Unusual Nicknames: Midland Chemics

Midland, Michigan, is home to Dow Chemical Company, which gave nearby Midland High School an obvious choice as its school nickname: Chemics. The school’s logo consists of an atom spinning around an “M”.

The school opened in 1872 as Union High School, but a fire destroyed the school in 1907. Dow Chemical donated $11,000 to rebuild the school, and began the history of the Chemics. Interestingly, even though Midland’s nickname gives recognition to the Dow company, its main rival is nearby Dow High School. Some of Midland’s notable alumni include baseball manager Terry Collins and former NFL all-pro offensive lineman Howard Mudd.