Type Public High School Founder James Madison Tate Sr. Grades 9 - 12 Mascot Aggie (Horse) Color Crimson and Gray | Established 1878 Principal Richard Shackle Phone +1 850-937-2300 Founded 1878 Lowest grade Ninth grade | |
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Athletics Wrestling, Football, Soccer, Tennis, Swim/Dive, Volleyball, Track, Baseball, Softball, Basketball, Cross Country Address 1771 Tate Rd, Cantonment, FL 32533, USA District Escambia County School District Similar Pine Forest High School, West Florida High Sch, Booker T Washingt High Sch, Escambia High School, Pensacola High School | ||
J.M. Tate High School is a secondary school in Cantonment, Florida, United States. The school is part of the Escambia County School District.
Contents
History
Tate High School was founded in 1878 by James Madison Tate Sr., a Civil War veteran, minister and former lawyer. The school was originally called Roberts High School and was one of the first high schools established in Escambia County. The original school building was one room with a sawdust floor; students sat on wooden benches. Initially, Tate taught all of the grades himself. Tate taught at Roberts High until 1913, when he retired.
In 1917, the James Madison Tate Sr. Agricultural School was completed. The school was a two-story brick building with eight classrooms. Establishment of the agricultural school advanced the agricultural programs already in place at the original Roberts High.
In 1927, O.A. Strange became principal of Tate High School. During his 24-year tenure as head of the school, 10 buildings were added to the campus and the school transformed from a small rural school to a modern high school.
Student organizations and athletics
During the early days of Tate High, there was no football equipment, so the school's main sports were basketball and baseball. Tate's baseball team won the national championships in 1984 and has won seven state championships since 1960. One of the school's most accomplished baseball players, Don Sutton, went on to major league fame with the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Tate softball team won the Florida Class 7A state championship in 2015 lead by pitcher Tori Perkins current player for the University of Alabama Birmingham.
A football team was established at Tate High School in 1949. The team was coached by Steve England, followed by Ralph Shadran in 1959. In 1972 Carl Madison became coach and has the second highest win count of any football coach in Florida state history at 326-129-7. He and Jon Langston led the Tate Aggies to a state championship and a number four national ranking in 1980. Tate's marching band, the Showband of the South, won the first official Bands of America Grand National Championship, in 1980.
Tate is also known for its drumline which has competed in annual world championship competitions in Dayton, Ohio. The school's colorguard is known as the "Tate Chaparrals." In 1989, the colorguard competed in the WGI Scholastic World Class Competition, winning first place.
The Tate High School FFA chapter was founded in 1929.