PUBLIC "-//Fairfax County Public Library//TEXT (US::ViF::vif00130::A Guide to the Fort Hunt High School Collection)//EN" "vif00130.xml" A Guide to the Fort Hunt High School Collection, 1968-1984 Fort Hunt High School Collection MSS 11-17 © 2025 Fairfax County Public Library. All rights reserved. Machine-readable finding aid created by Ross Landis, March 9, 2025 Description is in English A Guide to the Fort Hunt High School Collection, 1968-1984 A Collection in The Fairfax County Public Library MSS 11-17

Virginia Room, Fairfax County Public Library Descriptive Summary Fairfax County Public Library The Fort Hunt High School Collection, 1968-1984 MSS 11-17 1.0 linear feet English The Fort Hunt High School Collection contains 2.0 linear feet, spans the years 1968-1984, and consists of issues of the school’s newspaper “Frontline”, the school’s literary magazine “Turret”, and photographs taken for the school yearbook. Fort Hunt High School Administrative Information Access Restrictions

None

 Use Restrictions

Consult repository for information.

 Preferred Citation

Fort Hunt High School Collection, MSS 11-17, Virginia Room, Fairfax County Public Library

 Acquisition Information

Patricia Hardesty donated the collection of 1968-1971 newspapers and literary magazines in September 2018. Jeff Clark, FCPS donated the 1976-1984 newspapers which were found in a drawer by a journalism teacher at West Springfield High School in April 2019. Kristen Prochko Mercker, Class of 1982, donated original photographs that were taken in Spring 1981 for the Fortress school yearbook in July 2024.

 Processing Information

Chris Barbuschak, July 2019, updated November 2024EAD generated by Ross Landis, 2025

 Historical and Biographical Information

In 1960, Fairfax County planned for the building of a new high school in Fort Hunt to serve the growing population of the area. Local architect Dwight G. Chase & Associates designed a large high school to accommodate a student population of 1,200 with future expansion for 2,000 additional students. Construction on the $2.5 million school started in the fall of 1961. The school, located at 8428 Fort Hunt Road, opened in September 1963 and operated for 22 years. It closed in 1985 due to declining enrolment. Fort Hunt combined with Groveton High School to form West Potomac High School. The old Fort Hunt High School is now home to Carl Sandburg Middle School.

 Scope and Content

The Fort Hunt High School Collection contains 2.0 linear feet, spans the years 1968-1984, and consists of issues of the school’s newspaper “Frontline”, the school’s literary magazine “Turret”, and photographs taken for the school yearbook. The newspaper covered school news, sports, special activities, and student opinions, and the literary magazine provided students with an outlet to publish their creative writings. Subjects include student life at Fort Hunt High School in Alexandria, Virginia.

Series 1: "Turret" Literary Magazine, 1970, Box 1

This series contains issues of “Turret”, Fort Hunt High School’s literary magazine. Students published poetry, art, photographs, and creative writings in this student-produced periodical.

Series 2: "Frontline" Newspaper, 1968-1984, Box 1

This series contains issues of “Frontline”, Fort Hunt High School’s school newspaper. Students in the journalism class wrote the articles and put together the paper. The format of the paper changed over the years ranging from tabloid to broadsheet. The newspaper covered school news, sports, special activities, and student opinions. Also included in this series is "The Last Gasp", the farewell newspaper for the Senior Class of 1971.

Series 3: Photographs, 1981-1982, Box 2

This series contains original photographs taken mostly in Spring 1981 for the “Fortress” school yearbook. Photographs depict classes, students and sporting events. Some were published in the yearbook.

 Adjunct Descriptive Data

None

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 Index Terms Fairfax County Public Schools -- History. Fort Hunt High School (Alexandria, Va.). Public schools -- Virginia -- Fairfax County -- History. Student newspapers and periodicals -- Virginia -- Alexandria Container List Series 1: "Turret" Literary Magazine, 1970 "Turret" Freshman Issue Vol. 7, No. 1, January 1970, 1970 January "Turret" Sophomore Issue Vol. 7, No. 2, January 1970, 1970 January "Turret" Junior Issue Vol. 7, No. 3, January 1970, 1970 January "Turret" Senior Issue Vol. 7, No. 4, January 1970, 1970 January "Turret" Vol. 7, No. 5, Spring 1970, 1970 “Turret” Spring 1977, 1977 Series 2: "Frontline" Newspaper, 1968-1984 "Frontline", 1968 October 11 "Frontline", 1969 January 31 "Frontline", 1970 October 16 "Frontline", 1971 April 19 "Frontline", 1971 May 7 "The Last Gasp" [Senior farewell newspaper], 1971 June 10 "Frontline", 1971 September 8 "Frontline", 1976 January 23 "Frontline" [2 copies], 1976 March 4 "Frontline", 1976 November 30 "Frontline", 1977 September 30 "Frontline" [2 copies], 1977 October 28 "Frontline", 1977 November 18 "Frontline", 1978 September 8 "Frontline", 1978 October 13 "Frontline", 1978 November 29 "Frontline", 1979 September 7 "Frontline", 1979 December 4 "Frontline", 1980 September 29 "Frontline", 1980 December 22 "Frontline" Magazine, 1980 "Frontline", 1981 April 15 "Frontline", 1981 June 8 "Frontline", 1982 February 24 "Frontline", 1982 April 1 "Frontline", 1982 May 18 "Frontline", 1982 October 15 "Frontline", 1983 May 26 "Frontline", 1983 September 29 "Frontline", 1984 February 6 "Frontline", 1984 March 8 "Frontline", 1984 May 2 Series 3: Photographs, 1981-1982 Mr. Shortridge's "Shorty's" Chem (?) class: John Keiser, unidentified, John Barnard, Colleen Sonosky, Diana Cain with 1981 yearbook, Debbi Bowers, Mr. Shortridge, Laurie Olson, Melanie Mayo, John Wildman, 1981 Spring Mr. Shortridge's "Shorty's" Chem (?) class: Colleen Sonosky, Diana Cain, Nancy Berry (combing hair), John Keiser (goofing off), 1981 Spring David Colley in American Studies, 1981 Broc Perkuchin takes over Mrs. Kerr's desk in American Studies, 1981 Teri Jackson, Kathy Connor, Anita Cross, 1981 Nancy Berry and Scott Smith - avec l'amour , 1981 Jack Martinelli in French, 1981 Dustin Kanady, 1981 John Langanke, Diana Cain, Clark Carr, Nancy Benedict, 1981 Bryan Guthrie and Eddie Goodwin, 1981 Amy Prochko and Yasemin Washington, 1981 Holly McGovern, 1981 Holly McGovern, 1981 Aisha Davis, 1981 Chanley Bregman, 1981 Sue Miley , 1981 Sue Miley , 1981 Sue Miley , 1981 Tina Beam, Rosemary Labonge, Becky Flannagan, Holly McGovern, Derial Rhodes, 1981 Bob Bastedo, 1981 John Langanke, Cathy Boska, Chris Boska, Districts at Edison High School, 1981 Nancy Bush, Hoda Kotb, Sara Flanagan, John Langanke, Districts at Edison High School, 1981 Chanley Bregman, Sue Miley, 1981 Chris Winiarski, Angie Jones, Regionals at South Lakes High School, 1981 Bob Murray and Paul Murphy, Spring Track , 1981 Rusty McGuire leads the 1000m pack, 1982 Indoor Track, 1982 [Unidentified pole vaulter at Mount Vernon High School], 1981 Julia Reddick, Districts at Edison High School, 1981 Julia Reddick, Regionals at South Lakes High School, 1981 Regionals at South Lakes High School, 1981 Aisha Davis, Regionals at South Lakes High School, 1981 Holly McGovern (880 yd) Regionals at South Lakes High School, 1981 Holly McGovern (880 yd) Regionals at South Lakes High School, 1981 Rosemary Labonge, Districts at Edison High School, 1981 Cathy Connor, Districts at Edison High School, 1981 Judy Hubell, Regionals at South Lakes High School, 1981 Derial Rhodes (400 yd) Regionals at South Lakes High School, 1981 Bob Murray, 1981 Amy Prochko, Aisha Davis, Jean Murphy, Yasemin Washington, 1981 Jennifer Bowman, Kitty Birner, Laura Ogden, Ruth (?) Bowman, Amy Wiggins, Anne Diekemper, Drill Team Carwash, 1981 Valerie Myers, Margie Ianni, Jennifer Caffery, Drill Team Carwash, 1981 Anne Diekemper, Georgia Candelori, Drill Team Carwash, 1981 Linda Aills, Margie Ianni, Drill Team Carwash , 1981 Rusty McGuire, Indoor Track , 1982 Mark Pfeiffer hands off to Paul Murphy as David Colley Iooks on, Indoor Track , 1982 Mark Lerro , Long Jump Indoor Track , 1982 Wes Coil, Drum Major (2 photos), 1981 Marta Dibell, 1981 Fort Hunt High School Marching Band at Mount Vernon Competition, 1981 Fort Hunt High School Marching Band at Mount Vernon Competition, 1981 Fort Hunt High School Marching Band at Mount Vernon Competition, 1981 Fort Hunt High School Marching Band at Mount Vernon Competition, 1981 Fort Hunt High School Marching Band at Mount Vernon Competition, 1981 Fort Hunt High School Marching Band at Mount Vernon Competition, 1981 Fort Hunt High School Marching Band at Mount Vernon Competition, 1981 Fort Hunt High School Marching Band at Mount Vernon Competition, 1981 Fort Hunt High School Marching Band at Mount Vernon Competition, 1981 Fort Hunt High School Marching Band at Mount Vernon Competition, 1981 Fort Hunt High School Marching Band at Mount Vernon Competition, 1981 Fort Hunt High School Marching Band at Mount Vernon Competition, 1981 Fort Hunt High School Marching Band at Mount Vernon Competition, 1981 Fort Hunt High School Marching Band at Mount Vernon Competition, 1981 George Etheridge and West Coile lead the band off the field, 1981 Fort Hunt High School Marching Band, Halftime Show , 1981 Fort Hunt High School Color Guard, 1981 Summer Band Camp , 1981