The Timken name means something in Canton.

For generations, students walked through Timken’s doors, wore blue and gold, represented the Trojans, built friendships, raised families, became tradespeople and professionals, and carried Timken pride with them long after graduation.

When the Canton City Board of Education voted to name the new school Timken Elementary, the Board stated that the name recognizes and honors the former Timken High School.

We welcome the return of the Timken name.

But many Timken alumni and community members are deeply disappointed that the history and identity associated with that name were not carried forward with it.

Timken’s historic colors are BLUE AND GOLD.

Timken’s historic mascot is the TROJAN.

The new Timken Elementary instead prominently uses the red and black identity associated with the Canton City School District and McKinley tradition.

This petition is not against McKinley, its students, its alumni, or its traditions.

McKinley deserves its identity.

Timken deserves its identity too.

If the purpose of restoring the Timken name was to honor Timken’s history, then the people who created and lived that history deserve an opportunity to be heard about how the Timken name is represented.

We respectfully ask the Canton City Board of Education to publicly consider restoring BLUE AND GOLD as Timken Elementary’s identifying school colors and the TROJAN as its school mascot.

We further ask the Board to:

- Place the Timken Elementary colors and mascot question on a public Board of Education meeting agenda.
- Allow Timken alumni, current Timken Elementary families, district residents, students, former employees and community members an opportunity to provide input.
- Conduct or recognize a documented community survey regarding the Timken colors and mascot.
- Publish the results of that survey.
- Hold a public Board discussion and vote concerning the Timken Elementary identity.

This is bigger than the color of a building.

It is about whether generations of school history are remembered when the name representing that history is brought back.

Timken High School may have closed, but the people who attended Timken did not stop being Trojans.

Their memories did not disappear.

Their pride did not disappear.

Their history did not disappear.

Now that the Timken name has returned, we are asking Canton City Schools to give the Timken community a meaningful voice in what that name represents.

Whether you attended Timken, graduated from Timken, worked at Timken, have family who attended, currently have children in Canton City Schools, live in Canton, or simply believe local school history deserves to be preserved:

Please sign this petition and make your voice heard.

BLUE & GOLD.
TROJAN PRIDE.
LET TIMKEN BE TIMKEN.