The McCallie School

History

Brothers Spencer Jarnigan and James "Park" McCallie founded the school in 1905, which remained under the control of the family until a board of trustees assumed management of the school in 1937.

Founded as an all-boys school, McCallie became a military school in the wake of World War I. In 1970, McCallie dropped its military program as a result of admission challenges during the Vietnam War.

Like most schools in Tennessee, the McCallie School was formerly racially segregated. While the school's board of trustees agreed to allow the admission of African-American students beginning with day students in 1969 and boarding students in 1970, the school did not admit its first African-American student until 1971.

McCallie has a close relationship with Girls Preparatory School (GPS). One of the co-founders of GPS was Grace McCallie, sister to Spencer and Park.

Drama Collection

Donated to the theater department, the Scott Langley '68 Drama Collection is a collection of plays and theater history books, located in the rehearsal room. Langley graduated as valedictorian from McCallie in 1968. He was involved in theater and swimming during his time at McCallie.

Dormitories

McCallie's first dorm, Founder's Hall, had eight students. In 1907, a record enrollment of 110 students required an additional dormitory; the school built the two-story Douglas Hall on Kyle Street, accommodating 35 boys. It also served as the headmaster's office and a residence for James McCallie.

In the early 1950s, the school constructed North and South Hutch along with Maclellan Hall.

In 1962, Belk Hall was dedicated as the senior dorm, and the founder's home was renovated to allow for more housing, giving the building its pillars. The school tore down Douglas Hall and constructed Caldwell Hall on its site. Later, to address the growing boarder population, Pressly Hall was dedicated in 2007, and Burns Hall was dedicated in 2010.

Rankings

In 2016, McCallie was ranked as the top private high school in the state of Tennessee by Business Insider. In Niche's 2023 high school report, McCallie was ranked the number one boarding high school and best high school for athletes in Tennessee. Nationally, McCallie was ranked the 35th best overall all-boys high school and 123rd of 418 best boarding high schools.

Summer programs

McCallie School offers seven boarding camps and 18-day camp options. Programs are offered in enrichment, sports, or leadership camps (for children aged five and up).

Notable alumni

• Eric Rivers '2021: wide receiver for the FIU Panthers
• Sean Ryan '2010: Olympic swimmer
• Michael Bingham '04: Olympic medalist in track and field
• Evan Power '00: chairman of the Republican Party of Florida and member of the Republican National Committee
• Jon Meacham '87: writer, former editor of Newsweek, contributing editor at Time
• Giovanni Alberto Agnelli '82: CEO of Fiat Group
• Zach Wamp '76: former member of the United States House of Representatives of Tennessee
• Marshall Fletcher McCallie '63: United States ambassador to Namibia
• Carroll A. Campbell, Jr. '58: former governor of South Carolina
• Ted Turner '56: founder of CNN and Turner Broadcasting System, former owner of Atlanta Braves, Atlanta Hawks, and Atlanta Thrashers
• Bill Brock '49: former United States senator and Secretary of Labor
• Preston Henn '49: founder of the Fort Lauderdale Swap Shop and race car driver
• Pat Robertson '46: televangelist and founder and chairman of the Christian Broadcasting Network
• Howard Baker Jr. '43: former Senate Majority Leader, White House Chief of Staff, and Ambassador to Japan
• John M. Belk '39: president of Belk Department Stores, Inc. and former mayor of Charlotte, North Carolina
• Sonny Montgomery '39: former member of United States House of Representatives for Mississippi
• James Rhyne Killian '21: former president of Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• Ralph McGill '17: former editor of the Atlanta Constitution
• Kyle Testerman: mayor of Knoxville, Tennessee
• Stephen H. Phillips: Emeritus Professor of Philosophy and Asian Studies at the University of Texas at Austin

References

References

1. Bobick, Ben. (November 29, 2023). "A stroll down memory lane as Baylor and McCallie prepare for historic game". Local 3 News.
2. (23 June 2025). "About McCallie School".
3. "History of McCallie". The McCallie School.
4. (September 16, 2021). "Javen Johnson makes history at McCallie School". Chattanooga News Chronicle.
5. (July 21, 2021). "John Shearer: Franklin McCallie Vividly Recalls Emotional Encounters During 1971 Racial Crisis (Part 3 In Series)".
6. Simmons, Sye. (November 1, 2024). "The Dramatic, Yet Rewarding, History of the McCallie Theater Department".
7. Loudenback, Tanza. "This is the best private high school in each state".
8. "2023 McCallie School Rankings".
9. "Home - McCallie Summer Camps".
10. "2025 Summer Camps in Chattanooga, TN".
11. Nyman, Rick. (2020-10-02). "McCallie Senior Eric Rivers Becomes Big Play Maker For Big Blue".
12. (2016). "Sean Ryan".
13. "Men of Distinction - McCallie School".
14. (February 13, 2024). "Evan Power says being both party chair, lobbyist is natural fit to strengthen Florida GOP".
15. (December 15, 1997). "Obituary: Giovanni Agnelli, Fiat Heir, 33, Dies". The New York Times.
16. "WAMP, Zachary Paul {{!}} US House of Representatives: History, Art & Archives".
17. "Biographical Directory of the U.S. Congress - Retro Member details".
18. (April 25, 2011). "Chattanooga: Ted Turner visits McCallie School".
19. "Secretarial Portraits: William E. Brock".
20. (June 2, 1949). "Preston Henn is Graduated at McCallie". Cherokee Scout.
21. WBIR Staff. (June 26, 2014). "Timeline: Remembering Howard Baker Jr.". [[WBIR-TV]].
22. "Laureate - John Montgomery Belk (March 29, 1920 - )".
23. "Biography".
24. (March 5, 2017). "Local History Column: Chattanooga native's writings aided Civil Rights movement".
25. "Kyle Testerman Obituary (2015) - Knoxville, TN - Knoxville News Sentinel".