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75th Anniversary
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Anniversary Posts 1-15
- 1: Monroe Academy: Henrietta’s First Famous School
- 2: First Schools: Uphill, Barefoot, Both Ways
- 3: 1938: Voters Reject Creation of Rush-Henrietta Central School District
- 4: Schoolhouse Records Give Glimpse of Life 100 Years Ago
- 5: 1946: Given Second Chance, Voters Embrace New District
- 6: A Different Time: When Rush Had More Kids Than Henrietta
- 7: Choosing a Mascot: Why We're Not the Royal Falcons
- 8: Meet the Board: Rush-Henrietta’s Original Fab Five
- 9: Late 1940s: The Beginning of a Population Explosion
- 10: Breaking Ground: Rush-Henrietta’s First New School
- 11: 1952: R-H’s First New School a ‘Splendid Dream’
- 12: First Meeting of the New Board of Education
- 13: 1959 R-H Grad Still Gets on the Bus Every Day
- 14: Humble Beginnings: Two School Buses to Start
- 15: 1954: Sudden Need for a Second New School
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Anniversary Posts 16-30
- 16: 1954-1955: Two Votes for a Second School
- 17: The Story of Gillette Elementary School
- 18: 1950s: Building a New School Each Year
- 19: 1957: Residents Press Pause, Reject Two New Schools
- 20: 1958: Fourth New School Helps District Keep Pace
- 21: 1950s: Curious Visitors Flock to New R-H School
- 22: Bill Farrell: ‘Architect of the R-H Sports Program’
- 23: 1961: Rush-Henrietta Gets a Junior High School
- 24: 1963: A New School Called Wedgewood
- 25: Elmer Gordon: A Rush-Henrietta Trailblazer
- 26: Remembering Jack Gaffney
- 27: Jack Gaffney's Incredible Connections to Our R-H Past
- 28: Remembering Wilma Jean Milhouse
- 29: 1964: West Henrietta Gets Its First New School
- 30: 1965: Fyle Elementary Named to Honor Respected Teacher
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Anniversary Posts 31-45
- 31: R-H Family History Revealed in Historic Records
- 32: Dr. John W. Parker: Devoted to District’s Early Success
- 33: 1966: Amidst Housing Boom, R-H Opens Sherman Elementary
- 34: 1968: Rush-Henrietta Opens Its First High School
- 35: Richard TenHaken: Superintendent Who Looked Controversy in the Eye
- 36: 1970: Vollmer Becomes R-H’s Last New School
- 37: The Dome Arena: R-H and Other Legends
- 38: The Lion in the Room - Senior High School Pride
- 39: Artists in Residence
- 40: Providing an Even Start
- 41: Paul McKee: Humility Meets Great Success
- 42: Raymond Delaney Had ‘Unshakeable Belief’ in Public Education
- 43: Roger Eckers Strikes Up the Band
- 44: 1982: R-H Denies West Brighton Request to Secede
- 45: George DesMarteau: One - Make That Two - of a Kind
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Anniversary Posts 46-60
- 46: Recognizing 75 Years of Music Excellence
- 47: Senior High School Mural Depicts 'Community of School'
- 48: 2006: Rush-Henrietta Alumni Council Established
- 49: A Bird's-Eye View of 1951
- 50: 1945: Preparing for the First Day of School
- 51: R-H is Where ‘The Rock’ Calls Home
- 52: 1974: Rush-Henrietta Takes to the Airwaves
- 53: Glory Years of WRHR: A Student’s Perspective
- 54: 1969: R-H a Trailblazer in Embracing Student Voice
- 55: 1975: Rush-Henrietta’s High School Reaches Capacity
- 56: 1975 to 1986: A Decade of Dual High Schools
- 57: 1987: New High School Name Helps Community Heal
- 58: How We Became the Royal Comets
- 59: Extracurricular Highlights
- 60: Spotlight on Bob Sagan, Act I
- 61: Spotlight on Bob Sagan, Act II
- 62: 1991: R-H Hires First New Superintendent in 20 Years
- 63: Werner Kleemann: More Than a Sports Legend
- 64: 2000: R-H Loses ‘Wonderful Mentor’
- 65: 2000: R-H Legend Returns to Stabilize High School
- 66: A Surprise Boost for Student Athletes and Musicians
- 67: Adventures of Ping: Restoring a One-of-a-Kind Painting
- 68: Dr. Ken Graham: Two Decades of Strong Leadership
- 69: R-H’s History of Putting Safety First
- 70: Girls Basketball Team Becomes Stuff of Legends
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Anniversary Posts 1-15
- Did You Know?
- Distinguished Alumni
- First Administrators
- Norm Miller: Portrait of a Rush-Henrietta Life Well Lived
- School Namesakes
- Superintendents
- Who Was Elmer Gordon?
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75th Anniversary
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Paul McKee: Humility Meets Great Success
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It would be impossible to choose the best coach in Rush-Henrietta history. Given the number of accomplished team leaders, such an exercise would be downright foolish. Yet, we know Paul McKee’s name would be mentioned frequently during the spirited discussion.
District leaders knew what they were doing when they hired McKee in the mid-1960s. Recruited to help Rush-Henrietta develop a varsity football program, he brought his pro football credentials with him. McKee played at Syracuse University and was chosen with the 117th pick in the 1945 NFL draft. Listed at 6’3” and 217 pounds, he caught 30 passes for 413 yards and scored two touchdowns for the Washington Redskins.
After his two-year career concluded, McKee coached football for Vernon-Verona-Sherrill Central Schools in Central New York. Afterward, he coached at the University of Rochester and Harvard University. In 1964, McKee joined Rush-Henrietta, where he methodically built a successful football program. A varsity squad first took the field in 1968 and began to dominate the local competition.
“I was blessed to be hired by him, coach football with him, and call him a close friend,” recalls Rick Page, a retired district teacher, coach, and administrator. “He was huge in stature, but also he was a humble, gentle giant who cared deeply for each of his players. As a leader, he demanded hard work and dedication. He always reminded the members of his coaching staff that academics was job number one.”
McKee became a legend locally and throughout the state. He finished his R-H coaching career with an incredible eight-year record of 57-3-1. McKee also served for 17 years as the district’s athletic director before retiring in 1985. He played a significant role in developing the successful Royal Comets sports program. For these reasons, McKee is in the Section V Hall of Fame.
When McKee died in 1999, the Democrat and Chronicle interviewed some of his colleagues and former players. Quentin Gordon, played football for McKee between 1968 and 1970. “He gained respect instantly,” Gordon said of his former coach. “Ninety-nine percent of the kids would have run through a brick wall for him.”
That is because no matter how big or small one was, or how talented, McKee treated all players with respect. “He would carry a roster of 65, 70 kids because he would not make cuts,” Page says. “He found a role for everyone and treated the least talented of his players the same way he treated his starting quarterback.”
In McKee’s honor, friends and family members have for more than two decades conducted an annual golf tournament fundraiser. From those funds generated, dozens of $1,000 scholarships have been given to graduating seniors. It is one way for our community to keep alive Coach McKee’s incredible contributions and passion for Rush-Henrietta and its students.
[Post 41] #75Posts75Years
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