Woodrow Wilson High School (Portsmouth, Virginia)
Coordinates: 36°48′54.45″N 76°22′53.05″W / 36.8151250°N 76.3814028°W
| Woodrow Wilson High School | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Address | |
|
1401 Elmhurst Lane Portsmouth, Virginia 23701 United States | |
| Coordinates | 36°48′54.45″N 76°22′53.05″W / 36.8151250°N 76.3814028°W |
| Information | |
| School type | Public, high school |
| Founded | 1888 |
| School district | Portsmouth City Public Schools |
| Superintendent | Dr. Elie Bracy III |
| Principal | Timothy Johnson |
| Grades | 9–12 |
| Enrollment | 1,334 (2006-07) |
| Language | English |
| Campus | Suburban |
| Color(s) |
Royal Blue, Orange and White |
| Athletics conference |
Virginia High School League AAA Eastern Region Eastern District |
| Mascot | Presidents |
| Rival | I. C. Norcom High School |
| Website | Official Site |
Woodrow Wilson High School is a public high school located in Portsmouth, Virginia. It is administered by Portsmouth City Public Schools. The school colors are royal blue, orange, and white, and the nickname is the Presidents.
History
Wilson can be traced back to 1885, when a high school was organized at The Academy on Glasgow Street, which had housed only grammar and elementary students from 1850 through 1884. The first high school class graduated that same year. In 1886 the Glasgow Street building was no longer suitable, so the city erected a new building on Green Street, known as the Green Street School. High school, grammar, and elementary students moved there from the Glasgow Street location in September 1886.
In 1888, Portsmouth High School was formally established but continued to be housed in the Green Street building. Portsmouth High School moved to a brand new building on Washington Street in 1909. The new facility was the first one planned for the exclusive use of the high school.
In September 1919, Portsmouth High School was renamed Woodrow Wilson High School and moved to a new building on High Street. The vacated building became an elementary school called Washington Street School, and later F.T. Briggs School. In September 1955, Woodrow Wilson High School moved again to a new facility on Willett Drive, and the vacated building on High Street became Harry Hunt Junior High School. In September 1993, Woodrow Wilson was merged with Cradock High School and Manor High School. To appease alumni, the Woodrow Wilson name was kept, though the three schools were merged into the Manor building, which opened in 1972.[1]
The school, along with others in the area, has recently become noted for its high dropout rates.[2]
Notable alumni
- V. C. Andrews – author[3]
- Marty Brennaman – sportscaster for the Cincinnati Reds[4]
- Karen Briggs – violinist[5]
- Mahlon Clark – jazz musician[6]
- LaTasha Colander – track and field sprint star, 2000 Olympic Gold Medalist (4x400m)[7][8][9]
- Clarence "Ace" Parker, Pro Football Hall of Famer and Former MLB player
- Bill Deal – beach music musician with group Bill Deal and the Rhondels
- Missy Elliott – rapper[10][11]
- Perry Ellis – fashion designer[12]
- Chandler Harper, golfer[13]
- Ben Jones – actor and politician[14]
- T. J. Jordan – basketball player
- LaShawn Merritt – sprinter, 2008 Olympic Gold medalist (400 meters and 4x400m relay)[9]
- Bill Moran – Former Major League Baseball player[15]
- Bill Schneider – journalist with CNN[16]
- Aaron Sparrow, American football player[17]
- Khadijah Whittington – Former WNBA basketball player[18]
References
- ↑ About Us, Portsmouth Public Schools, retrieved 2016-03-05
- ↑ Some local schools described as 'dropout factories', WVEC (Associated Press), 2007-10-30, retrieved 2007-12-03
- ↑ V. C. Andrews Biography, completevca.com, retrieved 2007-11-18
- ↑ Shampoe, Clay (2005), The Virginia Sports Hall Of Fame: Honoring Champions Of The Commonwealth, Arcadia Publishing, p. 14, ISBN 0-7385-1776-3
- ↑ Bryant, Jane (1996-02-23), THE WINNER IS . . . NORCOM SENIOR GETS ALL QUESTIONS RIGHT ON THE BLACK HISTORY QUIZZES., Virginian-Pilot, retrieved 2007-12-09
- ↑ Washington, Jim (2007-10-02), Post Script: Even among the stars, Virginia put a twinkle in his eye, Virginian-Pilot, retrieved 2007-11-18
- ↑ Myers, Rebecca (1994-07-31), LATASHA COLANDER: WORLD-CLASS TRACK STAR, Virginian-Pilot, retrieved 2007-11-18
- ↑ Sun, John Gordon (1994-08-04), CHURCH HONORS HURDLER LATASHA COLANDER, Virginian-Pilot, retrieved 2007-11-18
- 1 2 Friedman, Vicki L. (2006-08-27), Wilson High piecing together photos of its past, Virginian-Pilot, retrieved 2007-11-18
- ↑ Johnson, Nicole (2003-02-21), Mikey "Mini-petter MasterPooper" McClenney, Richmond Times-Dispatch, retrieved 2007-11-18
- ↑ McDonald, Sam (2005-01-30), There's been good news and bad news in music, Daily Press, archived from the original on November 20, 2008, retrieved 2007-11-18
- ↑ Batts Jr., Battinto (2005-12-18), The common thread of Perry Ellis, Virginian-Pilot, retrieved 2007-11-18
- ↑ inductees
- ↑ Ben Jones - Congress votes database, Washington Post, retrieved 2007-12-03
- ↑ Voter Guide: Portsmouth mayor candidates, The Virginian-Pilot, 2010-10-25, retrieved 2010-11-02
- ↑ CNN Inside Politics, CNN, 2001-04-18, retrieved 2007-12-03
- ↑ "Larry Rubama". hamptonroads.com. October 25, 2013. Archived from the original on December 27, 2014. Retrieved December 26, 2014.
- ↑ USA Basketball Bio, USA Basketball, 2006-05-21, archived from the original (– Scholar search) on 2007-08-07, retrieved 2007-11-18