Canton McKinley Senior High School is a public high school in Canton, Stark County, Ohio, and part of the Canton City School District. It is one of the oldest high schools in Ohio, and was once one of Ohio's largest. The original McKinley building on Market Avenue North was opened on March 27, 1918. The students of Central High School and North High School were moved to the new building. The school was named for President William McKInley (whose home was across the street from McKinley High School) and his sister, Anna McKinley, who taught in the Canton Public Schools for 30 years. When it opened, it was the only high school in Canton. By 1943, it was one of four high schools, as enrollment in the city schools dictated Lehman High School, Lincoln High School, and Timken Vocational High School be opened. As the city of Canton's population declined, so did city school enrollment. In the spring of 1976, the Canton City Schools closed all four high schools in the city. Lehman and Lincoln reverted to junior high schools, and Timken Senior High School and McKinley Senior High School were their replacements. McKinley Senior opened in a new building on the site of Fawcett Stadium. In February 2015, the Canton City School board approved closing Timken as a traditional four-year high school, thus making McKinley the city's only high school for the first time since Lehman became a high school in 1937. McKinley High School's enrollment peaked in the 1935 – 1936 school year with 4,000 students attending.
Canton McKinley competes in the Federal League, one of the oldest athletic conferences in Ohio.
Football – 1981, 1997, 1998 (National Champions – 1934, 1997)
Boys Swimming – 1937, 1939, 1940, 1945, 1949, 1951, 1952, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961
Boys Basketball – 1984, 2005, 2006
Boys Golf – 1943
Boys Track and Field – 1997
Boys Baseball – 1937, 1939
Girls Volleyball – 1983, 1987, 1991
Girls Basketball – 2010
Canton McKinley is 7th in the nation in football wins all-time, with 813 as of December 2015. McKinley is also second in Ohio in win total.
Prior to the start of the current playoff format in Ohio high school football, McKinley had won seven AP poll titles. Since the playoff format began, McKinley has won three State Titles, in 1981, 1997, and 1998. They have been State Runner-Up three times in 1977, 1985, and 2004.
McKinley-Massillon is the 13th most played rivalry in the nation, with 126 meetings between the schools. The rivalry is also tied for the nation's 14th oldest, dating back to 1894 and was profiled in the November 14, 1994 issue of Sports Illustrated.
McKinley plays at Fawcett Stadium (soon to be Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium when renovations are complete), which seats over 22,500 fans. Fawcett is also home to the NFL's annual Pro Football Hall of Fame Game (The Hall is in Canton)
Famous Bulldogs include Percy Snow, Kenny Peterson, Marion Motley, Wayne Fontes, Ray Ellis, Jamar Martin, the late Pro Bowl linebacker John Grimsley, Mike Doss, Reggie Corner and Josh McDaniels (New England Patriots Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks coach, former Denver Broncos Head Coach). Famous former coaches include Don Nehlen (West Virginia) and Ben Schwartzwalder (Syracuse), Eric Snow (Former Cleveland Cavaliers Point Guard.)
McKinley is #1 in Ohio in wins all-time. They have won three State Championships in 1983–84, 2004–05, and 2005–2006. They have been State Runners-Up eight times, and hold Ohio records for most appearances in the Championship game (11), Final Four appearances (23), and Sweet Sixteen appearances (48).
McKinley has had several players move on to the NBA, including Nick Weatherspoon, Phil Hubbard, Gary Grant, Eric Snow, Michael Hawkins, and Keith McLeod. With Nick Weatherspoon playing in the NBA from 1973 to 1980, Phil Hubbard from 1980 to 1989, Gary Grant from 1989 to 2001, Eric Snow from 1996 to 2008, Michael Hawkins from 1997 to 2001, and Keith McCleod from 2004 to present, McKinley has had a graduate in the NBA continuously since 1973, which is believed to be a record.
On February 25, 2015, Canton City Schools approved the merger of McKinley High School and Timken High School, giving Canton a single high school for the first time since 1937. Freshmen of the merged schools will attend the Freshmen Academy located at the current Timken High School, while grades 10–12 attend the senior high school located at the current McKinley building. The remaining high school will retain the McKinley name, mascot, and colors.
James B. Allardice – Emmy award-winning writer
Mother Angelica – television personality and the founder of the Eternal Word Television Network
Brannon Braga – creator, writer and producer of several Star Trek films and television series
Hal Broda – American football player (All-American); (NFL) the 1927 Cleveland Bulldogs
Kimberlé Crenshaw – legal theorist, Fulbright scholar, and professor
Frank DeVol – Musician, composer, actor; Nominated for 5 Academy awards and 5 Emmy Nominations
Mike Doss – American football player (All-American); (NFL) the Indianapolis Colts, Minnesota Vikings and Cincinnati Bengals
Sandy Dukat – American Paralympic athlete, Bronze medalist in alpine skiing
Jack Dugger – American football player (All-American)
Kerwin Ray Ellis – former Pro Football player for Cleveland Browns and Philadelphia Eagles
Richard H. Emmons – Physicist, Planetarium pioneer
Tyler Everett – American football player, former Pro Football player for Chicago Bears
Ralph Fife – American football player (All-American);(NFL) the Chicago Cardinals and Pittsburgh Steelers
Randall Craig Fleischer – American philharmonic conductor
Wayne Fontes – Detroit Lions head coach (1988–1996)
Cassietta George – Grammy nominated Gospel vocalist
Wayne Gift – American football player
Gary Grant – Former NBA player for Los Angeles Clippers, New York Knicks, Miami Heat, Portland Trail Blazers and University of Michigan all-time assists leader
John Grimsley – American football player for the Miami Dolphins and Houston Oilers
Antonio Hall – Canadian football player for the Edmonton Eskimos
Ronnie Harris – 1968 Olympic Gold Medalist in Boxing; Former #1 Middleweight Contender
Ralph Hay – once owner of the Canton Bulldogs, helped form the American Professional Football Association (NFL)
William J. Healy II – Former Mayor Canton, Ohio; Ohio House of Representatives 52nd district
Matt Hoopes – Guitarist for the band Relient K
Phil Hubbard – former American professional basketball player for the Detroit Pistons and Cleveland Cavaliers of the National Basketball Association from 1979 to 1989, and current Assistant Coach of the Washington Wizards
Dick Kempthorn – University of Michigan football MVP and 3 time college All-Star, USAF pilot (Distinguished Flying Cross)
Reuben Klamer – Inventor of "The Game of Life" and various other toys, Inducted into the Toy Inventors HOF and honored by the Smithsonian Institution
Jamar Martin – former NFL fullback for the Dallas Cowboys
Ben McDaniels – offensive quality control coach for the Chicago Bears
Josh McDaniels – Offensive Coordinator for the New England Patriots, Former Denver Broncos Head Coach
Keith McLeod – professional basketball player
Raymar Morgan – professional basketball player for Barak Netanya in Israel
Marion Motley – Pro Football Hall of Famer for the Cleveland Browns
The O'Jays – R&B group; inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2005
Mary Orr – Broadway actress, author, playwright; Her short story / radio play "The Wisdom of Eve" was made into the movie All About Eve and was nominated for 14 Academy Awards, winning 6
Kenny Peterson – American football player for the Denver Broncos
Brian Pittman – Former bassist for Relient K
John G. Price – Former Ohio Attorney General, Grand Exalted Ruler of B.P.O.E.
Nick Roman – American football player
John Alfred Scali – ABC Washington, D.C. beat reporter; helped resolve the Cuban Missile Crisis. Appointed "Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary" to the United Nations by President Nixon
Don Scott – two-time All American football player at Ohio State University; was the ninth overall selection in the 1941 NFL draft, but died in World War II
Robert Sedlock – American football player for the Buffalo Bills
George Sharrock – Mayor of Anchorage, Alaska from 1961 to 1964
Limmie Snell – American soul singer
Eric Snow – basketball player for the Cleveland Cavaliers
Percy Snow – Former NFL Linebacker for the Kansas City Chiefs and the Chicago Bears
Larry Snyder – Ohio State University Head Coach (Track & Field); Head Coach 1960 USA Olympic Track & Field team
Harry Steel – Olympic Gold Medal winner heavy weight wrestler in the 1924 Paris games
Blanche Thebom – Noted American operatic mezzo-soprano, voice teacher, and opera director with the New York Metropolitan Opera
Nick Weatherspoon – All-American basketball player at the University of Illinois before a nine-year NBA career that included stops in Washington, Seattle, Chicago and San Diego
Jim Aiken – Coach: Head football and basketball; would go on to coach at the University of Akron, University of Nevada, Reno, and the University of Oregon
Paul Bixler – Coach: Head basketball, assistant football; would go on to coach at Ohio State and Colgate; Director of Player Personnel for the NFL Cleveland Browns
Ron Chismar – Coach: Head football; would go on to coach at Wichita State University
Harry Hazlett – Coach: Head football and basketball; Head coach of the Pro Canton Bulldogs; during World War II was a Major General and commanded the 86th Infantry Division
Dewey King – Coach: Asst. football; became head football coach at San Jose State, Wheaton College (Illinois), and AD at Carroll University (Wisconsin)
Harry March – Coach: Head football; involved in Pro-Football, President of American Football League (1936), co-founder and administrator for the NFL New York Giants
Thom McDaniels – Coach: Head football; USA Today 1997 High School Coach of the Year
Don Nehlen – Coach: Head football; became head football coach at West Virginia University, College Football Hall of Fame inductee
Dwight Peabody – Coach: Head football; former early NFL player with the Columbus Panhandles and Toledo Maroons
Bob Rupert – Coach: Head basketball; became head basketball coach at the University of Akron
Ben Schwartzwalder – Coach: Head football; became head football coach at Syracuse University, College Football Hall of Fame inductee
