I. C. Norcom High School

I.C. Norcom High School
Address
1801 London Boulevard Portsmouth, Virginia 23704 United States
Information
Type	High School
Founded	1913
School district	Portsmouth City Public Schools
Superintendent	Dr. Elie Bracy III
Principal	Dr. Laguna Foster
Grades	9–12
Enrollment	1,460 (2006–07)
Language	English
Campus	City
Color(s)	Maroon and Grey ██
Athletics conference	Virginia High School League(3A East Region)
Mascot	Greyhounds
Rival	Wilson High School and Booker T. Washington High School
Website	Official Site

I.C. Norcom High School is a public high school located in Portsmouth, Virginia. It is administered by Portsmouth City Public Schools. The school colors are maroon and grey, and the mascot is the Greyhounds. The school was named after Israel Charles Norcom, its first supervising principal.

I. C. Norcom High School is located at 1801 London Boulevard conveniently located between the revitalized downtown and the Midtown Tunnel. It was opened September, 1998 under the leadership of Mr. Walter Taylor. The first graduating class of the new location was the class of 1998, but the first graduating class that attended four years at this location was the class of 2002.

The school, originally known as the High Street School, was founded in 1913 as the first high school for black students and was located in the True Reformers Building at 915 High Street. After World War I it was relocated at the corner of Chestnut and South Streets. A building on Turnpike Road opened in February, 1953.

The school was renamed I. C. Norcom High School in honor of its first supervising principal, Israel Charles Norcom (1856–1916). Mr. Norcom was described as a pioneer educator, leader of his people, churchman, civic leader, businessman, fraternalist, guidance counselor, and an outstanding citizen. It is said that Mr. Norcom guided with intelligence and wisdom, led with firmness, dignity and understanding, aimed high, and visualized expanding educational facilities for his race in Portsmouth. Mr. Norcom's contributions to Portsmouth's educational heritage are acknowledged by all facets of the community.

Future principals have carried on the Norcom tradition. Mr. W. E. Waters, principal from 1942 to 1966, did not merely copy existing educational models, but rather tailored the school's operations to meet the special needs of its students. In 1966 A. T. Edwards succeeded Mr. Waters as the principal of I. C. Norcom which by that time had grown to an enrollment of 1,920 students housed in a facility built to accommodate 1,400 students. Upon his retirement, Mr. E. Blair was appointed principal. Mr. L. Wallace and Mr. V. Randall served as principals after Mr. E. Blair's tenure. Mr. V. Randall was succeeded by Dr. DeWayne Jeter. Mr. Walter Taylor became principal of I. C. Norcom High School in the fall of 1996. After his death in 2004, the new principal was Lynn Briley. Norcom is known for their boys basketball team, which won the 2010 and 2011 VSHL State Championship in Division AAA. The Greyhounds also won four straight championships from 2014-17, the first two in division 4A, the others in Division 3A.

They are also Known for having the only High Stepping Marching Band to win back to back National Championships and being Number one in the Nation for two years straight.

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