My mother and several of her siblings lived at TIS, TPS. I am interested in obtaining history of the school, and if possible year book pictures of family memeber. Anyone out there that can help. I'd be thrilled. Thanks so much.

Hi Lisa,

TPS is still in existence today. I have copied the address and phone number for you below. I would contact them, perhaps they have some information for you. Most schools keep yearbooks. I hope this works out for you.

Tennessee Preparatory School
1200 Foster Avenue
Nashville, TN 37210
(615) 741-4022

I also found this article with some information. Good Luck!

http://www.oakridger.com/stories/111901/stt_1119010049.html

Valerie

Hi Valerie,

Thank you so much for the information on TPS. I will write them and see if I can obtain some yearbook information. Also, the article was very informative. At some point I want to research the founding of TPS. I know it has changed over the years.

Thanks again,
Lisa

Unfortunally TPS closed it's doors this year. However the good news is that a lot of the yearbooks are in the hands of the TPS Alumini Association. If you would like the e-mail address , e-mail me and I will be happy to send it.

Lisa: I was at TIS from 1948 till 1951 + can give you information during that era about the school. I might have known your mom + siblings?? What was her name?-- Sincerely, Billy Joe Taylor. P.S. (I was sent to the school from Mepmhis by a lady judge, "Kelly", because of my unstable family + home conditions). Where was your mom from??

Lisa: I just posted one message about TIS + thought of this bit of info after I wrote it: The school was originally founded in 1185 for needy, unwanted, orphaned + negected children and?or those in danger of becoming deliquent. When I was there we had kids frpm about 5 years old through hogh school age staying there. Some of the kids even stayed there after graduation + became employees. The school had areal good sports program + several vocational training opportunities to the kids that were interested. (Printing, auto mechanics, welding, etc.) Also had an excellent education system from kindergarten through high school. Back then we all had to go to church + Sunday school on Sundays + Wednesdays + sometimes more than that if they had special visiting ministers there. Had good food + clothing provision there also. Questions you may have about anything else that I might be able to answer, please feel free to ask. It brings back a lot of good memories, writing about the school. Thanks for your interest + for asking about it.--Sincerely, Billy Joe Taylor.

Billy, My father, Eugene Sandmeyer Goodwin was also at the TIS, he was placed there in 1918. He had been abandoned as an infant and placed in an orphanaged and then adopted by a Fred and Ada Sandmeyer. He was placed by the Sandmeyers in the TIS because they stated they could not aford to keep him. My family has been working for sixty years to find out who his real parents were. We do know that Mr. Menzler from the TIS told him his real parents name was Goodwin, possibly Joseph Goodwin. If I give you a few names of persons that were at the TIS during my father's and my mother and her sister were also briefly, maybe you might know some of the names. There was Gillie and Lula Wilson, Edward Kenney Cash, John and Curtis McGee, and Lawrence Jessie Walton. That's a few that I can think of right now. Sure hope you have information on someone. Thanks so much. Pat Watson

Does anyone of a Francis Holmes that was in the Tennessee Industrial School in the 1920? Looking for any information on her family. Seems that my father, Eugene Sandmeyer Goodwin cared very much for her at one, requesting the Administrator Mr. Menzler to write to Francis. I found these letters from some records obtained from the TIS. Maybe I will get lucky and someone might know of her. Thanks

Hi, I would like info on past yearbooks. My husband is trying to find out about some old friends he went to school with. He was there until 1971. If you have info on this I would appreciate it. I think some of them went on to work at the school until it closed. Thanks. C Duncan

My grandfather's sister, Geneva Bass, attended this school in 1920. Does anyone know who is in possession of the school records? Thanks, Ken