McKinley Senior High School
Encyclopedia
McKinley Senior High School, located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana
and is located on 800 E. McKinley St. is home to the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board's first (of two) gifted and talented high school programs. The school mascot is a panther and the school colors are royal blue
and white.
McKinley’s first graduating class was in 1916, consisting of four students, becoming the first graduating class of African American high school graduates in the state of Louisiana. The current building was erected in 1926 opening September 19, 1927, and named in honor of the 25th President of the United States, William McKinley. The high school was later moved again in 1950 to a new facility on the corner of Louise St. and McCalop St. next to the present day I-10. The Thomas H. Delpit Blvd. facility became McKinley Junior High School. In 1962, the third and present day McKinley High School was built at 800 East McKinley Street, the Junior High School then moved to the I-10 site, and the Thomas H. Delpit Blvd. site became McKinley Elementary.
November 16, 1981, the original facility of McKinley Senior High School was entered into the National Register of Historic Places. On February 5, 1992, the McKinley Alumni Association purchased the original structure from the East Baton Rouge Parish school board, and was later destroyed by fire on July 3, 1998.
McKinley Senior High School is the oldest high school established for African Americans in the State of Louisiana, continuing to be a tradition and legacy for many families and the surrounding community.
campus and is bordered by Lake Crest, one of the LSU lakes to the East. Facilities include 5 main buildings, many out buildings, football and baseball fields, tennis courts, track and field facilities, and a brand new black box theater which was built by students in 2006.
McKinley's high academics standards regularly have it ranked amongst the best in the state. The students ranked 18th of all schools in Louisiana for the statewide average ACT score and 3rd in the state when comparing their Gifted and Talented program.
18 graduating students from 2007 and 2008 received National Merit and Advanced Placement Scholarships.
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Baton Rouge is the capital of the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is located in East Baton Rouge Parish and is the second-largest city in the state.Baton Rouge is a major industrial, petrochemical, medical, and research center of the American South...
and is located on 800 E. McKinley St. is home to the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board's first (of two) gifted and talented high school programs. The school mascot is a panther and the school colors are royal blue
Royal blue
Royal blue describes both a bright shade and a dark shade of azure blue. It is said to have been invented by millers in Rode, Somerset, a consortium of which won a competition to make a dress for the British queen, Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz....
and white.
History
The History of McKinley Senior High School began in 1907 in a small house several blocks east of the present site named “The Hickory Street School.” In 1913 the school was relocated to Perkins Rd. at Bynum St. and renamed “The Baton Rouge Colored High School.”McKinley’s first graduating class was in 1916, consisting of four students, becoming the first graduating class of African American high school graduates in the state of Louisiana. The current building was erected in 1926 opening September 19, 1927, and named in honor of the 25th President of the United States, William McKinley. The high school was later moved again in 1950 to a new facility on the corner of Louise St. and McCalop St. next to the present day I-10. The Thomas H. Delpit Blvd. facility became McKinley Junior High School. In 1962, the third and present day McKinley High School was built at 800 East McKinley Street, the Junior High School then moved to the I-10 site, and the Thomas H. Delpit Blvd. site became McKinley Elementary.
November 16, 1981, the original facility of McKinley Senior High School was entered into the National Register of Historic Places. On February 5, 1992, the McKinley Alumni Association purchased the original structure from the East Baton Rouge Parish school board, and was later destroyed by fire on July 3, 1998.
McKinley Senior High School is the oldest high school established for African Americans in the State of Louisiana, continuing to be a tradition and legacy for many families and the surrounding community.
Campus
The current campus sits in an urban area of Baton Rouge just to the northwest of the Louisiana State UniversityLouisiana State University
Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, most often referred to as Louisiana State University, or LSU, is a public coeducational university located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The University was founded in 1853 in what is now known as Pineville, Louisiana, under the name...
campus and is bordered by Lake Crest, one of the LSU lakes to the East. Facilities include 5 main buildings, many out buildings, football and baseball fields, tennis courts, track and field facilities, and a brand new black box theater which was built by students in 2006.
Academics
McKinley is Baton Rouge's only high school with a Gifted and Talented program. It also offers 23 Advanced Placement courses.McKinley's high academics standards regularly have it ranked amongst the best in the state. The students ranked 18th of all schools in Louisiana for the statewide average ACT score and 3rd in the state when comparing their Gifted and Talented program.
18 graduating students from 2007 and 2008 received National Merit and Advanced Placement Scholarships.
Clubs
McKinley students can choose from over 20 student clubs. The following is an abbreviated list:- Abstinenece
- Beta
- Chess
- Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA)
- HI-Y
- Mu Alpha Theta
- National Honor Society
- Quiz Bowl
- Student Government Association (SGA)
Athletics
McKinley competes in the Louisiana High School Athletics Association (LHSAA) Division 7 Class 5A. They compete in the following sports:- Football
- Volleyball
- Boys and Girls Basketball
- Boys and Girls Soccer
- Tennis
- Golf
- Track and Cross Country
- Baseball
- Bowling
- Wrestling
- Swimming
Notable alumni
- Donnie R. Albert - Grammy Award-winning opera performer (Porgie and Bess)
- Jason Banks - Pro football player for the Arizona Cardinals
- Hubert 'Rap' BrownH. Rap BrownJamil Abdullah Al-Amin , also known as H. Rap Brown, was chairman of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee in the 1960s, and during a short lived alliance between SNCC , later the Justice Minister of the Black Panther Party...
- Prominent radical leader of the 1960s - author of Die Nigger Die!Die Nigger Die!Die Nigger Die! is a 1969 political autobiography by the American political activist Jamil Abdullah Al-Amin . The book was first released in the United States in 1969 and then in the United Kingdom in 1970. Brown describes his experiences as a young black civil rights activist and how they shaped...
. Attended McKinley. - Isiah CareyIsiah CareyIsiah Carey is an American television broadcast journalist and reporter who has worked for television and radio stations throughout the southeast portion of the United States and whose reporting videos have been seen by millions of people around the world.-Background:Carey was born in Baton Rouge,...
- Emmy award-winning television journalist with KRIV Houston - Don ChaneyDon ChaneyDonald Ray Chaney is an American former professional basketball player and coach, most notable for his long stints as a player on the Boston Celtics.-Career as a player:...
- Former NBA great (Boston Celtics) and former head coach of New York Knicks, Houston Rockets, and Detroit Pistons - Lil BoosieLil BoosieTorrence Hatch , better known by his stage name Lil Boosie, is an American rapper from Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Hatch was bestowed the nickname Boosie by his family, and he was raised in southside Baton Rouge...
- Local Rapper. Attended McKinley. - Joseph Delpit - First Black councilman to serve the City of Baton Rouge
- Cleo FieldsCleo FieldsCleo Fields is a lawyer and politician. He is a former member of the United States House of Representatives from Louisiana....
- Louisiana State Senator and former United States Congressman - Tommy Green - Former NBA player and former collegiate head basketball coach (Southern University)
- Hon. John Michael Guidry - Louisiana State Appellate Court Judge
- Buddy GuyBuddy GuyGeorge "Buddy" Guy is an American blues and jazz guitarist and singer. He is a critically acclaimed artist who has established himself as a pioneer of the Chicago blues sound, and has served as an influence to some of the most notable musicians of his generation...
-- Legendary five-time Grammy Award winning blues guitarist whom Eric Clapton and many music critics have called the greatest blues guitarist alive. - Lars Kestner- Author
- Chris Thomas KingChris Thomas KingChris Thomas King is an American New Orleans, Louisiana-based blues musician and actor.-History:King was born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States. He is the son of blues musician Tabby Thomas. He has won awards including "Album of the Year" for both Grammy Award and Country Music Awards. King...
- Grammy award-winning blues artist and actor (O Brother Where Art Thou?) - Chenese LewisChenese LewisChenese Tharis Lewis born November 14 from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, is an American actress, plus-size model, and a positive body image and self esteem advocate. Lewis was an actress on the first season of the BET series Hell Date and made history by being the first woman crowned Miss Plus America.-...
- Actress & plus-size model - Ethan Martin—former All-Southeastern Conference and All-America basketball point guard at LSU.
- Calvin Nicholas- Former wide receiver for San Francisco 49ers
- John Rice - Educator, pastor, and father of Secretary of StateUnited States Secretary of StateThe United States Secretary of State is the head of the United States Department of State, concerned with foreign affairs. The Secretary is a member of the Cabinet and the highest-ranking cabinet secretary both in line of succession and order of precedence...
Condoleezza RiceCondoleezza RiceCondoleezza Rice is an American political scientist and diplomat. She served as the 66th United States Secretary of State, and was the second person to hold that office in the administration of President George W. Bush... - Dr. Theresa Rice Love- Educator, Scholar, Professor (University of Southern Illinois), aunt of Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice
- Eddie G. Robinson- Hall of Fame former Grambling State UniversityGrambling State UniversityGrambling State University is a historically black , public, coeducational university, located in Grambling, Louisiana. The university is the home of legendary football coach Eddie Robinson and is on the Louisiana African American Heritage Trail.-Academics:Grambling State University provides over...
Football Coach - Keith SmartKeith SmartJonathan Keith Smart is a retired American basketball player and current assistant coach for the Sacramento Kings of the NBA. He is best remembered for hitting the game-winning shot in the 1987 NCAA championship game. The shot gave the Indiana Hoosiers a 74–73 victory over the Syracuse Orangemen...
- Former IndianaIndiana University BloomingtonIndiana University Bloomington is a public research university located in Bloomington, Indiana, in the United States. IU Bloomington is the flagship campus of the Indiana University system. Being the flagship campus, IU Bloomington is often referred to simply as IU or Indiana...
basketball player, one-time head coach of Cleveland Cavaliers, and head coach for the Golden State WarriorsGolden State WarriorsThe Golden State Warriors are an American professional basketball team based in Oakland, California. They are part of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association... - Rev. Dr. Charles T. Smith, Member of Board of Directors of the National Baptist Convention, influential pastor, and community leader.
- Dr. Dolores Richard Spikes - Educator and first woman to head a University system in U. S. (Southern University SystemSouthern University SystemThe Southern University System is a system of universities in the U.S. state of Louisiana. Its headquarters are at the Joseph Samuel Clark Administration Building on the property of the Southern University campus in Baton Rouge...
in Louisiana) - Rev. Dr. Gardner C. Taylor—Pastor Emeritus of famous Concord Baptist Church in Brooklyn, NY. Noted theologian, scholar, and teacher (Harvard and Yale), recipient of Presidential Medal of Freedom. Named America's Greatest Black Preacher (Ebony Magazine Poll, 1993)
- Johnny Thomas - Head track and field coach at Southern University; inducted to SWAC Conference sports hall of fame.
- Tyrus ThomasTyrus ThomasTyrus Wayne Thomas is an American professional basketball player who played one season of college basketball at Louisiana State University and is a member of the NBA's Charlotte Bobcats.-High school career:...
- Former LSULSU TigersThe LSU Tigers are the athletic teams of Louisiana State University. They participate in the NCAA's Division I, in the Southeastern Conference. It fields teams in 14 varsity sports . Its official team nickname is the Fighting Tigers and the school mascot is Mike the Tiger...
basketball player, now playing for the Charlotte BobcatsCharlotte BobcatsThe Charlotte Bobcats is a professional basketball team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. They play in the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association. The Bobcats were established in 2004 as an expansion team, two seasons after Charlotte's previous NBA... - Nemiah Wilson—Former All-pro defensive back and kick returner with Denver Broncos and Oakland Raiders 1965-75
- Michael Wesley Ham - Educator at the International center of Photography and The New York City School of Technology, internationally exhibited artist.