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About APS
– History
What's in a Name?
Elementary School Names (H-N)
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Harris Elementary
School |
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Constructed |
1922 |
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Named in honor of |
Malana A. Harris (1842-1904) |
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Originally part of |
Portage Township Schools |
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Annexed by Akron Public Schools |
1916 |
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Harris School is located on the site of the former Caldwell
School, built in 1906 by the Portage Township Schools. In
1916 the Akron Board of Education annexed Caldwell, and it
became part of the Akron Public Schools system. A four-room
annex was added shortly afterward.
In 1921 the Akron Board of Education razed the original 1906
building and built a major addition to the school.
Apparently, the school board intended to retain the name of
Caldwell for the Dayton Street school; however, a
controversy concerning school names began to brew which
ultimately involved the Dayton Street school and the
proposed school on Merriman Road now known as King School.
The end result was that the Dayton Street school was
renamed for Malana A. Harris, a former Akron teacher who was
instrumental in the growth of the kindergarten program in
Akron. Harris began her teaching career in Akron Public
Schools in September 1875. |
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Hatton Elementary
School |
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Constructed |
1957 |
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Additions |
1961, 1965 |
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Named in honor of |
Otis C. Hatton (1886-1957) |
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In 1917 Otis C. Hatton came to Akron to teach at Central High
School. During the ensuing years, he served successively as
principal of Glover Elementary School, Mason Elementary
Teachers' College Observation School and East High School.
In 1934 he was appointed assistant superintendent, a post he
held until 1942 when he was named superintendent.
During his 13-year superintendency, Hatton guided the Akron
school system from the curtailments of the depression years.
Among his more important accomplishments were the reopening
of kindergarten, the reestablishment of the full-length
school day for high school students, and the launching of an
extensive building construction program. |
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Heminger Elementary
School |
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Constructed |
1905 |
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Addition |
1964 |
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Named in honor of |
McClelland C. Heminger (1862-1945) |
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McClelland C. Heminger taught school for more than 20 years
and, for several years, served as a member of the Coventry
Board of Education. In 1900 he entered the lumber
business. By 1901 he had become very involved with the
incorporation of Kenmore and so joined the Akron Realty Co.
where he served as secretary, treasurer and general manager.
It was while he was general manager of the company that
Heminger donated land for a school in Kenmore – a school
which would proudly bear his name. |
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Highland Park Elementary School
(renamed Sam Salem Elementary School) |
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Constructed |
1922 |
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Additions |
1956, 1963 |
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Originally part of |
Coventry Township |
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Annexed by the city of Kenmore |
1920 |
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Highland Park School is located in an area which originally
was a part of Coventry Township and was served by the old
Tamarack School near Nesmith Lake. This area – also referred
to as Oakwood – was annexed by the city of Kenmore in 1920.
Largely through the efforts of A. R. Ritzman of the
Heminger-Ritzman Realty Co., a residential allotment was
opened called Highland Park.
Shortly after the allotment opened, a school was
constructed to serve the children of this new area, children
who has been attending school in portable buildings and
children from the old Tamarack School. The new 14-room brick
building took its name from the residential allotment which
had spawned it, Highland Park.
Highland Park was renamed
Sam Salem Elementary School in January 2000 in honor of
retiring school board member Sam Salem, the longest-serving
member (28 years) in the board's history. |
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David Hill
Elementary School |
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Constructed |
1928 |
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Named in honor of |
David E. Hill (1825-1901) |
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In 1851 David E. Hill joined with three other men to become
manufacturers of water pipe. Two years later, one of the
partners invented a machine to make vitrified sewer pipe,
thus making this company the first sewer pipe factory in the
United States. By 1871 the company was incorporated as the
Akron Sewer Pipe Co. In 1873 Hill formed another pipe
company – the Hill Sewer Pipe Co. – with himself as
president. In 1900 the two companies merged to form the
American Sewer Pipe Co.
Besides founding the sewer pipe industry, Hill also
served as the first president of the Goodyear Tire and
Rubber Co., a member of City Council, a county commissioner
and as a member of the Middlebury School Board. |
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Jackson Elementary
School |
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Constructed |
1928 |
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Named in honor of |
Andrew Jackson (1833-1905) |
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In 1864 Andrew Jackson – no relation to the president after
whom he was named – began a career in the lumber business
which enabled him to become very prominent in Akron's
commercial circles.
Jackson was active in community affairs and served two terms
as a member of the Akron Board of Education. |
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King Elementary School |
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Constructed |
1923 |
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Named in honor of |
Leicester King, David L. King and Henry W. King |
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King School was named for three members of the King family.
Leicester King served as an associate judge of Trumbull
County for seven years before coming to Akron. In 1834 Judge
King was deeded a third interest in north Akron by General
Simon Perkins and Dr. Eliakim Crosby. Later, Judge King
purchased Dr. Crosby's interest. In 1840 Judge King helped
to build the Cascade Mill. He was a key promoter of the
Pennsylvania and Ohio Canal, and it is said that he was
responsible for changing the plan of the canal route so it
would come through Akron instead of Middlebury.

David L. King, son of Judge King, shared his father's
interest in business. David King was secretary and treasurer
of the Akron Sewer Pipe Co., a leading manufacturer of
vitrified sewer pipe.
The most important member of the King family in the
history of Akron Public Schools is Henry W. King (pictured
to the left). King was secretary of the citizens committee
which drafted the bill embodying the Akron Plan of free
graded public schools passed by the state legislature in
February 1847. The Akron Plan became the model for
tax-supported schools in Ohio and throughout the nation. |
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Lawndale Elementary
School |
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Constructed |
1912 |
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Opened |
1913 |
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Additions |
1916, 1922 |
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Originally part of |
Coventry Township District |
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Annexed by Akron Public Schools |
1929 |
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The first Lawndale School was a one-room frame building on
Wilbeth Road. The school was named for an area of Kenmore
known as the Lawndale Allotment.
In 1912 a four-room brick school was erected on 25th Street.
Because of the rapid increase in enrollment, additions were
added to Lawndale in 1916 and 1922. In 1929, when Kenmore
was annexed to the city of Akron, Lawndale became part of
Akron Public Schools. |
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Leggett Elementary
School |
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Constructed |
1889 |
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Additions |
1914, 1921 |
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Named in honor of |
Mortimer D. Leggett (1821-96) |
Mortimer
D. Leggett (pictured to the right), Akron's first
superintendent of schools, served from 1847 to 1849.
In addition to his duties as superintendent, he was
principal of the grammar school at an annual salary of $500.
During his short tenure, he was responsible for the formal
organization of the Akron school system. When the new school
board was unable to honor his request for additional
compensation, he resigned his post. |
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Lincoln Elementary
School |
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Constructed |
1910 |
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Opened |
September 1910 |
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Addition |
1919 |
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Named in honor of |
President Abraham Lincoln (1809-65) |
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Lincoln School was named for Abraham Lincoln, 16th president
of the United States (1861-65).
Construction of the school was started in 1909, the 100th
anniversary of Lincoln's birth. The school opened in
September 1910. The original building had 12 rooms including
a kindergarten. In 1919 a major addition provided 12
additional classrooms, a kindergarten room, a combination
auditorium/gymnasium and a swimming pool. |
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Margaret Park
Elementary School |
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Constructed |
1917 |
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Opened |
Spring 1918 |
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Additions |
1920, 1928, 1930 |
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Named in honor of |
Margaret Barnhart (1874-1913) |
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Margaret Barnhart, a leader in the establishment of public
playgrounds, moved to Akron in 1898. She believed supervised
playgrounds would help eliminate juvenile delinquency and
took the lead in establishing public playgrounds in Akron.
The city named the park along the northeast shore of Summit
Lake in her honor. Barnhart was also instrumental in the
establishment of the new Children's Home and the Juvenile
Court. |
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Mason Elementary
School |
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Constructed |
1913 |
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Opened |
September 1913 |
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Addition |
1919 |
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Named in honor of |
Frank H. Mason (1852-1931) |
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Frank H. Mason, Akron industrialist and philanthropist, came
to Akron in 1879 and took a job in the millroom of B. F.
Goodrich Rubber Works, Akron's first rubber company. He rose
through the ranks and, in 1907, was elected vice president.
In 1912, when Goodrich and Diamond Rubber Co. merged, he
became vice chairman of the board of directors.
In September 1910, Akron Public Schools suspended medical
inspections in the schools due to lack of funding. Concerned
about the curtailment of health services, in 1912 Mason
offered to underwrite the cost of employing visiting nurses
in the schools for one year. In recognition of his
generosity, the Akron Board of Education named the proposed
school on Beaver Street the "Frank H. Mason School." |
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McEbright
Elementary School |
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Constructed |
1920 |
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Named in honor of |
Thomas McEbright (1824-94) |

In 1864, Dr. Thomas McEbright (pictured to the left) came to
Akron and soon became one of the area's prominent surgeons.
For many years, Dr. McEbright served as a faithful and
interested member of the Akron Board of Education. |
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Miller South
School for the Visual and Performing Arts |
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Constructed |
1956 (South High School |
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Opened |
September 1956, closed 1980, reopened as Miller South in 1993 |
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Additions |
Lakeshore Annex 1971, 1975 |
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Miller South School for the Visual & Performing Arts opened in
the fall of 1993, following a parent, student and staff
interest survey which indicated community support for a
visual and performing arts school.
The former South High School was closed in 1980. The school
then became the South Education Center. In honor of Akron's
first African-American principal, George C. Miller, the
building was renamed George C. Miller South Education
Center. |
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