RJR had a player on its first football team die while playing
RJ Reynolds High School officially opened its doors for the first time to students on September 13, 1923. The school had a football team that first year. Regrettably, a player on that team (Leo Cladwell) died during the game against Charlotte (which was played in Hanes Park). To read an article about that game, click here ( * ). In it, you will learn that as opposed to being referred to as the Demons, the RJR athletic teams were then known as The Golden Tornado. You will also learn that the most common mode of travel back then was by train. That fact is important for the plans Mrs. Katharine Reynolds (RJ Reynolds's widos) had for the auditorium she built and donated to the City (which sits next to Reynolds HIgh School). To learn about her plans for the auditorium, click here ( * ) to read a historical document that tells about the creation of RJR and the auditorium.