Milton McPike

Milton McPike (October 9, 1939 – March 29, 2008) was an American educator and San Francisco 49ers player, and the principal of Madison East High School for 23 years. He also served on the Board of Regents for the University of Wisconsin–Madison until his death in 2008.

Early life and education

Milton Lee McPike was born October 9, 1939 in Jacksonville, Illinois. He played high school football with boxer Ken Norton. He attended Northeast Missouri State University Teacher's College (now Truman State University) from 1958 to 1962. While there, he earned 12 letters in basketball, track and football.

Career

In 1962 he was a 12th-round draft pick by the San Francisco 49ers. Following his NFL experience, McPike taught and coached sports for 11 years in Quincy, Illinois.

In 1974, he moved to Madison, Wisconsin, where he served as vice principal of Madison West High School for five years. In 1979 he was appointed principal of Madison East High School. Under his leadership at East, the school gained a reputation for academic focus and was recognized as a National School of Excellence in 1989. He retired as principal in 2002. The Madison East High School Fieldhouse was named after McPike in 2005.

McPike served on several hospital and foundation boards and was named to the UW Board of Regents in 2004, resigning as regent in March 2008 for health reasons.

Marriage and children

McPike and his wife Sharon, had no children together. McPike had three sons (Milton Jr., Jeff and James) with his first wife Ruth. Sharon had three children (Scott, Kimberly and Rebecca) from a previous marriage.

Death and afterward

McPike died on March 29, 2008 in Madison, Wisconsin following a battle with adenocystic carcinoma.

• 1990: named one of ten "American Heroes in Education" by Reader’s Digest
• 1997: Wisconsin State Principal of the Year
• 2007: Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Humanitarian Award

• Bartzen, Kate (1990-07-23). "Principal in Madison proves his high school teacher wrong". Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. ...McPike, East High School's principal, who was named one of 10 "American Heroes in Education" this year by Reader's Digest. 
• "Madison East Principal Honored". St. Paul Pioneer Press. 1997-07-10. p. 3B. A principal credited for bringing an academic focus to high school troubled by discipline problems is Wisconsin's new principal of the year. ...the Association of Wisconsin School Administrators is recognizing McPike as one of the best thing that ever happened to East. 
• "Madison Memorial Senior Among Humanitarian Award Recipients". WISC-TV. 2007-01-16.