# Terry Parker High School

Terry Parker High School is a public high school in the Duval County Public School district, located in Jacksonville, Florida. The school celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2005. The school has been named a Blue Ribbon School of Excellence.

## Namesake

In 1955, philanthropist H. Terry Parker and his family deeded 30 acres (120,000 m$^2$) of property in Arlington for the erection of a public school in the Duval County area. The Arlington Parent-Teachers Association nominated Parker to be the school's namesake and it was approved by the school board.
In 1958, Parker made a gift of one half the cost of seating and lighting installations at Parker Athletic Field. Sixty red and black wool uniforms were given to Terry Parker Band by Mrs. Parker.

## Improvement

Terry Parker was one of 11 schools nationwide selected by the College Board for inclusion in the EXCELerator School Improvement Model program beginning the 2006–2007 school year. The project was funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

## Swimming pool

The school has an outdoor pool which is used by the athletic teams and physical education classes during the academic year; then it becomes a free public pool operated by the City of Jacksonville Parks & Recreation Department during the summer months.

## Hall of Fame

Thirty Terry Parker High School graduates, former teachers and former staff members were inducted into the school's inaugural Hall of Fame as part of the school's 50th anniversary festivities April 1, 2005. Inductees were selected on the basis of their exemplary achievements in athletics, health and medicine, arts and entertainment, public service, business and industry, volunteerism, philanthropy or education.
Terry Parker Hall of Fame :
| Name | Year | Attribute |
| Aaron Staton | 1998 | Actor (broadway and television) and writer. Known for playing the best and most honorable man, Kenneth Cosgrove, on AMC's popular series Mad Men. |
| Joe Adeeb | 1971 | Jacksonville business owner, Bono's Bar-B-Q |
| Mike Atter | 1972 | Jacksonville attorney, charitable organizer, volunteer |
| Wayne Bailey | faculty | Parker High choral director, 1972–1980; music educator, conductor, vocalist |
| Josiah Bartley | 1968 | Parker teacher, Duval County public schools administrator |
| Don Brewer | 1958 | Jacksonville business owner, former Jacksonville city councilman |
| Robert Brewer | 1965 | 1972 U.S. Olympic Team, youth track-and-field leader |
| Aaron H. Brown, Jr. | faculty | Parker's first head football coach and athletic director, 1956–1964 |
| Catherine Buck Whatley | 1968 | Jacksonville business owner, president of the National Association of Realtors |
| Rick Catlett | 1969 | President of the Gator Bowl Association |
| Leanza Cornett Steines | 1989 | Miss America 1993, television host and performer |
| John Delaney | 1974 | Mayor of Jacksonville, 1995–2003; president, University of North Florida |
| Dan Disch | 1977 | high school and college football coach |
| Sidney Friend | school administrator | Parker's first principal, 1956–1969 |
| Ward Green | 1965 | Parker band director, 1975–2004 |
| Adam Hollingsworth | 1986 | Jacksonville businessman and political strategist |
| Gary Iwanowski | 1974 | owner of Designer's Landscape Co., syndicated television host (Gary Alan) |
| Scott Jones | 1982 | owner of Scott Jones School of Dance; dancer, choreographer |
| Ivan Khatchoyan | 1988 | nominated musician with band |Cooking on Burners, owner CHOI |records | Joe Lippo | faculty | Parker band director, 1958–1976 |
| Ian Mairs | 1982 | playwright, actor, director and teacher |
| Howard May | faculty | 1970–2002 |
| Rudy McKissick, Jr. | 1983 | pastor, Bethel Baptist Institutional Church |
| Marilyn Olin | faculty | Parker teacher, 1972–1996; 2000 Duval County Teacher of the Year; mentor for National Board Certified Teachers |
| Tom Petway | 1958 | Jacksonville business owner, business and civic leader |
| Fred Pickard | faculty | Parker head football coach for 21 years |
| Lake Ray, III | 1974 | President of Harbor Engineering, Jacksonville City Councilman, Current Florida State Legislator District 17 |
| Susan Thomson Shi | 1967 | Educator and administrator, community service volunteer, consultant in Greenville, S.C. |
| Ray Veckruise | faculty | Parker's first choral director, 1956–1964; composer of Parker High's alma mater |
| Eric Jon Veri | 1988 | musician, music and video producer | Susan Watt Cable | 1967 | School board president in Macon, Ga.; Georgia state legislator |
| Terry Wood | 1965 | former president, Jacksonville City Council |
Other notable Terry Parker graduates :
| Name | Year | Attribute |
| Danny Joe Brown | 1969 | songwriter and former lead singer for the band Molly Hatchet |
| Michael Clerc | 1985 | 1984 FHSAA 4A State Champion in Cross-Country 3-mile at 15:05. School record holder in the mile with a 4:08.2. |
| Stephen Mosley | 1994 | Only 5,000 yard rusher in school history. He helped lead the Braves to two undefeated, 10–0, regular seasons in 1992 and 1993. (football) |
| Roosevelt Williams (gridiron football) | 1997 | NFL 3rd draftee by the Chicago Bears (2002, 2003), Cleveland Browns (2003, 2004), and New York Jets (2005) |
| A. J. Jenkins | 2008 | Former NFL Wide Receiver. First round pick (30th overall) of the San Francisco 49ers in the 2012 NFL Draft out of the University of Illinois. |
| Sam Barrington | 2009 | Former NFL Linebacker. Seventh round pick (232nd overall) of the Green Bay Packers in the 2013 NFL Draft out of the University of South Florida. |
| Ricardo Mathews | 2010 | Former NFL Defensive End. Seventh round pick (238th overall) of the Indianapolis Colts in the 2010 NFL Draft out of the University of Cincinnati. |