The Pro Virili Parte Papers
A Newsletter Commemorating the 100th Anniversary of B.U.S.
Just inside the entry of The Altamont School hangs the Birmingham University School seal embossed with the motto Pro Virili Parte. The exact translation of the motto, from Latin, reads as “for the manly part.” The phrase was an idiom from Cicero, which meant at the time “to the best of one’s abilities” and is often used in the original papers and correspondence related to the founding of the school. Today, Pro Virili Parte Papers seems an appropriate title for a newsletter for the B.U.S centennial celebration, because a 21st century vision for excellence in college preparatory education still flourishes at Altamont, where faculty and students still strive to live out the Ciceronian ideal of doing everything to the best of one’s ability.
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JUNE 15, 2022
By Amanda Davis
As part of the centennial celebration of Birmingham University School, The Altamont School has commissioned the production of a marker that will be erected through the sponsorship of the Jefferson County Historical Association. The marker will be visible from the south end of Rhodes Park, directly in front of the original 1925 Birmingham University School building at 1211 28th Street. Even though the original building currently houses office space, its façade—and many of its interior features— look much the same as old B.U.S. school photographs. Read more here…
August 8, 2022
By Amanda Davis
Early on Monday morning, October 28, 1929, boys were bicycling and walking along Highland Avenue toward the B.U.S. school building for another week of studies. However, on that very same Monday morning, many miles away in New York City, events were unfolding that would change B.U.S., Birmingham, and the entire nation forever. Since the spring of 1928, stock prices had been rising steadily but fell dramatically on Friday, October 24. Despite the efforts of large national banks to turn things back around, on Monday the market crashed. Read more here…
August 16, 2022
A TRIBUTE TO FRANK MARSHAL: Formidable!
By Craig Crockard (B.U.S. Class of 1960)
For B.U.S. students of the late 1950s throughout the 1960s, Mr. Marshall’s love of literature, especially Shakespeare, and his zeal for great writing transmuted teenage apathy into a fiery quest for learning. I recall how the power of his intellect pervaded the room, and this student sat there over 50 years ago in awe. Read more here…
In 2010, formerAltamont history teacher Christopher Thomas wrote A History of Birmingham University School, which will be used as the main resource for the PVPP. Buy the Book