Franklin Pierce High School opened as a four year school in September of 1952 with students attending at Parkland on a half-day basis. The present building was occupied in November. Enrollment was approximately 350 in freshman and sophomore classes. New classes were added the next two years. The first class was graduated in 1955.

Only classrooms were ready for us the first year. The administrative wing, cafeteria, and gymnasium were not completed until September 1953. Students ate lunch in their classrooms. For assemblies, the students walked to Midland and used the gymnasium. Building 11, 12, 13 and 14 were not part of the original school.

The Franklin Pierce School District was formed in the winter of 1949 by a consolidation of the Central Avenue, Collins, Midland and Parkland school districts. The purpose of the consolidation was to form a large high school district. Until Franklin Pierce opened, students in the area attended high school at Clover Park, Lincoln, Puyallup or Roy. Clover Park and Roy provided bus service. Central Avenue ran a bus to Puyallup and Midland one to Lincoln.

Three superintendents in the original districts: Morris E. Ford, Parkland; Perry G. Keithley, Midland; Edwin L. Nelson, Central Avenue played prominent roles in the new district. Mr. Ford was the first superintendent. Mr. Keithley was the principal at Midland. The district junior high schools were named to honor them. Mr. Nelson succeeded Mr. Ford as superintendent and served for a number of years.

The high school and district are historically linked to the Fourteenth President of the United States (1853-1857), Franklin Pierce. When the Oregon Territory was formed in 1848, it included what is now Washington. On December 22, 1852, the Oregon Territorial Legislature created a large county north of the Columbia River and west of the Cascade Mountains and named it Pierce in honor of the president-elect. In 1853, Washington was declared a separate territory.

After the consolidation, a contest was held to select a name. The winning name was submitted by a Parkland student. He selected Franklin Pierce to honor the man who was president when Washington Territory was formed. The name was later selected for the new high school.