On December 9th, 1965 Corcoran High School, named after Mayor Thomas J. Corcoran, was dedicated on the southwest side of Syracuse. Three other names were considered for the school: Edward Powlesland High, Herbert Hoover High, and John F. Kennedy High.
The groundbreaking took place on January 18th, 1963 and opened for the 1965-1966 school year.
During the dedication ceremonies, Mayor William F. Walsh accepted keys to the $4.8 million school from Thorvald Pederson, Senior Partner of Pederson, Hueber, Hares, and Glavin Architects. He then passed the keys on to the principal Frederick Whiteside. The school was laid out with an academic wing connected by two glass-enclosed corridors to the gymnasium, swimming pool, and shop complex. An eight sided structure housed an auditorium and music rooms.