Southwest Magnet High School

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Southwest Magnet High School, also known as Southwest-Macon and Southwest Magnet High School and Law Academy, is a high school in Macon, Georgia, serving students in grades 9-12. It is a unit of the Bibb County Public School System.

In the 1970s, Macon residents often claimed that Southwest was the largest high school in the United States in both campus size and attendance numbers. Its sprawling campus complex was comprised of 4 classroom buildings (McEvoy A, McEvoy B, Willingham A, Willingham B), 3 of which had their own gymnasium. It had its own baseball field, 1/4 mile track, soccer field and football field. A fifth building was added in the 80s to accommodate technical education needs. Southwest High School was born out of the integration and co-ed movements of the late 60s and early 70s, during which the Willingham schools (high school for males) and McEvoy schools (high school for females) merged, and eventually rose to national prominence under the leadership of principal Gloria Washington.

Its large student body enabled the school to have successful teams in baseball, track and field, football and basketball, as well as numerous academic teams. Its chief rivalry was Central High School's Chargers. Each fall, the campus hosted Orange Crush week designed to celebrate the upcoming rivalry game between the Southwest Patriots (whose colors are red, white and blue) and Central Chargers (whose main color was orange).

In the late 1980s, because of growing concerns about successful management of the enormous student body, the school was split into Southwest High School and Southeast High School. Southwest later added a magnet program, focusing on preparatory curricula for law and criminal justice careers.

Prior to the school's split, Southwest High School also produced NBA basketball greats Norm Nixon (#10 Los Angeles Lakers 1977-83), Jeff Malone (Miami Heat, Philadelphia 76ers, & Washington Bullets 1983-90). The school was also nationally known for its marching band, "The Southwest Marching Patriots Band," or the "Big Red Machine," and its concert and jazz bands, all of which succeeded under the demanding and temperamental direction of Bill Hunter and Oscar Jackson. The bands regularly placed at or near the top in state and national competitions, and also performed at parades, symphanies and other major events by invitation.