John Marshall High School (Minnesota) - History

History

John Marshall High School is located in Rochester, Minnesota. It is currently the oldest public high school in Rochester. It was built in 1958 to accommodate the growing population as Rochester High School no longer was sufficient in size to house all of the students.

In 1953 city leaders began to consider sites for the new high school that was to become John Marshall. According to a Rochester Post-Bulletin posting (http://postbulletin.typepad.com/education_notebook/2010/02/umr-looking-back-at-the-tugowar-over-soldiers-field.html), "The city council and school board favored a Soldiers Field location, but were unsure the city could sell a portion of the park to the school board. The state attorney general ruled it could, and things started heating up. In March 1954, the Legion Post voted unanimously to oppose the location. In April, the city council declared a portion of Soldiers Field no longer needed for park purposes. Mayor Claude H. "Boney" McQuillan, a former pro boxer and Green Bay Packers player, opposed the location and vetoed the resolution. The council overrode the veto only to be countered by the mayor's refusal to sign a deed to transfer the land title. The argument went to court, where District Judge Arnold Hatfield ruled the veto was in order. John Marshall High School in northwest Rochester emerged from this turbulent beginning."

Often referred to as simply "JM," John Marshall adopted "The Rocket" as an official mascot. The School colors are Red & Black. "A mark of excellence" is the motto of the school. After many years of complaints from students and faculty alike, major renovations began to expand the school's lack of space as well as bring it up to code in the summer of 2005. The new science wing was completed in the summer of 2006. The cafeteria was also improved. The reconstruction project was completed in 2008. In 2008, John Marshall celebrated its 50th anniversary since opening its doors in 1958.