South Bend John Adams High School (IN)

From Hoopedia

John Adams High School (often referred to locally simply as Adams) is a public secondary school in South Bend.

John Adams High School was opened on September 30, 1940 as a program sponsored by the Federal Works Agency, Public Works Administration under Franklin Delano Roosevelt. The school opened late due to the polio epidemic of the 1930’s. It is one of the four current South Bend Community School Corporation high schools. It sits on around 20 acres across from Indiana University South Bend. It has been renovated two times, the most recent being completed in early 2005. The school sports a large front lawn with many walking areas, giving it a campus-like feel. The front of the building has a tower built in, once home to a radio studio where Kate Smith sang God Bless America across the United States. It has since been renovated and remains idle. The school auditorium was once the only large performing stage in South Bend. It has been the site of many historical events and performances such as The Chicago Symphony, The Fred Waring Chorus, Ezio Pinza, Oscar Robinson, and Johnny Wooden. The auditorium was remodeled and still seats over two-thousand people, but is now home to the schools basketball court. In 2005, the school celebrated its 65th anniversary with the finishing of the most recent remodeling. It was only 11 years ago when the school was to be shut down due to a budget crisis. Large outcries by the community and movements by students including Aaron Perri kept the school going, and will keep it going for many years. The school was first led by Galen Sargent in 1940, and currently is led by Todd Wiedemann.