San Diego High School

Infobox Secondary school
name = San Diego High School

established = 1882
campus = Urban
type = Public High School
grades = 9–12
city = San Diego
state = California
country = USA
enrollment = 3000
newspaper = "The Russ"
yearbook = "The Old Grey Castle"
mascot = Cavers
colors = Blue & White
picture =
website = [http://sdhs.sandi.net/ sdhs.sandi.net]

San Diego High School is an urban public high school located on the southern edge of Balboa Park, in San Diego, California. The school was established in 1882, and initially named Russ High after lumberman Joseph Russ who offered to donate the lumber to build the school. The school served to educate a fast growing San Diego. By 1902 the school had become overcrowded and a new school was built on the original site, opening on April 13th, 1907. The new building designed by F.S. Allen of Pasadena, resembled that of a castle and was subsequently nicknamed, "The Grey Castle." Due to California Legislation in the 1960's, which required all school districts to demolish any school building built prior to 1933, The "Grey Castle" building was torn down in 1973 and the current building was dedicated in 1976.

San Diego High's Football Stadium, Balboa Stadium was built in 1914 for the 1915 Panama-California Exposition It originally had a capacity of 34,000 . Over the years it has played host to music legends such as the Beatles and Jimi Hendrix, and U.S. Presidents Woodrow Wilson and Franklin Delano Roosevelt. From 1961-1966 it was also the home of the San Diego Chargers.

Today San Diego High is the oldest high school in the San Diego Unified School District, and one of the oldest public schools in all of California; the oldest still on its original site.

In 2004, San Diego High School was divided into six smaller schools collectively called The San Diego High Educational Complex. These six smaller schools within the larger school focus curriculum on International Studies; Media, Visual and Performing Arts; Business; Science and Technology; Leadership; and International Communications.

Russ High 1887-1907

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The Grey Castle 1907-1973

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Modern San Diego High 1973-Present

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Athletic History

High School Football Mythical National Championship: 1916, 1955

High School Baseball National Champions: 1921

San Diego High participated in the first high school football game in San Diego County in 1898, defeating Escondido High 6-0. Players and coaches from San Diego traveled in covered wagons over the course of two days to reach their destination.

Boys Basketball: 2008 CIF Southern Section Division I Champions

Academic Recognition

In May 2006, Newsweek magazine ranked 1,200 public high schools in the U.S. and named San Diego High's International Studies school #22, making it the highest ranking in San Diego County and the second highest in the state of California.

Misc History

*Ted Williams who later played baseball for the Boston Red Sox, is rumored to have attended local rival Herbert Hoover High School because he was afraid that he wasn't good enough to make the San Diego High squad
*The 1922 San Diego High baseball team was barred from league play by the CIF after its 1921 National Championship Squad played an unsanctioned game against the East's best baseball team of that time Cleveland High. This game drew 11,000 fans which saw San Diego High defeat Cleveland 10-0. During the 1922 season the team played college and independent teams, losing to just Stanford and the Sherman Indians. Beating Cleveland again in front of 13,000 fans.
*It is said that when wrecking ball came to demolish the "Grey Castle" to coincide with the building of the current school it took repeated attempts to bring the structure down.
*Kate Sessions, considered the "Mother of Balboa Park," taught at San Diego High in 1884

Notable Alumni and Faculty

*Harold "Hobbs" Adams, College Football All-American, Coach
*Joe Alson, Badminton (12 time NCAA Champion)
*Earle Brucker, Former Major League Baseball Player
*Eileen Rose Busby, Author
*Marc Davis, Olympic Runner
*Deron Johnson, Former Major League Baseball Player
*Jacque Jones, Major League Baseball Player
*Mebrahtom Keflezighi, Olympic Silver Medalist
*Kamal Larsuel formerly Kamal Anthony, Author and Critic
*Art Linkletter, Television Host
*Wayne McAllister, Architect
*William Miller, Olympic Gold Medalist, former World Record Holder (Pole-Vault)
*Richard H. Morefield, Iran Hostage Crisis Hostage
*Harold Muller "Brick," Olympic Silver Medalist and College Football Hall of Fame Member
*Stephen Neal, National Football League Player
*Graig Nettles, Former Major League Baseball Player
*Gregory Peck, Actor
*Clarence Nibs Price, College Football Head Coach
*Sol Price, Entrepreneur
*Art Powell, Former National Football League Player
*Charlie Powell, Former National Football League Player, Boxer
*Seraphim (Eugene) Rose, Priest, Author, Blessed
*Russ Saunders, College Football All-American, Warner Brothers Executive
*Thomas Schelling, Nobel Prize Winning Economist
*Ambrose Schindler, College Football Player, Rose Bowl and College All-Star MVP
*Kate Sessions, Horticulturalist, Botanist
*Albert "Pesky" Sprott, Olympic Runner, College Football Player
*Cotton Warburton, Film Editor, Actor and College Football Hall of Fame Member
*Greedy Loco, rapper, attended but never graduated (Logan Heights)

ee also

*Balboa Stadium

External links

* [http://www.sdhs.sandi.net Official San Diego High School webpage]
* [http://journalism.sdhs.sandi.net/russ.pdf The Russ] - San Diego High student newspaper
* [http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/education/20061003-9999-1m3sdhs.html San Diego Union-Tribune article on San Diego High School's ranking in Newsweek]
* [http://www.sandi.net/hsrenewal/sm_schools_sd.html San Diego Unified School District quickfacts]
* [http://www.sandiegohistory.org/collections/sports/champs.htm San Diego Hall of Champions Inductees]