Woodham High School

Infobox School


name=Woodham High School
address=150 East Burgess Road
city=Pensacola, Florida
zipcode=32503
established=1965
closed=2007
schooltype=Public secondary
religion=Secular
students=Coeducational
grades=9 to 12
accreditation=Florida State Department of Education
district=Escambia County School District
mascot=Titans
colors=Columbia Blue and White
yearbook="Mnemosyne"
website= [http://web.archive.org/web/*/http://www.woodhamhighschool.com/ Website at the Internet Archive]

Woodham High School was a secondary school located in Pensacola, Florida. The high school was closed after nearly 42 years of operation in May 2007. It is now known as Woodham Middle School.

The school is named for Dr. William Jesse Woodham, Jr., a former Escambia County School District superintendent.

Woodham High School was the only high school in Escambia County to have a Law Academy, as well as to have a Future Educators Academy. In addition, Woodham also sported a Health Science Program.

History

Woodham High School was opened in 1965 response to the tremendous growth of Pensacola's northern suburbs. This move took pressure off of Pensacola High School, which at the time was suffering from severe overcrowding.Fact|date=September 2008

Woodham itself also experienced overcrowding in the early-mid 1970s. Woodham students attended split class sessions, with half of the student body attending in the morning and the other half attending in the afternoon. In the fall of 1975 Pine Forest High School opened and some Woodham students were reassigned. Another reassignment occurred in 1982 the Booker T. Washington High School was rebuilt in its present location.

In the late 1970s, Woodham featured a marching band which wore the same style of uniforms as the USC Trojan marching band. The band boosters worked for over two years to purchase these uniforms under the direction of Band booster President Ronald Campbell with the assistance and overwhelming support of band families.Fact|date=September 2008 The marching band, concert band and jazz rock ensemble ( [http://jazzrockensemble.com JRE] ) all posted "superior" ratings at state contests.

The football team won the district in 82, 84, and 85.Fact|date=September 2008 In 1982 and 1984, the "Fighting Titans" won the state AAAA championship and, for a period of time, were ranked number one in the nation by "USA Today". The 1982-4 seasons featured a 35 and 1 record, losing only to Choctaw by a score of 9 to 7, in 1983 regular season. The game winning field goal by John Laycock was taken of scoreboard with no time remaining. The school's boys' basketball team won the Florida Class 4A state championship in 2003. Woodham's baseball team also won back to back district 1-4A championships in 2002 and 2003.Fact|date=September 2008

In March 2000, Woodham High School's Varsity Cheerleading squad won its first National Championship at the American Open Cheerleading Competition.Fact|date=September 2008 The team of 15 members won the title in the small varsity division. The squad was featured in the August 2000 issue of American Cheerleader Magazine.

Hurricane Ivan, which struck the Pensacola area on 16 September 2004, damaged several parts of the school. The cafeteria sustained moderate roof damage but was repaired within a few weeks. The media center, however, sustained significant damage, but is currently fixed and operational.

In the fall of 2005, the Escambia County School District and the superintendent, Jim Paul, discussed plans of closing Woodham and converting it into a middle school for Brentwood and Wedgewood Middle schools. Current Woodham students would be re-districted to other area high schools. The plan, approved by the school board as of December 21, 2006, will be effective for the 2007-2008 school year.

On May 27, 2007 Woodham held its final classes. Its website now reads: "In memory of all Titans, 1965-2007."

Notable alumni

*Reggie Evans, a 6'8" power forward, attended Woodham before going to the University of Iowa, the Seattle SuperSonics and the Denver Nuggets. He led the nation in rebounding, free-throws made, scoring and rebounding double-doubles in 2001. In that year he also helped the U.S. team win the World Championship for Young Men.
*Justin Gatlin is probably best known among Woodham High School alumni. Gatlin graduated from Woodham in 2000 and went on to win the gold medal in the Men's 100m in the 2004 Summer Olympics. [http://www.netglimse.com/celebs/pages/justin_gatlin/index.shtml] He also shares the world record in that event at 9.77 seconds. In 2006 Gatlin tested positive for testosterone at the Kansas Relays. Gatlin went on to coach at his alma mater.
* [http://www.usyd.edu.au/organ/organist.shtml Amy Johansen] , a keyboard player for Woodham's "Jazz Rock Ensemble", has achievd international acclaim as a performer and recording artist, performing concerts in England, France, Norway, Australia and New Zealand.
*Greg Litton was drafted in the first round by the San Francisco Giants in 1984. The second baseman played six seasons, hit a home run in the World Series and had a post-season batting average of .571
*David Lee offensive coordinator of the University of Arkansas Razorbacks. He was also a former Dallas Cowboys offensive assistant coach.
*Byron Barber is a former minor league baseball player for the Idaho Falls Chukars of the Kansas City Royals organization.
* [http://www.navyband.navy.mil/MUCswilliams.shtml Steve Williams] , a former member of Woodham's "Jazz Rock Ensemble", is the lead alto sax player and musical director of the U.S. Navy's "Commodores Jazz Ensemble". He has done free lance work with Al Hurt, The Temptations, Wayne Newton and many others.

External links

* [http://web.archive.org/web/*/http://www.woodhamhighschool.com/ Official website at the Internet Archive]
* [http://web.archive.org/web/20050415022632/www.woodhamhighschool.com/news_info/dr_wjw.htm Biography of Dr. William Jesse Woodham, Jr., archived April 24, 2006]