The Legacy of a Teacher: Honoring our STJ family

Dr. Wayne Flynt, historian and author, with historian and STJ Head of School Dr. Larry McLemore

This afternoon, Saint James School welcomed several members of the Saint James family to campus to honor one of our own. Mrs. Sharon Andress, who served as a member of the STJ history faculty for 17 years, passed away last month. Current and former faculty members, along with school administration, held an intimate ceremony in the library to honor Mrs. Andress and the impact she had on our school. Mrs. Nancy Anderson, local instructor of Southern literature and expert on author Harper Lee, and Dr. Wayne Flynt, renowned author and historian, presented two publications to be housed in the library’s permanent collection. Both Mrs. Anderson and Dr. Flynt were close friends and colleagues of Mrs. Andress who taught To Kill a Mockingbird to Saint James students for many years. Saint James high school English students still study the classic novel each year.

Today was especially meaningful to our Head of School, Dr. Larry McLemore, who was a student of Mrs. Andress and has fond memories of her courses. She taught AP United States History, Southern Cultures, and served as the junior class sponsor for many years. She was a member of the STJ faculty from 1990-2007.

Dr. Flynt, signing a copy of his book for Dr. McLemore.

Mrs. Nancy Anderson is a distinguished fellow at Auburn University at Montgomery, where she has taught Southern and American literature for over 40 years. She is a leading expert on Alabama author Harper Lee. She is a recipient of the AUM Faculty Service Award and Chancellor’s Warhawk Spirit Award.

Dr. Wayne Flynt, Professor Emeritus in the Department of History at Auburn University, has won numerous teaching awards and been a Distinguished University Professor for many years. Dr. Flynt is a Pulitzer Prize nominee and author of over a dozen books. Saint James Head of School, Dr. Larry McLemore, calls him “the most important historian of the state of Alabama.” What an honor to have both Mrs. Anderson and Dr. Flynt join us on campus today to honor Mrs. Sharon Andress.

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