Safford High School
Encyclopedia
Safford High School, of the Safford Unified School District
, is one of two public high schools in Safford, Arizona
. The campus hosts the Safford Center for the Arts
, located on the north lot of the campus property.
As of the 2008 school year, the school had a staff population of 79 and a student population of 854.
-built Baker Stadium, which served as the home of the Safford Bulldogs from 1938 through the 1986 season; a gymnasium in 1943, which allowed the previous gym to be retrofitted into an auditorium; and the other classroom buildings. This included a library built in the 1960s. It is noted that, during this period, the baseball stadium was at the old bleachers by Lafe Nelson School as was the field house for the football and wrestling teams.
Once the high school moved to its current campus the original Safford Junior High School, which had its own building adjacent to the high school, was torn down in 1980. Safford Junior High, then later Middle, School occupied the main building and the gymnasium until the mid-1990s, when concerns for those buildings' safety and revelations of poor construction quality prompted them to be razed and replaced, outweighing concerns of historical value and the cost of a refurbishment. The 1915 building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
on February 9, 1988. It remains listed, apparently erroneously as the building is gone. Ultimately, shoddy construction was also the reason that the 1943 gymnasium was torn down in the 1990s. Baker Stadium is still used as the home field for middle school football.
.
Safford Unified School District
The Safford Unified School District is the school district that serves the City of Safford, Arizona and some minor outlying areas.-Headquarters:The SUSD Headquarters is located adjacent to the Safford Middle School campus.-Transportation:...
, is one of two public high schools in Safford, Arizona
Safford, Arizona
- History :Safford was founded by Joshua Eaton Bailey, Hiram Kennedy and Edward Tuttle, who came from Gila Bend, in southwestern Arizona. They left Gila Bend in the winter of 1873-74; their work on canals and dams having been destroyed by high water the previous summer...
. The campus hosts the Safford Center for the Arts
Safford Center for the Arts
The Safford Center for the Arts is a performance arts theater located to the north of the Safford High School campus in Safford, Arizona. The facility was constructed from 2006 to 2007 and was opened in May 2007. Its official grand opening took place in 2008....
, located on the north lot of the campus property.
As of the 2008 school year, the school had a staff population of 79 and a student population of 854.
Original SHS campus
The original Safford High School building, which was located where Safford Middle School is currently located, opened to students on September 13, 1915. It was designed by Henry O. Jaastad. It served as the main high school building through the 1979-80 school year. Over the years other buildings were built. This included the WPAWorks Progress Administration
The Works Progress Administration was the largest and most ambitious New Deal agency, employing millions of unskilled workers to carry out public works projects, including the construction of public buildings and roads, and operated large arts, drama, media, and literacy projects...
-built Baker Stadium, which served as the home of the Safford Bulldogs from 1938 through the 1986 season; a gymnasium in 1943, which allowed the previous gym to be retrofitted into an auditorium; and the other classroom buildings. This included a library built in the 1960s. It is noted that, during this period, the baseball stadium was at the old bleachers by Lafe Nelson School as was the field house for the football and wrestling teams.
Once the high school moved to its current campus the original Safford Junior High School, which had its own building adjacent to the high school, was torn down in 1980. Safford Junior High, then later Middle, School occupied the main building and the gymnasium until the mid-1990s, when concerns for those buildings' safety and revelations of poor construction quality prompted them to be razed and replaced, outweighing concerns of historical value and the cost of a refurbishment. The 1915 building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
on February 9, 1988. It remains listed, apparently erroneously as the building is gone. Ultimately, shoddy construction was also the reason that the 1943 gymnasium was torn down in the 1990s. Baker Stadium is still used as the home field for middle school football.
Current SHS campus
The current SHS campus was carved out of cotton fields in 1980. The superintendent at that time was Ray Evans. Donald Wilson had retired in 1978. The fact of the matter is that the current campus was built in bits and pieces over the course of two and a half decades. The original plan for the high school was not completed, with some modification, until the opening of the new auditorium in 2006. When opened there was just the main classroom building and the gym. They were painted brown. In 1985, under the guidance of Superintendent Ron Starcher, the high school was repainted its current slightly cream/beige color. A teacher at the time termed the new paint job, "Very much an improvement." There was also just one paved road to the school, eleventh street. During the 1984-85 school years the roads connecting the school to Relation Street and to 20th Ave were completed. In 1986 a bond issue passed that allowed for the cafeteria, orchestra pit, and shop building that connects the gym and main building to be built. It also approved the construction of the current football stadium and track. Until that time there was no cafeteria, just a snack bar, all of the shop students still had to go over to the junior high, and all home track meets were at EAC. All of these new facilities were opened by the 1987-88 school year. It was this year the current bus barn was added. Then in 1990 the current baseball stadium and tennis courts were developed and later softball fields were developed when that sport was added. In the late 1990s the road connecting the school to Eighth Street was completed. In 2000 the new second gym and wrestling rooms was added to the building. Then in 2006 the auditorium was finished.Athletics History
Safford High School has had very successful athletics programs in Arizona, particularly in volleyball, wrestling, and track. Under Coach Norma Bellamy, the Bulldogs won 21 state volleyball championships, a national record. The last of these came in 1990. Bellamy had a record of 520-33, a national record for win percentage for coaches with over 500 wins (.940). She was named Arizona Coach of the Century in Volleyball... The boys' track team has won 14 outright state titles, while the girls' have won 19. B.B. Andrews also won Arizona Coach of the Century for the girls' track program, with 15 titles. He also presided over a national record 13 consecutive girls' championships from 1986-1998. He has also won 10 titles with the boys', the last of which came from 2008. Safford's wrestling program has been dominant recently, winning 6 straight team state championships from 2005-2010. Baseball has won four championships, boys' basketball has won three, girls' basketball has won one, golf has won two, boys' tennis has won 2, and girls' tennis has won 6. Safford has won a total of 78 state championships, with numerous individual champions during and outside of those reigns.Notable alumni
- Richard Harvey ChambersRichard Harvey ChambersRichard Harvey Chambers was a United States federal judge.-Biography:Chambers was born to William Rock and Lida Chambers in Danville, Illinois. Three months later, the family moved to Solomonville, Arizona, where his father worked as clerk of the district court of Graham County...
, class of 1924, chief judgeChief judgeChief Judge is a title that can refer to the highest-ranking judge of a court that has more than one judge. The meaning and usage of the term vary from one court system to another...
of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth CircuitUnited States Court of Appeals for the Ninth CircuitThe United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit is a U.S. federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the district courts in the following districts:* District of Alaska* District of Arizona...
, 1959-1976. - Beau AllredBeau AllredDale Le Beau Allred is a former Major League Baseball outfielder who played three seasons for the Cleveland Indians between 1989 and 1991.-College and minor leagues:...
, class of 1983, baseball player with the Cleveland IndiansCleveland IndiansThe Cleveland Indians are a professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Since , they have played in Progressive Field. The team's spring training facility is in Goodyear, Arizona...
between 1989 and 1991
School resource officer
As of 2008, the school has one school resource officer assigned to it from the Safford Police DepartmentSafford Police Department
The Safford Police Department is the municipal police agency serving the city of Safford, Arizona, United States, and some outlying areas. It serves approximately 10,000 people....
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