Jardine STEM and Career Explorations Magnet Middle Academy

What we now know as Jardine Middle School began as a high school in the Planeview area. It was called Planeview High School and it was built as a temporary building in 1943.

To learn more about Planeview High School check out “Fast Times at Planeview High.”

In June 1955, the Planeview area was annexed by Wichita Public Schools. When Wichita Southeast opened in 1957, most of the Planeview students were transferred to the new school. Planeview became a junior high school and the name was officially changed to the William Marion Jardine Junior High School.

William Jardine Courtesy: Library of Congress

Dr. Jardine was a pretty famous author and educator. Jardine was born in Oneida County, Idaho on January 16, 1879. He would later graduate with a bachelor of science degree from Utah Agricultural College in Logan, Utah.

On September 6, 1905, Jardine married Effie Lane Nebeker; they had three children.

Effie Nebeker Courtesy: Library of Congress

Jardine began teaching agronomy in Utah. In 1910, Jardine moved to Manhattan, Kansas to K-State. He eventually moved up to Dean and would become president of Kansas State University.

In 1925, President Calvin Coolidge appointed him U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, he held that position for the next four years. In 1929, Jardine served as the Minister to Egypt in President Herbert Hoover’s administration.

Jardine swearing in as Ag. Secretary Courtesy: Library of Congress

In 1933, Jardine returned to Kansas and became the president of the Municipal University of Wichita (now Wichita State University).

Jardine passed away on January 17, 1955 in San Antonio, Texas. He is interred at the Logan City Cemetery in Logan, Utah.

Construction of a new Jardine building began in 1957, and opened in September of 1958. The school served the neighborhood until 1996 when the Board of Education dissolved Jardine and created an Edison Junior Academy beginning in 1996 at the site.