North Attleboro High School Alumni Association

Kenneth G. Pickering
Excellence in Education
2007

Ken Pickering served the North Attleboro school system with distinction from 1965 to 2001. Whether he was parading the sideline of a basketball court, overseeing a Physical Education class, leading the Athletic Department, or administering from his Assistant Principal’s office, Ken Pickering did it in a manner and with a voice that left no doubt who was in charge. He was a dedicated professional who was fully invested in his job, and his influence continues to be felt throughout the corridors of NAHS today.

Ken graduated from North Attleboro High School in 1959, and after a brief stop at Dean College he moved on to the University of Bridgeport where he earned his Bachelor’s Degree in 1964. Shortly thereafter, he began his career in education at Sligo Junior High in Silver Springs, Maryland, where he taught Physical Education and Health and coached gymnastics and track for two years. In 1965, he returned to North Attleboro and taught Physical Education and Mathematics at the Junior High School for three years. In 1968, he was transferred to the high school where he established himself as a firm presence for the next 33 years.

During his tenure at the High School, Ken taught Physical Education for 23 years until he pursued full time administrative positions. In 1971, while continuing to serve as a full time teacher, Ken also remarkably assumed the duties of Athletic Director and oversaw the burgeoning of an athletic program that still continues to enjoy his mark of success. It was also during this time that Ken perhaps became best known for his accomplishments as the Head Basketball Coach, a position he held from 1968 to 1978. Ken’s basketball teams were perfect reflections of the man who led them: hard-nosed, disciplined, smart and full of heart.

In 1981, Ken left the classroom altogether and became the Dean of Students under the leadership of new Principal Wilson Whitty. In 1986, his title was changed to Assistant Principal, and together the team of Whitty and Pickering went on to establish a model high school. With Ken Pickering administering the discipline code, the community of North Attleboro knew their students were in a safe place that demanded high standards of behavior. In this environment, students thrived academically, athletically and socially, and Ken Pickering was there with them every step of the way. Ken retired in 2001, and in his honor the gymnasium at North Attleboro High School was named the Kenneth G. Pickering Gymnasium.

Ken continues to serve the school system today as an active member in his second term on the school committee. He and his wife Denise still reside in North Attleboro and their daughter Kristin is a teacher at North Attleboro Middle School.