adjoined to the gym and a canopy was to be built from the main building to the vocational building. The doors were to have canopies to prevent them from swelling in the sun. Some of the plans had to be dropped because the county didn't’t have enough funds. The board promised that when money became available that these additions would be made. To keep their promises, the board had the lights put up over the baseball and softball fields. They also paved the road up to the fields. Since then, tennis courts have also been built.

There was once a house on the corner of the property down from the football field. The house was owned by the Joe Tipton family. The field that belonged to them is now the library parking lot. They wanted to move the house but the basement was too solid, so they had to tear it down.

The teachers had one day to move all of their belongings into the new school. On the first day of school, the workers were still finishing the school. There were workers everywhere. Most of the teachers were from Church Hill and Surgoinsville. They had to move their equipment from the schools in a hurry and were unprepared for the first day. The teachers were given the opportunity to decide on the décor of the interior itself. They went to a meeting in Rogersville to make a decision.

The first principal was to originally be Mr. S.L. Taylor, but he passed away before the school opened. Mr. Taylor was the principal at Church Hill High School from
1966-1976.

Principals who have served at VHS are:
Robert P. Lyons (8/80-8/88)
James H. Dykes (8/88-8/92)
James C. Hughes (9/92-1/99)
Jerry Gilliam (1/99-6/99) interim
Eugene Ward (7/99-6/01)
Brian Tate (7/1/01-7/18/01) interim
James B. Dykes (7/01-present)


A few teachers that were here at the beginning are still here today. Those include;
Mr. Dennis Anderson
Mr. Dennis Bellamy
Mr. Gary Birchfield
Mrs. Shirley Jarnigan
Mrs. Debbie Merritt
Mrs. Claudette Sivert
Mrs. Mary Nile Southam
Mr. Danny Thurman
Mr. Gene Venable

People say that the former and present students of Volunteer have kept it neat and clean for the most part. The students and teachers alike have worked to make this school safe and fun while still working hard to succeed.