Bakersfield High School

Bakersfield High School (BHS) is a high school located in Bakersfield, California, USA.

First founded in 1893 as Kern County High School, changed to Kern County Union High School in 1915, and finally to Bakersfield High School in 1945. The campus includes Harvey Auditorium which serves as a venue for the local arts community as well as the Industrial Arts building which houses both a functioning car garage along with a wood shop and fitness center. Most of the original architecture has been demolished and replaced by new structures to accommodate the growing number of students over the years. BHS has the most diversity of all the campuses of the Kern High School District, serving students of many ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds. With a student population just over 3000, it is also one of the largest schools in the district.

Notable alumni

* Jeff Buckey - former NFL football player
* Ric Drasin - actor, author, designer of the Gold's Gym and World Gym logos, and retired professional wrestler
* Frank Gifford - Pro Football Hall of Fame and former Monday Night Football commentator
* Jeff Siemon - former NFL football player [http://www.bakersfield.com/136/story/139081.html "Siemon reached top at every level"] , Jeff Evans, "The Bakersfield Californian".]
* Robert Swift - Current NBA player
* Earl Warren - California Attorney General, three-term Governor of California, Chief Justice of the United States, and chairman of the Warren Commission

Tradition

There have long been stories of ghosts that haunt the halls of Warren Hall and Harvey Auditorium. Legend has it that one of the ghosts is the soul of a young boy who was working as a stage-hand. According to the story, he was up in the lighting, and slipped and fell to his death. Many students and teachers have sworn that the ghosts exist and will not enter Harvey Auditorium at night.

ports

The Drillers have been competing in football since 1896. . The most recognized Driller Alum is Frank Gifford who played college ball both at Bakersfield College and the University of Southern California, and pro football with the New York Giants. Gifford is a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame and was a part of the legendary Monday Night Football broadcasting team with "Dandy Don" Meredith and Howard Cosell during the 1970's and 80's on ABC television. The Drillers, have called Griffith Field their home field since 1923. The field features a monolithic concrete structure for home seating on the western home side with the Driller locker rooms inside it. The field is unusual in that the visiting eastern bleachers are located on the grass inside the track. The bleachers run from end zone to end zone with the front row only about 12-feet away from the sideline with nothing separating the fans from the field.

References

Further reading

*cite book |title=Friday Night Heroes: 100 Years of Driller Football |last=Van Horne |first=Rick |authorlink= |coauthors=Bumerts, John; Frank, Gary |year=2006 |publisher=Rick Van Horne |location=Bakersfield, CA |isbn=0978607104 |pages= |url=

External links

*Wallace, J. S. "Recollections of a high school district, 1893-1968 : an informal history of the Kern County Union High School and junior college district". Published circa 1980. ISBN 0-9619924-0-9
* [http://www.khsd.k12.ca.us/bhs/New%20BHS%20Site/academics/academics/index.html Bakersfield High School]
* [http://www.drillermusic.com Driller Marching Band Driller Marching Band]
* [http://ww2.bakersfield.com/haunted/history.htm Bakersfield Haunted History]