William Allen High School
Encyclopedia
William Allen High School is one of two public high school
s of the Allentown School District
located in Allentown
, Pennsylvania
, in the United States
.
The school, which is located at 126 North 17th Street, serves students from the western and southern parts of the city. Allentown's other public high school, Dieruff High School
, serves students from the city's eastern and northern parts. Until Dieruff's opening in 1959, William Allen High School was known as Allentown High School.
With 3,705 students in the 2006-2007 school year, William Allen High School is the largest high school in the city of Allentown, the largest high school in the Lehigh Valley
region of Pennsylvania
, and the third largest high school in the state of Pennsylvania.
In 2010 and 2011, the largest and most expensive renovation in its history took place at William Allen High School while still maintaining the architectural features in the older structures, It resulted in a new building. Along with 1 Million Dollars spent in the auditorium to give students access to the most advanced stage equipment and to restore it to the beauty it was when it was first built, from new curtains, new seating, and restoration done to the historic plaster work that adorns the walls and ceilings, a stage extension was also built, and as one patron said, "Parkland may have a nice theater, but this is class". Also, all of the remaining buildings were gutted, and each one received new walls, new ceilings, new floors, new windows, new paint, new doors/ stair wells, and air conditioning throughout all 6 buildings. Along with new dance studios, art rooms, chorus and band facilities, and up graded science lab equipment, new tables in the cafeterias, a multimedia center, and upgrades in the black box theater, and hundreds of new and refurbished class room spaces, also, elevators were put in buildings that were without and accessible facilities were created for the disabled. In all the campus looks as fresh and new as the day it was opened.
The school is named after William Allen
, Chief Justice of the Province of Pennsylvania
and former mayor of Philadelphia
. He founded the city of Allentown, Pennsylvania
in 1762.
The student ethnicity is as follows: Hispanic 52%, White 22%, Black 20%, Asian & Pacific Islander 1%, and Native American & Native Alaskan less than 1%. 68% of students are eligible for a free or reduced-price lunch, with the state average at 33%.
results in: reading, writing, mathematics and two years of science.
2009 - 481st
2008 - 480th
2007 - 485th
In 2010 the high school is in Corrective Action II 4th Year level in AYP status due to chronically low student achievement for the past five years. The Pennsylvania Department of Education identified the school as Persistently Low Performing in its application for the 2010 federal School Improvement Grant funding.
Graduation rate:
2010 - 70%
2009 - 69%
11th grade Reading:
2010 - 51.6% on grade level. In Pennsylvania, 67% of 11th graders are on grade level in Reading.
2009 - 46%, State - 65%
2008 - 42%, State - 64%
11th grade Math:
2010 - 35.5% on grade level. In Pennsylvania, 59% of 11th graders are on grade level in Math
2009 - 32%, State - 55%
2008 - 39%, State - 56%
11th grade Science:
2010 - 12% on grade level. In Pennsylvania, 39% of 11th graders are on grade level in Science.
2009 - 13%, State - 40%
. The school plays its home football
and some of its soccer games at J. Birney Crum Stadium
. Most of its indoor athletics are played in the school's J. Milo Sewards Gymnasium. The school's primary athletic rivalry is with cross-town Dieruff High School.
was written by Dorothy Newhard Knoff in 1912, and was set to music composed by Dr. Warren F. Acker in 1900.
All hail our Alma Mater dear,
Our voice of praise and glory hear
To whom all reverence we bear,
Of you forgetful we'll be ne'er.
We shall forever for you yearn
And cherish all that we may learn
Through future days of life,
'Mid joy and strife;
True may we stand, both to you
And Canary and Blue.
Throughout the land of you we'll sing,
Loud will our praises ever ring,
Of days that have passed by,
Fond memories of dear old high.
Oh Alma Mater, hear our praise;
To you all honor we do raise;
Through future days of life,
'mid joy and strife;
True may we stand, both to you
And Canary and Blue.
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
s of the Allentown School District
Allentown School District
The Allentown School District is a large urban public school district located in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. Serving most of the city of Allentown, it is the fourth largest school district in Pennsylvania, with 17,962 students, with 15.7% White, 17.4% Black, 64.4% Hispanic,...
located in Allentown
Allentown, Pennsylvania
Allentown is a city located in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is Pennsylvania's third most populous city, after Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, and the 215th largest city in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 118,032 and is currently...
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
The school, which is located at 126 North 17th Street, serves students from the western and southern parts of the city. Allentown's other public high school, Dieruff High School
Louis E. Dieruff High School
Louis E. Dieruff High School is a public high school located in Allentown, Pennsylvania, in the United States. The school is named after Louis E. Dieruff, a noted educator in the Allentown School District....
, serves students from the city's eastern and northern parts. Until Dieruff's opening in 1959, William Allen High School was known as Allentown High School.
With 3,705 students in the 2006-2007 school year, William Allen High School is the largest high school in the city of Allentown, the largest high school in the Lehigh Valley
Lehigh Valley
The Lehigh Valley, known officially by the United States Census Bureau as the Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ metropolitan area and referred to locally as The Valley and A-B-E, is a metropolitan region consisting of Lehigh, Northampton, Berks, and Carbon counties in eastern Pennsylvania and...
region of Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, and the third largest high school in the state of Pennsylvania.
History
Allentown High School was first established in a building on South Penn Street in 1858. In 1869, the first commencement ceremony took place - three students graduated. A new high school was built in 1894 (which is now used as Central Elementary School) at Lumber and Turner Streets. In 1916, a new Allentown High School was opened at its current location on Seventeenth Street. The Annex and Little Palestra were built in 1930, and the Linden Street Wing was opened in 1957. The school was renamed William Allen High School in 1960. In 1975, a Library-Science Center was built on the site of the Little Palestra. In 2010 a new 9th grade center was built on the site where the St. Cloud Building was located at the corner of Linden and St. Cloud streets. It was then dedicated as the "Clifford S. Bartholomew Building".In 2010 and 2011, the largest and most expensive renovation in its history took place at William Allen High School while still maintaining the architectural features in the older structures, It resulted in a new building. Along with 1 Million Dollars spent in the auditorium to give students access to the most advanced stage equipment and to restore it to the beauty it was when it was first built, from new curtains, new seating, and restoration done to the historic plaster work that adorns the walls and ceilings, a stage extension was also built, and as one patron said, "Parkland may have a nice theater, but this is class". Also, all of the remaining buildings were gutted, and each one received new walls, new ceilings, new floors, new windows, new paint, new doors/ stair wells, and air conditioning throughout all 6 buildings. Along with new dance studios, art rooms, chorus and band facilities, and up graded science lab equipment, new tables in the cafeterias, a multimedia center, and upgrades in the black box theater, and hundreds of new and refurbished class room spaces, also, elevators were put in buildings that were without and accessible facilities were created for the disabled. In all the campus looks as fresh and new as the day it was opened.
The school is named after William Allen
William Allen (loyalist)
William Allen was a wealthy merchant, Chief Justice of the Province of Pennsylvania, and mayor of Philadelphia. At the time of the American Revolution, Allen was one of the wealthiest and most powerful men in Philadelphia...
, Chief Justice of the Province of Pennsylvania
Province of Pennsylvania
The Province of Pennsylvania, also known as Pennsylvania Colony, was founded in British America by William Penn on March 4, 1681 as dictated in a royal charter granted by King Charles II...
and former mayor of Philadelphia
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
. He founded the city of Allentown, Pennsylvania
Allentown, Pennsylvania
Allentown is a city located in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is Pennsylvania's third most populous city, after Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, and the 215th largest city in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 118,032 and is currently...
in 1762.
Demographics
The school's class size is approximately 17 students per teacher, with the Pennsylvania average at 15 per teacher.The student ethnicity is as follows: Hispanic 52%, White 22%, Black 20%, Asian & Pacific Islander 1%, and Native American & Native Alaskan less than 1%. 68% of students are eligible for a free or reduced-price lunch, with the state average at 33%.
Academic achievement
The Allentown School District was ranked 482nd out of 498 Pennsylvania school districts, in 2010, by the Pittsburgh Business Times. The ranking was based on student academic achievement on four years of PSSAPennsylvania System of School Assessment
The Pennsylvania System of School Assessment is a standardized test administered to public schools in the state of Pennsylvania. Students in grades 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 11 are assessed in reading skills and mathematics. Students in grades 5, 8, and 11 are assessed in writing skills...
results in: reading, writing, mathematics and two years of science.
2009 - 481st
2008 - 480th
2007 - 485th
In 2010 the high school is in Corrective Action II 4th Year level in AYP status due to chronically low student achievement for the past five years. The Pennsylvania Department of Education identified the school as Persistently Low Performing in its application for the 2010 federal School Improvement Grant funding.
Graduation rate:
2010 - 70%
2009 - 69%
11th grade Reading:
2010 - 51.6% on grade level. In Pennsylvania, 67% of 11th graders are on grade level in Reading.
2009 - 46%, State - 65%
2008 - 42%, State - 64%
11th grade Math:
2010 - 35.5% on grade level. In Pennsylvania, 59% of 11th graders are on grade level in Math
2009 - 32%, State - 55%
2008 - 39%, State - 56%
11th grade Science:
2010 - 12% on grade level. In Pennsylvania, 39% of 11th graders are on grade level in Science.
2009 - 13%, State - 40%
Past academic honors
- 2005:
- In its annual ranking of the nation's "Top Public High Schools," NewsweekNewsweekNewsweek 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...
magazine ranked Allen High School the ninth best public high school in Pennsylvania and the 924th best in the nation. - 2003:
- Second Place, Odyssey of the MindOdyssey of the MindOdyssey of the Mind, often called OM , is a creative problem-solving competition involving students from kindergarten through college. Team members work together at length to solve a predefined problem ; and present their solution to the problem at a competition...
, State Finals (Fooled Ya) - Fifteenth Place - Odyssey of the Mind, World Finals
- Second Place, Odyssey of the Mind
- 2001:
- Second place, Scholastic ScrimmageScholastic ScrimmageScholastic Scrimmage is a high school quiz bowl game show airing on WLVT-TV and WPSU-TV , and is hosted by Karen Walton and David Price respectively....
(losing to Parkland High SchoolParkland High School (Allentown, Pennsylvania)Parkland High School, located near Allentown, Pennsylvania, United States, is a public high school serving students in grades 9 to 12. It is the only high school for the Parkland School District....
in finals).
- Second place, Scholastic Scrimmage
- 1992:
- First place, Scholastic Scrimmage (defeating Moravian AcademyMoravian AcademyMoravian Academy, whose headmaster is George King, is a prekindergarten through 12th grade coeducational college preparatory school located in historic Bethlehem, Pennsylvania in the United States...
in finals).
- First place, Scholastic Scrimmage (defeating Moravian Academy
- 1991:
- First place, Scholastic Scrimmage (defeating Emmaus High SchoolEmmaus High SchoolEmmaus High School is a public high school located in Emmaus, Pennsylvania, in the United States. The school serves grades 9 through 12 in Pennsylvania's East Penn School District in the Lehigh Valley region of the state....
in finals).
- First place, Scholastic Scrimmage (defeating Emmaus High School
- 1988:
- Second place, Scholastic Scrimmage (losing to Parkland High School in the finals).
- Pennsylvania State Champions, Odyssey of the Mind ("structural problem").
- World Finals - Fourth place, Odyssey of the Mind ("structural problem").
- 1987:
- Pennsylvania State Champions, Odyssey of the Mind ("structural problem").
- World Finals - Second place, Odyssey of the Mind ("structural problem").
- 1986:
- Pennsylvania State Champions, Odyssey of the Mind ("structural problem").
- World Finals - 16th place, Odyssey of the Mind ("structural problem").
Athletics
William Allen is one of 12 high schools that compete in the Lehigh Valley ConferenceLehigh Valley Conference
The Lehigh Valley Interscholastic Athletic Conference is an athletic conference consisting of 12 large high schools from Lehigh and Northampton counties in the Lehigh Valley region of Pennsylvania, in the United States...
. The school plays its home football
American football
American 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...
and some of its soccer games at J. Birney Crum Stadium
J. Birney Crum Stadium
J. Birney Crum Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Allentown, Pennsylvania, in the United States. The stadium seats 15,000 and is used by several area high schools and the Pennsylvania Stoners of the NPSL and the Northampton Laurels of the WPSL soccer teams. J...
. Most of its indoor athletics are played in the school's J. Milo Sewards Gymnasium. The school's primary athletic rivalry is with cross-town Dieruff High School.
Basketball
- 2010-2011:
- PIAA District XIPIAA District 11District 11 of the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association is an interscholastic athletic association in Northeastern Pennsylvania. District 11 is one of the PIAA's 12 athletic conferences and comprises mostly high schools within the Lehigh Valley and a few surrounding counties. Member...
AAAA Boys Basketball Champions (18th time).
- PIAA District XI
- 2009-2010:
- Second place, Lehigh Valley ConferenceLehigh Valley ConferenceThe Lehigh Valley Interscholastic Athletic Conference is an athletic conference consisting of 12 large high schools from Lehigh and Northampton counties in the Lehigh Valley region of Pennsylvania, in the United States...
Boys Basketball
- Second place, Lehigh Valley Conference
- 2007-2008:
- PIAAPennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic AssociationThe Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association, Inc. is one of the governing bodies of high school and junior high school sports for the state of Pennsylvania, United States....
District XI AAAA Girls Basketball Champions.
- PIAA
- 2005-2006:
- First place, Lehigh Valley ConferenceLehigh Valley ConferenceThe Lehigh Valley Interscholastic Athletic Conference is an athletic conference consisting of 12 large high schools from Lehigh and Northampton counties in the Lehigh Valley region of Pennsylvania, in the United States...
Boys Basketball (26th time). - PIAA District XI AAAA Boys Basketball Champions (17th time).
- First place, Lehigh Valley Conference
- 2003:
- Second place, PIAA District XI AAAA Boys Basketball.
- 2002:
- First place, PIAA District XI AAAA Boys Basketball.
- Historical:
- Five-time Pennsylvania State Boys Basketball Tournament Champions.
- One-time Pennsylvania State Girls Basketball Tournament Champions.
- 7th in Pennsylvania History for all time Boys Basketball wins 1,588
Football
- 520 overall wins
- 21 Conference Championships
- District 11 champions 1992
- Eight undefeated teams (1929, 1930, 1931, 1941, 1944, 1946, 1953, and 1957).
Notable alumni
- Thom BrowneThom BrowneThom Browne is an American fashion designer. He is the founder and head of design for Thom Browne, a New York City-based menswear brand...
- fashion designer. - Charlie DentCharlie DentCharles "Charlie" Dent is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2005. He is a member of the Republican Party.The district includes all of Northampton County, most of Lehigh County, and small parts of Berks and Montgomery Counties....
- U.S. Congressman. - Lee IacoccaLee IacoccaLido Anthony "Lee" Iacocca is an American businessman known for engineering the Mustang, the unsuccessful Ford Pinto, being fired from Ford Motor Company, and his revival of the Chrysler Corporation in the 1980s...
- former chairman of ChryslerChryslerChrysler Group LLC is a multinational automaker headquartered in Auburn Hills, Michigan, USA. Chrysler was first organized as the Chrysler Corporation in 1925....
Corporation. - Michael McDonaldMichael McDonald (costume designer)Michael McDonald is an American costume designer who was nominated for both a Tony Award and a Drama Desk Award in 2009 for his work on the Broadway revival of the musical Hair....
- costume designer, 2009 Tony AwardTony Award for Best Costume DesignThese are the winners and nominees for the Tony Award for Best Costume Design. The award was first presented in 1947 and included both plays and musicals...
and Drama DeskDrama Desk Award for Outstanding Costume DesignThe Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Costume Design is presented by the Drama Desk, a committee of New York City theatre critics, writers, and editors...
nominee for HairHair (musical)Hair: The American Tribal Love-Rock Musical is a rock musical with a book and lyrics by James Rado and Gerome Ragni and music by Galt MacDermot. A product of the hippie counter-culture and sexual revolution of the 1960s, several of its songs became anthems of the anti-Vietnam War peace movement...
. - Lara Jill MillerLara Jill MillerLara Jill Miller is an American television, stage and voice actress.-Biography:Miller was born in Allentown, Pennsylvania on April 20, 1967. She graduated from Allentown's William Allen High School...
- voice actress, Cartoon NetworkCartoon NetworkCartoon Network is a name of television channels worldwide created by Turner Broadcasting which used to primarily show animated programming. The channel began broadcasting on October 1, 1992 in the United States....
's The Life and Times of Juniper LeeThe Life and Times of Juniper LeeThe Life and Times of Juniper Lee was an American animated television series, created by Judd Winick and produced by Cartoon Network Studios. The show premiered on Cartoon Network on May 30, 2005. The series ended on April 9, 2007...
. - Irene Ng - former actress, NickelodeonNickelodeon (TV channel)Nickelodeon, often simply called Nick and originally named Pinwheel, is an American children's channel owned by MTV Networks, a subsidiary of Viacom International. The channel is primarily aimed at children ages 7–17, with the exception of their weekday morning program block aimed at preschoolers...
's The Mystery Files of Shelby WooThe Mystery Files of Shelby WooThe Mystery Files of Shelby Woo is a youth-oriented action mystery television series that ran on Nickelodeon between 1996 and 1998. A total of 41 episodes of 30 minutes each were produced...
. - Larry SeipleLarry SeipleLarry Robert Seiple is a football coach and previously was a punter for the Miami Dolphins of the American Football League from 1967 through 1969, and the NFL's Dolphins from 1970 through 1977....
- former professional football player, Miami DolphinsMiami DolphinsThe Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. - Amanda SeyfriedAmanda SeyfriedAmanda Michelle Seyfried is an American actress, singer-songwriter and former child model. She began her career as a child model when she was 11, and at 15 began her career as an actress, starting off with uncredited roles and moving on to recurring roles on As the World Turns and All My...
- model and actress, Mean GirlsMean GirlsMean Girls is a 2004 American teen comedy-drama film directed by Mark Waters. The screenplay was written by Tina Fey and is based in part on the non-fiction book Queen Bees and Wannabes by Rosalind Wiseman, which describes how female high school social cliques operate and the effect they can have...
, HBO's Big LoveBig LoveBig Love is an American television drama that aired on HBO between March 2006 and March 2011. The show is about a fictional fundamentalist Mormon family in Utah that practices polygamy...
and star of Mamma Mia! (film)Mamma Mia! (film)Mamma Mia! is a 2008 musical/romantic comedy film adapted from the 1999 West End/2001 Broadway musical of the same name, based on the songs of successful pop group ABBA, with additional music composed by ABBA member Benny Andersson...
and Dear John (2010 film). - Marci ShoreMarci ShoreMarci Shore is an American associate professor of intellectual history at Yale University. She specializes in the history of literary and political engagement with Marxism and phenomenology...
- author and historian. - Joe WolfJoe Wolf (American football)Joseph Francis Wolf, Jr. is a former professional American football player. Wolf, an offensive lineman, played nine seasons in the National Football League for the Phoenix/Arizona Cardinals...
- former professional football player, Arizona CardinalsArizona CardinalsThe Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
.
Alma mater
William Allen High School's Alma materAlma mater
Alma mater , pronounced ), was used in ancient Rome as a title for various mother goddesses, especially Ceres or Cybele, and in Christianity for the Virgin Mary.-General term:...
was written by Dorothy Newhard Knoff in 1912, and was set to music composed by Dr. Warren F. Acker in 1900.
Our voice of praise and glory hear
To whom all reverence we bear,
Of you forgetful we'll be ne'er.
We shall forever for you yearn
And cherish all that we may learn
Through future days of life,
'Mid joy and strife;
True may we stand, both to you
And Canary and Blue.
Throughout the land of you we'll sing,
Loud will our praises ever ring,
Of days that have passed by,
Fond memories of dear old high.
Oh Alma Mater, hear our praise;
To you all honor we do raise;
Through future days of life,
'mid joy and strife;
True may we stand, both to you
And Canary and Blue.
External links
- William Allen High School Official Home Page.
- William Allen High School Alumni Web Site.
- Newsweek magazine's "Best High Schools in America" article.
- William Allen High School athletics schedule and scores at HighSchoolSports.net.
- William Allen High School Page at Lehigh Valley Conference Official Web Site.