Marquette Senior High School (MSHS) is a public high school located in Marquette, Michigan, serving grades 9–12. The school enrolled 1097 students in 2024–25, making it the largest high school in the Upper Peninsula. The school is part of the Marquette Area Public Schools district.
| Marquette Senior High School | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Address | |
 | |
1203 West Fair Avenue , 49855 United States | |
| Coordinates | 46°33′22″N 87°24′50″W / 46.556°N 87.414°W |
| Information | |
| Opened | 1964 |
| School district | Marquette Area Public Schools |
| Superintendent | Zack Sedgwick |
| Principal | Brandon Wheeler |
| Teaching staff | 49.99 (on an FTE basis) |
| Enrollment | 1097 (2024-2025) |
| Student to teacher ratio | 18.30 |
| Color(s) | Red White |
| Athletics | MHSAA Class A |
| Athletics conference | Great Northern UP Conference Big North Conference (football only) |
| Mascot | Redmen |
| Nickname | Sentinels |
| Newspaper | MSHS In Print |
| Yearbook | Tatler |
| Website | mshs |
| Student assessments | |
|---|---|
2021–22 school year[1] Change vs. prior year[1] | |
| M-STEP 11th grade proficiency rates (Science / Social Studies) | |
| Advanced % | 24.2 / 15.7 |
| Proficient % | 31.3 / 33.8 |
| PR. Proficient % | 14.2 / 38.1 |
| Not Proficient % | 30.3 / 12.4 |
| Average test scores | |
| SAT Total | 1042.8 (  +15.2) |
History
editMarquette's first high school was constructed in 1859 on property given to the city by Morgan Hewitt. Located on the corner of Pine and Ridge Streets, the community initially opposed the project because it was "on the edge of the wilderness." Nevertheless, the red brick building with separate entrances for boys and girls was used until 1875, when it was torn down and replaced with a larger brownstone building in 1878.
After fire claimed the brownstone in February 1900, the Howard High School (named after John M. Longyear's son) was constructed in 1902 along with an elementary school and a manual training building. However, the school had been built to accommodate 200 students, but reached an enrollment of nearly 400 by 1915, so the community began a search for a new site.
Harriet K. Adams, widow of pioneer Sidney Adams, donated land on the corner of Front and Hewitt streets for a new high school, and gave $2,500 for gymnasium equipment, but World War I postponed those plans until 1923.
In 1925, voters approved a bond issue of $475,000 to build the new high school on the 8 lots on Front Street between Ohio Street and Hewitt Avenue (as well as expand the Fisher School).[citation needed] Louis Kaufman donated $26,000 to the school board to replace the funds it had spent on land acquisition, so that more money could be spent on construction. In appreciation, the board voted unanimously to name the school after Kaufman's mother, Juliet Graveraet; they later named the auditorium after Kaufman himself.[2][citation needed]
Graveraet High School was replaced in 1964 by the present structure at Fair and Lincoln avenues.[citation needed]
In 2023, Marquette Area High School dropped the schools 'Redmen' nickname.[3] In 2024, the school adopted the 'Sentinels' nickname.[4]
Demographics
editThe demographic breakdown of the 918 students enrolled in 2022-2023 was:[5]
Gender
edit- Male – 52.4% (481 students)
- Female – 47.6% (437 students)
Race
edit- White – 89.22% (819 students)
- Multiracial – 5.66% (52 students)
- Native American – 2.07% (19 students)
- Hispanic – 1.53% (14 students)
- Asian – 0.65% (6 students)
- Black – 0.65% (6 students)
- Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander – 0.22% (2 students)
Athletics
editThe Marquette Senior High School's athletic program is known as the Sentinels. The school's first State Championship award came in the fall of 1976 with the Girls Basketball Team coached by Barb Crill. The team was also honored several years later by the MHSAA as "Legends of the Game". The ice hockey team won the 1977,1988, 1995, 2004 and 2008 (tied) MHSAA state championships.[6] The girls downhill ski team took the state titles in 1999–2004, 2008, 2009, and 2016.[7] The boys downhill ski team were the state champs in 1997, 2000–2003, 2006, 2009, and 2013–2016.[8] The Girls Swimming and Diving team have been the UP champions 21 times (1980, 1981, 1989–1993, 1995–1997, 2002–2012).[9]
The MHSAA designates Marquette Senior High as a Class "A" school.[10] This makes it the only Class A school in the Upper Peninsula.
Nickname Controversy and Change
editThe exact origin of the "Redmen" nickname is unknown, with some saying it is from the 1910s and some saying the 1920s. Many sources attribute the origin of the school's red color to the red sweaters worn by athletic participants in the 1920s. These sweaters were inspired by the alma mater of the superintendent at the time, Harvard, and its crimson-red color. The chieftain mascot came around the 1930s or 1940s as an homage to Indian strength.[11]
There has been controversy about the name for many years. However, it started ramping up in the 1990s when Native American groups argued that the nickname was offensive and perpetuated negative stereotypes. They also pointed out that the use of Native American mascots and logos is a form of cultural appropriation. Many disagreed with these claims, though, saying it was a source of pride for them and their school.[12]
In 1998, the Marquette Area Public School's board retired the Indian Chief logo but kept the Redmen nickname.[13] In 2023, the school board decided to retire the nickname after a 4–3 vote, completely dissolving the Redmen nickname from the school and all athletic events.[14] The school then called for the community to vote on possible names for the school. Names were then slowly narrowed down, and on January 22, 2024, the name "Sentinels" was chosen to replace Redmen.[11][15][16]
Notable alumni
edit- Gus Sonnenberg (1915) - NFL player and professional wrestler[17]
- Bob Chase (1943): play-by-play broadcaster[18]
- Chris Thorpe (1988) - luger[19]
- Vernon Forrest (1991) - boxer[20]
- Shani Davis (2000) - speedskater[21]
- Helen Maroulis (2009) - freestyle wrestler[22]
References
edit- ^ a b "MI School Data Annual Education Report". Mi School Data. Retrieved January 10, 2023.
- ^ "Kaufman Auditorium History".
- ^ "Marquette to no longer use "Redmen"". WJMN - UPMatters.com. July 18, 2023. Retrieved February 13, 2024.
- ^ "Full Statement from MAPS board regarding the Marquette Sentinels trademark". WJMN - UPMatters.com. February 7, 2024. Retrieved February 13, 2024.
- ^ "Student Enrollment Counts Report". www.mischooldata.org. Retrieved February 7, 2024.
- ^ "Yearly Champions | Ice Hockey". MHSAA Sports.
- ^ "Yearly Champions | Girls Skiing". MHSAA Sports.
- ^ "Yearly Champions | Boys Skiing". MHSAA Sports.
- ^ "Team Champions | Girls Swimming & Diving". MHSAA Sports.
- ^ "MHSAA > Schools". www.mhsaa.com. Retrieved September 27, 2020.
- ^ a b "Marquette to no longer use "Redmen" nickname". WJMN - UPMatters.com. July 19, 2023. Retrieved January 10, 2024.
- ^ "Tribal leader opposes school nickname". TheDailyPress. Retrieved January 10, 2024.
- ^ "ESPN.com - OTL: What's in a name?". www.espn.com. Archived from the original on May 13, 2023. Retrieved January 10, 2024.
- ^ Tudor, Jerry (July 17, 2023). "MAPS board votes to remove Redmen, Redette nicknames". www.uppermichiganssource.com. Retrieved January 10, 2024.
- ^ Hall, Jack. "REPLACING REDMEN: Marquette School Board Narrows Nickname List". Radioresultsnetwork.com. Retrieved January 10, 2024.
- ^ Tudor, Jerry (January 23, 2024). "Marquette Area Public School Board selects Sentinels as new nickname". www.uppermichiganssource.com. Retrieved February 7, 2024.
- ^ "Gus Sonnenberg Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft, College". Pro-Football-Reference.com.
- ^ Cohn, Justin A. (November 24, 2016). "Legendary Komets broadcaster dies". Fort Wayne Journal Gazette.
- ^ "The Upper Peninsula Celebrities Page". Archived from the original on March 20, 2005. Retrieved July 25, 2006.
- ^ "Vernon Forrest News | Photos | Quotes | Video | Wiki - UPI.com". UPI.
- ^ "Shani Davis Speedskating". Retrieved July 25, 2006.
- ^ "2009-10 Women's Wrestling Roster". MISSOURI BAPTIST UNIVERSITY ATHLETICs.
- Longtine and Chappell (1999). Then and Now: Fascinating Vignettes of Marquette's Progress to the Present. North Shore Publications.