“I recall the excitement of the opening of Staley; however, the high school was not completely finished. We went to the Masonic Home where they carried on classes until the actual building was completed.”
Morris Dozier, Sr.

from Tri-County News, January 24, 1936:
Americus Negro High School is Now Being Built
"The $37,000.00 Americus Negro High School which is now under construction through a PWA project will be one of the most modern schools in this section of the state when completed and the people—white and Negro—of Americus will have something to feel proud of when completed. The building will be a twelve room structure with auditorium, steam heat, modern conveniences, drinking fountains in halls, library and principal's office. Located on the old Americus Institute site on North Lee street, . . . the fifteen acre site was bought by the city."

The building costs were later reported to be $45,000.

“The learning environment was inspirational. The school was stunning. But it was more than a beautiful, brick building. What we will never forget is that Staley High School was a community that was defined by its teachers, by their interests, their love, and their devotion. They instilled in us the importance of developing both a school and neighborhood community.”
Dorothy Anderson Mills

Dorothy Anderson Mills

from Secondary School Study documents:

"The pupils of the A. S. Staley High School live in the city of Americus and surrounding rural communities. The population of the town is approximately 10,000. Of this number about 5,000 are Negroes. Americus serves as the County seat and trading center of surrounding smaller towns of Sumter County. There are two public schools in the city; an elementary school and a senior high school. The elementary school has a staff of 25 teachers and a total enrollment of approximately 875 pupils, ranging in grades from first through seventh.

The A.S. Staley High is the only senior high school for Negroes in the city. The building is a modern fourteen-room brick structure, having an auditorium with a seating capacity of 400 or more; a library, and vocational department comprising foods and clothing for boys and girls, and shop work for boys only. The teacher staff consists of seven teachers and a principal, with a total enrollment of 275 pupils. Of this number 85 are from various rural communities, since the school serves the county as well as the city. The school day begins at 8:30 in the morning and ends at 2 o’clock. There are four teaching periods of ninety minutes each. Fifteen minutes are given each day for checking attendance and thirty minutes are allowed for Home-Room or Activity period. Each member of the staff teaches the four ninety-minute periods daily."

from W. H. Brown & W. A. Robinson,
Serving Negro Schools: A Report on the Secondary School Study (1946)

Ernestine V. Moore

“The Staley building was opened in October 1936. We marched from the Old Masonic Home to Staley. That was a day of joy, to know that we would be able obtain a high school education. We took pride in having that opportunity and to be in the second graduating class.”
Ernestine V. Moore

Tiny Maude Seay Davis

“I can recall the morning we marched down Lee Street coming to Staley High School. We were anticipating getting an education and were we so happy! We didn’t know that we had been mistreated over the years. We didn’t know that we had been deprived. We were just so happy to be going to a new high school. We didn't have to quit or go to an out-of-town school to get a high school diploma as our siblings did. Americus had a high school! ”
Tiny Maude Seay Davis

Addie Rose Owens

“Staley High School was a beautiful school where students had great pride. We kept the school and the grounds clean. The students were proud of that school. Most of us have carried what we received from Staley with us through the rest of our lives. We received little from the Board of Education; teachers and parents provided and the community came together to support this program.”
Addie Rose Owens

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