A Brief Summary

Glynn Academy was founded in February 1, 1788, making it the second oldest high school in Georgia. Despite the ruling of Brown v. Board of Education (1954), Glynn Academy did not fully desegregate until 1970.  

In 1963, Glynn County School System issued a Voluntary Integration Program, accepting applications from students in 11th and 12th grade from Risley High School, the school for African American children in Brunswick. Risley High School, previously called Colored Memorial High School, opened in 1870. 

In the October 1963, a lawsuit initiated by a representative for a white Glynn Academy student, Linda Sue Gibson, sought to prevent the transfer of six African American students from Risley High School to Glynn Academy. Known segregationist Judge Frank Scarlett, whom Brunswick's post office and court-house are named after, immediately sides with Gibson and maintains segregation.

The local NAACP successfully appealed the decision, and six African American students enrolled at Glynn Academy in the 1963-1964 school year. Gibson and other white families appealed this decision, but the Supreme Court dismissed the case in 1965.

This program continued until 1968, when the Glynn County Board of Education let students decide which school to attend. 

After a federal mandate along with a motion filed by the NAACP, Glynn County schools become fully integrated by September 1, 1970.