The alumni of Mary N. Smith have always felt a sense of pride, loyalty and affection for their "Dear Smith High."
The mission of those who built the two secondary schools was to ensure that all children of Accomack County had an equal opportunity to obtain a quality education. In the spirit of this mission, the 35-70 Mary N. Smith Alumni Association, Inc. (Alumni Association) was established to foster the pursuit of a higher education by providing scholarships to children of Accomack County. This has continued for more than 20 years.
Due to the closing of the school, the Alumni Association's new dream focused on:
1) maintaining the legacy of the late Mrs. Mary Nottingham Smith
2) continuing the award of scholarships
3) maintaining the integrity of the building
4) converting the building to a cultural enrichment and educational community center for use by all citizens of Accomack County
Under the leadership of President, Marcie White and Vice President Berran Rogers, the Alumni Association met and planned how to make their dream a reality. On numerous occasions presentations were made to the Accomack County School Board and the Accomack County Board of Supervisors. The turning point came when it became public knowledge that a private company wanted to purchase the building and construct low income housing on the property. As a result, residents of the immediate community, Alumni Association members and Kelvin Pettit (an alumnus) detailed a plan to keep the dream alive.
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