Last updated: January 22, 2025
Place
Oak Ridge Wayside: Linden School
NPS
Quick Facts
Amenities
1 listed
Historical/Interpretive Information/Exhibits
Subtitle
Leading in the Desegregation Movement
Main Text
The United States Supreme Court decided in Brown v. Board of Education (1954) that the “separate but equal” doctrine was unconstitutional, and Oak Ridge High School, being on federal land, desegregated in the fall of 1955 with few protests. African American students from Clinton, however, had to ride a bus one hour to Austin High School, in Knoxville. US District Judge Robert Taylor ordered Clinton High School to integrate by the fall of 1956. Twelve students registered at Clinton High School that fall. Protesters, mostly from outside of the area, harassed the students, teachers, and principal. Eventually, the Tennessee State Police, then the Tennessee National Guard were called in to protect the students.
There was relative peace in town for a while, until October 5, 1958, when Clinton High School was destroyed by dynamite during early morning in an act of terrorism. With several schools in Oak Ridge vacant due to the loss of population when the Manhattan Project came to an end after World War II, the city offered Linden Elementary as a place to hold classes for the Clinton students. Volunteers had the school ready in just three days. On October 9, the Oak Ridge High School marching band welcomed the staff and students to their temporary school by playing the Clinton Alma Mater. No arrests were ever made in the bombing.
Exhibit Panel Description
A black and white exhibit panel on a black frame approximately four feet tall. The panel has a black band at the top and a title underneath that reads “Linden School: Leading in the Desegregation Movement." The center of the panel includes a black and white aerial photo of Linden Elementary School. The text of the panel is located at the bottom.
Visit This Exhibit Panel
The Linden School wayside is located at 168 LaSalle Ave, LaSalle Park, Oak Ridge, TN.
Leading in the Desegregation Movement
Main Text
The United States Supreme Court decided in Brown v. Board of Education (1954) that the “separate but equal” doctrine was unconstitutional, and Oak Ridge High School, being on federal land, desegregated in the fall of 1955 with few protests. African American students from Clinton, however, had to ride a bus one hour to Austin High School, in Knoxville. US District Judge Robert Taylor ordered Clinton High School to integrate by the fall of 1956. Twelve students registered at Clinton High School that fall. Protesters, mostly from outside of the area, harassed the students, teachers, and principal. Eventually, the Tennessee State Police, then the Tennessee National Guard were called in to protect the students.
There was relative peace in town for a while, until October 5, 1958, when Clinton High School was destroyed by dynamite during early morning in an act of terrorism. With several schools in Oak Ridge vacant due to the loss of population when the Manhattan Project came to an end after World War II, the city offered Linden Elementary as a place to hold classes for the Clinton students. Volunteers had the school ready in just three days. On October 9, the Oak Ridge High School marching band welcomed the staff and students to their temporary school by playing the Clinton Alma Mater. No arrests were ever made in the bombing.
Exhibit Panel Description
A black and white exhibit panel on a black frame approximately four feet tall. The panel has a black band at the top and a title underneath that reads “Linden School: Leading in the Desegregation Movement." The center of the panel includes a black and white aerial photo of Linden Elementary School. The text of the panel is located at the bottom.
Visit This Exhibit Panel
The Linden School wayside is located at 168 LaSalle Ave, LaSalle Park, Oak Ridge, TN.