Alan C. Pope - The Man

Alan Clayton Pope lived in East Cobb before the huge growth of our county. He attended the old Sprayberry High (now Joseph T. Walker School) and later went to a small Alabama college. Once he graduated, he returned to Cobb County to teach and coach. Four years later, his life was cut short in a tragic auto accident.

What made Alan Pope so special that Cobb County named its newest high school after him? Hal Cochran, Alan Pope's high school coach, wrote that "he was that rare individual that met all challenges with 110%."

He gained All-State, All-Region, and All-County recognition in both basketball and baseball. The honors did not end on the playing fields. He was an honor student who had the qualities that teachers, principals, and students look for when selecting an Atlanta Journal Cup recipient or a Mr. Sprayberry.

As a coach, he brought his sense of fairness and caring to the students on his teams and in his classes. He emphasized that a person should believe in himself and do the very best he could.

Alan Pope's goal for each of his players and students was that he become a well-rounded person. Perhaps that should become the primary goal of each graduate of Pope High School.