Marquette Senior High School (MSHS) is a public high school located in Marquette, Michigan. The high school serves grades 9-12, with current student enrollment around 1396 - approximately 51% male to 49% female.
High-school age resident athletes from the U.S. Olympic Education Center at Northern Michigan University attend classes at MSHS.
The present high school is located on the site of the former Munising Wood Products factory at the corner of Fair Avenue and Lincoln Avenue. It was also known as the Piqua Location.
The school currently has 91 members on its teaching staff, with a teacher to student ratio of 1:22.
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Marquette's first high school was constructed in 1859 on property given to the city by Dr. Morgan Hewitt. Located on the corner of Pine and Ridge Streets, the community initially opposed the project because it was "on the edge of the wilderness." Nevertheless, the red brick building with separate entrances for boys and girls was used until 1875, when it was torn down and replaced with a larger brownstone building in 1878.
After fire claimed the brownstone in February 1900, the Howard High School (named after John M. Longyear's son) was constructed in 1902 along with an elementary school and a manual training building. However, the school had been built to accommodate 200 students, but reached an enrollment of nearly 400 by 1915, so the community began a search for a new site.
Mrs. Harriet K. Adams, widow of pioneer Sidney Adams, donated land on the corner of Front and Hewitt streets for a new high school, and gave $2,500 for gymnasium equipment, but World War I postponed those plans until 1923.
In 1925, voters approved a bond issue of $475,000 to build the new high school on the 8 lots on Front Street between Ohio Street and Hewitt Avenue (as well as expand the Fisher School). Louis Kaufman donated $26,000 to the school board to replace the funds it had spent on land acquisition, so that more money could be spent on construction. In appreciation, the board voted unanimously to name the school after Kaufman's mother, Juliet Graveraet; they later named the auditorium after Kaufman himself.
Graveraet High School enjoyed many years as a high school, but was replaced in 1965 by the present structure at Fair and Lincoln avenues.
The Marquette Senior High School's athletic program is known as the Redmen and Redettes. Their logo is a Block M with MARQUETTE printed in the center. Their colors are Red and White. The men's ice hockey team won the 2004 and 2008 MHSAA division 1 state championship, their third state championship since 1995. Their men and women's downhill ski teams both won the state title in 2008 Redman Wrestling HIGHEST DUAL TEAM SCORE, 14 WEIGHTS 84-0 Marquette (MI) HS, (14 falls in 14:07, 2/1/97) Coach Tim Schultz. From WRESTLING USA NATIONAL WRESTLING RECORDS. Last year, the Marquette Redmen Freshman football team went undefeated and achieved the GNC conference title. 1st time this has happened in over 40 years. This year, the Redmen Varsity football team clinched a spot in the state playoffs and defeated the Menominee Maroons to get second place in the Great Northern Conference. Marquette football is turning around from the previous "winless" seasons. The Girls Swimming and Diving team has won ten consecutive UP Championships.
The Marquette Senior High School Music department is among the top in the Upper Peninsula, as well as the state of Michigan. Over the years, MSHS has been a participant in State Organizations of Band, Orchestra, and Choir. Music students have participated, almost yearly in MYAF (Michigan Youth Arts Festival) and have sent many groups down to the conference over the years. The MSHS "Octomen" and "Chamber Choir" (neither which met as classes) were two of the top 14 choirs in the state and performed in the 2010 Festival. Nearly two-thirds of all students are somehow involved in music at Marquette Senior High School. The Daniel Gualdoni Marching Band Spirit Award is presented yearly to the member of the MSHS Marching Band who best exemplifies the qualities of character and dedication to the organization which define Mr. Gualdoni's legacy.