Innovation Central High School, founded in 1849 as Grand Rapids High School, is a public

high school A secondary school, high school, or senior school, is an institution that provides secondary education. Some secondary schools provide both ''lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper secondary education'' (ages 14 to 18), i.e., ...

located at 421 Fountain Street NE in

Grand Rapids, Michigan Grand Rapids is the largest city and county seat of Kent County, Michigan, United States. With a population of 198,917 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census and estimated at 200,117 in 2024, Grand Rapids is the List of municipalities ...

. The high school offers classes for grades 9–12. The school colors are Gold and Black, and the school mascot is the Ram.

History

A previous school known as Grand Rapids High School was opened in 1849, and located in an old stone schoolhouse. New buildings were constructed in 1867 and 1893. A new school was constructed from 1910–1911, at a cost of US$435,000, and opened to students on January 31, 1911. The initial class incorporated students from grades 9 through 12, and some courses that eventually evolved into

Grand Rapids Community College Grand Rapids Community College (GRCC) is a public community college in Grand Rapids, Michigan. History Grand Rapids Junior College was established on September 21, 1914, after University of Michigan faculty passed a resolution encouraging the ...

, which was itself founded in 1914. The high school had a large auditorium, the largest in Michigan at the time that the school was built, so famous figures such as presidents

Teddy Roosevelt Theodore Roosevelt Jr. (October 27, 1858 – January 6, 1919), also known as Teddy or T.R., was the 26th president of the United States, serving from 1901 to 1909. Roosevelt previously was involved in New York politics, including serving as ...

and

William Howard Taft William Howard Taft (September 15, 1857March 8, 1930) served as the 27th president of the United States from 1909 to 1913 and the tenth chief justice of the United States from 1921 to 1930. He is the only person to have held both offices. ...

have spoken there. In 1947, the school's

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

team won the state championship. In 2013, Central High School consolidated with Creston High School, with the consolidated high school now located on the Central High School campus. Creston High School's former campus became that of City High-Middle School from that year onward. In 2014, the school was renamed the Innovation Central High School along with the consolidation of the district's other career-oriented programs.

Notable alumni

Terry Barr Terry Albert Barr (August 8, 1935 – May 28, 2009) was an American football player. He played professional football for nine seasons in the National Football League (NFL) for the Detroit Lions from 1957 to 1965. He began his NFL career as a d ...

(1935-2009), football player for the Detroit Lions *

Hugh Blacklock Hugh McNeal Blacklock (January 1, 1893January 9, 1954) was an American football player. He played college football at the tackle and fullback positions at Michigan Agricultural College from 1913 to 1916. He also played seven years in the Nat ...

(1893-1954), NFL player * John Melville Burgess (1909-2003), diocesan bishop of

Massachusetts Massachusetts ( ; ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Maine to its east, Connecticut and Rhode ...

and the first

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

to head an

Episcopal Episcopal may refer to: *Of or relating to a bishop, an overseer in the Christian church *Episcopate, the see of a bishop – a diocese *Episcopal Church (disambiguation), any church with "Episcopal" in its name ** Episcopal Church (United States ...

diocese. * Roger B. Chaffee (1935-1967), astronaut *

Rex Cherryman Rexford Raymond "Rex" Cherryman (October 30, 1896 – August 10, 1928) was an American actor of the stage and screen whose career was most prolific during the 1920s. Biography Born in Grand Rapids, Michigan Grand Rapids is the largest cit ...

(1896-1928), actor * S. B. Conger (1872-1934), journalist * Robert Dean (Michigan politician) (b. 1954), member of the Michigan House of Representatives * Arthur Carter Denison (1861-1942), federal judge * Clarence Ellis (b. 1950), football player for the Atlanta Falcons *

Betty Ford Elizabeth Anne Ford (; formerly Warren; April 8, 1918 – July 8, 2011) was First Lady of the United States from 1974 to 1977, as the wife of President Gerald Ford. As first lady, she was active in social policy, and set a precedent as a politi ...

(1918-2011), former First Lady, wife of President

Gerald Ford Gerald Rudolph Ford Jr. (born Leslie Lynch King Jr.; July 14, 1913December 26, 2006) was the 38th president of the United States, serving from 1974 to 1977. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, Ford assumed the p ...

Arnold Gingrich Arnold W. Gingrich (December 5, 1903 – July 9, 1976) was the editor of, and, along with publisher David A. Smart and Henry L. Jackson, co-founder of ''Esquire'' magazine. Among his other projects was the political/newsmagazine '' Ken''. Influ ...

(1903-1976), editor *

Paul G. Goebel Paul Gordon Goebel (May 28, 1901 – January 26, 1988) was an American football End (American football), end who played for the University of Michigan Michigan Wolverines football, Wolverines from 1920 to 1922. He was an College Football All-Am ...

(1901-1988), mayor * Ralph Hauenstein (1912-2016), United States Army officer, newspaper editor * Julius Houseman (1832-1891), politician *

Charles Leonard Charles Frederick Leonard Jr. (February 23, 1913 – February 18, 2006) was an American pentathlete and a major general in the United States Army. Leonard won the silver medal in the 1936 Olympic Pentathlon. Charles Leonard's brother, ...

(1913-2006), general *

Buster Mathis Buster Mathis (June 11, 1943 – September 6, 1995) was an American boxer who competed from 1965 to 1972. He was a top contender throughout his career, beating other top contenders including George Chuvalo and Chuck Wepner. He fought Heavyweight ...

(1943-1996), boxer * Thomas Francis McAllister, Federal judge *

Gordon Scott Gordon Scott (born Gordon Merrill Werschkul; August 3, 1926 – April 30, 2007) was an American film and television actor known for his portrayal of the fictional character Tarzan in five films (and one compilation of three made-as- ...

(1926-2007), actor who portrayed

Tarzan Tarzan (John Clayton, Viscount Greystoke) is a fictional character, a feral child raised in the African jungle by the Mangani great apes; he later experiences civilization, only to reject it and return to the wild as a heroic adventurer. Creat ...

Leo Sowerby Leo Salkeld Sowerby (1 May 1895 – 7 July 1968) was an American composer and church musician. He won the Pulitzer Prize for Music in 1946 and was often called the “Dean of American church music” in the early to mid-20th century. His many s ...

(1895-1968), composer *

Frank Steketee Frank Wallder Steketee (April 26, 1900 – December 26, 1951) was an American football player. A native of Grand Rapids, Michigan, Steketee played college football as a fullback and halfback for Fielding H. Yost's 1918, 1920, and 1921 Michiga ...

(1900-1951), football player for the University of Michigan Wolverines *

Arthur Vandenberg Arthur Hendrick Vandenberg Sr. (March 22, 1884April 18, 1951) was an American politician who served as a United States senator from Michigan from 1928 to 1951. A member of the Republican Party, he participated in the creation of the United Nat ...

(1884-1951), Republican senator who participated in the creation of the United Nations *

Gilbert White Gilbert White (18 July 1720 – 26 June 1793) was a "parson-naturalist", a pioneering English naturalist, ecologist, and ornithologist. He is best known for his '' Natural History and Antiquities of Selborne''. Life White was born on 18 Jul ...

(1877-1931), American painte

*

Stewart Edward White Stewart Edward White (March 12, 1873 – September 18, 1946) was an American writer, novelist, and Spiritualist. He was a brother of noted mural painter Gilbert White. Personal life White was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan, the son of Mary E. ...

(1873-1946), author *

Elizabeth Wilson Elizabeth Welter Wilson (April 4, 1921 – May 9, 2015) was an American actress whose career spanned nearly 60 years, including memorable roles in film and television. In 1972 she won the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play for ...

(1921-2015), actress

History

Notable alumni

References

Further reading