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Coal Creek School House
The Murphy family homesteaded in Arapahoe County in 1865. One of the first schools in the Aurora area was the Coal Creek Schoolhouse, a one-room building originally located near the intersection of E. Jewell Ave. and Powhaton Mile Road. This location is about a mile from the construction site for the APS Murphy Creek K-8 School. -
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History of Gateway High School/APS
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APS Founder: William Smith
An early settler in 1882, William Smith came to this area from Scotland. He bought land around Sixth and Peoria. Seeing the need for a school, he donated land and garnered support from other community members.Later, he asked the Arapahoe County School Superintendent to start a school district in our area. This was the beginning of the Aurora Public Schools System. Smith served on the school board for 50 years. Aurora's first high school built in 1931 was named after him. -
Aurora Central Grade School
The Aurora Central Grade School was built in 1892 on the current site of Crawford Elementary. The building burned down in 1919 and was subsequently rebuilt. This school was torn down in 1972 as the current building was erected. -
Aurora High School
After the fire a new Aurora School, which was to contain a “complete high school”, was built at 16th and Florence Street (this school later became Martha Crawford School). Aurora School/Aurora High School had a basketball floor of dirt where one had to watch for steam pipes in shooting for a basket. -
William C. Hinkley
William "Bill" C. Hinkley became superintendent of schools for Aurora after the death of Ray Morehead. At the time there were 1100 students in the Aurora Public School system. In Bill's first year enrollment grew to 2000 students. In 1950, a new building on the same site opened as Aurora High School. This building is now West Middle School. -
Hinkley High School
In 1963, due to population growth, Hinkley High School was built and Aurora High School was renamed Aurora Central High School. -
Gateway High School
Gateway High School is opened in 1974. As Aurora continued to expand, Gateway was located at the very south east side of the district. -
Govenor Bill Ritter
August William "Bill" Ritter is a GHS graduate. He is an American politician of the Democratic Party, and was the 41st Governor of the state of Colorado, from 2007 to 2011. Before his election in 2006, he served as the district attorney for Denver. He was the first native-born governor of Colorado since 1975, as well as being the first Democratic governor to serve with a Democratic majority in the Colorado General Assembly in 50 years. -
Richard Sharkey 1975-1980
Richard Sharkey assumes position of newley opened Gateway High School. He remained principal until 1980. -
Michelle Howard
Michelle Howard graduated from GHS in 1978 and is an American naval officer and a Vice Admiral in the United States Navy. She currently serves as the Deputy Commander U.S. Fleet Forces Command and as the Director of the Combined Joint Operations from the Sea Center of Excellence. Howard is the first African-American woman to achieve three star rank in the U.S. Armed Forces. She is the first African-American woman to command a U.S. Navy ship -
Reinhold Mattes 1980-1993
Reinhold Mattes assumes the position of princial from 1980-1993. He has the longest tenure of any Gateway principal to date. Mattes was prinicpal during the decade of the 80s and saw tremendous growth in the school's population. -
Clyde Rucker
Clyde Rucker is an American businessman. He was appointed Executive Vice President of Quiznos in 2007.[1] Rucker is a 1981 Graduate of Gateway High School in Aurora, Colorado. He holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Colorado at Boulder and a Master of Science degree from Central Michigan University.[1] As of 2007 Rucker, was a member of the 100 Black Men of America and held a seat on the Board of Trustees of the Florida Memorial University.[1] -
J. Scott Campbell
Jeffery Scott Campbell is GHS graduate. Jeffrey Scott Campbell is an American comic book artist. He has had several pen names, including "Jeff Scott", but is best known as J. Scott Campbell. He rose to fame as an artist for Wildstorm Comics, though he has since done work for Marvel Comics (most notably as a cover artist on The Amazing Spider-Man), and the video game industry. -
Kenneth Vedra 1993-1999
Dr. Vedra became prinicpal of Gateway High School in 1993 and served during the majority of the 90's. During this time, Aurora began to fight the battle against gangs in schools. During this time, the school was also thriving academically with higher graduation rates. Athlectics and activities were also expanding and experiencing success. -
Joe Burton 1999-2002
Joe Burton was principal into 2002. Although short in duration, Joe led the school in its height of academic and athletic achievement. Staff and students indicate that Burton was a favorite among principals. -
Zach Latimer
Zach Latimer graduated from Gateway in 2002 and is the school's most awarded and recognized athelete. He is is a former All American football linebacker. He played college football at the University of Oklahoma. His father, Don Latimer, played collegiate football for the University of Miami, and in the NFL for the Denver Broncos. -
James Bailey 2002-2006
James Bailey was principal from 2002-2006. During this time period there began a substantial change in the demographics of the school and Gateway community. -
Linda Witulski 2006-2010
Linda Witulski became prinicpal in 2006. She continued the challenges of transforming Gateway into a more culturally responsive school in order to address the ever changing population and demographic changes. The population of Gateway began to decline during this period as Aurora continued to expand in the southeast direction. -
William Hedges 2010-present
William "Bill" Hedges became principal of Gateway in 2010. The most significant event during his principalship has been leading the Gateway community through the Aurora Theater Shooting in July 2012.
