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Local figure

Michael Simmons

Michael Simmons was superintendent of the Orange County schools from 1977 to 1983. He came from the superintendency in Dillon, South Carolina, which he had held since 1974, and he left Orange County to become superintendent of the Johnson City, Tennessee, schools.

Source: DigitalNC: Irene Oliver Pender, A History of Orange County Schools, 1752-1983 (1983), p. 149

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Life and Orange County connections

Storylines this person is part of, in date order. Each has its own page.

StorylineTown elections and bond votes, 1979–19891979–1989 · 73 events · In November 1979 Chapel Hill elected Joe Nassif mayor over council members Robert Epting and Gerry Cohen and Harold Foster, returned outgoing Mayor James Wallace and two incumbents to the Town Council and added Joe Straley. Its voters approved a fire station bond but rejected a downtown parking deck and the Ridgefield open space purchase. Carrboro re-elected Mayor Robert Drakeford, Hillsborough brought back Fred Cates as mayor, and county voters defeated a $20.4 million bond package, schools included. In 1981 the new Association for a Better Carrboro took three aldermen's seats from the Carrboro Community Coalition while Mayor Drakeford won a third term, and Chapel Hill voters unseated council members Bill Thorpe and Joe Herzenberg. In 1983 Jim Porto was elected Carrboro's mayor as ABC candidates won every aldermen's seat, Chapel Hill re-elected Mayor Nassif and returned Thorpe to the council, and Hillsborough Mayor Lucius Cheshire, beaten by Frank Sheffield, resigned early. In 1985 former mayor Jim Wallace won the office back in a race he called a quasi-referendum on Rosemary Square, and in 1986 Chapel Hill voters approved $11.8 million in bonds, a new library among them. In 1987 Jonathan Howes was elected mayor, Joe Herzenberg won a council seat and Eleanor Kinnaird unseated Carrboro Mayor Jim Porto. In 1989 Howes and Kinnaird were re-elected, and Hillsborough elected Horace Johnson, by the Daily Tar Heel's account its first Black mayor.

Dated events connected with this person, in date order. See these 5 dated events in the chronology →

  1. Michael Simmons becomes superintendent of the Orange County schools Dr. Michael Simmons, superintendent in Dillon, South Carolina, since 1974, took charge of the Orange County schools in 1977. He resigned in 1983 to lead the Johnson City, Tennessee, schools. People: Michael Simmons Place: Orange CountySearch the index · DigitalNC: Irene Oliver Pender, A History of Orange County Schools, 1752-1983 (1983), p. 149
  2. Cameron Park School is enlarged again under Superintendent Michael Simmons A further addition to Cameron Park Elementary in Hillsborough went up in 1978, the third stage of the building, which by the early 1980s housed kindergarten through fifth grade. People: Michael Simmons Place: HillsboroughSearch the index · DigitalNC: Irene Oliver Pender, A History of Orange County Schools, 1752-1983 (1983), p. 165
  3. Orange High School's Cultural Arts Building is fitted with a heat pump system A note to the Orange High plant table records a heat pump system in 1979 for the school's Cultural Arts Building, work that falls in Michael Simmons's term as superintendent. People: Michael Simmons Place: Hillsborough · Also mentions: Orange HighSearch the index · DigitalNC: Irene Oliver Pender, A History of Orange County Schools, 1752-1983 (1983), p. 170
  4. Orange County voters defeat a $17.8 million school bond backed by both superintendents Superintendents Michael Simmons of the Orange County schools and Robert Hanes of Chapel Hill-Carrboro had spoken for the bonds, saying both systems needed classrooms for growing enrollment and for students with special needs. Voters rejected them 7,447 to 4,517, and Simmons blamed the size of the issues and the economy. Place: Orange County · Also named: Robert HanesSearch the index · The Daily Tar Heel, November 7, 1979, pp. 1-2
  5. Dannie G. Lunsford becomes superintendent of the Orange County schools Dr. Dannie G. Lunsford, who had come to the county in 1971 as principal at Efland and risen through the instruction office to associate superintendent, succeeded Michael Simmons as superintendent in July 1983. People: Michael Simmons Place: Orange County · Also named: Dannie G. LunsfordSearch the index · DigitalNC: Irene Oliver Pender, A History of Orange County Schools, 1752-1983 (1983), p. 152

Places in this person’s story

Buildings, schools, churches and other sites named in the dated events on this page, the most often named first. The map shows them all.

Map tiles © OpenStreetMap contributors. Site locations from the N.C. State Historic Preservation Office survey, Open Orange, Orange County GIS, OpenStreetMap and a few other published sources named on each site’s page; town and community pins show approximate locations.

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  • NC LIVE: prepared search for Michael Simmons Library card Search NC LIVE for this subject and Orange County. You can change the search terms. Sign in through your North Carolina library to access the materials.
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