W.C. Stripling Middle School was constructed in 1927 as W.S. Stripling High School. The building was designed by Wiley G. Clarkson and constructed by K.H. Muse. The school was named after W.C. Stripling, founder of Stripling’s Department Store. The building is in an “H” shape and is 3 stories high. Above each of the 3 front doors are the inscriptions “Knowledge”, “Citizenship”, and “Character”. The school was converted to a junior high school in 1937, when the current Arlington Heights High School opened. In 1955, 8 classrooms were added with another 12 more in 1958, extending the wings to the west.