Central High School (Philadelphia)
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| Central High School |
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| Established | 1836 |
| Type | Public secondary |
| President | Sheldon S. Pavel, A.B., Ed.M, Ed.D. |
| Grades | 9–12 |
| Location | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania USA |
| Website | http://centralhigh.net |
Central High School is the second oldest public high school in the United States. Located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, it is a part of the School District of Philadelphia.
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[edit] Overview
Central was founded in 1836 and is a four-year, college preparatory, magnet school. About 2,400 students attend grades 9 through 12. It consistently ranks among the top schools in the city and state, and is among the top public schools in the nation for its academic standards.
Central High School holds the distinction of being the only high school in the United States that has the authority, granted by an Act of Assembly in 1849, to confer academic degrees upon its graduates. This practice is still in effect, and graduates who meet the requirements are granted the Bachelor of Arts degree. Central also confers high school diplomas upon graduates who do not meet the requirement for a degree.
Central, rather than using a general class year to identify its classes (as in "class of 1999"), uses the class graduating number system (as in "269th graduating class"). This tradition started shortly after the school's founding, when it was common to have two graduating classes per year - one in January and one in June. In June of 1965, semiannual graduations were replaced by annual graduations. The current senior class is the 266th graduating class of Central High School.
Central, due to its authority to grant academic degrees, traditionally refers to the principal of the school as the "President" of Central High School. The current president is Dr. Sheldon S. Pavel.
The Central High School website is located at http://centralhigh.net and has been developed and maintained entirely by Central students.
[edit] History
Central High School of Philadelphia is the second oldest public high school in the United States. The school was chartered by an Act of Assembly and approved on June 13, 1836. A site was purchased on the east side of Juniper Street below Market Street and on September 19, 1837, the cornerstone was laid. The school opened on October 26, 1838 with four professors and sixty-three students.
In November of 1839, Alexander Dallas Bache, great grandson of Benjamin Franklin, and Professor of Natural Philosophy and Chemistry at the University of Pennsylvania, was elected the first President of Central High School. President Bache resigned in 1842 to return to his professorship at the University of Pennsylvania, and was succeeded by John Seely Hart, who had been a Professor of Languages at Princeton University.
In 1845, two distinguished English members of the Society of Friends, James H. Tuke and Joseph Corosfield, spent several months in America investigating the school system of the United States. They devoted more than one-third of the text of their report to Central High School, which they depicted as a type of institution that had helped America and could help England.
An Act of Assembly, approved on April 9, 1849, provided that
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- “The Controllers of the Public Schools of the First School District of Pennsylvania shall have and possess power to confer academic degrees in the arts upon graduates of the Central High School, in the City of Philadelphia, and the same and like power to confer degrees, honorary and otherwise, which is now possessed by the University of Pennsylvania.”
In accordance with this Act, the Board of Controllers on September 11, 1849, authorized the conferring of appropriate degrees upon graduates of Central High.
On June 24, 1847, the President of the United States, James Polk, with Vice-President George M. Dallas and Attorney General Nathan Clifford paid a visit to the school and addressed the students.
In September 1854, the school transferred to a new building, located at the southeast corner of Broad and Green Streets. In 1858, President Hart resigned and was succeeded by Nicholar Maquire. In September 1900, the school moved to its third location in a newer and larger building located at Broad, Green, Fifteenth, and Brandywine Streets. During the formal dedication on November 22, 1902, Theodore Roosevelt, President of the United States, addressed the students.
In 1939, Central moved from its location on Broad and Green to its fourth, current, location on Ogontz and Olney Avenues. The building left behind became the Benjamin Franklin High School.
After 139 years of existence as an all-male public high school, Central’s all-male policy was challenged by Susan Vorchheimer, who wished to be admitted to Central. On August 7, 1975, U.S. District Court Judge Clarence C. Newcomer ruled that Central must admit academically qualified girls starting in the fall term of 1975. The decision was appealed, and the Third Circuit Court ruled that Central had the right to retain its present status. The case eventually reached the U.S. Supreme Court (Vorchheimer v. School District of Philadelphia), which, on April 19 1977, upheld the Third Circuit Court's verdict by a 4 to 4 vote with one abstention.
In August 1983, Judge William M. Marutani, of the Court of Common Pleas of Philadelphia, ruled that the single-sex admission policy was unconstitutional. The Board of Education voted not to appeal the legal decision, thereby admitting girls to Central High School. In September 1983, the first six girls, all seniors, were admitted.
In October of 1987, Central High School was officially named a Secondary school of National Excellence by the United States Department of Education and named a Blue Ribbon School. In March of 1992, Redbook Magazine named Central as one of the best schools in Pennsylvania. Central was named "Best Secondary School in Pennsylvania" by the magazine each year since they began rating the nation's best schools.
In 1993, construction of the new multi-million dollar art, science, and physical education addition was completed and it was officially dedicated on February 17, 1994.
During the 2004-2005 school year, a $12 million renovation of the Barnwell Library began, which finished near the end of that school year. The library is now one of the most advanced public school libraries in the United States.
[edit] Academics
Central was one of seven schools in the nation to be named a "School of Inspiration" by the College Board in 2001 and in the October 2004 issue of Philadelphia Magazine, Central was named one of the "20 Best High Schools". Central was named "Best Secondary School in Pennsylvania" by REDBOOK Magazine each year since they began rating the nation's best schools. The following is a quote from LIFE MAGAZINE:
"While it's true that 'best schools' lists vary, it is interesting that there's so much accord among experts as to what sets the frequently mentioned schools - Stuyvesant, Boston Latin, Central High School in Philadelphia, New Trier Township High outside Chicago, The North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics - apart. And above."
Central is recipient of the "School of Merit Award" from the Magnet Schools of America. Central is recipient of the U.S. Department of Education "Academic Excellence Award" and named a "Blue Ribbon School."
As of 2006, Over 98% of Central alumni graduate from a 4-year college or university. 99% of Central's 130+ teachers hold a Master’s degree or higher. Central staff members have been recognized with many local, state and national awards, fellowships, and grants. Central students reside in every area of Philadelphia and represent the widest variety of racial, ethnic, geographic and economic groups. The student body is 33% African-American, 21% Asian, 5% Latino, and 41% Caucasian, making Central one of the most diverse schools in the nation. They afford each other multi-cultural opportunities in a rare atmosphere of cooperation and interaction.
Central now offers 24 Advanced Placement courses. Compulsory graduation credits include 4 units of English, 3 of Social Studies, 3 of Science, 3 of Math, and 2 of Foreign Language. The Mentally Gifted Program services over 40% of all students.
Central's most recent graduating class earned over 15 million dollars in scholarships and awards. Over the last 8 years, Central students have achieved the following:
- 74 semifinalists and 25 commended students in the National Merit Scholarship Program
- 58 semifinalists and 89 commended students in the National Achievement Scholarship Program for Outstanding Negro Students
- 14 finalists in the National Hispanic Scholar Awards Program
All Central students take the SAT. The 2004 mean SAT scores were; Verbal 535, Math 561, and Composite 1096. Where students took both SAT I and SAT II's, the composite mean was 1226 (verbal 595, and math 631). 293 candidates took 534 Advanced Placement exams in 23 subject areas, with 68% scoring 3 or higher (the score most colleges require for credit).
[edit] The School Song
The following is the school song of Central High School- Words by Horace M. Shell, 1907 and Francis A. Wade, 1907, Music by John L. Waldman, 1907, Arranged by Francis Murphy (note: Second to the last line of the chorus was revised during the 1995 - 1996 school year to substitute the words "we all" for "thy sons"). Students and alumni are known to stomp their feet twice after the first and fifth lines of the chorus. Alumni and Alumnae all over the world are known to sing the school song with pride, to complete strangers who have all once attended CHS.
Let others sing of college days,
Their Alma Mater true,
But when we raise our voices,
'Tis only High, for you.
We'll ne'er forget those days gone by,
Those glorious days of old,
When oft we sang the praises of
The Crimson and the Gold.
Dear high, dear Central High
Thy mem'ries never die.
Thy honor we'll cherish and
Laud it to the sky,
On ballfield or in life,
In peace or deadly strife,
For thee we all will labor,
Second verse to be sung by alumni only
And when at last we leave behind
Thy shelt'ring portals wide,
Thy honor still we'll cherish,
What e'er may us betide.
And when we congregate again
With tuneful voice and strong,
With joyful hearts once more we'll sing
That same old glorious song.
CHORUS
[edit] Athletics and Extracurriculars
Central offers its students over 75 extracurricular programs including an internationally acclaimed Orchestra. It also has an accomplished coeducation sports program offering every Public League interscholastic sport. Central has won 70 Public League Championships in the last decade, making it the city athletic powerhouse. Those championships include marquee sports such as soccer, basketball, baseball, bowling, softball, tennis, golf and track and field. Central is known throughout the east coast for its dominant track and field program. Central's cross country, indoor, and outdoor track athletes have set numerous city and state records and have gone onto collegiate and Olympic careers. In 2004, Central won the Philadelphia Public League Basketball Championship for the first time since 1932.
Notably, Central's football team plays a yearly game against longtime rivals Northeast high school. This Thanksgiving football game is one of the oldest football rivalries in the nation.
Central puts a great emphasis on producing not only college graduates and future professionals, but also strong members of the community. It is one of the few public high schools that has a yearly community service requirement that needs to be fulfilled before graduation. 50 hours of community service, recently changed from 30 hours, needs to be completed and verified by academic personnel before the end of each school year. This program was implemented as an alternative to extending the school day in the early 1990s.
The music department, comprising an orchestra and choir, is world-renowned, having travelled to such locales as Israel, London, Quebec, and Austria, and they also received an invitation from the mayor of the city of Budapest, Hungary to perform during the summer of 2007. It is one of the few schools that give academic credit for participation in the orchestra. It was scheduled to be the first American High School group to travel to China, when the SARS outbreak occurred and caused the trip to be postponed. The department was awarded "Grammy Signature School" status in 2000.
[edit] Presidents of Central High School
- Alexander Dallas Bache, LL.D. - 1839-1842
- John Seely Hart, LL.D. - 1842-1858
- Nicholas Harper Maquire, A.M. - 1858-1866
- George Inman Riché, A.M. - 1866-1886
- Franklin Taylor, M.D. - 1886-1888
- Henry Clark Johnson, A.M., LL.B. - 1888-1893
- Robert Ellis Thompson, A.M., Ph.D., D.D., LL.D., - 1894-1920
- John Louis Haney, A.M., Ph.D., LL.D. - 1920-1943
- William H. Cornog, A.M., L.H.D., Ph.D., - 1943-1955
- Elmer Field, B.S., M.S., Ed.D. - 1955-1962
- William H. Gregory, B.S., Ed.M. - 1962-1969
- Howard Carlisle, B.S., A.M., Ed.D. - 1969-1983
- Sheldon S. Pavel, A.B., Ed.M, Ed.D. - 1984-present
[edit] Standard dress code
Central students are required to wear solid-colored clothing [1]. Unlike in almost all other Philadelphia schools, the dress code has never been enforced.
[edit] Media Coverage
Central has been covered extensively in the media. Both news and entertainment wise. As of 28/3/07, MTV is in the process of filming an episode of Made.
[edit] Notable alumni
- Henry David Abraham - 1985 Nobel Prize Co-recipient in Peace (International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War) (214th class)
- Elliott Abrams - AccuWeather Meteorologist, Chief Forecaster
- James P. Bagian - NASA Astronaut, Physician (228th class)
- Albert C. Barnes - art collector, founder of world renowned Barnes Foundation Art Gallery (92nd class)
- John C. Bell - former Chief Justice of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court (75th class)
- King Britt - DJ and record producer
- Philip Casnoff - actor (226th class)
- Noam Chomsky - Linguist and political activist (184th class)
- Mark B. Cohen - Pennsylvania State Legislative Leader (225th Class)
- Joel Cook - U.S. Congressman, journalist (33rd class)
- Bill Cosby - Comedian and entertainer (dropped out after 10th grade- would be 204th class)
- Thomas Eakins - Painter (38th class)
- Douglas Feith - Former U.S. Undersecretary of Defense for Policy(230th class)
- Norman Fell - Actor, best known as Mr. Roper on Three's Company (176th class)
- Lee Felsenstein - Personal computer pioneer and activist (219th class)
- Larry Fine - Larry of the Three stooges (132nd class)
- Oscar Goodman - Current Mayor of Las Vegas, famed mob defense lawyer (clients included Meyer Lansky and "Lefty" Rosenthal)
- Daniel Guggenheim - American industrialist and philanthropist, most powerful member of famed Guggenheim family (66th class)
- Simon Guggenheim - industrialist, financier, U.S. Senator from Colorado, philanthropist (87th class)
- Louis Kahn - world renowned architect (134th class)
- Ross Kaplan - Fulbright scholar, comedian, Arabic professor, US State Department Middle East Expert (249th class)
- Sam Katz - Perrenial Philadelphia Republican Mayoral Candidate (226th class)
- Alain LeRoy Locke - Author, philosopher, and advocate of the arts
- Jerome Lowenthal - famed pianist, chair of Juilliard School Piano Department (192nd class)
- John Marzano - MLB player/Baseball Analyst (240th class)
- David Micun - Stage actor, impresario (248th class)
- Jeffrey Milarsky - is one of the leading conductors of contemporary music in New York City.
- James T. Mitchell - former Chief Justice of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court (19th class)
- Samuel Brown Wylie Mitchell - Founder of the Phi Kappa Sigma fraternirty (~194th class)
- Joel Myers - founder of AccuWeather (208th class)
- Robert N. C. Nix, Jr. - former Chief Justice of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court (186th class)
- Robert E. Pattison - former Governor of Pennsylvania (55th class)
- Ramon L. Posel - Founder of Ritz theatres (186th class)
- Arnold Roth - famed cartoonist, humorist (186th class)
- Glenn "Hurricane" Schwartz - WCAU TV personality, NBC 10 chief meteorologist
- Horace Stern - former Chief Justice of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court (100th class)
- Julie Stevens - actress, film director and producer (246th class)
- Frank R. Stockton - writer and humorist
- Charles Stone III - film director and creator of the popular US advertising campaign, "Whassup?" for Budweiser
- Teller - full name Raymond Joseph Teller, magician, silent half of the comedy magic duo known as Penn & Teller (224th class)
- Howard Temin - 1975 Nobel Prize Winner in Medicine (196th class)
- Arthur Tracy - world famous vaudeville performer, singer, actor, known as "The Street Singer" (130th class)
- John Wallowitch - Composer, songwriter and cabaret performer (class unknown)
- Andrew Weil - Physician, author, proponent of integrative medicine (212th class)
- Edward Weinberger - TV producer and writer, winner of three Emmys (204th class)
- Bernard Wolfman - former dean of the Law School of the University of Pennsylvania (176th class)
- Alexander Woolcott - renowned dramatic critic for New Yorker, journalist, author, member of Algonquin Round Table (110th class)
- Ed Wynn - entertainer, actor, comedian, producer, Academy Award Nominee, also known as the voice of "The Mad Hatter" and as "Uncle Albert" In Mary Poppins (110th class)
