Alexander Hamilton High School (Los Angeles)

Alexander Hamilton High School is a public high school in the Castle Heights neighborhood within the Westside of Los Angeles, California, United States. It is in the Los Angeles Unified School District. It was established in 1931.

Alexander Hamilton High School
Address
2955 South Robertson Boulevard

Los Angeles
,
California
90034

United States
Coordinates34.033451°N 118.389667°W / 34.033451; -118.389667
Information
TypePublic
Established1931
PrincipalBrenda Pensamiento
Teaching staff111.00 (FTE)[1]
Enrollment2,602 (2018-19)[1]
Student to teacher ratio23.44[1]
Color(s)Green and White
Athletics conferenceCIF Los Angeles City Section
Western League
Team nameYankees
WebsiteHamilton Home Page

History

Alexander Hamilton High School opened in Fall 1931, with Thomas Hughes Elson as the principal.[2] It was designed by architects John C. Austin and Frederick C. Ashley. The three-story administration building held the administration, library, and science departments and 24 classrooms. Other buildings were a manual training building, another for physical training, and a fourth for the cafeteria and "domestic science." The capacity would be 1000, with plans permitting increasing to 2500. Building costs were $125,000 for the land, $400,000 for the structure, and $200,000 for equipment.[3] Built in the Northern Italian Renaissance style, multicolored and patterned brickwork, elaborate cast stone decoration, and a bell tower clad in verdigris copper distinguish the building.[4]

In May 1931, while Hamilton was under construction, architects Austin and Ashley were selected to design Griffith Observatory.[5] Individually, each had designed a Carnegie library: Austin conceived the Anaheim Public Library (opened 1909), and Ashley drew up Los Angeles' Arroyo Seco branch library (opened 1914). Together, they had designed Monrovia High School (opened 1928 – its front stairs are like Hamilton's, and it also has a bell tower). Austin designed Los Angeles High School's third location (opened 1917; demolished 1971) and the Shrine Auditorium (opened 1926), and he was one of three designers of Los Angeles City Hall (opened January 1, 1928).

The school's builders were Sarver & Zoss. Three post offices they later built are on the National Register of Historic Places: the Beverly Hills Main Post Office (opened 1934); the San Pedro Post Office (opened 1935), and Los Angeles' Terminal Annex (opened 1940).

Austin & Ashley later designed Hamilton's $100,000, six-room, auditorium, Waidelich Hall [6] which opened on April 20, 1937.[7] Arthur George Waidelich was the second principal (1935–1936) and died at the school.[8] On February 21, 1989, the auditorium was renamed Norman J. Pattiz Concert Hall.[9] A brass plaque made by the industrial arts department to commemorate the 1937 dedication was removed during renovation.

Early photographs from the school's archives show the campus in its pre-World War II state, with only the main building completed. The photos show dozens of 1920s and 30s cars parked along Robertson Boulevard in front of the school. The bell tower still exists today, but no longer houses a working bell.

Today, there exist Brown Hall (which houses administrative offices, the library, and classrooms and is named in honor of Walker Brown, Principal (1940–1956),[10] the lab building, the tech building, the humanities building, the music building, and other structures. There is a large Theater Hall, named Norman J. Pattiz Concert Hall[9]), a cafeteria, two gym buildings (boys' and girls'), and a workshop building. On the west part of the campus is Los Angeles Department of Water and Power Distribution Station 20 and Cheviot Hills High School, a continuation school. The athletic fields include Al Michaels Field (a football and track stadium named for sportscaster Al Michaels, Hamilton's famous alum) and a community garden, the Hami Garden. The Hami Garden was a joint project funded by the South Robertson Neighborhood Council and the Hami High Environmental Club in 2009. It is maintained by community members and Hamilton High School students.

It was in the Los Angeles City High School District until 1961, when it merged into LAUSD.[11]

In 1932, its attendance boundaries extended as far north as Mulholland Highway.[12] In fall 2007, some neighborhoods zoned to Hamilton were rezoned to Venice High School.[13]

Demographics

As of 2011–2012:

  • Gifted and talented 23%
  • Students with disabilities 11%
  • English learners/ESL 10%
  • Reclassified fluent/English proficient 29%
  • Economically disadvantaged 43%
  • Students entering and leaving 19%

Small Learning Communities

Hamilton High is divided into six "small learning communities," or SLCs," which coordinate their own curricula and staff. They are:

  • Academy of Music and Performing Arts
  • Humanities Magnet, established in 1981
  • CAA (Communication Arts Academy)
  • Global Studies
  • BIT (Business & Interactive Technology)
  • MSM (Math Science Medical)

During the 2008/2009 school year, the L & M (Leadership & Management) was eliminated and the students were placed in the four remaining non-magnet SLCs.

Academy of Music and Performing Arts

Composer Marion Vree taught music and directed the chorus at Hamilton during the mid-to-late 20th century.

The Music Academy gained national attention in June of 2002 when the Disney Channel premiered the reality TV show Totally in Tune, which chronicled members of the Academy's Symphony Orchestra.

The Music Academy is a Grammy-recognized school.[14]

Co-curricular activities

Hamilton's school newspaper is called The Federalist, a reference to and the original name of The Federalist Papers initiated and largely written by Alexander Hamilton. The Federalist has been archived by the Hamilton High Alumni Association.

The Humanities Magnet operates an editorial called "Die WeltanshauunG" ("World View").

Neighborhoods zoned to Hamilton

Keystone-Mentone complex, a student family housing facility of the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), is zoned to Hamilton.[15][16] Rose Avenue Apartments was previously zoned to Hamilton, but was rezoned to Venice High School in 2007.[17][18]

Feeder schools

Palms Middle School, Webster Middle School and Marina Del Rey Middle School feed into Hamilton. Louis Pasteur JHS (now LACES), fed some of its graduates to Hamilton.

Notable alumni

Elle Varner singer

References
  1. "Alexander Hamilton Senior High". National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved October 6, 2020.
  2. The Citizen, June 12, 1931, p. 10, and November 20, 1931, p. 1
  3. Los Angeles Times, August 3, 1930, page C2
  4. Historic Schools of the Los Angeles Unified School District (March 2002)Historic Schools of the Los Angeles Unified School District
  5. CultureNOW – Griffith Observatory: John C. Austin, Frederick M. Ashley, Levin & Associates Architects and Pfeiffer Partners
  6. Los Angeles Times, April 26, 1936, page D2
  7. Los Angeles Times, April 21, 1937, page A5
  8. Arthur George Waidelich (1890–1936) – Find A Grave Memorial
  9. http://hamihighalumni.org/wp-content/uploads/federalist/1989/1989.03.24%20Hamilton%20High%20School%20Federalist.pdf
  10. http://hamihighalumni.org/wp-content/uploads/federalist/1981/1981.11.25%20Hamilton%20High%20School%20Federalist.pdf
  11. "Los Angeles City School District". Los Angeles Unified School District. Retrieved 2020-10-27.
  12. The Citizen, January 29, 1932, p. 11.
  13. "Proposed Changed to Hamilton High School Area Schools" (PDF). Los Angeles Unified School District (Laschools.org). Archived from the original (PDF) on March 26, 2009. Retrieved April 3, 2011.
  14. "The GRAMMY Foundation Announces 2011 GRAMMY Signature Schools". PR Newswire Association LLC. April 19, 2011. Retrieved December 29, 2018.
  15. "Keystone-Mentone Apartments Archived 2009-05-10 at the Wayback Machine." University of California Los Angeles. Retrieved on October 2, 2011. "Location: Keystone/Mentone Apartments 3767–3777 Mentone Avenue 3770–3780 Keystone Avenue Los Angeles, CA 90034"
  16. "School Finder." Los Angeles Unified School District. Retrieved on October 2, 2011.
  17. "Rose Avenue Apartments Archived 2011-08-27 at the Wayback Machine." University of California Los Angeles. Retrieved on October 2, 2011. "Location: Rose Avenue Apartments 11140 & 11130 Rose Avenue Los Angeles, CA 90034"
  18. "Proposed Changed to Hamilton High School Area Schools" (PDF). Laschools.org. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 26, 2009. Retrieved April 3, 2011.
  19. McQuaid, Peter (December 17, 2000). "BOXER REBELLION". Los Angeles Times Magazine. Retrieved 2009-04-22.
  20. Robert Hilburn, "What a Drag It Is Being Young", Los Angeles Times, October 5, 1997.
  21. Vacchiano, Ralph (September 26, 2009). "Former Giants 'Touchdown Maker' Stephen Baker still making a difference". New York Daily News. Retrieved 2010-06-14.
  22. HO, CATHERINE (February 21, 2009). "After budget battle, Bass has news for her old school". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2020-05-04. ...humanities magnet from which she graduated in 1971.
  23. "California Assembly District 47". California Assembly. Archived from the original on 2009-06-02. Retrieved 2013-10-01.
  24. "Full Biography | Congresswoman Karen Bass". U.S. House of Representatives. Archived from the original on 2013-10-04. Retrieved 2013-10-01.
  25. The U.S. Congress Votes Database – 113th Congress. "Howard Berman (D)". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on 2013-02-22. Retrieved 2013-09-15.
  26. "Committee Member". U.S. House Committee on the Judiciary. Archived from the original on 2007-12-26. Retrieved 2013-09-15.
  27. Lindell, Karen (2 August 2011). "Spider-Man's Reeve Carney talks about Bono, Edge and his band". @U2. @U2. Retrieved 2011-08-16. Education: Hamilton Academy of Music, Los Angeles, CA
  28. "David Cassidy", San Bernardino County Sun, April 16, 1972.
  29. "Jackie Cruz Upped To Regular On 'Orange Is the New Black'". Deadline Hollywood. April 23, 2015. Retrieved 2016-09-07.
  30. Patti, Greco (October 7, 2015). "Sisters Kaitlin and Portia Doubleday on "Empire" and "Mr. Robot," Sibling Rivalry, and High School". Cosmopolitan. Retrieved 2016-02-29.
  31. "Through The Mic featuring Murs and 3MG", The 5th Element, May 31, 2012
  32. "Chronic Groove – Mike Elizondo Brings Diversity & Soul To Dr. Dre's Hip-Hop World". Bass Player Magazine. San Bruno, California. Archived from the original on 2009-07-01. Retrieved 2009-04-23.
  33. Katz, Mickey (1977). Papa, play for me. Hannibal Coons, foreword by Joel Grey, introduction by Josh Kun. Middletown, Connecticut: Wesleyan University Press. p. 105. ISBN 0-8195-6433-8. Retrieved 2011-11-05.
  34. "Education for Rita Hayworth". TCMdb. Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved 2013-10-01.
  35. "Emile Hirsch Biography". Yahoo! Movies. AEC One Stop Group, Inc. Archived from the original on January 2, 2010. Retrieved 2009-04-22. Education: Paul Revere Middle School, Brentwood, CA, Hamilton High School, Los Angeles, CA
  36. "Peanuts Lowrey Stats | Baseball-Reference.com". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved 17 May 2018.
  37. "Local Legends: Warren Moon and James Lofton", Los Angeles Sentinel, April 17, 2013.
  38. "Mystery Writer Remembers His Days at Hamilton High". Los Angeles Times. June 18, 1997. Retrieved 2013-10-01. Mystery writer Walter Mosley, whose 1990 novel, "Devil in a Blue Dress," was made into a movie starring Denzel Washington, is a 1970 graduate of Hamilton High School.
  39. "Paula Patton Is Pregnant Actress", celebrity.rightpundits.com, March 9, 2008
  40. Pulvers, Roger (June 19, 2011). "All hail the Constitution's vacuous guarantee of freedom of thought". The Japan Times. Retrieved 2019-01-10.
  42. The Official Web Site of Shade Sheist
  43. Chute, David (July 1, 2007). "Film critic Joel Siegel '65 memorialized in scholarship". UCLA magazine. Los Angeles, California. Retrieved 2014-12-26. Siegel had in fact edited satirical campus humor magazines at both Hamilton High ("The Iconoclast") and UCLA ("Satyr").
  44. "ALL OF HOUSTON'S ARTICLES!". Houston Message Board. Powered by Invision Power Board. Archived from the original on 2007-08-10. Retrieved 2009-04-23.
  45. Ashokani Class: Hamilton High School Yearbook (Summer 1970 ed.). Los Angeles: Ashokani Class. 1970. p. 31.
  46. Crowe, Jerry. "In time of great change, Sidney Wicks helped UCLA stay the same", Los Angeles Times, March 2, 2009
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