Towson High School

Infobox high school
bgcolor_section="#ffebcd"


image_caption =
imagesize = 130px
name= Towson High School
Towson Law & Public Policy High School
motto = "A Tradition of Excellence"
established = 1873
type = Public Secondary
endowment =
staff =
faculty =
principal = Dr. Jane Barranger
enrollment = 1,442 (2008) [cite web|title=School Profile for Towson High|year=2008|url=http://www.bcps.org/schools/profile.aspx?OrgID=90|accessdate=2008-10-02]
students =
grades = 9-12
free_label =
free_text =
free_label1 = National ranking
free_text1 = 240^th
free_label2 = Newspaper
free_text2 = "The Talisman"
free_label3 = Yearbook
free_text3 = "Sidelights"
colors = Maroon and White
mascot = "Generals"
district = Baltimore County Public Schools
campus = Suburban
song = Alma Mater
information =
location = Towson, Maryland
country = USA
website = [http://towsonhs.bcps.org/ towsonhs.bcps.org]
footnotes =

Towson High School is a high school in Baltimore County, Maryland, founded in 1873. The school's current stone structure was built in 1949. Located in the northern Baltimore suburb of Towson and serving the surrounding communities of Towson, Lutherville, and Ruxton, it is part of the Baltimore County Public Schools system, one of the nation's largest school systems. Area middle schools that feed into Towson High are Dumbarton Middle School, Ridgely Middle School, and Loch Raven Technical Academy, although students from other areas attend the Law and Public Policy magnet school. [http://www.bcps.org/schools/profile.asp?loc_code=0971 "School Profile", Baltimore County Public Schools, Dec. 7, 2006] ] In 2008, Towson was ranked #240 in "Newsweek" magazine's "The 1,300 Top U.S. high schools" annual national survey. [http://www.newsweek.com/id/39380/?s=Towson "The Complete List: 1,300 Top U.S. Schools", "Newsweek" magazine, May 21, 2008.] ]

Academics

The school has risen steadily in "Newsweek's" annual nationwide high school survey during the five-year period culminating in its #240 ranking in 2008, having previously placed #279 in 2007, #317 in 2006, #452 in 2005, and #511 in 2004. The #240 ranking is the highest of the ten Baltimore County high schools making "Newsweek's" list in 2008.S. Ann Johnson, "Towson high schools make magazine's list", Towson "Times", p. 10.] Following publication of the magazine's survey in May 2008, Towson High's principal Jane Barringer said: "I'm very proud of our parents and our kids and our teachers. It takes all of their efforts to make sure that students are prepared to take challenging tests."

Law and Public Policy Program

The law magnet requires seven total law credits, which can be obtained within the span of four years by approved courses. In the 9^th grade, students take an Introduction to Law Research and Legal Writing Course. This class is currently taught by Towson High alumnus Randy Dase, longtime soccer coach. In 10^th grade, students take a Trial Advocacy and Criminal Law course in a classroom that replicates a courtroom, complete with witness box, jury box, defense/prosecution tables, etc. In the next two years, students can choose from a variety, of electives, including Latin, forensic science, international law, business law, philosophy, and other law-related courses, to fulfill the remaining law credits required for graduation in accordance with the Law and Public Policy magnet.

History

Towson High School was originally located on East Chesapeake Avenue, in a small brick structure built in 1873. When it burned down in 1906, a replacement was built on Allegheny Avenue. In 1925, the high school moved to a larger 3-story brick structure at an adjacent site on Central Avenue and the vacated building was converted into an elementary school. This old Allegheny Avenue building still stands today, now used for County offices. [Gunning, Brooke. "Towson and the Villages of Ruxton and Lutherville". Arcadia Publishing, 1999.]

Construction of Towson High School's spacious present-day campus on the site of the old Aigburth Vale estate began in the late 1940s, as the Towson area's population surged upward following World War II. When the current campus at Cedar and Aigburth Avenues opened as Towson Senior High School in 1949, the former Central Avenue building became a Junior High School for grades nowrap|7 and 8 and, later, Towson Elementary School. It is now a senior citizen center.Loni Ingraham, "Alumni group celebrates 100 years, 3 schools", "Towson Times", September 19, 2007]

With the end of racial segregation in Baltimore County public schools in 1954, the African-American student body of the old Carver High School on York Road (now the Carver Center for Arts and Technology vocational school) was merged with Towson High School.

tructure

The present, attractive 5-level stone structure completed in 1949 includes a large auditorium with theater-style seating, a gymnasium, and a cafeteria. Classrooms are on the lower three floors. The fourth floor was originally used for administrative offices, then became an art studio, and currently contains two classrooms and a computer lab. The fifth floor of the school may not be used for classes as it would not comply with fire codes for proper evacuation. It is used to store books, and is occasionally used as an office.

The library and science wing were added in the mid-1960s and the entire school underwent extensive upgrading in the late 1990s, including the installation of modern heating and air conditioning. As of 2008, only eight of Baltimore County's 23 public high schools are air conditioned. [cite news|author=Gina Davis|title=Air Conditioning is Hot Topic|date=2008-07-06|publisher="The Baltimore Sun"|page=B1 ] The school exceeded state-rated capacity according to September 2007 enrollment figures. [cite news|author=Virginia Terhune|title=No stopping review of school plan|publisher="Towson Times"|date=2008-04-09]

Extracurricular activities

There are many clubs and activities in the arts, languages, music, career interests, and recreation from which students may choose. Particularly noteworthy are:
*The school's newspaper, the "Talisman".
*The school's Yearbook, "Sidelights"
*"Colophon," the school's literary arts magazine, has won national prizes from organizations such as the National Scholastic Press Association and Columbia University, as well as state prizes from the Maryland Scholastic Press Association. It is ranked as one of the top magazines in the country. [http://studentpress.journ.umn.edu/nspa/winners/mpm05.html "Contest Winners", National Scholastic Press Association, Dec. 23, 2006] ]
*Towson High School's Marching Generals Band, though nonexistent for some time, was restarted by band director David Rhen in 2003. ["Towson band marches to proud new beat", Towson "Times", Dec. 27, 2006.] As of the 2007 band camp, it now has 68 members.

Athletics

The "Generals" have won the following Maryland state championships:

Michael Phelps, as a 15-year old student at Towson High School, competed in the 2000 Olympics, the youngest American male swimmer to do so, and later that year he became the youngest man ever to set a world record in swimming.

The traditional rivals of Towson High School's Generals are the Lions of nearby Dulaney High School.

Notable Alumni

The school's alumni association, founded in 1907, says it is "one of the oldest, continuous, public school alumni associations in the U.S.". Well-known alumni include:
* [http://www.chemheritage.org/exhibits/pittcon/baird.html Dr. Walter S. Baird] - physicist
* Jean Marie Donnell (1938) - movie and TV actress
* Evan Farmer - actor / TV personality
* Joyce Hens Green - Federal judge
* James M. Kelly, special assistant to President Bush, formerly a Maryland House Delegate.
* Harris Glenn Milstead (1963) - better known as the movie actor "Divine"
* Ellen O. Moyer - politician
* Ken Ono - mathematician
* Santa J. Ono - immunologist and university administrator
* Michael Phelps - 14 time Olympic Gold Medalist and swimming world record holder
* [http://www.mdarchives.state.md.us/msa/educ/exhibits/womenshall/html/risteau.html Mary Watters Risteau] - politician
* Ellen Sauerbrey (1955) - politician

Alma Mater

Towson High School's is:
Quote box2 |width= 29em |border= 5px |align= center |bgcolor= #ffebcd |halign= center | title="Alma Mater"|quote= "Our strong bond can ne'er be broken" "Formed at Towson High." "Far surpassing wealth unspoken," "Sealed by friendship's tie." "Amici usque ad aras" ["Amici usque ad aras" is Latin for "Friends unto death" wikiquote-inline|Latin proverbs] "Deep graven on each heart" "Shall be found unwav'ring true," "When we from life shall part."

"High school life is swiftly passing," "Soon its sands are run." "While we live we'll ever cherish" "Friendships here begun."

"Amici usque ad aras" "Deep graven on each heart" "Shall be found unwav'ring true," "When we from life shall part."|

References

External links

* [http://towsonhs.bcps.org/index.html Towson High School] - official website
* [http://www.towsonhighalumni.org Towson High School Alumni Association]
* [http://www.marchinggenerals.com Towson High School "Marching Generals" band website]