The school was established in 1975 with the merger of Wainwright and Southwestern high schools and is named after John T. McCutcheon, who was a political cartoonist and Tippecanoe County native.
In 1975, a new educational institution was created as a result of the merger of Wainwright and Southwestern high schools, which was subsequently named after John T. McCutcheon, a celebrated local artist and native of Tippecanoe County.