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About APS Links
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About APS
– History
What's in a Name?
High
School Names
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Buchtel High School |
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Constructed |
1931 |
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Additions |
1955, 1971, 1984 (gymnasium) |
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Named in honor of |
John R. Buchtel (1822-92) |
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John R. Buchtel was one of Akron's leading industrialists and
philanthropists. He helped to organize and finance a number
of Akron firms and was also one of the early investors in
the rubber company of Dr. Benjamin F. Goodrich.
Buchtel is best remembered for his role in the founding
of the Universalist college originally named in his honor,
which today is the University of Akron. Over the course of
his life, Buchtel and his wife contributed more than
$500,000 to the college. |
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East High School |
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Constructed |
1955 |
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Opened |
September 1955 |
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Addition |
1971 |
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The present East High School on Brittain Road opened in
September 1955. The school replaced the older East High
School facility on Martha Avenue, which is now known as
Goodyear Middle School. |
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Ellet High School |
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Constructed |
1950 |
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Additions |
1957, 1975 |
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Annexed by the city of Akron |
1929 |
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The bulk of the land in the Ellet District was purchased in
1810 from Simon Perkins by three sons of Samuel Ellet, an
early settler who moved into the area that year.
The Ellet District was annexed to the city of Akron in 1929
and became part of Akron Public Schools the same year.
The present Ellet High School on Woolf Avenue opened in
1950. The school replaced the older Ellet High School on
Canton Road which served both elementary and high school
students. That facility is now known as Ritzman Elementary
School.
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Firestone High
School |
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Constructed |
1962 |
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Opened |
September 1963 |
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Named in honor of |
Harvey S. Firestone (1868-1938) |
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With capital acquired in a buggy tire business, Harvey S.
Firestone came to Akron in 1900 and, with three associates,
organized the Firestone Tire & Rubber co. The ingenuity and
aggressiveness of Harvey Firestone in providing tires for
the automobile industry resulted in the rapid growth of his
company and helped to make Akron the rubber capital of the
world.
Firestone had a keen interest in civic affairs in Akron. His
family continued this tradition, donating funds for the
natatorium facilities at Firestone High School. |
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Garfield High
School |
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Constructed |
1926 |
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Opened |
September 1926 |
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Named in honor of |
President James A. Garfield (1831-81) |
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Garfield High School was named for James A. Garfield, 20th
president of the United States. The school was formally
dedicated on November 19, 1926. James R. Garfield, the son
of the slain president, gave the principal address at the
ceremony.
In 1966 Garfield High School became the first comprehensive
high school in Akron when it opened an addition for
vocational education facilities. |
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Kenmore High School |
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Constructed |
1916, with an addition in 1917 (both razed in 1975) |
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Additions |
1952, 1955; an almost entirely new school built in 1980 |
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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 village of Kenmore was developed by the Akron Realty
Company. The members of the company originally planned to
call the new town Hazeldale or Hazelhurst in honor of the
daughter of N. R. Steiner, one of the company's
stockholders. For some reason now unknown, Steiner selected
Kenmore instead. Some people believe Steiner named the town
for a beautiful Long Island or New Jersey estate by that
name while others contend it was named for Kenmore Castle in
England.
The Akron Realty Co. sold the first lot in the development in
the spring of 1901. In 1908 the village of Kenmore was
incorporated.
In 1916 the Coventry Township Schools built a school on
the present Kenmore High site. Due to the rapid growth of
the village of Kenmore, an addition was added the next year.
The school housed elementary and high school students for
several years. More additions were made in 1952 and 1955. In
1977, the oldest parts of the school were razed, and, in 1981,
almost an entirely new school was built. |
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North High School |
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Constructed |
1931 |
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Additions |
1953, 1964, 1970 |
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North High School was originally located at what is now
Jennings Middle School. In 1931 the present North High
School was built on Gorge Boulevard. The new building housed
10th-, 11th- and 12-grade students. The school then
officially became North High School.
Two wars and a depression delayed the completion of the
building for 24 years. In 1955 a major addition including an
auditorium, cafeteria and gymnasium was completed. Then in
1970, a vocational wing was added; and in September 1972,
North High became a four-year high school once again.
Akron's first grammar school/high school building (at Mill,
between Prospect and Summit streets) was used from 1847 to
1853. It was a dwelling house which was fixed up for a
grammar school/high school. In 1853 Jennings School – a new
two-story brick high school – was built on this site for
$9,250. |
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