HISTORY OF ZEPHYRHILLS HIGH SCHOOL
Principals of Zephyrhills Schools
There have been a total of 31 school
principals of Zephyrhills High School. The school represented
grades 1 through 12 until 1959 so the principals until 1959 truly were
the educational leaders of the entire Zephyrhills area. Until
many years later, the ZHS principal was considered the
“supervising principal,” of the other Zephyrhills
principals as well.
Of the high school principals, Raymond
B. Stewart was the longest tenured principal and he holds the
distinction with Dr. Charles A. Henderson of being only two principals
that served two non-consecutive terms. Mr. Stewart of course, was
the school superintendent and later state legislator and Mr. Henderson
left ZHS to become one of the first principals of P.K. Yonge Laboratory
School at University of Florida. Other noteworthy principals were
Thomas Burch Cornelius who served as the school’s first football coach
in 1941. Mr. Cornelius’s daughter, Dr. Catherine Cornelius, is
currently compiling information about this leader who was also
noteworthy during World War II. A few principals were removed
from office, primarily due to teacher dissatisfaction. Walter
Craig, School Superintendent, served as an interim principal for a few
weeks in 1944 when Joel Nally was dismissed. Professor P.W. Corr
was noteworthy because he started a teacher certification school and
was responsible for the formal certification training of many of the
ZHS teachers for many years after leaving ZHS. Judge James Wilton
Sanders was the first principal and also a school superintendent; his
photo hangs at the Pioneer Museum in Dade City in the school house
exhibit. James Theodore Campbell, Jr. is the only school principal who
was a ZHS graduate, and later served as principal. Gerri Painter is
noteworthy as the first female principal of ZHS, and took the office in
2004.
Principals of Zephyrhills High School
1910-14
Judge James Wilton Sanders
(Age 21 when principal and 25 when elected Pasco School Superintendent) |
![](https://jmkdf3.p3cdn1.secureserver.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/image403.jpg) |
1914—Clarence H. Martin |
![](https://jmkdf3.p3cdn1.secureserver.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/image558.jpg) |
1915—William Cleveland Finney |
![](https://jmkdf3.p3cdn1.secureserver.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/image404.jpg) |
July 3, 1916-1917
Professor M.J. Okerlund
(After leaving ZHS, he was the founding principal of Winter Park High School) |
No picture available |
June 5, 1917-1921
Professor Walter Roberts |
![](https://jmkdf3.p3cdn1.secureserver.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/image405.jpg) |
1921—Professor R.H. Terry |
No picture available |
1921-1922
Professor Ptolemy Watkins Corr (known as P.W. Corr) |
![](https://jmkdf3.p3cdn1.secureserver.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/image406.jpg) |
September 4, 1922—R.D. Hogue |
No picture available |
December 4, 1922—Warren Ellis Trottman |
![](https://jmkdf3.p3cdn1.secureserver.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/image407.jpg) |
August 6, 1923—Prof. R. R. Riley |
No picture available |
August 1924—Rev. J. B. Blanchett |
![](https://jmkdf3.p3cdn1.secureserver.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/image559.jpg) |
August 6, 1925—Malcolm G. Donaldson |
![](https://jmkdf3.p3cdn1.secureserver.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/image408.jpg) |
1926-Professor M.P. Geiger |
No picture available |
August 6, 1928—W.D. Reid |
No picture available |
July 7, 1930—Joseph W. Walker |
No picture available |
1933—C.D. Johnson |
![](https://jmkdf3.p3cdn1.secureserver.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/image410.jpg) |
July 5, 1934—
James Theodore Campbell, Jr.
(only principal to have graduated from ZHS) |
![](https://jmkdf3.p3cdn1.secureserver.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/image411.jpg) |
1936-1939
Lewis E. Rowland |
No picture available |
1939-1940
D.C. “Doc” Carl Cripe |
![](https://jmkdf3.p3cdn1.secureserver.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/image412.jpg) |
1940-1943
Thomas Burch Cornelius
**Also ZHS’s first football coach—a job he held for the first football team while principal |
![](https://jmkdf3.p3cdn1.secureserver.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/image413.jpg) |
June 21, 1943-1944
Joel Nally |
![](https://jmkdf3.p3cdn1.secureserver.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/image414.jpg) |
May of 1944
Walter C. Craig
(School Superintendent served as interim principal) |
![](https://jmkdf3.p3cdn1.secureserver.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/image415.jpg) |
September 18, 1945-1947
Paul B.L. Mitchell |
![](https://jmkdf3.p3cdn1.secureserver.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/image416.jpg) |
April 7, 1947-November 1947
Clifford C. Baile |
No picture available |
December 1, 1947-1951
Leon R. Luckenbach |
![](https://jmkdf3.p3cdn1.secureserver.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/image417.jpg) |
June 12, 1951—1955
D.G. McPherson known to students as “Mr. Mac” |
![](https://jmkdf3.p3cdn1.secureserver.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/image418.jpg) |
July 8, 1955—1957
Dr. Charles A. Henderson*
*represents same individual who served two time periods as principal |
![](https://jmkdf3.p3cdn1.secureserver.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/image419.jpg) |
May 5, 1957—Stewart M. Brown |
![](https://jmkdf3.p3cdn1.secureserver.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/image420.jpg) |
July 14, 1959—
Dr. Charles A. Henderson*
*represents same individual who served two time periods as principal |
![](https://jmkdf3.p3cdn1.secureserver.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/image421.jpg) |
1964-1973-Raymond B. Stewart*
*represents same individual who served two time periods as principal |
![](https://jmkdf3.p3cdn1.secureserver.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/image422.jpg) |
1973-1975—James E. Davis |
![](https://jmkdf3.p3cdn1.secureserver.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/image423.jpg) |
1975-1980—Raymond Bryant Stewart* |
![](https://jmkdf3.p3cdn1.secureserver.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/image424.jpg) |
1980-1993—Larry Robison |
![](https://jmkdf3.p3cdn1.secureserver.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/image425.jpg) |
1993-2004—James T. Davis |
![](https://jmkdf3.p3cdn1.secureserver.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/image426.jpg) |
2004-2009—Gerri L. Painter |
![](https://jmkdf3.p3cdn1.secureserver.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/image427.jpg) |
2009-Oct. 2012—Steve Van Gorden |
![](https://jmkdf3.p3cdn1.secureserver.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/image554.jpg) |
2012- — Andrew Frelick |
![](https://jmkdf3.p3cdn1.secureserver.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/image560.jpg) |
Until 1975, ZHS included the middle and high school under one
principal. The elementary schools were also included as part of
ZHS until the late 1950’s. There was in fact, one school for the
Zephyrhills area. The celebration of the 100th anniversary of
Zephyrhills School is in fact the 100th anniversary of the Zephyrhills
schools. The growth has been tremendous. The
administrators/principals of the other schools which are feeder schools
are listed. This centennial celebration of Zephyrhills School
celebrates many leaders. The first female principal in the
Zephyrhills area was Bessie Barefield in 1949 at the Zephyrhills
African-American School at Krusen Quarters, and she paved the way for
several more. Gerri Painter is of course, the first ZHS
principal. The writer is of course a former school principal,
having been a school-based administrator for ten years and a district
based administrator for nine years.
R. B. Stewart Middle School
Until 1975 Zephyrhills Junior High School/R.B. Stewart Middle School
was under the same leadership as ZHS. (The name changed from
Zephyrhills Middle School to Zephyrhills Junior High, back to
Zephyrhills Middle School, and became Raymond B. Stewart Middle School
in September of 1986.) At the opening of the plant as a unique junior
or middle school in 1975, principals were as follows:
1975-1985, James E. Davis;
1985-1999, Bruce Baldwin;
1999-2012, Jackson Johnson;
2012- , Shae Davis
East Zephyrhills Elementary
(on ZHS campus)
No picture available |
![](https://jmkdf3.p3cdn1.secureserver.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/https://westpascomuseum.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/image432.jpg) |
![](https://jmkdf3.p3cdn1.secureserver.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/image432a.jpg) |
1959-1963: Thomas McCree;
1963-67: Ferd Renninger;
1973-74: James B. Walker
West Zephyrhills Elementary
May 15, 1959-1967: Arleis Edward Ross;
1967-78, Ferd Renninger;
1978-87, Louis R. Freijo, Jr.;
1987-1997, Jeannette Lovelace;
1997-2001, Madonna Wise;
2001-2012, Emily Keene;
2012- , Wendy Lane
Zephyrhills Elementary at the Krusen Quarters
(Zephyrhills
African-American School)
1949-1955: Bessie F. Barefield
Woodland Elementary
(Adjoining ZHS campus)
1978-1985: Ferd E. Renninger;
1985-2003: Randall Belcher;
2003-2004: Karen Marler;
2004-2007: Steve Rinck;
2007: Kimberly Poe
Chester Taylor Elementary
1997-2002, Frances McCrimmon;
2002-2004, David Scanga;
2004-Aug. 13, 2010, Eva Hunsburger;
2010- , Julie Marks |