Würzburg American High School officially began with the 1954-1955 school year. Prior to this time, there was a Benjamin Franklin Elementary and Junior High across the street from the present building. The students in grades 9 through 12 went to high school in Nürnburg, where they stayed in the dormitories during the week.
In the first school year, Mr. Winfred Nelson, of South Dayton, New York, was the principal and Larry Wilkerson was the president of the Student Council. The first high school building was #1, the present headquarters building, right inside the front gate. Students were bussed to this high school from Wertheim, Kitzingen, Schweinfurt and Bad Kissingen. During the 54-55 school year, the present building was constructed on the campus. Space was at a premium and it was necessary for the band to practice in a huge army tent during the fall. In 1970, with the advent of a north Autobahn, the students from Wildflecken began to attend our school. They had previously been dorm students in Frankfurt.
None of the first high school staff remain in Europe. 1955-56 saw Mr. Gordon F. Smith, of Denver, Colorado, as the principal. The basketball team won the USAEUR Consolation Championship that year. The following year, Mr. Robert Platenburg, of Ames, Iowa, was the principal. He later became the principal at Darmstadt. Dr. John Ed Lee of the faculty that year became the district superintendent of the DoDDS Munich District.
In those days, each school did not have a yearbook, the staff would accumulate all of the material and then all yearbook staffs from all high schools in Europe would gather in Karlsruhe and put all of the material into one large yearbook. Soon, it took two large yearbooks and in 1961, it was necessary for each school to produce its own memory book.
In the 1958-1959 school year, the principal was Ted Grinda. The following year, Mr. David O. Wood, of Glide, Oregon, held this position. From 1960-1965, Mr. George R. Miller was principal. Mr. Emil Mika, of Trenton, New Jersey, was the head of our school from 1965-1968. Mr. John G. Korslund, of Kearney, Nebraska, came to us from Kaiserslautern the following year and was principal through the 1976-1977 school year.
During the 1975-1976 school year, we moved into the new addition to the school. Over 50% of the present physical plant was built at this time. The addition included greatly improved vocational class rooms (Cosmetology lab, Business lab and Auto shop) as well as a large cafeteria (now known as Boock Hall), new gymnastics room and additional regular class room space.
During the 1977-1978 school year, Dr. Richard Rhoads became the principal, having come to Würzburg from a PPS Coordinator at the Directorate in Karlsruhe. With him came Mr. Dean Rains as deputy principal and Dr. Ed Schulze as TAP. Both Mr. Rains and Dr. Schulze were reassigned after one year. Their replacements respectively were Mr. Gustave D'Ari and Ms. Irene Johnson. Ms. Johnson left in January of her second year, to join her husband in the United States. She was replaced by Mr. Donald Lund, who stayed for only one semester. He resigned to accept an administrative job in Minnesota. His replacement was Ms. Patricia Steinkuehler, who transferred here from Ansbach High School.
In the fall of 1986, Dr. Rhoads became Superintendent of the DoDDS Bremerhaven District. Mr. Robert Kubarek, formerly principal of Giessen High School, became the principal; Mr. Fred Paesel, the deputy principal; and Mrs. Ann Schmidt, the Education Program manager.
In January 1987, a new annex was completed. This facility included a home economics lab, electronics lab, art room, teacher work room, three science labs and a new media center. The principal pride of Würzburg gets brighter and better with each passing year!
In 1988, Bob Manwaring, WAHS Class of '76, began searching for long-lost friends and the Würzburg Alumni Association was formed.
In the 1988-1989 school year, Mr. Paesel became principal at Kitzingen School. Mr. Ken Payne replaced him. Mr. Payne formerly worked as ERC administrator. At the close of the 1988-1989 school year, Mrs. Schmidt resigned as EPM to become our TAG coordinator. Mr. Boyce Gire, formerly a teacher at Ansbach High School, replaced her. During the summer of the 1989-1990 school year, new construction began for completion of a new admin wing. This made it possible to relocate all the administrators and clerical staff to the front of the school instead of having part in front and part in back. Construction was completed by August 28th.
The middle school was completed in August of 1990 and includes grades 5-8. The new principal was Dr. Karen Kroon. Our school is now truly a high school with only grades 9-12. The T-building in front of our school is presently used by Würzburg Elementary School.
In June of 1990, Bob Manwaring hosted the first WAHS "All-Class" Alumni Reunion in Orlando, Florida. Other reunions followed in Las Vegas in 1995, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2009, 2012, 2015 and 2018, The next reunion scheduled for June of 2021.
On November 21, 1999, the gym was dedicated in the memory of Coach John Sellers. A plaque was donated by the Würzburg Alumni Association and it hangs above the entrance to the gym to this day. This plaque was removed from the school, due to the impending closure, and presented to Mrs. Sellers at the 2006 "All-Class" Alumni Reunion.
Würzburg American High School closed its doors in June of 2008.
The Wolf Pack lives on here at wolfpack.online AND in our hearts.
