Cameron Elementary School

Here follows a history of the school as published on the Fairfax County Public Schools website:

Cameron Elementary School opened on September 8, 1953 during the post-World War II period known as the baby boom. We invite you to explore some facets of our unique and fascinating history by visiting the links on this page.

What’s in a Name?
Cameron Elementary School is named after the Cameron area which was the residence of General Samuel Cooper. He served in the United States Army from 1815 to 1861. His wife was the granddaughter of the patriot George Mason, who signed the Declaration of Independence. General Cooper was also the proprietor of Gunston Hall which is standing today on the Potomac River in southern Fairfax County. During the Civil War, the Cameron Mansion was torn down by Union troops who had decided to build a powder magazine on the site. Learn more about the origin of the name Cameron in this video produced for Fairfax County Public Schools’ cable television channel Red Apple 21:

Cameron Elementary School opened in September 1953. The origin of its name can ultimately be traced to Thomas, the Sixth Lord Fairfax, Baron of Cameron for whom Fairfax County is named. Part of Lord Fairfax’s title, Cameron, has been used for nearly 300 years as a name for Fairfax County waterways, homes, and roads. Cameron Run, a creek north of Cameron Elementary School, is a tributary of Great Hunting Creek which flows into the Potomac River. A historic plantation called Cameron, once located north of Cameron Run along Quaker Lane, was the home of General Samuel Cooper, the highest-ranking officer in the Confederate Army. During the American Civil War, Cooper’s home was destroyed by Union Army soldiers, and Fort Williams was constructed on the site. The first public school located in the vicinity opened in the 1870s, in a small hamlet on Telegraph Road south of Cameron Run. Known variously as the Valley School, Pulman School, and Cameron School, it was replaced in 1892, by a new one-room structure located three quarters of a mile to the south on Telegraph Road. This new schoolhouse, called the Cameron School, was built on land donated by sisters Anne and Elizabeth Frobel of nearby Wilton Hill. The school served for 40 years, closing in 1932. By the early 1950s, the small hamlet on Telegraph Road, once known as Cameron, had become known as Happy Valley. In May 1952, the Fairfax County School Board chose Happy Valley Elementary School as the name for the new school under construction in that area. However, the school board grew dissatisfied with the name, and voted to rename it Cameron Elementary School in January 1953.
Cameron Elementary School preserves in its name the rich history of the Cameron community and its schools of yesteryear.

School History: 1950-1980

Rapid development of Alexandria area neighborhoods in the late 1940s led to severely overcrowded conditions at Groveton, Franconia, and Lee-Jackson Elementary Schools. Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) hastened to build new elementary schools in the area, but construction proceeded slowly because there was very limited funding for school construction. By January 1950, construction of 350 homes in the new Burgundy Village neighborhood was proceeding at a rapid pace, and the Fairfax County School Board secured an eight-acre tract of land in the development for a school site.

Lee-Jackson Elementary School, 1942. On December 3, 1951, the Supreme Court of Virginia issued a ruling allowing the City of Alexandria to annex a large portion of Fairfax County. The annexation meant that several Fairfax County schools, such as Lee-Jackson Elementary School, would cease to be part of FCPS at the conclusion of the 1951-52 school year. The loss of Lee-Jackson was particularly troublesome because the school served a significant number of children from growing neighborhoods in the Alexandria section of Fairfax County.

On January 10, 1952, the School Board directed architect Robert A. Willgoos to proceed with drawing plans for a ten-classroom elementary school with a cafeteria at the Burgundy Village site. On April 17, 1952, the School Board awarded the contract for the construction of the Burgundy School to the Howard-Mitchell Construction Company of Richmond, Virginia, at a cost of $283,224.

Choosing a Name
Shortly after construction began, the School Board was approached by David Scull, President of the Board of Directors of the Burgundy Farm Country Day School. Mr. Scull requested that the name of the new elementary school be something other than Burgundy in order to avoid confusion with his school which had already been in operation for several years. On May 29, 1952, Mrs. Beatrice Claire Lofchie, Chairman of the committee for naming the new school under construction in Burgundy Village, submitted three names to the School Board for consideration: Cameron Run, Happy Valley, and Elmwood. Superintendent W. T. Woodson suggested that Cameron was a good choice because there had been a one-room schoolhouse in the area by that name. However, the School Board selected the name Happy Valley instead.

The Cameron School, also known as the Cameron Valley School, was located on Telegraph Road near Wilton Road. The school opened circa 1893 and closed in 1932. Photograph courtesy of the Franconia Museum.

It was originally hoped that Happy Valley Elementary School would be completed during the fall of 1952, but construction progress lagged well behind schedule. The 1952-53 school year began with nearly 20,000 students enrolled in FCPS, and the few schools in operation at this time were severely overcrowded. Around the county, many first and second grade students attended school on half-day shifts. Students were packed into auditoriums, libraries, cafeterias, Quonset huts, churches, fire stations, and other makeshift classroom spaces. On December 23, 1952, the Alexandria Gazette reported that Happy Valley Elementary School was less than 50 percent complete. Around this same time, it came to the attention of the School Board that a growing number of people in the community were dissatisfied with the choice of the name Happy Valley, and, on January 6 1953, the Board voted to rename the building Cameron Elementary School.

The First Principal and Teachers
According to School Board meeting records, William V. Jackson was appointed principal of Cameron Elementary School in the spring of 1953. However, construction of the school was completed so late in the school year that the building wasn’t opened. It is unlikely Mr. Jackson ever served as principal, because on July 15, 1953, Mary Virginia Gouldman was hired as principal of Cameron. She opened the school on September 8, 1953 with eleven teachers: Virginia Clapp, Gladys Davis, Margaret Dodson, Jean Firkins, Marguerite Gates, Jean Kyle, Martha Mendenhall, Laura Mills, Elizabeth Shaffer, Rebecca Tallman, and Pearl Thompson. Edgar Campbell was hired as a full-time custodian, and James Potter was hired as a part-time custodian. The first teachers made between $2,700 and $4,800 per year, depending on their level of education and certification, and years of experience. Principal Gouldman was hired on a ten-month contract at a salary of $4,760. The Cameron Elementary School Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) formed shortly after the school opened. Colonel Ellsworth Davis was its first president, and Rae Ellison and Mary Dodson served as co-vice presidents.

The First Additions
By the spring of 1953, it became clear that Cameron Elementary School wasn’t going to be large enough to accommodate the significant number of children moving into the area. Plans for a two-classroom addition were prepared and construction began in May 1954. Work on the addition had barely begun when the School Board, having received a report on projected enrollment for the coming school year, entered into negotiations with contractor Eugene Simpson and Brother, Inc., to increase the size of the addition to six classrooms. The project was completed within a few months at a cost of $134,000. Even with the additional classroom space, it was necessary for 200 first and second graders to attend Cameron on half-day shifts.

The 1955-56 school year began a new principal, Hazel W. Caldwell, 16 teachers, and a part-time librarian, Ina Jo Griffith. In March 1956, the architecture firm of Willgoos and Chase was hired to design a four-classroom addition to Cameron Elementary School. This second addition was built by R. N. Rust of Alexandria, Virginia, and was completed in May 1957, at a cost of $49,000.

In July 1957, William E. Campbell was appointed the third principal of Cameron Elementary School. He led Cameron for three years.

Principal William Edward Campbell (1957-1960). Mr. Campbell later served as the principal of Twain Intermediate School, Belle View Elementary School, and Mount Eagle Elementary School. This photograph of Principal Campbell is from the 1970-71 school year when he was principal of Belle View Elementary School.

Integration
The Supreme Court’s ruling in the case of Brown v. Board of Education to desegregate public schools was handed down in 1954, but by the early 1960s change had yet to come to many of Virginia’s public schools. Many state legislators were actively seeking ways to prevent integration, and, because of these resistance efforts, it wasn’t until the 1960-61 school year that FCPS was able to begin desegregating its public schools. The first two schools to integrate were Belvedere and Cedar Lane elementary schools in September 1960. It wasn’t until the end of the 1965-66 school year that all public schools in Fairfax County achieved full racial integration. During the intervening years, African-American children wishing to enroll in formerly all-white schools had to request approval from the Fairfax County School Board. Prior to integration, Cameron Elementary School had only served white children from the surrounding community. African-American children living in the vicinity of Cameron were bused to Drew-Smith Elementary School located on Fordson Road in the Gum Springs community. It is unclear when the first African-American children enrolled at Cameron, but it certainly would have been by September 1965.

Drew-Smith Elementary School, an all-African-American school, closed in 1965 and was converted into a special education center. Photograph courtesy of the Virginia Room, Fairfax County Public Library.

The 1960s
The decade of the 1960s brought additional changes to Cameron Elementary School. In September 1960, FCPS opened its first intermediate schools. Prior to this time, elementary schools in Fairfax County educated children in grades one through seven.

In 1960, the seventh grade children in the Cameron attendance area were assigned to Mark Twain Intermediate School.

In July 1960, Principal William Campbell departed Cameron and became the first principal of Twain Intermediate School. He was succeeded by Charles Ryland Hughes who led Cameron during the time period of desegregation. In 1966, Principal Hughes suffered a heart attack, and Cameron fifth-grade teacher Lois P. Queen became acting principal for the remainder of the school year.

L​​​​​ois Queen was promoted from acting principal to principal and went on to lead Cameron from 1966 to 1971. This photograph is her staff portrait from her last year at Cameron.

During Queen’s time as principal, FCPS continued to experience rapid student-population growth, adding approximately 6,000 additional students every year. From September 1967 to September 1968, the student population jumped from 107,000 to 121,770, but this significant increase was due in large part to the implementation of a new program division-wide. During the 1967-68 school year, a kindergarten program was piloted in several schools. The pilot proved so successful that kindergarten was added in every elementary school the following year. More than 8,000 five-year-olds entered FCPS kindergarten classrooms in September 1968.

The 1970s

In the late 1960s, FCPS administrators began planning a third addition to Cameron Elementary School. Construction began in June 1970 and was completed in less than a year at a cost of $576,862. A large addition was constructed on the northeast side of the building consisting of general education classrooms, a resource area, music room, science lab, gymnasium, a central courtyard, and new office spaces. The main entrance of the building was moved at this time from Norton Road to Campbell Drive. Cameron Elementary School was rededicated on Saturday, June 12, 1971.

During the summer of 1971, Douglas W. Dalton was appointed the sixth principal of Cameron Elementary School. He led Cameron until 1978, with the possible exception of a short period in the mid-1970s when, according to alumni, an acting principal subbed in his place.

In July 1971, an Early Childhood Learning and Demonstration Center was established at Cameron. The center was initially funded by a $215,000 grant from the U.S. Federal Government and was planned to operate for a three-year period. This center was likely the forerunner of the privately-run Mount Vernon-Lee Day Care Center which operated out of leased classroom space in the original wing of the building in the late 1970s. Cameron continued to house a privately-run daycare center until the end of the 2017-18 school year.

Wilton Woods Elementary School
From the mid-1970s into the early 1980s, student enrollment began a gradual decline resulting in the closure of several schools in the eastern part of Fairfax County. The closures affected neighborhoods that saw the earliest growth post-World War II. The children in these neighborhoods were graduating high school, and there were fewer families in the area with young children.

From 1975 to 1979, enrollment at Cameron Elementary School fell from 406 to 308 students. This led to the consolidation of students into multi-grade classes.

"While the system overall was growing rapidly, older schools in the more highly populated, established areas were declining with partially empty buildings and small enrollments. Cameron had been one of those schools. Rather than closing it, a large number of students were being transferred in from several schools that were being closed."
~ George Towery (Principal, 1980-2010)

In May 1980, the School Board voted to close nearby Wilton Woods Elementary School permanently at the end of the school year. The closure of Wilton Woods boosted enrollment at Cameron by more than 100 students the following year. Today, the building is used as an administrative office.

School History: 1980-2010

In 1978, Douglas Dalton left Cameron to become principal of Rose Hill Elementary School. He was succeeded by David L. Lunter, who served as principal for two years until being appointed principal of Mount Eagle Elementary School.

Principal George Towery
In 1980, Principal Lunter was succeeded by George F. Towery. Prior to his appointment to Cameron, Mr. Towery was the principal of Lorton Elementary School for ten years. The three pictures below provide glimpses of Mr. Towery during various phases of his 40-year career as a principal in Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS).

Principal George F. Towery (left, at Lorton Elementary School, 1970; center at Cameron Elementary School, 1982; right, at Cameron, 2000).

Principal Towery led Cameron for 30 years (1980-2010), and was one of the longest-serving principals in the history of FCPS. During his time as principal, Cameron underwent significant changes in student demographics and enrollment. Mr. Towery described these changes in his book Touched By A Child, A Principal’s Story. In this book, Mr. Towery painted a picture of Cameron at the time of his arrival in 1980:

"Cameron was one of the several schools in the system that one would consider urban. Most of our students came from small duplex housing and tiny single family homes that had been built in the late 1940s and early 1950s. Several large apartment complexes were also in our attendance area. We were close enough to the City that the new Washington area Metro transit system was about to open in the center of the community. Our student population [was] about 400 students with approximately half of the students African-American and half Caucasian… We were beginning to create a racially diverse staff which I considered essential in a school like Cameron."

The Quality of the Future Starts Here
As a child, Principal Towery was told repeatedly by his father, “Get your education. It is the one thing that no one can ever take from you.” Mr. Towery memorized those words, but he stated later that he never fully understood them before coming to Cameron.

"As I looked at our community, I realized… what truly needed to be done in and for the children of Cameron School. Thus, we adopted the motto,” The Quality of the Future Starts Here” not just as nice words, but as an understood reality that we, the staff, were responsible for ensuring a positive future for the children of our community."

The Rabbit Club
In the mid-1970s, the Commonwealth of Virginia required each school to develop a program for gifted or advanced students. FCPS administrators encouraged principals to “think outside the box.” Because the Lorton community was still very rural at the time, Principal Towery and staff members decided their gifted program would focus on raising animals to give students a different learning experience and to help develop some responsibility. Mr. Towery convinced FCPS this was a reasonable project, and he was allowed to convert and outdoor storage building on the side of the playground into a goat barn. The program became known as the Goat Club, and participating students learned how to milk dairy goats, make goat cheese, and care for the animals. Mr. Towery later stated that the Goat Club taught him that children have a natural love for animals, and that hands-on learning teaches valuable lessons and makes great memories in the process. When the time came for Mr. Towery to transition to Cameron Elementary School, he wanted to provide a similar experience for Cameron students.

"The Cameron community was vastly different from that of Lorton. Folks lived close together. Many students live in high rise apartment buildings. Families rented residences and were not allowed pets. Thanks to the 4-H, we began to learn about rabbits. With the help of some fathers we built some sturdy cages and purchased several rabbits… A neighbor of the school called after Easter and offered us a duckling. We were hooked, went out and purchased a kiddie pool and watched as the duck grew and had the run of the courtyard. One of the classes decided that they would like to hatch some baby chicks. The hatching was successful and some of the chicks remained, grew, and lived in the courtyard."
~ George Towery

In November 1992, construction began on a $3.7 million renewal of Cameron Elementary School. Prior to the renovation, several teachers met with the project’s architect and designed new courtyard enclosures for the animals. The courtyard was also divided into two sections, a place for the animals, and a place for the students to watch and enjoy them. After the renovation, goats were added to the little barnyard.

The animals were cared for by the “Courtyard Crew” made up of students in grades 3-6. The students’ duties included watering and feeding the animals, scooping up and disposing of the soiled hay, and hosing down the concrete floor to keep it clean. In addition to the courtyard menagerie, Cameron Elementary School was also home to a guinea pig, which was housed in a cage in the school office, and cat named “Cameron.”

"The courtyard was not just fun; it developed responsibility in those caring for the animals. As explained to the students each fall, the animals could not feed and water themselves. They were completely dependent upon the kids to take care of them every day. We were often teased and called “The Animal School” which was not offensive to us. The animals created some wonderful and lasting memories for all of us."
~ George Towery

A Little United Nations
The opening of the Huntington Metro station in 1983 initiated a profound change in the student demographics at Cameron. The departure of baby boom-era families from area neighborhoods, and the construction of affordable housing close to the Metro station, brought an influx of immigrant and refugee families into the community. Realizing that school staff serve as a constant role model for the community, Principal Towery sought to make Cameron’s staff as diverse as the students. Because the predominant minority group was Hispanic, Maria Mermagen was brought on staff as Cameron’s first Hispanic community liaison. By 1993, Cameron Elementary had six English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) teachers on staff.

From 1983 to 2000, Cameron Elementary School’s student population transformed from one that was half African-American and half white, to one where 70 percent of the children came from families who had a native language other than English.

"George Towery gets a glimpse of 27 countries each day he walks into Cameron Elementary School. Of the 450 youngsters who make up this school, 30 percent are black, 25 percent are Hispanic, and 15 percent Asian. Most of the rest are registered as while, although they or their parents emigrated from a variety of countries like Afghanistan, Poland, or the Soviet Union. 27 countries are represented at the school, which has been designated by FCPS as a special needs school. “It’s like a little global village,” says Towery. “I think kids who go to school here have a real picture on the world the way it really is. In my own opinion, they are far, far richer because of it.”
~ The Free Lance-Star, July 29, 1991

By the early 2000s, students at Cameron came from all corners of the globe, represented all continents, and had family backgrounds that ranged from the nieces of tribal chiefs in Sierra Leone seeking to escape the fighting in that country, to those that had never lived in a modern society. The children of Cameron were truly global citizens.

"I think you have to make these kids understand that they are appreciated and they have a contribution to make in spite of the fact that it may not be written in English, or spoken English. You have to recognize their strengths, which they all have. Through my interaction with our immigrant children I realized every day that, to the outside world, America was a far greater nation than most of us that were raised here recognize."
~ George Towery

Cameron School
This description of Cameron Elementary School was written by school staff in the mid-1990s: “New students are arriving at Cameron daily (as many as 30 in a week). Approximately two-thirds of our school population receives free lunch and therefore are considered low income. Youngsters seldom make fun of another’s dress or try to attain status other than through academic success. Many youngsters, realizing that their own parents can neither read nor write, see themselves as pioneers, out to serve their family, establish a tradition and prove that the USA is still the land of opportunity where even they can be somebody.”

“Cameron is unique, a microcosm of our global society where all children are just children deserving the best that this staff can provide. Each wants to be loved and respected and finds that here. Cameron School is a safe haven where all fit and belong, there are none out of place. We at Cameron consider our diverse student population our single greatest strength. Each child comes with stories about his or her family, customs, and background to share and to tell. We learn from each other. We have a better understanding of the world, its expanse, its differences and similarities, its geography, and above all, its people.”

An "ABC" School (Always Building Character)
In 1995, Cameron Elementary School became the first public school in the county to adopt school uniforms. The uniforms were an outgrowth of the Alternative Education Program at Cameron. At the direction of teacher Lilly Vincent, students in this program wore white shirts and ties to school, and teachers, school staff, and community members took notice that the uniforms were having a positive impact on these students’ academic progress as well as their self-esteem and behavior. Principal Towery suggested that the program be broadened to include the general education students, and the Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) and faculty endorsed the idea. Thus, uniforms were introduced during the 1995-96 school year.

At Cameron, uniforms were made up of red or white polo shirts or white blouses and navy blue pants, skirts, or shorts. The most obvious element of the uniform was the red “Character Counts at Cameron” t-shirt which each student received without charge every school year. Many students dressed in their Character Counts shirts every day, accumulated through the years and passed them on to younger siblings. Cameron’s staff spoke regularly with students about their learning attire, comparing it to sports uniforms that were worn to their various soccer and football games.

"Students, especially younger ones, generally give uniforms a thumbs-up. Sixth-grader Donnell Nesbitt said his behavior has improved since Cameron Elementary this year became the first public school in Fairfax to try uniforms. "When you dress well, sometimes you act well," said Donnell, who washes and irons his only long-sleeve white shirt each night. Cameron Elementary this year became the first Fairfax County school to try uniforms, although students are not required to wear them."
~ The Washington Post, March 1, 1996

In November 1996, the Washington Post reported that more than 400 of the 525 students at Cameron were wearing the optional uniform. “Gail Allison, a counselor at Cameron, said the uniforms reduce pressure on the children to compete through their wardrobes. That's especially helpful for low-income families, she said.”

Seeing the World
Cameron alumni from the 1980s and 1990s fondly recall the annual field trips offered to students during this era. First through sixth graders went on an overnight camping trip to a 4-H center in Front Royal, Virginia, where they learned about wildlife and stayed in cabins. Fourth graders took field trips to the State Fair in Richmond, and to Jamestown and Williamsburg. At the end of the school year, sixth graders travelled to New York City and visited the United Nations, Ellis Island, and the World Trade Center.

“What I remember most was our trip to New York. I had never been anywhere and was so excited to go to the World Trade Center and the Statue of Liberty. It was something I will always remember.”
~ Michael Preston, Cameron Alumni, early 1980s.

Cameron Elementary School class photograph showing Mrs. Spark’s class of second graders. 20 students and their teacher are pictured. They are standing on a path in a forest, probably on the school camping trip.

Technology Evolution
In the 1970s, FCPS elementary school offices received their first electric typewriters—the IBM Selectric. In the 1980s, school offices were outfitted with an IBM personal computer to record attendance and maintain student and staff information. By the early 2000s, all school reports, plans, and report cards were being done with computers. During the 1980s and 1990s, computers slowly made their way into FCPS classrooms as well. In 1990, Cameron’s first computer lab was started in a classroom outfitted with 28 state-of-the-art computers. The computes were “linked to a national network” perhaps making Cameron the first elementary school in the county to be connected to the nascent internet. By 1997, students in grades 3-6 spent half an hour every day at computer stations outfitted with SuccessMaker software, practicing math, vocabulary, and other skills. In 1996, the first full year that fourth graders used the new system, test scores on fourth grade reading and math tests rose significantly.

During the 2000s, the internet, laptop computers, SMART Boards, iPads, and other technological innovations would have a similar impact on instruction for Cameron students.

The First Ladies
Did you know that Cameron has been visited by two First Ladies of the United States? The first visit took place in the early 1980s. Barbara Bush, a future first lady at the time, visited Cameron and donated books as part of the Reading is Fundamental (RIF) program.

Mrs. Bush, wife of then Vice President George Bush, was invited to Cameron by students. She arrived in a black limousine, and was flanked by two secret service agents. Mrs. Bush addressed the cheering students, saying “This is my first RIF book distribution as a new board member to the program, and I can’t think of a better school to go to. You have given me such a warm welcome. Now it’s time to pick your books.”

The second visit to Cameron by a first lady of the United States took place in February 1987, when First Lady Nancy Reagan came to promote the “Just Say No” substance abuse prevention campaign.

First Lady Nancy Reagan (in red at center) watched a performance of the “Just Say No” play, set to music by a group of Chantilly High School students.

A Glimpse Back in Time
In March 1994, Cameron Elementary School was the subject of the Fairfax County Public Schools cable television channel series Profile. The Red Apple 21 crew spent several days at Cameron, gathering interviews with teachers and classroom footage. The resulting 30-minute documentary provides a fascinating snapshot of Cameron in the mid-1990s.