Ann Arbor Pioneer High School

Infobox School2
name = Ann Arbor Pioneer High School


motto = Home of Purple Pride
established = October 5, 1856
type = Public secondary
locale = Ann Arbor Public Schools
grades = 9-12
head_name =
head =
head_name2 =
head2 =
city = Ann Arbor
state = MI
country = US
students =
faculty =
teaching_staff =
athletics =
school_colors = Purple and White
school_colours =
mascot = Pioneers
free_label =
free =
website = http://www.aaps.k12.mi.us/pioneer.home

Pioneer High School is a public school in the Ann Arbor, Michigan Public School District. Pioneer is known for its strong academics, sports, and music programs. Pioneer was designated the National GRAMMY Signature High School for 2005-2006. [ [http://www.aaps.k12.mi.us/pioneer.home/performing_arts Performing Arts (2006)] . "AAPS: Pioneer High School".] This award signifies that the Grammy foundation has determined Pioneer to have the best music program in the United States for the 2005-2006 school year.

Pioneer's musical and athletic successes can reasonably be tied to possessing a large and diverse student body; more students logically results in more talent (and having a diverse population helps the school excel at many types of sports). At the same time, successes can also be attributed to the school's reputation which draws a wide selection of teachers, coaches, and other faculty.

Ann Arbor Pioneer has the largest enrollment of any high school in the state of Michigan, with about 2,800 students (2008-09).

The new Skyline High School, which opened in the fall of 2008 [ [http://instruction.aaps.k12.mi.us/aabond/NewHS.htm Ann Arbor Public Schools 2004 Instruction and Facilities Initiative (2006)] . "Ann Arbor Public Schools".] has reduced the number of students attending Pioneer and Huron High School, the other main Ann Arbor public high school.

History

Founded in 1856 by Jeff Shipan, Pioneer High School has held several names and occupied various buildings in its 150 years of existence. First known as the Union School, the institution opened on October 5, 1856. The school was later renamed Ann Arbor High School, and its yearbook, "The Omega", was first published in 1884. In 1904, Ann Arbor High School burned down, and the rebuilt high school opened in 1906 at the corner of Washington and State Streets in downtown Ann Arbor. This structure was later known as the Frieze Building after it was sold to the University of Michigan; it was demolished by the university in early 2007 to make way for the new North Quad residence hall. [http://www.ns.umich.edu/htdocs/releases/story.php?id=742 University of Michigan: Regents approve request for site preparation for North Quad] . Frieze building's planned demolition.] Through a local essay contest run by "The Ann Arbor News", the mascot nickname, the Pioneers, was chosen in 1936, and this name was applied to the school when Ann Arbor High School moved in the 1950s to its present quarters on West Stadium Boulevard at South Main Street. [ [http://pioneer.aaps.k12.mi.us/miscdoc/history.html Official Pioneer High School History] ]

The land on which the school currently resides, sitting directly southwest of the University of Michigan Football Stadium, was purchased in 1953. After construction of the new high school was completed, Pioneer High School opened its doors in the fall of 1956. By the 1960s, the new building had already reached capacity, and thus, in 1967, the school board established Huron High School, the city's second comprehensive high school, on the city's east side. In 1968, before Huron's building was completed, students from the old and new schools shared the Pioneer building in a split schedule, with Pioneer students attending classes in the morning and Huron students in the afternoon.

In 1971, Pioneer II, an experimental off-shoot of Pioneer High School, was established. The school utilized a small, self-selected group of Pioneer faculty and students working under "free-school" principles, and eventually became Earthworks High School before merging with Community High School in 1978. [Sharon Woodson, "'Free school' stresses 'learning' rather than 'teaching'", "Ann Arbor News", 19 September 1971; Sharon Woodson, "Pioneer II: a close-up look at what goes on", "Ann Arbor News", 17 Jan. 1972.]

The Pioneer women's swim team won the Michigan High School Athletic Association's State Tournament in 2000-2007. Swimming World magazine named the team the winner of their fictitious national swim meet for the 2002-2003, 2004-2005 (shared), and 2005-2006 seasons. Four national records were set by Pioneer at the state meet one season. Team member Kara Lynn Joyce set national records in the 50 free, and in the 100 free, and the 200 and 400 free relay teams also set national records. At that same meet, Joyce set a state record in the 200 free.

The Pioneer Theater Guild won Class A State Championships in 1986 and again 1988 when the performed Sam Shephard's Fool For Love.In the fall of 2006. In the fall of 2006, the Pioneer Theater Guild was the first high school theater company to do a stage production of Disney's "High School Musical". Pioneer Theater Guild has put on several popular productions including "Les Misérables", Disney's "Beauty and the Beast", "Little Shop of Horrors", and " Romeo and Juliet.Hair". [ [http://ptguild2.aaps.k12.mi.us/past.htm Pioneer Theater Guild Past Productions] ] �

Notable alumni

This list includes graduates under the school's former names of Union School and Ann Arbor High School:
* Charles J. Guiteau (Student in 1859; did not graduate): Assassin of President James A. Garfield
* Neil Oliver Staebler, 1922: U.S. congressman from Michigan, 1963-65
* John Morrow, 1951: Professional football
* Jack Robert Lousma, 1954: Astronaut
* Bob Seger, 1963: Rock musician
* Iggy Pop, 1965: Punk-rock musician
* Dave Hampton, 1965: Professional football
* Howdy Holmes, 1966: Professional car racer
* David Westin, 1970: ABC News president
* Ken Burns, 1971: Documentary filmmaker
* Don Dufek, 1972: NFL football player
* Bob Elliott, 1973: Professional Basketball and Sport Commentator
* Owen Gleiberman, 1976: Film critic
* Keith Bostic, 1979: Professional football and NFL Coach
* Franz Harary, 1980: Magician
* John Harbaugh, 1980: Baltimore Ravens NFL Head Football Coach
* Tim Howes, 1981; co-inventor of the Lightweight Directory Access Protocol
* Bruce Kimball, 1981: Olympic diver
* Jim Harbaugh, (student in 1982; did not graduate): retired NFL football quarterback, current head football coach at Stanford University
* Aaron Bailey, 1989: Professional football (Indianapolis Colts)
* Sara Ryan, 1989: Author
* Jeff Prucher, 1990: Hugo Award Winner
* Brian Rolston, 1991: Professional ice hockey (Minnesota Wild)
* Ali Curtis, 1997: Professional soccer
* Adam Hall, 1998: Professional ice hockey (Pittsburgh Penguins)
* David Shayman (a.k.a. "Disco D"), 1998: ghetto tech DJ and producer
* Brett Lebda, 2000: Professional ice hockey (Detroit Red Wings)
* Kara Lynn Joyce, 2003: Olympic silver medalist, swimming
* Ty G. Allushuski, 2004: American sports writer (The Birmingham News)
* Jack Johnson, 2005: Professional ice hockey (Los Angeles Kings)

ee also

* Community High School
* Huron High School
* Skyline High School

References

External links

* [http://www.aaps.k12.mi.us/pioneer.home AAPS: Pioneer High School]
* [http://www.ptguild.org Official Pioneer Theatre Guild Webpage]
* [http://www.aaps.k12.mi.us Ann Arbor Public Schools]
* [http://arborwiki.org/city/Frieze_Building Frieze Building] on Arborwiki