Bradford High School is a high school located in

Kenosha, Wisconsin Kenosha () is a city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the seat of Kenosha County. Per the 2020 census, the population was 99,986 which made it the fourth-largest city in Wisconsin. Situated on the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan, Kenos ...

, United States, that serves students in grades 9 to 12. It is the main high school for students on the north side of the city.

History

Bradford High School was named after

Mary D. Bradford Mary Davison Bradford (January 15, 1856 – February 3, 1943) became the first woman in Wisconsin to serve as superintendent of a major city School district, school system. She served as Superintendent (education), Superintendent of Schools of Ken ...

, who was

superintendent Superintendent may refer to: *Superintendent (police), Superintendent of Police (SP), or Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), a police rank *Prison warden or Superintendent, a prison administrator *Superintendent (ecclesiastical), a church exec ...

of schools for the Kenosha school system from 1878 to 1894, and again from 1910 to 1921. The former Mary Davison was born in

Kenosha County Kenosha County is located in the southeastern corner of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The population was 169,151 as of the 2020 census, making it the eighth most populous county in Wisconsin. The county shares the same name as the city of Kenosh ...

in 1856 and graduated from

Oshkosh Normal School Oshkosh may refer to: Places in the United States * Oshkosh, Wisconsin, city and the largest place with the name * Oshkosh (town), Wisconsin * Oshkosh Township, Yellow Medicine County, Minnesota * Oshkosh, Nebraska * Oshkosh Township, Wells County, ...

in 1876, after which she taught at Kenosha High School from 1876 to 1878. She became a member of the board of visitors of the

Milwaukee Normal School Wisconsin State College of Milwaukee was a predecessor institution of the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee. Founded in 1885 as Wisconsin State Normal School, it became Wisconsin State Teachers College-Milwaukee in 1927, and Wisconsin State Coll ...

in 1892, joined the new faculty of Stevens Point Normal in 1894, the Stout Institute in 1906, and Whitewater State Normal in 1909, where she worked for one year before returning to Kenosha. She retired in 1921 after 45 years in education. Bradford died in Kenosha in 1943 at the age of 87. The original high school building was built in 1849 and housed "all the children who attended public school classes in the town, from first grade up" but was deemed inadequate by 1890, and a second iteration of the high school opened in 1891, situated on the site of a former grade school. It was poorly constructed and by 1910 the auditorium and assembly hall portions of the building had been condemned. The third iteration, that became the original Mary D. Bradford High School building, was built in 1924 and is located at Sheridan Road and 57th Street. The building took three years to complete, opening in 1927. The school eventually expanded into the former high school building, which became the Mary D. Bradford High School Annex. This building was razed in 1980. In 1975, the Kenosha Unified School Board purchased the former University of Wisconsin-Extension Center located at 39th Avenue and Washington Road, which had been built in 1961, with an addition in 1965. A major addition was constructed to the building in 1979 which included all of the components of a contemporary high school. In 1980, the Bradford building located on Sheridan Road was vacated and the building on 39th Avenue and Washington Road became the new Mary D. Bradford High School. At the same time,

Reuther Central High School Walter Reuther Central High School is an alternative high school in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Part of the Kenosha Unified School District, the school serves 382 students in grades 9-12. History The classic limestone structure that houses Reuther High ...

, which had been housed at the UW-Extension Center, moved into the Bradford building downtown, and remains a school in the

Kenosha Unified School District Kenosha Unified School District (KUSD) serves the city of Kenosha, the Town of Somers and the village of Pleasant Prairie. KUSD is overseen by a school board of seven elected members whose president is Dan Wade. The superintendent of KUSD is DR ...

. Since Bradford High School moved to the Washington Road location, two soccer fields have been added north of the school, a varsity

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding tea ...

stadium has been created to the northeast, and three practice American football fields have been created north of the ravine. A successful referendum in 2005 gave the school a new

weight room Weight training is a common type of strength training for developing the strength, size of skeletal muscles and maintenance of strength.Keogh, Justin W, and Paul W Winwood. “Report for: The Epidemiology of Injuries Across the Weight-Train ...

and renovations and expansions to the

locker rooms A changing-room, locker-room, (usually in a sports, theater, or staff context) or changeroom (regional use) is a room or area designated for changing one's clothes. Changing-rooms are provided in a semi-public situation to enable people to ch ...

and further renovations to the indoor athletic facilities. A 2015 referendum gave the school its first home football stadium, with the tennis courts and soccer fields moving to the Bullen Middle School site to make room for the stadium. On September 1, 2020,

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) *President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...

Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021. Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of Pe ...

visited the school following a period of violence and unrest in the city.

Athletics

Bradford competes in WIAA in Division 1. The school has been a member of the WIAA Southeast Conference and has been in a cross-town rivalry with

Tremper High School George Nelson Tremper High School is a high school located in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Part of the Kenosha Unified School District, it was named after George Nelson Tremper, the principal of Kenosha High School from 1911 to 1944. The mascot of Trempe ...

since 1964.

Teams

*Boys' American football *Boys' basketball *Girls' basketball *Baseball *Softball *Cheerleading *Dance team *Boys' cross country *Girls' cross country *Boys' gymnastics *Ice Hockey *Boys' golf *Girls' golf *Girls' gymnastics *Boys' soccer *Girls' soccer *Girls' softball *Boys' swimming *Girls' swimming *Boys' tennis *Girls' tennis *Boys' track and field *Girls' track and field *Boys' volleyball *Girls' volleyball *Girls' lacrosse *Wrestling

Notable alumni

Alan Ameche Alan Ameche (; June 1, 1933 – August 8, 1988), nicknamed "The Iron Horse", or simply "The Horse", was an American football player who played six seasons with the Baltimore Colts in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football ...

Heisman Trophy The Heisman Memorial Trophy (usually known colloquially as the Heisman Trophy or The Heisman) is awarded annually to the most outstanding player in college football. Winners epitomize great ability combined with diligence, perseverance, and hard ...

winner, NFL rookie of the year 1955 * Joseph F. Andrea,

Wisconsin State Senate The Wisconsin Senate is the upper house of the Wisconsin State Legislature. Together with the larger Wisconsin State Assembly they constitute the legislative branch of the state of Wisconsin. The powers of the Wisconsin Senate are modeled after t ...

Tom Braatz Thomas Myron Braatz (May 12, 1933 – October 30, 2018) was a former American football linebacker in the National Football League (NFL) for the Washington Redskins, Los Angeles Rams, and Dallas Cowboys. He also was the former general manager of th ...

, former NFL player and Executive *

Joe Cerne Joseph Cerne ( sl, Joe Černe) (born April 26, 1942) is a former professional American football center in the National Football League (NFL). He played four seasons for the San Francisco 49ers The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San ...

, former NFL player * Jeff Cohen, professional basketball player *

Eugene Dorff Eugene Joseph Dorff (February 25, 1930September 7, 2005) was an American politician from Wisconsin. A member of the Democratic Party, he represented Kenosha in the Wisconsin State Assembly for twelve years and served as interim Mayor of Kenosha fo ...

Wisconsin State Assembly The Wisconsin State Assembly is the lower house of the Wisconsin Legislature. Together with the smaller Wisconsin Senate, the two constitute the legislative branch of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Representatives are elected for two-year terms, ...

Gene Englund Gene Eniar Englund (October 21, 1917 – November 5, 1995) was an American professional basketball player. He played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for one season, , and split the season playing for the Boston Celtics and Tri-Ci ...

, basketball player for

Wisconsin Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...

1941 national champions *

Melvin Gordon Melvin Gordon III (born April 13, 1993) is an American football running back for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Wisconsin, and was drafted by the San Diego Chargers in the first roun ...

Denver Broncos The Denver Broncos are a professional American football franchise based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The team is headquart ...

running back A running back (RB) is a member of the offensive backfield in gridiron football. The primary roles of a running back are to receive American football plays#Offensive terminology, handoffs from the quarterback to Rush (American football)#Offen ...

, #15 pick in

2015 NFL Draft The 2015 NFL Draft was the 80th annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible football players. It took place in Chicago at the Auditorium Theatre and in Grant Park, from April 30 to May 2. The previous ...

* Alfred C. Grosvenor, Wisconsin State Assembly *

Al Molinaro Albert Francis Molinaro (born Umberto Francesco Molinaro; June 24, 1919 – October 30, 2015) was an American actor. He played Al Delvecchio on ''Happy Days'' and Officer Murray Greshler on ''The Odd Couple''. He also appeared in many television ...

, actor, ''

Happy Days ''Happy Days'' is an American television sitcom that aired first-run on the ABC network from January 15, 1974, to July 19, 1984, with a total of 255 half-hour episodes spanning 11 seasons. Created by Garry Marshall, it was one of the most succ ...

'' * Phil Pettey, former NFL player and coach *

Mark Pocan Mark William Pocan ( ; born August 14, 1964) is an American politician and businessman serving as the U.S. representative from Wisconsin's 2nd congressional district since 2013. The district is based in the state capital, Madison. A member of th ...

, Wisconsin State Assembly,

U.S. House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...

Augie Schmidt August Robert Schmidt IV (born June 28, 1961) is the current head coach of the Carthage College baseball team. He was a minor league baseball shortstop from 1982 to 1986. High school and college career Schmidt attended Mary D. Bradford High Sc ...

, baseball player and coach *

Charles Siebert Charles Alan Siebert (March 9, 1938 – May 1, 2022) was an American actor and television director. As an actor, he is probably best known for his role as Dr. Stanley Riverside II on the television series ''Trapper John, M.D.'', a role he portra ...

, actor *

Daniel J. Travanti Daniel J. Travanti (born Danielo Giovanni Travanti; March 7, 1940) is an American actor. He is best known for playing police captain List of Hill Street Blues characters#Main characters, Frank Furillo in the television drama series ''Hill Stree ...

, actor, ''

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'' *

Trae Waynes Trae Waynes (born July 25, 1992) is a former American football cornerback. He played college football at Michigan State. He was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the first round, 11th overall of the 2015 NFL Draft. He also spent time with th ...

Minnesota Vikings The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) North division. Founded in 1960 as an expansion ...

cornerback A cornerback (CB) is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in gridiron football. Cornerbacks cover receivers most of the time, but also blitz and defend against such offensive running plays as sweeps and reverses. They create tur ...

, #11 pick in

References

External links

* {{authority control High schools in Kenosha, Wisconsin Educational institutions established in 1845 Public high schools in Wisconsin 1845 establishments in Wisconsin Territory