The Class of 1967 has revitalized the Memorial Garden built on the Downing Road campus in 1967 to commemorate the students who had died during the school year.
An alumni committee worked with memorial designer Leslie Bryson of Bryson Memorials in Angleton to refurbish the garden. Names of all students who passed away while enrolled in an Angleton school from 1960 forward are engraved on pillars circling the Memorial Garden. These include students from Marshall and AHS and all elementary and junior high schools.
A memorial bench lists the names of all faculty and staff who passed away during this time or took early retirement because of illnesses that led to their deaths.
AISD kept the Memorial Garden site intact when portions of the campus were deconstructed and the Maintenance Department rebuilt benches.
The Class of 1967 committee raised funds for the refurbishing plus provided landscaping, using purple and white plants, and extended the landscaping from the Memorial Garden to the History Center.
The unveiling and re-dedication of the Memorial Garden was held on September 14, 2013 with hundreds of visitors attending the special event. H-E-B of Angleton provided hot dogs and soda for donations to the Memorial Garden Restoration fund. Alumni from different decades read the names of students and staff who were listed.
Stories on all students and faculty whose names are engraved on the Memorial Garden are on display at the History Center.
Former VICA teacher Jesse Bates was the originator of the Memorial Garden. Agriculture teacher Lewis Gardner assisted him and they involved students from vocational classes and other groups in constructing the site.