When you find yourself exercising one of the many student freedoms enjoyed at WJ, chances are you owe it to former WJ principal Donald H. Reddick. Principal from 1967-1981, Reddick passed away on July 30 at the age of 80 from coronary artery disease; his legacy, however, lives on through the student freedoms now engraved in the WJ community.

“[Reddick] tried to accommodate students,” said former WJ teacher of 30 years Glenda Goldman. “Everything existed for the good of the teachers and students.”

Countless student rights, many times taken for granted, can be traced back to Reddick’s tenure. They are witnessed every time a student uses open lunch, creates their own schedule as opposed to a computer generated one, dresses with freedom from a dress code, freedom from a short hair rule and hallway monitors, uses extended lunch times to accommodate club meetings and guest speakers and looks forward to a student union. All were conceived during Reddick’s reign at WJ.

Reddick’s legacy will also live on as his name is adorned to the auditorium where it will remain.

“He was certainly very gracious, kind and grateful that we had thought of him and all his years at WJ,” said English teacher Colleen McAdory who did not work directly with Reddick, but through her efforts procured the use of his name for the auditorium.

Reddick was also hailed as a man who stood by his principles. According to Goldman, Reddick was the only principal who stood with teachers in a 1968 strike.

Reddick’s experience before rising to principal of WJ may have contributed to his success as an innovator of school policy.

“He would go the extra mile for the kids,” said Goldman of Reddick. “He loved his school, loved his students and loved his faculty.”