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Merchantville High School was a four-year public high school that operated from 1929 until 1972 in Merchantville, in Camden County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, operating as part of the Merchantville School District.

History

The school served students from Merchantville and from the neighboring communities of Cherry Hill and Pennsauken Township, as well as Maple Shade in Burlington County.^[1]

Students from Pennsauken Township left the high school with the opening of Pennsauken High School in September 1959.^[2]

With the loss of Maple Shade students to the new Maple Shade High School in 1972, Merchantville closed its high school after the end of the 1971–72 school year and started sending its students to Pennsauken High School for grades nine through twelve.^[3]^[4]

Athletics

The boys' basketball team won the Group II state championship in 1947 vs. Weehawken High School and in 1965 vs. Clifford Scott High School.^[5] The 1965 team won the Group II title with a 57-54 win in the finals against Clifford Scott of East Orange at Atlantic City Convention Hall^[6]

Notable alumni

George Dempsey (born 1929), former professional basketball player who played five seasons (1954–1959) in the National Basketball Association as a member of the Philadelphia Warriors and Syracuse Nationals.^[7]
Bob Greacen (born 1947), former professional basketball player who played for the Milwaukee Bucks and New York Nets.^[8]
Burrell Ives Humphreys (born 1927), former New Jersey Superior Court judge and county prosecutor who was the lead prosecutor in the second murder trial of Rubin Carter, which resulted in Carter's conviction in December 1976.^[9]
Wyatt Tee Walker (1928–2018), executive director of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and one of the founders of the Congress for Racial Equality, who is credited with planning the Birmingham campaign in 1963.^[10]
George E. Williams, politician who served in the New Jersey General Assembly from the 7th Legislative District from 1994 to 1996.^[11]

References

^ Van Sant, Will. "Decades Of Merchantville Students Stay True To Their School A Reunion Took Years To Organize, But Nearly 1,000 People Are Expected. It Will Begin With A Friday Night Tradition.", The Philadelphia Inquirer, August 20, 2000. Accessed December 24, 2015. "Next weekend, after more than a decade of preparation, alumni of Merchantville High, from the year the school opened in 1929 until it closed in 1972, will be meeting for a reunion.... Early on, Merchantville High served the surrounding region. As population growth during the 1950s and '60s affected Pennsauken, Maple Shade and Cherry Hill, other high schools were built in the area. Students were drawn away from Merchantville, and the high school shut down."
^ "Pennsauken High classes of 1962-'65 to share reunion", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, August 22, 2018, updated January 30, 2019. Accessed March 12, 2022. "Pennsauken joined the ranks of towns to have its own high school in 1959. Prior to that, local students would have attended Merchantville High School."
^ McPherson, Gary. "Looking back through the Maple Shade archives", The Central Record, December 8, 2010. Accessed September 2, 2014. "With the then brand new Maple Shade High School slated to open its doors in 1972, Merchantville residents were faced with a dilemma. Keep the high school open and support a 200 student building or close the school and send local students to Pennsauken High School instead."
^ Florio, Gwen. "Looking Beyond The School Decision Time To Make Up, Officials Say, After A Decade Of Fussing.", The Philadelphia Inquirer, September 21, 1992. Accessed July 10, 2008. "Ever since its own high school closed in 1972, the Borough of Merchantville has been sending its public school students to Pennsauken High School."
^ NJSIAA Boys Basketball Championship History, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed November 20, 2020.
^ Golden, Ed. "Merchants Only Champ From S. Jersey; Top Clifford Scott For Group 2 Title", Courier-Post, March 29, 1965. Accessed December 30, 2020, via Newspapers.com. "Concisely, that's the story of Merchantville High School's surprising 57-54 victory over Clifford Scott High in Atlantic City's Convention Hall Saturday, 1 victory which gave the Merchants their first Group 2 championship since 1947."
^ Narducci, Marc. "Art Still among 16 to be inducted into Camden sports hall He is a former basketball and football standout. Proceeds will benefit the Special Olympics office.", The Philadelphia Inquirer, September 8, 2005. Accessed December 24, 2015. "George Dempsey. The former star at Merchantville played five NBA seasons and was on the 1955–56 champion Philadelphia Warriors."
^ Williams, Andre. "At 50, Ex-buck Greacen Is Still A Gym Rat", The Morning Call, March 20, 1998. Accessed December 24, 2015. "'I was a typical suburban kid,' said the 50-year-old Greacen, who grew up in South New Jersey and attended the now-defunct Merchantville High."
^ "Humphreys-Strong Nuptials in Sayville Church", Newsday, January 5, 1951. Accessed May 8, 2022, via Newspapers.com. "Miss Joy Christina Strong, daughter of Dr. and Mrs. Roland Strong of Collins Ave., Sayville, became the bride 4 PM Saturday of Burrell Ives Humphreys, son of Mr. and Mrs. Louis B. Humphreys of E. Maple Ave., Merchantville, N.J., in the Sayville Methodist Church, the Rev. John F. Protheroe pastor officiating.... Her husband is an alumnus of Merchantville High School, Dickinson College and is attending Temple Law School in Philadelphia."
^ Dawkins, Wayne. "A Merchantville native son who's gone far to aid others", Courier-Post, April 12, 1996. Accessed November 16, 2022, via Newspapers.com. "Wyatt Tee Walker grew up on Spruce Street in Merchantville, attended the former Merchantville High School on Centre Street and played baseball at Dunbar Athletic Club in Camden."
^ 'Candidate profile for George E. Williams",The Philadelphia Inquirer, October 29, 1997. Accessed December 4, 2022, via Newspapers.com. "George E. Williams Maple Shade Age: 53 Occupation: Real Estate, Williams Investments Co. Education: Merchantville High School; Naval Air Training School."

39°56′56″N 75°02′56″W / 39.949°N 75.049°W / 39.949; -75.049

[1] Van Sant, Will. "Decades Of Merchantville Students Stay True To Their School A Reunion Took Years To Organize, But Nearly 1,000 People Are Expected. It Will Begin With A Friday Night Tradition.", The Philadelphia Inquirer, August 20, 2000. Accessed December 24, 2015. "Next weekend, after more than a decade of preparation, alumni of Merchantville High, from the year the school opened in 1929 until it closed in 1972, will be meeting for a reunion.... Early on, Merchantville High served the surrounding region. As population growth during the 1950s and '60s affected Pennsauken, Maple Shade and Cherry Hill, other high schools were built in the area. Students were drawn away from Merchantville, and the high school shut down."

[2] "Pennsauken High classes of 1962-'65 to share reunion", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, August 22, 2018, updated January 30, 2019. Accessed March 12, 2022. "Pennsauken joined the ranks of towns to have its own high school in 1959. Prior to that, local students would have attended Merchantville High School."

[3] McPherson, Gary. "Looking back through the Maple Shade archives", The Central Record, December 8, 2010. Accessed September 2, 2014. "With the then brand new Maple Shade High School slated to open its doors in 1972, Merchantville residents were faced with a dilemma. Keep the high school open and support a 200 student building or close the school and send local students to Pennsauken High School instead."

[4] Florio, Gwen. "Looking Beyond The School Decision Time To Make Up, Officials Say, After A Decade Of Fussing.", The Philadelphia Inquirer, September 21, 1992. Accessed July 10, 2008. "Ever since its own high school closed in 1972, the Borough of Merchantville has been sending its public school students to Pennsauken High School."

[5] NJSIAA Boys Basketball Championship History, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed November 20, 2020.

[6] Golden, Ed. "Merchants Only Champ From S. Jersey; Top Clifford Scott For Group 2 Title", Courier-Post, March 29, 1965. Accessed December 30, 2020, via Newspapers.com. "Concisely, that's the story of Merchantville High School's surprising 57-54 victory over Clifford Scott High in Atlantic City's Convention Hall Saturday, 1 victory which gave the Merchants their first Group 2 championship since 1947."

[7] Narducci, Marc. "Art Still among 16 to be inducted into Camden sports hall He is a former basketball and football standout. Proceeds will benefit the Special Olympics office.", The Philadelphia Inquirer, September 8, 2005. Accessed December 24, 2015. "George Dempsey. The former star at Merchantville played five NBA seasons and was on the 1955–56 champion Philadelphia Warriors."

[8] Williams, Andre. "At 50, Ex-buck Greacen Is Still A Gym Rat", The Morning Call, March 20, 1998. Accessed December 24, 2015. "'I was a typical suburban kid,' said the 50-year-old Greacen, who grew up in South New Jersey and attended the now-defunct Merchantville High."

[9] "Humphreys-Strong Nuptials in Sayville Church", Newsday, January 5, 1951. Accessed May 8, 2022, via Newspapers.com. "Miss Joy Christina Strong, daughter of Dr. and Mrs. Roland Strong of Collins Ave., Sayville, became the bride 4 PM Saturday of Burrell Ives Humphreys, son of Mr. and Mrs. Louis B. Humphreys of E. Maple Ave., Merchantville, N.J., in the Sayville Methodist Church, the Rev. John F. Protheroe pastor officiating.... Her husband is an alumnus of Merchantville High School, Dickinson College and is attending Temple Law School in Philadelphia."

[10] Dawkins, Wayne. "A Merchantville native son who's gone far to aid others", Courier-Post, April 12, 1996. Accessed November 16, 2022, via Newspapers.com. "Wyatt Tee Walker grew up on Spruce Street in Merchantville, attended the former Merchantville High School on Centre Street and played baseball at Dunbar Athletic Club in Camden."

[11] 'Candidate profile for George E. Williams",The Philadelphia Inquirer, October 29, 1997. Accessed December 4, 2022, via Newspapers.com. "George E. Williams Maple Shade Age: 53 Occupation: Real Estate, Williams Investments Co. Education: Merchantville High School; Naval Air Training School."

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