Mulberry High School
Encyclopedia
Mulberry High School is a four-year public high school
located in Mulberry, Florida
, serving the city and surrounding areas. Its enrollment is 1005 students.
In 1921, the first edition of the MHS yearbook
was published, titled The Mulberry Tree in honor of the city
's famed mulberry
tree.
In 1922, land was donated for the construction of a new high school, on the east side of what is now Northeast First Avenue; construction was completed in 1924. Also in 1924, MHS began inter-school football
play.
During the Great Depression
, many schools cut their terms or lost their accreditation, and the state of Florida ran out of money, but MHS was able to stay open thanks to taxes paid by area phosphate
firms.
In 1955, the current school was constructed on 65 acres (263,045.9 m²) of land given by Virginia-Carolina Chemical Corporation and International Minerals and Chemical Corporation; the old high school was converted to an elementary school
, Purcell.
Secondary education in the United States
In most jurisdictions, secondary education in the United States refers to the last six or seven years of statutory formal education. Secondary education is generally split between junior high school or middle school, usually beginning with sixth or seventh grade , and high school, beginning with...
located in Mulberry, Florida
Mulberry, Florida
Mulberry is a city in Polk County, Florida, United States. The population was 3,230 at the 2000 census. As of 2004, the population estimated by the U.S. Census Bureau is 3,228 . Mulberry is home to Badcock Home Furniture. It is part of the Lakeland–Winter Haven Metropolitan Statistical...
, serving the city and surrounding areas. Its enrollment is 1005 students.
History
Mulberry's then-only public school began high school classes in 1907. In 1914, a separate high school was constructed; it was a two-story brick building with six classrooms and an auditorium, costing approximately $12,500.In 1921, the first edition of the MHS yearbook
Yearbook
A yearbook, also known as an annual, is a book to record, highlight, and commemorate the past year of a school or a book published annually. Virtually all American, Australian and Canadian high schools, most colleges and many elementary and middle schools publish yearbooks...
was published, titled The Mulberry Tree in honor of the city
Mulberry, Florida
Mulberry is a city in Polk County, Florida, United States. The population was 3,230 at the 2000 census. As of 2004, the population estimated by the U.S. Census Bureau is 3,228 . Mulberry is home to Badcock Home Furniture. It is part of the Lakeland–Winter Haven Metropolitan Statistical...
's famed mulberry
Mulberry
Morus is a genus of flowering plants in the family Moraceae. The 10–16 species of deciduous trees it contains are commonly known as Mulberries....
tree.
In 1922, land was donated for the construction of a new high school, on the east side of what is now Northeast First Avenue; construction was completed in 1924. Also in 1924, MHS began inter-school football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
play.
During the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
, many schools cut their terms or lost their accreditation, and the state of Florida ran out of money, but MHS was able to stay open thanks to taxes paid by area phosphate
Bone Valley
The Bone Valley is a region of central Florida, encompassing portions of present-day Hardee, Hillsborough, Manatee, and Polk counties, in which phosphate is mined for use in the production of agricultural fertilizer...
firms.
In 1955, the current school was constructed on 65 acres (263,045.9 m²) of land given by Virginia-Carolina Chemical Corporation and International Minerals and Chemical Corporation; the old high school was converted to an elementary school
Elementary school
An elementary school or primary school is an institution where children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as elementary or primary education. Elementary school is the preferred term in some countries, particularly those in North America, where the terms grade school and grammar...
, Purcell.
Notable alumni
- John Vincent AtanasoffJohn Vincent AtanasoffJohn Vincent Atanasoff was an American physicist and inventor.The 1973 decision of the patent suit Honeywell v. Sperry Rand named him the inventor of the first automatic electronic digital computer...
, 1920 graduate, inventor of the electronic digital computer- Graduated after two years; in 1985, the school's computer center was named for him.
- Dedrick DodgeDedrick DodgeDedrick Allen Dodge , is a former American football safety. He played college football at Florida State University and then in eight seasons in the National Football League from 1991-1998. He played in Super Bowl XXIX for the San Francisco 49ers and in Super Bowl XXXII for the Denver Broncos...
(1965-), safety in the National Football LeagueNational Football LeagueThe National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
from 1991-1998. - Bob MurphyBob Murphy (golfer)Robert Joseph Murphy, Jr. is an American professional golfer who was formerly a member of the PGA Tour and currently plays on the Champions Tour. Murphy has won 21 tournaments as a professional.-Early years:...
, 1962 graduate professional golfer and sportscaster. - Raulin C. Platt, 2009 graduate
External links
- Official site
- MHS–related news at The LedgerThe LedgerThe Ledger is a daily newspaper serving Lakeland, Florida and the Polk County area. It is owned by The New York Times Company. Jerome Ferson became publisher of the newspaper on July 30, 2007....
newspaper (Lakeland, FloridaLakeland, FloridaLakeland is a city in Polk County, Florida, United States, located approximately midway between Tampa and Orlando along Interstate 4. According to the 2008 U.S. Census Bureau estimate, the city had a population of 94,406...
) - Football History