George Washington High School (San Francisco)
Encyclopedia
George Washington High School is a public high school in Richmond District, San Francisco, California
. The school is a part of the San Francisco Unified School District
. In 2011, Washington High was ranked by Newsweek's
Jay Mathews Challenge Index as the 497th best high school in the United States
.
. The school was built on a budget of $8,000,000 on a site overlooking the Golden Gate Bridge
. The lobby is decorated with murals by Victor Arnautoff in the "buon fresco
" styles. They depict scenes from the life and times of George Washington. The stadium, auditorium, and gymnasium were added in 1940. The school was formally dedicated on Armistice Day
of 1940. The accomplishments of its students in various fields of academics, athletics, leadership, and extracurricular activities have given George Washington High School an outstanding reputation among California high schools. The school was also used in an episode of the hit TV series "The Streets of San Francisco". Maureen McCormick plays a teenage hooker attending the school. There are two scenes showing the school and its view of the Golden Gate Bridge. The episode was in season five.
In 1981 the Pacific News Service
aired a story about race-based gangs
at George Washington High School.
Washington's campus is located kitty-corner to Presidio Middle School, also a public school.
Facilities include:
2010-2011 Varsity Boys Basketball Champions
2010-2011 Varsity Boys Football Champions
2010-2011 Varsity Girls Golf Runner-up
2009-2010 Varsity Softball Trans Bay Champions
2009-2010 Varsity Softball Champions
2009-2010 All City Badminton Champions
2009-2010 Varsity Girls Soccer Runner-up
2009-2010 All City Wrestling Champions
2009-2010 Varsity Girls Tennis Runner-up
2008-2009 Varsity Boys Golf Champions
2008-2009 JV Boys Basketball Champions
2008-2009 Varsity Boys Baseball Champions
2008-2009 Varsity Softball Runner-up
2008-2009 All City Badminton Runner-up
2008-2009 All City Wrestling Champions
2007-2008 JV Boys Baseball City Champions
2007-2008 Varsity Boys Swimming Champions
2007-2008 Varsity Softball Runner-up
2007-2008 All City Badminton Runner-up
2007-2008 Varsity Boys Golf Champions
2007-2008 JV Girls Basketball City Champions
2007-2008 All City Wrestling Champions
2006-2007 Varsity Boys Swimming Champions
2006-2007 JV Boys Baseball City Champions
2006-2007 All City Badminton Runner-up
2006-2007 Varsity Boys Tennis Runner-up
2006-2007 Varsity Boys Golf Runner-up
2006-2007 Track & Field Runner-up
2005-2006 Varsity Baseball City Champions
2005-2006 Varsity Boys Volleyball Champions
2004-2005 Fencing City Champions
2003-2004 Varsity Football Champions
2001-2006 5 in a row Softball All City Champions
2001-2002 All City Badminton Champions
2000-2001 Varsity Football Champions
2000-2001 Varsity Baseball Champions
2000-2001 All City Badminton Champions
1999-2000 Varsity Football Champions
1999-2000 Varsity Girls Basketball Champions
In tribute we sing to thee,
Deep in our hearts engraved
Thy name shall forever be!
Throughout the years we'll cherish memories
Of joys, that you have brought us!
O, Washington, to Thee
We Pledge our Faith and all our Loyalty!
Hail, Washington Hail!
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
. The school is a part of the San Francisco Unified School District
San Francisco Unified School District
San Francisco Unified School District , established in 1851, is the only public school district within the City and County of San Francisco, and the first in the state of California...
. In 2011, Washington High was ranked by Newsweek's
Newsweek
Newsweek is an American weekly news magazine published in New York City. It is distributed throughout the United States and internationally. It is the second-largest news weekly magazine in the U.S., having trailed Time in circulation and advertising revenue for most of its existence...
Jay Mathews Challenge Index as the 497th best high school in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
History
George Washington High School opened on August 4, 1936 to serve as a secondary school for the people of San Francisco’s Richmond DistrictRichmond District, San Francisco, California
The Richmond District is a neighborhood in the northwest corner of San Francisco, California.-Location:Lying directly north of Golden Gate Park, "the Richmond" is bounded roughly by Fulton Street to the south, Arguello Boulevard and Laurel Heights to the east, The Presidio National Park and Lincoln...
. The school was built on a budget of $8,000,000 on a site overlooking the Golden Gate Bridge
Golden Gate Bridge
The Golden Gate Bridge is a suspension bridge spanning the Golden Gate, the opening of the San Francisco Bay into the Pacific Ocean. As part of both U.S. Route 101 and California State Route 1, the structure links the city of San Francisco, on the northern tip of the San Francisco Peninsula, to...
. The lobby is decorated with murals by Victor Arnautoff in the "buon fresco
Buon fresco
Buon fresco is a fresco painting technique in which alkaline resistant pigments, ground in water, are applied to plaster when it is still wet, as opposed to fresco-secco...
" styles. They depict scenes from the life and times of George Washington. The stadium, auditorium, and gymnasium were added in 1940. The school was formally dedicated on Armistice Day
Armistice Day
Armistice Day is on 11 November and commemorates the armistice signed between the Allies of World War I and Germany at Compiègne, France, for the cessation of hostilities on the Western Front of World War I, which took effect at eleven o'clock in the morning—the "eleventh hour of the eleventh day...
of 1940. The accomplishments of its students in various fields of academics, athletics, leadership, and extracurricular activities have given George Washington High School an outstanding reputation among California high schools. The school was also used in an episode of the hit TV series "The Streets of San Francisco". Maureen McCormick plays a teenage hooker attending the school. There are two scenes showing the school and its view of the Golden Gate Bridge. The episode was in season five.
In 1981 the Pacific News Service
Pacific News Service
Pacific News Service is a nonprofit media organization founded in 1969 by Franz Schurmann, the historian, and Orville Schell, a noted author, journalist and Dean of the Graduate School of Journalism at the University of California, Berkeley...
aired a story about race-based gangs
Gangs in the United States
Street gangs in the United States date to the early 19th century. The most publicized street gangs in the U.S. are African-American; black gangs were not recognized as a social problem until after the great migration of the 1910s...
at George Washington High School.
Location
600 32nd Ave, San Francisco, CaliforniaWashington's campus is located kitty-corner to Presidio Middle School, also a public school.
Facilities include:
- 3-story 4-shaped academic building
- 2-Story shop building
- Auditorium/Theater
- Computer Lab
- Library
- Gymnasium
- Track field
- American footballAmerican footballAmerican football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
field/Soccer Field - SoccerFootball (soccer)Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
/multipurpose field - 6 tennisTennisTennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
courts - 4 basketballBasketballBasketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
courts
Academics
Washington High School prides itself in academic excellence with emphasis on AP courses. In 2007, Newsweek ranked George Washington as the 717th best high school in America.Statistics
- 2004-2005:
- 2,311 students; M/F (55/ 45)
- Student demographics:
Latino White African-American Chinese Japanese Korean American Indian Filipino Other Non-White Declined to State 13.7% 13.9% 13.8% 50.8% 5.9% 2.3% 0.9% 5.0% 5.0% 1.0%
- Certificated Teacher Demographics
Latino White African-American Chinese Japanese Korean American Indian Filipino Other Non-White Declined to State 3.3% 75.8% 4.1% 9.1% 3.3% 0.8% 0.8% 4.1% 4.1% 9.1%
G.W.H.S. sports
- The George Washington High athletic program is governed by Academic Athletic Association (AAA) and is sanctioned by the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF)
- George Washington High School, with its population of over 2400 students, supports 20 varsity and 7 junior varsity and frosh-soph programs
- Some of the sports include Dragon Boat, Cross Country, Tennis Girls, Football, Soccer Boys, Volleyball Boys, Golf Girls, Volleyball Girls, Wrestling, Swimming, Badminton, Baseball, Fencing, Softball, Basketball, Boys Lacrosse, Girls Lacrosse, Golf Boys, Tennis Boys, Soccer Girls, and Track & Field, Cheerleading
Recent Championships
2010-2011 Varsity Boys Baseball Champions2010-2011 Varsity Boys Basketball Champions
2010-2011 Varsity Boys Football Champions
2010-2011 Varsity Girls Golf Runner-up
2009-2010 Varsity Softball Trans Bay Champions
2009-2010 Varsity Softball Champions
2009-2010 All City Badminton Champions
2009-2010 Varsity Girls Soccer Runner-up
2009-2010 All City Wrestling Champions
2009-2010 Varsity Girls Tennis Runner-up
2008-2009 Varsity Boys Golf Champions
2008-2009 JV Boys Basketball Champions
2008-2009 Varsity Boys Baseball Champions
2008-2009 Varsity Softball Runner-up
2008-2009 All City Badminton Runner-up
2008-2009 All City Wrestling Champions
2007-2008 JV Boys Baseball City Champions
2007-2008 Varsity Boys Swimming Champions
2007-2008 Varsity Softball Runner-up
2007-2008 All City Badminton Runner-up
2007-2008 Varsity Boys Golf Champions
2007-2008 JV Girls Basketball City Champions
2007-2008 All City Wrestling Champions
2006-2007 Varsity Boys Swimming Champions
2006-2007 JV Boys Baseball City Champions
2006-2007 All City Badminton Runner-up
2006-2007 Varsity Boys Tennis Runner-up
2006-2007 Varsity Boys Golf Runner-up
2006-2007 Track & Field Runner-up
2005-2006 Varsity Baseball City Champions
2005-2006 Varsity Boys Volleyball Champions
2004-2005 Fencing City Champions
2003-2004 Varsity Football Champions
2001-2006 5 in a row Softball All City Champions
2001-2002 All City Badminton Champions
2000-2001 Varsity Football Champions
2000-2001 Varsity Baseball Champions
2000-2001 All City Badminton Champions
1999-2000 Varsity Football Champions
1999-2000 Varsity Girls Basketball Champions
Lyrics
All Hail to WashingtonIn tribute we sing to thee,
Deep in our hearts engraved
Thy name shall forever be!
Throughout the years we'll cherish memories
Of joys, that you have brought us!
O, Washington, to Thee
We Pledge our Faith and all our Loyalty!
Hail, Washington Hail!
Notable alumni
- Maya AngelouMaya AngelouMaya Angelou is an American author and poet who has been called "America's most visible black female autobiographer" by scholar Joanne M. Braxton. She is best known for her series of six autobiographical volumes, which focus on her childhood and early adult experiences. The first and most highly...
, author and poet (Pulitzer PrizePulitzer PrizeThe Pulitzer Prize is a U.S. award for achievements in newspaper and online journalism, literature and musical composition. It was established by American publisher Joseph Pulitzer and is administered by Columbia University in New York City...
nominee) - Gene BrownGene BrownEugene "Gene" Brown is a retired American basketball player. He was an All-American at the University of San Francisco and was a significant player on their undefeated 1956 NCAA championship team....
, basketball player - Phillip BurtonPhillip BurtonPhillip Burton was a United States Representative from California. A Democrat, he was instrumental in creating the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. Burton was one of the first members of Congress to acknowledge the need for AIDS research and introduce an AIDS bill. He was the brother of...
, Congressman - Danny GloverDanny GloverDanny Lebern Glover is an American actor, film director, and political activist. Glover is perhaps best known for his role as Detective Roger Murtaugh in the Lethal Weapon film franchise.-Early life:...
, actor - Steve GraySteve Gray (basketball)Steve Gray is a retired American basketball player. He was a two-time West Coast Athletic Conference player of the year at Saint Mary's College.A 6'4 guard, Steve Gray was named California Mr...
, retired basketball player - Richard HongistoRichard HongistoRichard D. Hongisto was a businessman, politician, sheriff and police chief of San Francisco, California, and Cleveland, Ohio.-Early life and education:...
, politician - Leonard KrupnikLeonard KrupnikLeonard Krupnik is a Soviet-born American soccer player who currently plays for Maccabi Netanya in the Israeli Premier League.-Youth and College:...
, Ukrainian-AmericanUkrainian-AmericanUkrainian Americans are citizens and permanent residents of the United States who have recently emigrated to the United States and are of Ukrainian ancestry. According to U.S. census estimates, in 2006 there were 961,113 Americans of Ukrainian descent representing 0.33% of the American population...
footballer - Amanda LassiterAmanda LassiterAmanda Lassiter is a professional basketball player in the Women's National Basketball Association , currently with the Chicago Sky....
, basketball player in the WNBA - Marcio LassiterMarcio LassiterMarcio Tsongo Lassiter is a Filipino-American professional basketball player currently playing for the Powerade Tigers of the Philippine Basketball Association. He just completed his stint with the Philippine national basketball team, Smart Gilas...
, basketball player in the Philippines - Gilman LouieGilman LouieGilman Louie is technology venture capitalist who got his start as a video game designer and then ran the CIA venture capital fund. He graduated in 1983 from San Francisco State University. He attended the while at Harvard Business School in 1997....
, technologist - Alec MapaAlec Mapa-Personal life:Mapa, a Filipino American, was born in San Francisco and attended George Washington High School . Mapa is openly gay and lends his support to various projects supporting the gay, lesbian, and Asian American communities...
, writer, comedian and actor - Del Martin, lesbian activist
- Johnny MathisJohnny MathisJohn Royce "Johnny" Mathis is an American singer of popular music. Starting his career with singles of standards, he became highly popular as an album artist, with several dozen of his albums achieving gold or platinum status, and 73 making the Billboard charts...
, musician - Ollie MatsonOllie MatsonOllie Genoa Matson II was an American Olympic medal winning sprinter and professional American football running back who played in the National Football League, in 1952 and from 1954 to 1966...
, hall of fame football player - Tanya MayoTanya MayoTanya Mayo is an actress and activist. She was a national coordinator in Not In Our Name. A graduate of George Washington High School where she acted in plays such as The Miracle Worker and Cabaret , Tanya has worked with Rhodessa Jones.In 2004, she debated Sean Hannity regarding protest tactics at...
, Activist/Actress - Lee MeriwetherLee MeriwetherLee Ann Meriwether is an American actress, former model, and the winner of the 1955 Miss America pageant. She is perhaps best known for her role as Betty Jones, the crime-solving partner in the long-running 1970s crime drama, Barnaby Jones. The role earned her two Golden Globe Award nominations in...
, model, actress, and Miss AmericaMiss AmericaThe Miss America pageant is a long-standing competition which awards scholarships to young women from the 50 states plus the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands... - Nathan OliveiraNathan OliveiraNathan Oliveira was an American painter, printmaker, and sculptor, born in Oakland, California to Portuguese parents...
, artist - Betty OngBetty OngBetty Ann Ong , born in San Francisco, was an American flight attendant onboard American Airlines Flight 11 when it was hijacked and flown deliberately into the North Tower of the World Trade Center in New York City, as part of the September 11 attacks....
, flight attendant on 9/11 jet American Airlines Flight 11American Airlines Flight 11American Airlines Flight 11 was American Airlines' daily scheduled morning transcontinental flight from Logan International Airport, in Boston, Massachusetts, to Los Angeles International Airport, in Los Angeles, California... - San QuinnSan QuinnQuincy Brooks IV better known by his stage name San Quinn, is an American rapper from San Francisco, California.-Career:Born in Oakland, California, Quincy moved to the Fillmore district of San Francisco at the age of three...
, rap Artist - Phil SmithPhil SmithPhilip Arnold Smith was an American professional basketball player who played for 9 seasons in the National Basketball Association .- Collegiate career :...
, basketball player in the NBA - Paul VixiePaul VixiePaul Vixie is an American Internet pioneer, the author of several RFCs and well-known Unix software.Vixie attended George Washington High School in San Francisco, California. He received a Ph.D in computer science from Keio University in 2011....
, internet pioneer (sendmailSendmailSendmail is a general purpose internetwork email routing facility that supports many kinds of mail-transfer and -delivery methods, including the Simple Mail Transfer Protocol used for email transport over the Internet....
, BINDBINDBIND , or named , is the most widely used DNS software on the Internet.On Unix-like operating systems it is the de facto standard.Originally written by four graduate students at the Computer Systems Research Group at the University of California, Berkeley , the name originates as an acronym from...
and PAIXPAIXPAIX, the Peering And Internet eXchange, is a neutral Internet exchange point operated by Switch and Data.PAIX began operations in 1996 as Palo Alto Internet Exchange in Palo Alto, California, and was owned and operated by Digital Equipment Corporation, or DEC...
) - Lope YapLope YapLope Yap, Jr. is a San Francisco-based film producer, director, production manager, assistant director and special effects producer.-Biography:He attended George Washington High School in San Francisco...
, film director, assistant director, and special effects producer. - Lana TurnerLana TurnerLana Turner was an American actress.Discovered and signed to a film contract by MGM at the age of sixteen, Turner first attracted attention in They Won't Forget . She played featured roles, often as the ingenue, in such films as Love Finds Andy Hardy...
, actress
See also
- San Francisco County high schools
External links
- http://gwhs-sfusd-ca.schoolloop.com
George Washington High School Online]], School Website - George Washington High School Alumni Association, Alumni Association Website
- The Complete List of the 1,200 Top U.S. Schools Newsweek 2006
- WPA murals and sculpture at George Washington High School, from the New Deal Art Registry
- George Washington High School History Website http://www.outsidelands.org/washington.php
- GWHS Athletics Website http://www.gwhsathletics.org/