Time capsule found during auditorium renovation

Ascension Public Schools construction crews found what appears to be a copper time capsule hidden in the wall behind the old Donaldsonville High School Auditorium's 1938 building plaque. The school system is researching the origins of the time capsule before planning a public event to open and share the contents with the community.

"Wow! We are very excited about this find for our school system and the Donaldsonville community. Eighty years ago, this time capsule was placed to create excitement and to remind us of our past and the efforts of those that walked before us," said Superintendent David Alexander. "We want to be sure that we learn all we can with respect to the intentions of those that planted the capsule so that our celebration honors the history and carries forward the tradition."

Anyone with information about the history of the time capsule is encouraged to send an email to TimeCapsule@apsb.org.

In 1938, when the auditorium was erected, the Superintendent of Schools was Larry J. Babin and the Ascension Parish School Board members were G.E. Dixon, Marcel Brou, Sabin Denoux, Norbert Delatte, Claude Legendre, Clay Waggenspack, Eli Braud, Edward Braud, Newman Nickens and Joseph Pertuis.

The old Donaldsonville auditorium is currently being converted into classroom space for Ascension's Headstart program, which is part of a $3 million construction project to upgrade and expand preschool facilities approved by voters in 2016.

For more information about Ascension Public Schools, visit www.apsb.org.

Contributed by Ascension Public Schools