A Short History of Montgomery Blair High School

Montgomery Blair High School (MBHS) serves the diverse population of Silver Spring, Maryland, in Montgomery County, just outside of Washington, DC. Montgomery Blair High School's precursor was Takoma-Silver Spring High School, founded in 1925. It opened with eighty-six students and five faculty members, including the principal, Mrs. Evalene Beebe. Three years later, the Board of Education decided to expand the school to include a junior high school.

By the mid 1930's, the school was getting large enough that it was determined to split the junior and senior high schools, and a new high school was constructed "miles from anywhere." The high school moved, along with its seal, ring, song, traditions, and colors (red and white) in March 1935. The new school was named after Montgomery Blair, Abraham Lincoln's Postmaster General, lawyer for Dred Scott before the Supreme Court, and former Silver Spring resident.

After World War II, the population of suburban Maryland grew by leaps and bounds, and Blair found itself by a growing downtown Silver Spring, instead of miles from anywhere. Its student population grew from 714 in 1946 to 1,323 five years later. The school expanded its campus over the next decades, and today it houses close to 3,000 students, the county's largest enrollment.

With the continuing expansion of the Silver Spring area in the 1990s, and the annexation of Prince George's County part of Takoma Park into Montgomery County, the Blair population reached well over 3,000 by the turn of the century. With this in mind, the County built a new Blair High School at the corner of Colesville Road and University Boulevard in the Four Corners area of Silver Spring. The school opened for the 1998-99 school year.

Blair houses Montgomery County Public Schools' Communication Arts Program (CAP), a humanities and media program, the Blair Science, Mathematics, Computer Science Magnet Program, and the Academies at Montgomery Blair.

Alma Mater:

By old Sligo's winding waters
Gentle hills of green
Shelter as their proudest treasure
Alma mater queen
We thy students will be loyal
For thy glory fight
Always keep thy name untarnished
And thy honor bright

Sixty years by Sligo’s waters, beacon on the hill
Ever growing, moving upward, making progress still
Fine new programs, diverse students; time to move ahead
On to new heights at Four Corners with the white and red

As the years shall bring thee power
And thy of share fame
Countless students coming after
Shall exalt thy name
Speak thee fairly speak thee proudly
Shout it to the air
Hail to thee our alma mater
Hail Montgomery Blair

(The middle verse, added in 2004, was written by teacher emeritus Norm Stant, Senior Class Advisor for over 30 years)

School Colors: Red and White

School Mascot: Blazer

School Song:

Fight! Blazers, fight for old Blair high
Right behind you everyone is with you
Break the line and follow down the field
And you'll be upon the top, upon the top
On Blazers you will always win
Proud to see your colors flying skyward
In the end you'll win a victory
So Blazers fight for old Blair high
FIGHT!!!!!