Grissom High School (Alabama)

Virgil I. Grissom High School, more commonly referred to as Grissom High School, is a public high school in Huntsville, Alabama, United States with approximately 2000 students in grades 9–12 from Southeast Huntsville. The school was named a 2007 Blue Ribbon School by the U.S. Department of Education.^[3] In the Newsweek ranking of schools throughout the nation in 2015, Grissom High School was ranked second-best in the state and 390th nationally.^[4]

Virgil I. Grissom High School
Address
1001 Haysland Road Huntsville, Alabama 35802 United States
Coordinates	34°38′34″N 86°34′36″W
Information
Type	Public high school
Motto	Latin: Id Facere Possumus (We can do it)
Established	1969 (55 years ago) (1969)
School district	Huntsville City Schools
CEEB code	011466
Principal	David Coker
Teaching staff	94.01 (FTE) (2022–23)[1]
Grades	9–12[1]
Enrollment	1,974 (2022–23)[1]
Student to teacher ratio	21.00 (2022–23)[1]
Color(s)	Orange, brown, and white
Nickname	GHS
Team name	Grissom Tigers
Accreditation	AdvancED[2]
Newspaper	Tiger Tale
Yearbook	Invictus
Website	www.huntsvillecityschools.org/schools/grissom-high-school

History

Grissom High School was founded in 1969 and is named for astronaut Virgil I. "Gus" Grissom, killed in the Apollo 1 fire at Cape Kennedy, Florida on January 27, 1967.^[5] Huntsville is home to NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center and has extensive ties to the American space program. At the same time, the Huntsville City Schools named Roger B. Chaffee Elementary and Ed White Middle School for Grissom's fallen Apollo 1 crewmates.^[6]

In August 2012, the Huntsville City Schools announced plans to tear down the original two-story main high school building and replace it with a three-story structure at an estimated cost of $58 million.^[7] The new building was opened for the 2017–18 school year.^[8]

Tom Drake served as Grissom's principal from 2000 through August 2013. The school board named June Kalange, then a vice-principal and former science teacher at Grissom, as his replacement in early August 2013.^[9] In 2015, Rebecca Balentine, the then-principal of Jones Valley Elementary School, was announced as the new principal of the school. She served until the end of the 2017–2018 school year. Her successor was Grissom Alumni Jeanne Greer, she served until the 2022-2023 school year. In the 2023-2024 school year she was succeeded by Grissom High Alumni David Coker.

Academic achievement

In 2007, Newsweek magazine ranked Grissom among the top 5% of all high schools in the United States. The school was ranked 531 among the top 1200 high schools in the nation based on the number of Advanced Placement, Cambridge tests, and/or International Baccalaureate tests taken by all students at a school and then dividing by the number of graduating seniors.^[10] In the Newsweek ranking of schools throughout the nation for 2015, Grissom High School was ranked second-best in the state and 390th nationally.^[4] Grissom was the only high school in Huntsville to make the 2015 list.

Grissom produced 28 National Merit Semifinalists for 2007, the highest number in the state.^[11] Grissom's math teams and academic team have also earned national recognition. Grissom's 2007 Science Olympiad state team placed 2nd at the state competition at Samford University. They participated in the National Science Olympiad competition in Kansas in May 2007, and in 2008 participated in the National competition in Augusta, Georgia. In 2008, Grissom's Debate and Speech Team qualified for, and competed in the NFL National Tournament in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Notable people

Notable alumni

• Mo Brooks, class of 1972, congressman in the U.S. House of Representatives, representing Alabama's 5th congressional district^[12]
• Michael E. Brown, class of 1983, professor of planetary astronomy at California Institute of Technology^[13]
• Justin Foscue, class of 2017, 14th overall pick in the 2020 MLB Draft^[14]
• Yaa Gyasi, class of 2007, author^[15]
• John E. Hyten, class of 1977, Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (Designee)^[16]
• JJ Kaplan (born 1997), American-Israeli basketball player in the Israeli Basketball Premier League
• James Lomax, class of 2010, member of the Alabama House of Representatives
• Spike McRoy, class of 1986, former professional golfer on the PGA Tour and Nationwide Tour^[17]
• Hunter Morris, class of 2007, All-American collegiate baseball player^[18]
• Marvin Stone, class of 1999, professional basketball player^[19]
• Tim Stowers, class of 1976, head football coach at Georgia Southern University^[20]
• Jayson Swain, class of 2003, formerly a wide receiver for the Chicago Bears^[21]
• Jon Sumrall, class of 2001, head football coach at Tulane University
• Hans von Spakovsky, class of 1977, member of The Heritage Foundation
• Peter J. White, class of 2001, Senior Policy Advisor to President Donald Trump^[22]
• David Howard Thornton, class of 1998, actor. ^[23]

Notable faculty

• Jeremy Brown, teacher, baseball coach, 35th overall pick in the 2002 Major League Baseball draft
• Kay Cornelius, author^[24][25]

Advanced Placement classes

Grissom High School offers Advanced Placement Program courses in the following courses,^[26] including, but not limited to:

American Government & Politics Biology Calculus (AB & BC) Chemistry Comparative Government & Politics Computer science English Language & Composition

English Literature & Composition Environmental Science European History French language German language Latin language Microeconomics Macroeconomics

Psychology Spanish language Statistics Studio Art United States History

Students from Grissom can participate in a dual enrollment program and take classes at Calhoun Community College, the University of Alabama in Huntsville, and the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa through correspondence.^[27]

Extracurriculars and athletics

Grissom Band 2006–07

As of 2007, Grissom has football, boys' and girls' basketball, volleyball, baseball, cross country, softball, track, golf, swimming and diving, boys' and girls' soccer, boys' and girls' tennis, wrestling, and cheerleading teams, a dance program, a choral program, a theatre program,^[28] Greenpower team, Robotics team, as well as marching, symphonic, and jazz bands. Other notable extracurricular activities include an academic team and an extremely competitive math team, that in addition to competing in contests, runs numerous mathematics programs, camps, and competitions. Rocket City Math League is an international mathematics competition run by Grissom math team students. A wide variety of extracurricular clubs are also present at Grissom.

Grissom's academic team has won nine Alabama UAB/Alabama Scholastic Competition Association (ASCA) state championships (1982 (4A), 1987 (5A-6A), 1991, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2004, and 2013 (the state's inaugural Junior Varsity Championship)) – the most of any Alabama high school.^[29]

Grissom's wrestling team has won seven AHSAA State Championships, and has been runner-up seven times as well. Its most recent state championship was in 2004, while its most recent runner-up placement was in 2012. The program has also developed many individual state champions.^[30][31]

Grissom's Greenpower Team has won numerous awards. In the Toyota Classic race in 2021, they won 3rd place in Stock and 2nd place in Modified, and in 2022, 3rd place in Stock and 1st in Modified. In addition, they placed 2nd in Modified and 1st in Stock at the F24 National Championship race, later in 2022 they placed 1st in both Modified and Stock. Also in 2022 they placed 2nd in Stock in the Santa Sprits race. In 2023 they won 1st place Stock in the Trojan 90's race. ^[32]

School publications

Grissom's bimonthly newspaper is The Imprint, which is recognized by the Alabama Scholastic Press Association. The annual literary magazine is called Seed, and the annual school yearbook is named Invictus.

See also

• List of high schools in Alabama

References

1. "Search for Public Schools - Virgil Grissom High School (010180000629 )". National Center for Education Statistics. Institute of Education Sciences. Retrieved April 7, 2024.
2. "Institution Summary, Virgil I. Grissom High School". AdvancED. Archived from the original on March 13, 2014. Retrieved March 13, 2014.
3. "Selected 2007 Schools". No Child Left Behind-Blue Ribbon Schools Program. U.S. Department of Education. August 15, 2008. Archived from the original on October 25, 2017. Retrieved November 10, 2008.
4. "America's Top High Schools". Newsweek. August 19, 2015. Archived from the original on October 16, 2016. Retrieved August 24, 2015.
5. Whitmire, Olivia (August 24, 2018). "Sidewalk on Old Grissom High campus holds 40 year old memories". WHNT-TV 19 News. Archived from the original on February 28, 2019. Retrieved February 27, 2019.
6. Jaques, Bob (June 6, 2002). "First spacewalk by American astronaut 37 years ago" (PDF). Marshall Star. NASA Marshall Space Flight Center. p. 5. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 13, 2005.
7. Banaszak, Nick (August 16, 2012). "Major Makeover Planned For Grissom High School". WHNT-TV. Archived from the original on August 21, 2012. Retrieved August 17, 2012.
8. "New Grissom High School opens in Huntsville despite ribbon cutting problem". Archived from the original on July 1, 2019. Retrieved July 1, 2019.
9. Bonvillian, Crystal (August 9, 2013). "Huntsville board names June Kalange as new principal of Grissom High School". The Huntsville Times. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved August 11, 2013.
10. DeButts, Jimmy (May 21, 2007). "Irondale school among nation's best". Birmingham Business Journal. Archived from the original on September 7, 2009. Retrieved March 9, 2008.
11. Newcomb, Pat (September 13, 2006). "Grissom puts 28 in Merit semifinals". Huntsville Times. Archived from the original on February 19, 2007.
12. Ballard, Kimberly (June 21, 2018). "Nostalgic Goodbye to Old Grissom High & Exciting Hello to New South Huntsville Library". Huntsville Business Journal. Archived from the original on October 9, 2018. Retrieved October 9, 2018. U.S. Rep. Mo Brooks, who played baseball for Grissom, graduating in 1972.
13. Oswalt, Terry D. (October 29, 2012). "Mike Brown". The Encyclopedia Of Alabama. Archived from the original on October 9, 2018. Retrieved October 9, 2018.
14. "Texas Rangers draft Justin Foscue". June 10, 2020. Archived from the original on June 11, 2020. Retrieved June 11, 2020.
15. Haskins, Shelly (August 28, 2016). "How an Alabama author's debut novel landed her on 'The Daily Show'". The Birmingham News. Archived from the original on July 7, 2018. Retrieved October 9, 2018. She graduated from Grissom High School in 2007, then from Stanford and the Iowa Writer's Workshop.
16. "U.S. Air Force General Hyten nominated to be next vice chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff". Reuters. April 9, 2019. Archived from the original on April 10, 2019. Retrieved April 10, 2019.
17. "Spike McRoy". Golf Info Guide. Archived from the original on October 9, 2018. Retrieved October 9, 2018.
18. "Hunter Morris, Volunteer Assistant Coach". Samford Sports. Archived from the original on October 9, 2018. Retrieved October 9, 2018. A native of Huntsville, Ala., he graduated from Grissom High School in 2007
19. Easterling, Mike (December 12, 2010). "Grissom's Marvin Stone made presence felt in the '90s". The Huntsville Times. Archived from the original on October 9, 2018. Retrieved October 9, 2018.
20. McCarter, Mark (April 9, 2010). "Huntsville-Madison County Athletic Hall of Fame inductees: Tim Stowers a national champion coach". The Birmingham News. Archived from the original on October 9, 2018. Retrieved October 9, 2018. Stowers was an all-state player at Grissom High in 1976.
21. "Grissom Football Team History". Alabama High School Football Historical Society. Archived from the original on October 9, 2018. Retrieved October 9, 2018.
22. Gattis, Paul (January 23, 2017). "Huntsville native appointed to White House analyst position". Archived from the original on August 13, 2018. Retrieved October 9, 2018. Peter hails from Alabama's Fifth Congressional District and is a fellow graduate of Grissom High School.
23. Wake, Matt (October 21, 2022). "'Terrifier 2′ star David Howard Thornton talks hit horror film, Alabama roots". al. Retrieved October 14, 2024.
24. "Authors: Kay Cornelius". Barbour Publishing. Archived from the original on June 18, 2006.
25. "Children's Author/Illustrator Kay Cornelius". Answers.com. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved February 21, 2008.
26. "Counselor's profile of Grissom High School". Grissom High School. Archived from the original on August 8, 2007. Retrieved July 25, 2007.
27. "UAH Dual Credit Program". University of Alabama in Huntsville. Archived from the original on April 2, 2008. Retrieved August 14, 2007.
28. "Grissom High School sports directory". Grissom High official. Archived from the original on July 1, 2007. Retrieved June 12, 2007.
29. "2010 ASCA High School State Tournament Jefferson State Community College, Pelham". Alabama Scholastic Competition Association. April 9, 2010. Archived from the original on July 22, 2011. Retrieved September 9, 2010.
30. "RECORDS AND SCHEDULE". grissomwrestling. Archived from the original on August 16, 2019. Retrieved August 16, 2019.
31. "AHSAA > Sports > Wrestling > Wrestling All-Time Records". www.ahsaa.com. Archived from the original on August 16, 2019. Retrieved August 16, 2019.
32. "awards". GRISSOM RACING. Retrieved October 31, 2023.

Further reading

• Bryan, Shevaun. "Groundbreaking for Grissom High’s new site." WHNT. October 2, 2014.
• Riopka, Melissa and Matt Kroschel. "UPDATE: Big plans for Grissom High School once new campus is complete." WHNT. October 2, 2014.

External links

• Official website