Pershing Middle School (San Diego)

Pershing Middle School, founded in 1964, is a middle school in the San Diego City Schools school district that is named after John J. Pershing and is in San Diego, California. It is located on San Carlos Drive in the community of San Carlos in San Diego (ZIP Code 92119).

History

The twenty-eight acre site for the John J. Pershing Junior High School was purchased in the San Carlos area at a cost of $93,949 on August 5, 1959. The purchase price for the land included the cost for street improvements.

Robert A. Bradt, architect, was appointed to design the school plant. The low bid for construction was submitted by the Cotton Construction Company.

The total cost of the building, including site improvement, was $1,560,959. The school was fully completed and accepted on January 2, 1964.

The school plant consists of one-story buildings with outside corridors and lockers. There are twelve separate buildings housing thiry classrooms, the cafeteria, auditorium, physical education facilities and general offices. Miss Jane Minshall, the district landscape architect, planned and supervised the landscaping.

The enrollment at Pershing in September, 1963, was 416 students in grades 7 and 8. With the addition of the 9th grade in September, 1964, enrollment increased to 810 students.

The school colors were black and gold. The school symbol was the Paladin. The first principal was Mr. Kenneth Hale, and the vice-principal was Mr. Leonard Sherr.

In 1984 Fact|date=February 2007 the school colors were changed to maroon and gray. The school mascot was changed to a panther.

In 1996 Fact|date=February 2007 Pershing became a middle school, adding sixth grade while Patrick Henry High School took the ninth grade.

Notable alumni

*Greg Bear -- author
*Annette Bening -- actor
*Lawrence D. Elliott -- author
*Brian Stokes Mitchell -- actor
*Jacqueline Shannon -- author
*An Na -- author

External links

* [http://www.sandi.net/pershing/ Pershing Middle School website]