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History

Indian Springs History

To date, over 4,000 alumni have experienced our vision. We invite you to join them in contributing to the history of Indian Springs.

Harvey G. Woodward, a Birmingham industrialist who attended MIT, had a dream and a vision. But for the commitment of others, his dream could have died along with him in 1930. His enterprising peers understood what he wanted to do: create an educational center of excellence in Alabama, where young men could learn, develop, and grow. Woodward had bequeathed the money and the means to make such a dream happen. All that was required was a person with the commitment.

Dr. Louis E. (“Doc”) Armstrong was such a man. In 1952 he led ten faculty and 62 students onto campus. Filled with the belief that learning was as much about the capacity to better the world as it was about the ability to process information, Armstrong created the environment through which Woodward’s dream was achieved. Young men graduated and went to America’s best colleges and universities, knowing they could make positive contributions to humankind’s betterment.

Over the subsequent decades, that belief has never wavered. Students and faculty work together in a shared governance model, approaching life on campus as they would in a small town; they use town meetings to build understanding, model behaviors, and reflect the values embodied in the school’s written constitution.

The best way to evaluate this approach is in its outcomes. Student-directed learning in the classroom and student-initiated activities are key. The choir is renowned worldwide for its participation in concerts across the globe, while the soccer team—the first-ever in a school in Alabama—reflects the school’s values of courage, teamwork, and innovation.

Most importantly, both the dream and the vision continue to expand. From opening the school to coeducational students in the 1970s to reaffirming its commitment to boarding students with the construction of new dorms in 2006, Indian Springs considers its mission and the enduring importance of Learning through Living in every decision it makes. Our successes are measured through the support that Indian Springs receives from its parents and alumni, including Springs Eternal, our largest-ever capital campaign, which made our state-of-the-art classrooms equipped for virtual learning.

Historical Timeline

  • 1929

    Harvey G. Woodward leaves $6 million to create Indian Springs School.

  • 1951

    Carl Rust Parker, a partner with the famed Olmsted Brothers landscape architecture firm, visits to sketch out the site plan for Indian Springs.

  • 1951

    Dr. Louis E. “Doc” Armstrong is hired as Springs’ first director. He establishes the intellectual and cultural foundation of the school.

  • 1952

    Fifty-nine boys enter Indian Springs School on the first day of operation on September 3, 1952. That same year, the Alma Mater is written by Choir Director Charles Bryan. It is still sung today.

  • 1953

    The Smoke Signal, Springs' student newspaper, debuts. The paper takes on other names over the years, including The Octagon, ISSInfo, and, since 2012, The Woodward Post. The Student Government also forms, and a school Constitution is approved.

  • 1955

    The school holds its first Development Day semiannual day of service. The day is a success in removing unneeded vegetation on campus, but faculty soon agree that students do not need to be wielding chain saws.

  • 1959

    The Read ‘N’ Heed is approved as the school’s document of student rules and conduct.

  • 1960

    Students and faculty build the Truth House to prove certain principles of physics and examine the relativity of truth. It stands until a tree falls on it during a 1994 tornado.

  • 1966

    Construction begins on The Hut and is completed in 1967. It serves as the home of Indian Springs theatre productions until Town Hall is built in 1998.

  • 1974

    Longtime teacher Mike Lantrip and students hold the school’s first Student Concert of original and popular music, a tradition that continues today.

  • 1975

    Women are admitted to Springs after encouragement by the Board, students, and faculty. The same year, Sally Nemeth '77 (pictured) and Janie Farley Behr '76 become the school's first female athletes as part of the Soccer team. A Girls Soccer team begins the next spring.

  • 1976

    The school expands to include an 8th grade.

  • 1980

    The Glee Club, started in 1952, and the Women’s Chorus, started in 1978, combine to form the Concert Choir. The Chamber Choir begins this same year.

  • 1983

    Swans join the Indian Springs School community, a gift from Martin Payne, father-in-law of French teacher Helen Payne.

  • 1988

    Springs wins its first state Academic Decathlon and claims this title and a national ranking for 10 consecutive years. Teams also win the Alabama High School Physics Contest (nine times between 1982–1997), State Science Bowl Championships (1996, 1997), and Scholars Bowl State Championships (2005, 2007, 2010).

  • 1992

    A major campus renovation is completed, making way for a new gym, renovated library, and new entrance and roads. The main campus road is named for Harvey Woodward.

  • 1998

    The school’s new Town Hall building opens, offering a modern settings for Town Meetings, plays, and concerts.

  • 2005

    The Fertile Minds Learning Garden, the school’s organic garden and outdoor learning laboratory, opens.

  • 2006

    Indian Springs’ Learning through Living campaign leads to the opening of the Science Center, Hess Hall, and Goodrich Hall.

  • 2015

    The $20 million Springs Eternal campaign makes possible three new state-of-the-art, Silver LEED-certified classroom buildings, the Armstrong Administration building, and the renovated Kayser Academic Center. Business Insider recognizes Springs in 2016 as one of "15 of the most beautiful schools around the world.”
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190 Woodward Drive, Indian Springs, Alabama 35124
Phone: 205.988.3350
Indian Springs School, an independent school recognized nationally as a leader in boarding and day education for grades 8-12, serves a talented and diverse student body and offers admission to qualified students regardless of race, gender, religion, national origin, ethnicity, or sexual orientation. Located in Indian Springs, Alabama, just south of Birmingham, the school does not discriminate on the basis of race, gender, religion, national origin, ethnicity, or sexual orientation in the administration of its educational policies, admission policies, scholarship and loan programs, or athletic and other school-administered programs.

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