E. E. Waddell High School

E. E. Waddell High School is a high schools in Charlotte, North Carolina.

History

In the mid-1990s, responding to phenomenal growth in the southern parts of Mecklenburg County, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg School Board decided to build a new high school between South Mecklenburg and Olympic high schools. The new school was to open for the 2001-2002 school year. The site selected was located conveniently off I-77 on Nations Ford Road.

In the spring of 2001, the School Board named the new school after Dr. Elbert Edwin Waddell (1922–1988). The school was dedicated formally on Sunday, June 2, 2002. In 2010, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools voted to close the high school and use the facility for Smith Academy of International Languages due to budget cuts and low enrollment rates. Smith Academy will then be renamed to E. E. Waddell Language Academy.

Mascot

The school's mascot, the Raider, reflects the rich history of the Nations Ford (a convenient crossing over the Catawba River) and surrounding area in the founding of the United States. It is reminiscent of the "overmountain men" and other southern patriots who fought with unconventional methods—which contributed to the southern piedmont being described as a "Hornet's Nest" in the Revolutionary War (1775–1781).

Waddell Track and Field

Coach Charles Douglas has been the Track and Field coach since the school opened in 2001. Waddell's Track Team is in the MEGA 7 3A/4A conference and competes as a 3A school. One of the most successful Track athletes to attend Waddell was Aja Jackson. She went on to win several awards in the Atlantic 10 conference running for UNC Charlotte.

Waddell Fine Arts

One of the most successful programs at E. E. Waddell has always been its Fine and Performing Arts Department. The current school year saw the establishment of a computerized music theory lab unique to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg school system. The Theatre Arts program annually stages fully realized productions and the Vocal Arts program has a reputation of quality vocal ensembles that perform throughout the greater Metropolitan area. The school has a full "wet" darkroom for its photography program and two operating kilns for the arts programs.

Stadium

E.E. Waddell Language Academy Stadium is a 6,000-capacity stadium located on the grounds of E. E. Waddell Language Academy in Charlotte, North Carolina.

The stadium is used for Waddell Soccer, track and field, and American Football. It also served as the home ground for the Charlotte Eagles of the USL Second Division through the 2007 season.

Namesake

Dr. E. E. Waddell, educator and community leader, received his bachelor's and master's degrees from North Carolina A & T State University and his Doctor of Education degree from Duke University.

He served as principal of Kingville High School (Albemarle, N. C.) from 1943 to 1963, and in honor of his community involvement, the original school campus was renamed E. E. Waddell Community Center.

Dr. Waddell was principal of Charlotte's Second Ward High School from 1963 to 1969 when he was named Assistant to the Superintendent of Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools. From 1976 to 1979, he was Area Superintendent in the Harding Area. In 1979, he was appointed Assistant Superintendent for Auxiliary Services, the position he held until his retirement in 1982.

External links

• Official school web site