The Story of Jack Taylor Stadium

During the summer of 1958, the men of the Jacksonville Beaches’ Jaycees began a service project designed to give Fletcher High School the finest football stadium in the state of Florida. Five years and $100,000 later, their vision of a six-thousand-seat concrete stadium became a reality. With the Ocean State Bank, Smith-Gillespie Inc., and B.B. McCormick & Sons providing much support, the east stands were completed in 1958. In 1962, the west stands, concession stands, ticket booths, and lighting were finished. For over thirty years, the student athletes of Fletcher High School and Fletcher Middle School played against some of the area’s toughest competition on the field of the Jaycee Bowl.

In the summer of 1993, a routine inspection led to the Jaycee Bowl condemnation. Though eventually the east stands were given enough structural support to allow usage, the west stands were demolished. Through the efforts of the beaches community, the Duval County School Board appropriated over a million dollars for the reconstruction of the west stands, press box, concession stand and restrooms. Consequently, the home side was moved to the west stands with its new press box. In 1999 – six years after being condemned – the new Fletcher Stadium was completed during the football season. On October 1, 1999, the Duval County School Board honored long-time Fletcher football coach and athletic director, Jack Taylor, by naming the resurrected stadium Jack Taylor Stadium. Members of the Stadium Committee and others who worked diligently on the original stadium were:

Forrest Bryant	Joe Andrew	Harcourt Bull	C.B. Lawrence
J.T. McCormick	Oliver Ball	Jack Proctor	George Frazier
King Concrete Products	Guy Craig	Bob Lynch	C.I. Capp Co. Inc.