Gibbs High celebrates century of legacy with new museum | St. Petersburg

ST. PETERSBURG — Ozzie Mitchell taught high school for 52 years, the first eight in Polk County before moving to Gibbs High.

“I enjoyed every minute of it,” she said.

So she was thrilled when fellow retirees and current teachers like Dennis Zuercher decided to start the Jonathan C. Gibbs High School Museum.

The museum will showcase the school’s academic achievements, athletic triumphs and alumni contributions to the city and beyond.

“It means the world to me as a teacher and the students and the community as a whole,” Mitchell said. “Gibbs has been the best-kept secret for years.”

The museum’s launch coincides with the school’s 100th anniversary, which will be celebrated during the 2027-28 school year, according to Matthew Williams, a 2012 Gibbs graduate.

Items already collected or donated include:

• A photo of Gibbs High from the 1930s.

• Yearbooks from the 1940s, including the 1945 edition with “That We May Live” on its cover.

• Banners from the school’s state basketball championships in 1966 and 1967. In 1966, Gibbs became the first Black school to join the Florida High School Athletic Association and compete against white schools.

• T-shirts, crowns, sashes and sports and academic memorabilia bearing the Gibbs name or logo.

“It’s like a time capsule,” Williams said. “It takes me back.”

Carolyn Green Hobbs, a 1957 Gibbs graduate, said she and eight to 12 classmates connect virtually every second Saturday of the month. She and her group spread word about the museum and anniversary at their churches and among friends and relatives.

“They don’t believe Gibbs is that old,” Hobbs said.

Originally planned as a white elementary school, Gibbs became St. Petersburg’s first public secondary school for Black students. The school initially had eight classrooms, none with electricity.

Faculty, students and volunteers raised money to build a combined gymnasium and auditorium in the 1940s, while teachers and parents donated funds to buy a school bus called the “Blue Goose.”

In 1984-85, Gibbs created even more diversity among its student population by starting a magnet program called the “Artistically Talented Program,” now known as the Pinellas County Center for the Arts. Many alumni of that program have performed on major stages around the world.

“There’s so much history,” Zuercher said. “The students need to understand how we got here. We also want to make sure people know what Gibbs has meant to the city and beyond. It has impacted so many people, and each teacher has influenced thousands of students. We want to tell our story.”

Tate McGhee, a 1992 graduate, is among those who have donated, sharing boxes of mementos his father stored.

Before bringing his memorabilia, he wondered: Would people be interested? Would they remember? Would he fit in? The answer was yes, yes and yes.

“I’ve been around a lot of people, and you still are the best people,” McGhee said as he shared photos with members of the Gibbs History Museum Committee. “I don’t know what it is about this place.”

After graduating, McGhee attended Carnegie Mellon University with fellow St. Petersburg native Patrick Wilson, who has appeared in films and TV series including “The Alamo,” “Phantom of the Opera,” “Watchmen,” “The A-Team” and “Fargo.”

After graduating from Carnegie Mellon, McGhee performed in Europe before moving to Hollywood, where he landed roles in “Saved by the Bell,” “Sweet Valley High” and “Pacific Blue.”

Persuaded to change careers by José Martinez-Diaz, an educator who established Florida Tech’s applied behavior analysis programs, McGhee became a Board Certified Behavior Analyst in 2004. He now works with young people and adults with autism and intellectual disabilities.

“All these experiences began when I was a student at Gibbs High,” McGhee said. “The exclamation point is, yes, I fit in here.”

Interested in donating?

Those interested in donating historical items or making a financial contribution to the Jonathan C. Gibbs History Museum can visit gibbshistorymuseum.com.

Donations may be dropped off at Gibbs High School, 850 34th St. S., St. Petersburg, on Wednesdays at 2:30 p.m. To arrange another time or for questions, contact Dennis Zuercher at 727-798-6076 or gibbshistorymuseum@gmail.com.

Items will become a permanent part of the museum collection, and documentation will be provided as proof of donation.

Notable Gibbs graduates

• James Meredith, the first Black student admitted to the racially segregated University of Mississippi.

• Jason Charos, part of a Grammy-winning effort on Brian Lynch’s “Omni American Book Club,” which won best large jazz ensemble album. Charos, saxophonist Kendric McCallister and alto saxophone and flute player David Mason perform with three-time Grammy winner Samara Joy.

• Ephraim Sykes, who played George Eacker in the original Broadway cast of “Hamilton.”

• Shaun King, quarterback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who helped the team reach the NFC Championship in 1999.

• Blaine Krauss, currently starring in “Hamilton” as the standby for both Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr.

• Trayvon Bromell, track and field athlete.

• Justin Hires, comedian, actor and writer.

• Sierra Kusterbeck, lead vocalist for the alternative band VersaEmerge.

• Jeff Lacy and Ronald “Winky” Wright, professional boxers.

• Marreese Speights, professional basketball player.

• Daniel Ulbricht, dancer with New York City Ballet.

• Scott Sanders, TV, film and stage producer.

• Dave Anderson, Boof Bonser, Ed Charles, Nate Oliver, former professional baseball players.

• Glen Edwards, professional football player.

Gibbs High History Museum Committee

Jessy Breckenridge, St. Petersburg Museum of History archives and collections manager; Barry Brown, Gibbs High principal; Dr. Cody Clark, former Gibbs PCCA counselor; Penny Dennard, 1968 Gibbs graduate; Sara Dubbeld, former Gibbs teacher; Margaret Gress, former Gibbs teacher; Carolyn Green Hobbs, 1957 Gibbs graduate; Ozzie Mitchell, former Gibbs teacher; Alice Pfeifer, former Gibbs teacher; Barbara Shorter, former Gibbs principal and graduate; Sharlon Thurman-Reeves, former Gibbs teacher; Dr. Cynthia White, former Gibbs counselor; Dennis Zuercher, former Gibbs teacher.