THE STORY OF ISAAC LITTON HIGH SCHOOL
On October 25, 1930, the new ISAAC LITTON HIGH SCHOOL was formally opened with impressive ceremonies attended by all the prominent Nashville and Davidson County, Tennessee authorities.
Prior to this auspicious opening, there was on Gallatin Road a tract of land which belonged to Jere Baxter, a prominent and respected politician in the area and founder of the Tennessee Central Railroad.
His other achievements included serving in the State Senate and seeking (unsuccessfully) the Democratic Party nomination for Governor. On this land was erected a four-room brick building that would become Isaac Litton High School.
In a very short time, this tiny building was bursting at the seams. The algebra teacher was conducting classes in the hall, and at lunch time, the students were marched quietly to the cafeteria so they would not disturb the classes being ceremoniously taught around and among them.
The Board of Education, realizing the inadequacy of the space and the growing need for something more, purchased another tract of land of about eleven acres for the sum of $10,000. The building planned for the property was not completed until late fall of 1930, so in the meantime, the teachers and students met in the basement of the Inglewood Methodist Church.
The newly built school was named Isaac Litton, in memory of the grandfather of Judge Litton Hickman, who had been a respected judge in Davidson County for many years.
In the years that followed, the school grew by leaps and bounds, making a name for itself for which the entire state could be proud. Isaac Litton High School closed in 1971. By 1990, the building had deteriorated to such an extent that it was razed, leaving only the gymnasium building.
After the formation of the Alumni Association, this revered landmark was restored to usefulness for the entire community. Grounds are now owned by Metropolitan Nashville Parks and Recreation.
The only remaining vestige of Isaac Litton High School is the gymnasium building.
In partnership with MNPS, the Alumni Association has restored and is maintaining this building for the benefit and use of the community in Inglewood.
To the west end of the gym is Litton Park, so named for its founding patronage.
The Mission of the Isaac Litton Alumni Association is to preserve the rich heritage of our former school, to provide support to the present Isaac Litton Middle School, and be a positive influence in the lives of ALL the children in our community. We do this with effective communication that continually reaches out to bring the alumni and the community together to promote our programs and services.
Of special focus for the ILAA is the participation in the BACKFIELD IN MOTION (BIM) program. BIM is a nonprofit organization that combines academics and athletics to inspire inner-city boys to reach their maximum potential in order to become significant contributors to society. Funds provided by the ILAA are used to support tutorial programs offering academic remediation and homework assistance for these most vulnerable youth. BIM, in partnership with the Isaac Litton Alumni Association, provides a permanent facility to offer the classes at our Lions Hall, in the lower level of the gym.
We are grateful for the incredible educational foundation we have received and are committed to expanding that opportunity to your direct descendants. The ILAA Board has established a $1,000 scholarship opportunity to selected descendants of our school.
The Scholarship Committee is composed of alumni with diverse backgrounds and professional experiences, including Judy Cline, Sammy Swor, Franklin Davis, Buddy Jones, Mickey Collier, and Rita Solomon. We hope this scholarship application will benefit a high school senior or undergraduate student in your family. The application is attached with specific requirements included.
Click here for the Scholarship Submission
Please send your submission and/or any questions to the following email address: isaaclittonalumni@gmail.com
Remember: All submissions must be received no later than March 31, 2026.
Litton High Forever!
Also, with a special place in our hearts, we support and assist in any way possible, those students now attending the Isaac Litton Stem Magnet Middle School (which for the High School alumni, will forever be remembered as our Junior High School.)
Annually we provide support for special programs as requested. For the fiscal year ending 2025, the Alumni Association donated $5,350 to the Middle School and/or the PTSO for student activities including an end of year band trip and performance in Kentucky, and t-shirts for an end of year school celebration.
Additionally, for the past few years the Alumni Association has recognized the ILMS teachers with breakfast and a $50 gift card each on their first day back at school for in-service. The teachers look forward to starting their school year with us and enjoy touring the Lions Den and hearing about the legacy of Isaac Litton. These gatherings have generated interest from the teachers in bringing students over to tour Lions Hall and the Lions Den to learn more about the history of their school. The football team visited on the first day of practice in August 2025.
Isaac Litton Stem Magnet Middle School has made exceptional progress under the leadership of Dr. Chara Rand. Here is a link to the Middle School page to learn more about the school: Our School - Isaac Litton Middle School.
With our mutual goal of supporting the students and faculty at Litton, we have formed a great working relationship, and there is a lot more to do. It is from donations from our Isaac Litton High School alumni that we are able to continue our work in these areas and more. Thank you so very much for your continued support.
The Alumni Association is very proud of the designation by the American Red Cross to be a “mustering” location in the event of a community disaster. When a situation requires our neighborhood residents to evacuate their homes for any reason, the American Red Cross will set up a “command center” in our Lion’s Hall to serve the purpose of assigning these displaced community members to the appropriate facility to best assist them. (While they will not be housed or fed at our facility, the Red Cross has deemed this as a vital step in their ability to quickly help those in need.)
It is with the constant and untiring effort of the ILAA Board of Directors that each year an All-Alumni banquet is held, with the primary goal being to raise funds to continue our operation and perpetuate the love its alumni have for our alma mater and its community. At these annual functions, it is not uncommon to see the last living member of earlier graduating classes or to see the children of more recent graduates enjoying the same bond of friendship and support so profound among us all.
The Alumni Association has diligently accumulated and recreated composites of every graduating class from 1932 until 1970.
These treasures, along with other memorabilia are on display in the “Lion’s Den”, where Alumni can gather and recall interesting facts (and fiction) about our illustrious alumni and our contributions to the community.
The Isaac Litton Alumni Association Board meets throughout the year to conduct its business. The annual meeting of the alumni association occurs each spring as part of a luncheon to which all alumni are invited. At this annual meeting, new members of the Board as well as the new ILAA officers are elected.
If you would like to be a volunteer or a member of the Board, contact any current Board member listed on the directory, elsewhere on this website. Annual costs for gym upkeep and operation will continue now that renovations are complete. Alumni dues and donations will significantly help ILAA continue its mission. We sincerely appreciate any contributions from alumni and friends of Isaac Litton High School.