Anaheim High School is a public, four-year high school in the city of Anaheim, California, United States and serves students living in the Colony District of Anaheim. Anaheim High School was first established in 1898, which makes it the oldest of nine comprehensive high schools in the Anaheim Union High School District. It is the third oldest high school in Orange County, behind Santa Ana High School (1889) and Fullerton Union High School (1893).
Following the arrival of the initial German settlers, they formally request the Los Angeles County superintendent to set up a school in Anaheim, their newly adopted town near the Santa Ana River.[3]
From 1874 through 1881 James Guinn was the elementary school principal in a temporary building and offered subjects that would lead to a high school diploma. The first student to graduate with a high school diploma was in 1880. Students at that time had an oral examination as a graduation requirement and the public was invited to come for local entertainment. In 1878, Guinn wrote and championed the first school bond in the United States for the construction of the Central School.[dubious – discuss] He left Anaheim to become the superintendent of the Los Angeles High School District in 1881.
High School classes officially started in 1898 on the second floor of the Central School that was located where George Washington Park is now. Within three years this facility was outgrown. A school bond for $12,500 was raised in 1901 for a school to be built on the south side of Center Street (now called Lincoln Ave) near Citron Street and became Anaheim High School; it was the third high school in Orange County proceeded by Santa Ana and Fullerton High. In 1908 Loara and Magnolia Elementary School Districts were sending their students to Anaheim High and the parents wanted some authority in the high school, therefore Anaheim Union High School District was formed. In 1910 more space was needed and voters approved a bond in 1911 for $105,000 to buy eleven acres of land at the north east corner of Center Street (Lincoln Ave) and Citron just a half block away.
Pre-World War II
In 1912 the new campus was dedicated and graduated its first class with seventeen students. The buildings were designed in the Greek revival style with Ionic Greek columns and a Parthenon-type frieze on the cornice over the main entrance. The interior had elegant plantings in the various patios. In March 1920 bonds amounting to $175,000 were sold to erect a new auditorium and classroom building, a domestic science building, gymnasium, wood shop, auto shop and machine shop. When the 1924 swimming pool opened it was the first in Orange County schools. The school was the pride of the community for twenty-two years until the 1933 Long Beach earthquake occurred and rendered them unsafe. The current Art Deco main building, library and auditorium completed and dedicated in 1936 at a cost of $500,000 replaced the unsafe Greek revival buildings and was very modern for the time. At the time it was called the "finest building of its kind in Southern California" and the new pride of the community.
The sunken garden and fountain completed in 1937 were filled in and replaced by the day "Cereal Bowl" fountain in 1964, which is now gone. All of the work in the 1930s "Depression Era" was being done through the WPA (Works Projects Administration) project #8291. In 1940 the new pipe organ was installed in the auditorium. A new pool was built in the late 1940s to replace the 1924 pool.
Late 20th century
When Western High School opened in 1958, Anaheim Union High School changed back to its original name, Anaheim High School. New buildings were constructed at that time replacing the remaining pre-earthquake code buildings. The 1957 brick Senior Circle constructed in front of the music building is now gone. In 1972 the Art Quad and other buildings were built to replace the old barracks that had been temporary quarters for fifteen years. Wimpy's Stand (selling burgers) was a popular landmark for several decades and was changed into the Student Activities Office in 1977. In 2007 it was razed.
Beginning in 1954, Anaheim Union High School went to a three-grade format with sophomores, juniors, and seniors in attendance. Following the closure of Fremont Junior High School in 1979 and declining district-wide enrollments, AHS reverted to having a freshman class and a four-year student schedule beginning in 1980.[4]
21st century
The Clayes Field bleachers, which had been originally constructed in 1922 and was the only building on the campus that had survived the earthquake in 1933, was condemned in the early 2000s and was demolished in 2017.
The on-campus pool built during the 1940s had also fallen into disuse by the 1990s and was condemned in the early 2000s. In 2019, a new aquatic center was opened and was named in honor of Jon Urbanchek, a former swimming and water polo coach there who later gained fame coaching numerous U.S. Olympic teams. The current facility was constructed on the footprint of the old pool.
The newest buildings on the west side of campus on West Street complement the Main building's Art Deco style. They were completed at the end of 2008 and classes started in February 2009.[5][6]
In 2013, the school was sanctioned by Educational Testing Service for violating Advanced Placement exam policies when a U.S. History teacher proctored an AP European History test.[7] The school risked losing its ability to administer AP exams, and school board members have said they were not informed by staff about the issue.[8]
Anaheim's athletic teams are called the Colonists.
Football
The 1956 Anaheim football team was CIF co-champions with Downey, playing to a 13–13 tie at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.[9] That game had an official attendance of 41,383 fans, which remains the largest crowd in CIF-Southern Section history. Some accounts claim the actual attendance could have been closer to 50,000-60,000 fans.[10] From 1950 to 1972, Clare Van Hoorebeke had a legendary run as head varsity football coach, going 189-50-10 in 23 seasons, with 15 Sunset League titles and 17 CIF-Southern Section playoff appearances. Under his leadership, the "Vanmen" earned CIF championships in 1956 and 1967 while finishing as runners-up in 1962 and 1966.[11] Among the many players who starred for Coach Van were Gerry Mullins, who went on to win four Super Bowls as a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers and Jim Fassel, future NFL Coach of the Year with the New York Giants.
Baseball
In 2022 Anaheim High School varsity baseball team went 22-11-1 and reached the CIF-Southern Section Division Division 6 championship game. Female pitcher Jillian Albayati was Orange League MVP and earned All-CIF honors with a 1.68 ERA on the mound while batting .360, played both softball and baseball. She later became the first Division II college athlete at CSU San Marcos to play both softball and baseball games on the same day.[12]
Soccer (Boys)
In 1984, Anaheim High's varsity soccer team under coach Mario Carrasco were CIF-Southern Section Division 2A co-champions with Sonora after tying the championship match 3-3. Coach Carrasco would return to lead the Colonists to runners-up finishes in 1992 (losing the 2A Division final to Los Alamitos 1-0, with Colonist star Alex Perez sharing division Player of the Year honors with Pat Lee of Los Alamitos) and 2003 (losing the Division IV final Cathedral City 3-1.
In 2014, Anaheim High varsity boys soccer led by head coach Joe Chavez won the CIF-Southern Section Division Championship, defeating Orange League rival Century 2-0. Anaheim's Alexis Supancic was named Division III Player of the Year.
Notable alumni
Jillian Albayati (2022) - Athlete, USA Women's National Baseball Team 2022 & 2023. First Div. II Collegiate Athlete to play Softball & Baseball on the same day CSU San Marcos
Dan Barker (1967) – author, atheist, and co-president of Freedom From Religion Foundation
Jon Urbanchek – health teacher & aquatics coach 1964-1978, later head coach of aquatics at Long Beach State (1978-1981) and the University of Michigan (1982-2004); also longtime U.S. Olympic swim team coach
References
^ abc"Anaheim High". National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved March 17, 2024.
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