Lane Elementary School
A. O. Lane Elementary School, later Cameron-Lane School, was an elementary school in the Birmingham City Schools system located at 410 13th Street South in Birmingham's Southside. It was constructed in 1886 as the first elementary school in Birmingham built to serve African-American students. The school was named in honor of Judge A. O. Lane, who served on the Birmingham Board of Education from 1884 to 1888 and from 1891 to 1904 with several terms as president.
By 1923 the Lane School was already outdated and overcrowded, with 945 pupils enrolled and an expected load of nearly 2,000 by 1930.
By 1952 Lane's building had been replaced and the student body merged with Cameron Elementary School to operate as Cameron-Lane School. The old Cameron Annex remained in use for some years afterward. $70,000 from the following year's $10.5 million 1953 bond issue was earmarked for improvements at Cameron-Lane. N. E. Wills was principal in the mid-1950s.
Lane Elementary School was noted for its music program. Condoleezza Rice, who attended Hill Elementary School, was able, through her mother's influence, to join Lane's band program as a glockenspiel player.
Principals
- Burtram Hudson, 1886-
References
- "Conditions at each of city's 70 schools analyzed in detail by City Planning Board." (February 15, 1952) The Birmingham News