Mortimer Jordan High School
Mortimer Jordan High School | |
Established | 1920 |
---|---|
School type | Public |
District | Jefferson County Schools |
Grades | 9-12 |
Principal | Craig Kanaday |
Enrollment | 931 (2007) |
Colors | royal blue & white |
Mascot | Blue Devils |
Location | 1920 Blue Devil Drive Kimberly |
Website | mortimerjordanhigh.jefcoed.com |
Mortimer Jordan High School (MJHS) is a four-year public high school in the Jefferson County School System located at 1920 Blue Devil Drive in Kimberly. It was founded on Old Highway 31 in Morris in 1920 and named for World War I hero Mortimer Jordan. The school's motto is "Love it . . . or leave it." The principal is Craig Kanaday.
History
Parents in the Morris area organized for the founding of the new school, which opened in the fall of 1920. Ninety students were enrolled at the start of the year, and the first graduating class consisted of Sudie Counts and Eileen Jenkins, both of whom became teachers. The faculty consisted of three female teachers and Mennie Halliman as the school's first principal.
A Mr Gordon took over as principal in 1921. He began the clearing of a wooded lot that later served as a playground by sending misbehaving students out to cut down trees and dig up stumps. Twelve students graduated in the second full year of classes. Thirteen-year-old Mabel Creel graduated in 1928 as the valedictorian of her class.
The school's original building had five rooms, but growth required the addition of a frame building of eight rooms. The school's first gym was built by the Works Progress Administration in 1936–37, around the same time the lunchroom program was established. Indoor plumbing and restrooms, fed by pump from Turkey Creek, were installed before 1941. A football and athletic field was added in the early 1950's.
Jimmie Trotter served as principal for 32 years. The school's football stadium, named for Trotter, has since been demolished and the site redeveloped as the Trotter Parc subdivision.
In recent history, the school served grades 7-12. With the opening of North Jefferson Middle School in the fall of 2004, Mortimer Jordan began serving only grades 9-12.
In 2011 the school moved to a new 232,000 square-foot building at the end of Bone Dry Road (renamed Blue Devil Drive) in Kimberly. The new campus, designed by Davis Architects, includes a 650-seat performing arts center, a culinary arts kitchen, and several computer and science labs. Winter Construction built the new facility.
The old school building was converted into the new home for the William E. Burkett Center for handicapped students.
Athletics
The Mortimer Jordan Blue Devils compete in AHSAA Level 5A. Region 6. The 1928 boys' basketball team, coached by Clarence Vines, won a state title and went on to finish second in the national finals in Chicago, Illinois. The girls' fast pitch softball team, coached by Laura Rickman, has brought home state titles in 1999, 2008, 2009 and 2011.
The Blue Devils football team, coached by Greg Watts, plays its home games at 4,500-seat Jimmie Trotter Field, named for the school's long-time principal.
Principals
- Mennie Halliman, 1920–21
- Mr Gordon, 1922–1923
- Mr Sams, 1923-1925
- J. O. Suddeth, 1959
- Jimmie Trotter, 1967–2000
- Byron Campbell, c. 2000–2008
- Barbara Snider, 2008–2014
- Craig Kanaday, 2014–2024 (promoted to Director of Athletics for Jefferson County Schools)
Notable graduates
- Lum Harris, major league baseball player
- Peter Willis, NFL quarterback
References
- Willis, Ann (1963) "Mortimer Jordan High founded in 1920" - accessed January 24, 2012
- Baker, Jerry (February 29, 2000) "Mortimer Jordan leader set to retire after 32 years." Birmingham News, page 3-B
- Montgomery, Ben (October 13, 2011) "Officials cut ribbon at Mortimer Jordan High School". North Jefferson News
- "Mortimer Jordan High School" (December 9, 2011) Wikipedia - accessed January 24, 2012
External links
- Mortimer Jordan High School website
- Mortimer Jordan High School football history from AHSFHS.org site