Waite High School

Morrison R. Waite High School is a public high school located in east Toledo, Ohio that opened in 1914. It is part of the Toledo Public Schools. It is named after Morrison R. Waite, a Chief Justice of the Supreme Court who is famous for overseeing the Alabama Claims case. Waite replaced the original Central High School when Toledo Public Schools decided it couldn't afford to have 3 high schools for the 1914-15 school year. (Scott High School had opened in 1913.)The Waite Indians are members of the Toledo City League and their school colors are purple and gold. However, the Indian nickname is not for Native Americans. When the school was first opened, the Toledo Fire Department had an annual competition that involved running and pulling the fire truck. The team from the East Side was called the Indians. Someone thought it would be a good idea to name the school's athletic teams after the Fire Department team. The Indians have a rivalry with fellow East Toledo City League rival Clay. They had a football rivalry from 1914 thru 1963 with Scott High School that was played every Thanksgiving morning and generated much interest across the Midwest. That game is now played on the final Friday of October and, with the closings of Libbey and DeVilbiss High Schools, has become once again the top rivalry for both high schools. Waite has named their football stadium after their successful coach, Jack Mollenkopf, who also coached football at Purdue.