R.C. NEAL ELEMENTARY
LEGACY OF LEARNING
ROBERT C. NEAL
1892-1960
Born November 3, 1892 in Independence, Texas, Robert Claudius Neal was the oldest son of Robert P. and Ella M. Neal. While his early education was acquired at home under the tutorship of his father, who was also and educator, his formal education began at Fisk University and continued at Howard university where he completed requirements for his education degree.
Mr. Neal and his family moved to Bryan where he began his teaching career in 1928. A year later, he was named assistant principal to Mr. E. A. Kemp and took the reins of the Bryan Colored High School principalship in September 1929 after the death of Mr. Kemp. Two years later, Mr. Neal was named principal of Kemp High School, a new campus named in honor of Mr. Kemp which was built on what is today the site of Neal Elementary. After almost 30 years as principal, he retired in 1958.
His wife, Willie Scales, is a retired teacher and both daughters-- Ruth N. Battle and Ella N. Donavan-- are retired educators.
Robert C. Neal Elementary School, is located on a 12-acre site rich with local history. Kemp Junior-Senior High School opened its doors at this location in 1931 and was renamed the Neal Campus in 1956. After a fire destroyed much of the original building in 1970, the remaining structure housed at different times the district's kindergarten classes, special programs, or the special opportunity school.
The Neal name continues with the opening of Bryan I.S.D.'s 15th elementary school, one with 60,000 square foot design based on the award-winning plans for Bowen Elementary. Designed to accommodate 525 students, the K-5 building has 24 regular classrooms with additional space for art, music, Spanish and a variety of special programs. Central focus is the media center with its exposed ceiling architecture and clerestory. Technology is available throughout the building by means of a local area network. Gateways -- patterned after the seven continents of Africa, Antarctica, Asia, Australia, Europe, North and South America -- in different parts of the school are accentuated by murals and sculptured figures.
The campus is the site of the Neal Recreation Center and Neal Park. These projects are the joint effort of BISD, the City of Bryan and the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission.
Neal's current principal Linda Smith Asberry is a long time Bryan I.S.D. educator with more than 30 years experience. She attended the Kemp school on this site when she was in the 8th grade. A new Kemp High School was built in Bryan and Mrs. Asberry finished high school there.
| 