American Community School, Saigon History
Opened: 1954
Closed: 1965
The American Community School was located in Saigon, South Vietnam, and was opened in 1954. The school was a combined elementary and high school, with separate principals for the two levels. The school was opened in order to provide an American-style education program for the dependent children of Americans working for the U.S. government in Saigon, South Vietnam. The school also accepted dependents of private American firms operating in Saigon as well as some non-U.S. diplomatic families. Some Vietnamese children also attended the school. The school grew rapidly as the U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War escalated.
The school began in the Saigon home of the wife of a U.S. government employee in 1954. The original students were all younger elementary-age children. A second dependent wife soon joined in teaching elementary-age students. This second class met in a small building in the Norodom Compound, one of several U.S. government facilities in Saigon. The compound was near the Presidential Palace. The next academic year, two Quonset huts were erected on the compound, and the home-schooled elementary students joined the students already attending school on the compound. Near the end of 1955, one of the Quonset huts burned down and most of the students’ books were destroyed. The hut was rebuilt for the 1956-57 academic year, and an additional, larger Quonset hut was constructed. The school then temporarily moved into the newly built Stanvac building, which housed Saigon headquarters for a Dutch oil company. When the rebuilding of the Norodom Compound was complete, it was possible for the creation of a high school for the American dependents.
Prior to the completion of the high school, high school instruction consisted of correspondence courses graded by the high school division of the University of California. Consequently, the high school teachers generally served as tutors rather than instructors. By the 1962-63 school year, the American Community School had grown to the status of a college preparatory high school with high academic standards. Testing programs showed that the ACS high school students scored 20% higher than other stateside students.
For the 1958-59 school year, the school moved out of the Norodom Compound and into the newly built, permanent buildings near Saigon’s Tan Son Nhat International Airport. The street address was 10 Tan Son Hoa. The extra space was quickly put to use as the school enrollment continued to increase. By the 1959-60 school year, according to the first yearbook, the high school enrollment was twenty-eight students. The school now had five classroom wings. During the 1962-63 school year, a two-story wing was added.
The school yearbook published its fourth volume in 1963 and was called Gecko. The school newspaper was the Bamboo Beacon. The school colors were blue and white, and the school sports teams were called the Teenagers.
The school Alma Mater was written by Sandi Hall.
ACHS Alma Mater
A. C. High we love so well,
With pride and joy our praises swell.
Faith, devotion, all to thee,
Our Alma Mater ever be.
For all thy learning rich and pure,
For all thy training strong and sure,
We will pledge our loyalty,
A. C. High, all hail to thee!
The school fight song was:
ACHS Pep Song
Fight, fight, fight,
For the blue and white
We're here to win today.
Give a cheer, Give a cheer they will hear,
Clear from Saigon to the U.S.A.
Out at Pershing Field there's a tropical sun,
That burns no brighter than our spirits
When the game must be won.
We'll fight for ACHS.
We will always give our best.
So fight on to victory.
Fight, fight, fight, Fight on to victory!
The 1963 yearbook highlighted the accomplishments of the School Board. The Board was credited with having additional courses added to the curriculum, getting the new building with its fine science laboratories constructed, and increasing the scholastic status of the school.
The high school principal for the 1962-63 school year was Mark Harpole, and there were twenty-four high school faculty. The senior class had sixty students. There were sixteen juniors, twenty-seven sophomores, and forty-two freshman. The junior high had an enrollment of about 115 students.
The elementary principal for the first semester was Dorothy Malone, and Mary H. Browrell replaced her second semester. The elementary school had approximately 390 students with sixteen classroom teachers.
The sports program at the school included softball and track, and the high school students competed against military teams on the base. Other organizations at the school included the student council, drama club, pep club, Junior Red Cross, and Rainbow Girls.
The 1964 yearbook stated:
This year has been one of great importance for all of us. Our school has progressed at a rapid rate into a better equipped physical plant. We have moved into the new Kennedy Hall, gone on a morning schedule, and watched the clearing of adjacent land, where, in the near future, the school will be expanded with the construction of a gymnasium, a cafeteria, a parking lot, and an auditorium.
Here in Saigon, we have witnessed many tragic and joyous events. We can say we were in Vietnam when her survival was being threatened, and when Americans were taking an important role in the nation’s history. We have observed the formation of two new governments, the stepped-up war, and Viet Cong harassment.
As American students we have learned much from the unique events occurring around us. We carry these experiences with us as we go our separate ways all over the world.
The high school principal for the 1963-64 school year was Ruth Lindquist, and the high school had a faculty of fifteen. There were 170 pupils in grades nine through twelve with thirty seniors. The school had its first band and chorus and its first swim team. Many activities at the school were cancelled or restricted due to increased security measures. One highlight of the year was having CBS film live at the school.
Mary Brownell continued as the elementary principal, and the number of elementary students increased to the point where there were three sections at most grade levels. In grades one through eight there were over 600 students.
The school was permanently closed in February 1965 when all dependents of U.S. government personnel were ordered out of Vietnam by President Lyndon Johnson. When the school closed, the enrollment was 750 students and an additional building wing had been completed the previous weekend but was never occupied by any students of the American Community School.
After the departure of the dependents from Saigon, the buildings were converted into a medical facility for the U.S. Army 3rd Field Hospital. The Norodom Compound later became the site of a new multi-story U.S. Embassy that opened in 1967.
Information from school yearbooks and internet sites