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How It All Began....
The Johnson & Johnson Corp, which at the time operated the textile plant
at Chicopee, owned a huge tract of land in South Hall County that
included the current JHS campus, as well as the land that is now Elachee
Nature Center and Chicopee Woods Golf Course. In the early 70’s they
approached the Hall County Board of Education with a proposal. They
would donate a very large tract of land to the school system if the
Board would agree to build a new high school and name it after one of
the patriarchs of the company, Robert Wood Johnson. Thus, the official
name was Robert Wood Johnson Memorial High School, which became known by
its current name, Johnson High. The district did not change at all to
accommodate the new building, the students merely moved from their
previous building at South Hall High. The Board had to be creative in
determining what to do with that building, which was still in very good
condition. They made it a Junior High for grades 7&8, the only one in
the system. The other two high schools at the time, North Hall and East
Hall were 8-12 grades. That dynamic did not change until middle schools
were introduced to the county in the late 80’s at which time South Hall
Junior High changed to its current name and grade alignment 6-8 South
Hall Middle School. (That tract of land, by the way, also included the
site of the Transportation Center and Blacksheer Place Library). Robert Wood Johnson High School opened, under the leadership of principal Donald Loggins and Superintendent Dean Myers, in August of 1972 with much enthusiasm, excitement, and community support. Two new concepts in education began with Johnson’s opening--the quarter system and the open classroom concept. Classrooms had no doors and only portable dividers separated students. Since then, walls have gone up, doors have been installed, and the quarter system has been replaced with block scheduling. These two aspects are small examples of the enormous changes that have occurred over the thirty-four year history of Robert Wood Johnson High School. Some major events in the history of Robert Wood Johnson High School are worth noting. The Vocational Wing of the school officially opened one year later in 1973. The Frank J. Knight Gym was completed and dedicated in 1982. Johnson High School got its own football stadium in 1990, which has become nicknamed the “dungeon,” and now serves as the home of our football and soccer teams. On September 28, 2001, the stadium was officially dedicated as the Billy Ellis Memorial Stadium in honor of Mr. Billy Ellis, longtime Johnson Principal and beloved Knight who lost a valiant battle with cancer earlier that year. In 1996, Johnson proudly dedicated its new Performing Arts Center, which is now home to drama, band, and chorus productions as well as other school functions. The state of Georgia recognized Johnson High School as a Georgia School of Excellence in 1996, a distinct honor reflecting the hard work and dedication of the people who have contributed to the overall success and legacy of Johnson High School, both past and present. Technology has now become the cornerstone of Johnson High School. All areas of the school boast a strong commitment to technology-based education. Johnson High School currently has a school-wide computer lab, a language arts computer lab, 3 business education computer labs, a technology lab, and many more computers throughout the school. Gone are the typewriters, the industrial arts lab, and the classrooms without computers. Teachers are actively engaged in instruction utilizing the many up-to-date technology ideas. As you can see, Johnson is not the same school it was in 1972. Take a moment to view our website to learn more. Also, drop by and visit our school to see what’s happening. We are very proud of where we are and where we’ve been, and we want you to experience it for yourself. You won’t be disappointed. |
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Dr.
Damon Gibbs, Principal | |||
