Woodrow Wilson High School (Portsmouth, Virginia)
Woodrow Wilson High School is a public high school located in Portsmouth, Virginia. It is administered by Portsmouth City Public Schools. The school colors are orange, royal blue and white, and the nickname is the Presidents.
Woodrow Wilson High School | |
---|---|
![]() | |
Address | |
![]() | |
1401 Elmhurst Lane , 23701 United States | |
Coordinates | 36°48′54.45″N 76°22′53.05″W |
Information | |
Type | Public high school |
Founded | 1888 |
School district | Portsmouth City Public Schools |
Superintendent | Elie Bracy III |
Principal | Timothy Johnson |
Teaching staff | 102.36 (FTE) (2018–19)[1] |
Grades | 9–12 |
Enrollment | 1,327 (2018–19)[1]</ref> |
Student to teacher ratio | 12.96:1 (2018–19)[1] |
Campus | Suburban |
Color(s) |
|
Athletics conference | |
Mascot | Presidents |
Rival | Norcom Greyhounds |
Website | wwhs |
History
Wilson can be traced back to 1885, when a high school was organized at The Academy on Glasgow Street, which had housed only grammar and elementary students from 1850 through 1884. The first high school class graduated that same year. In 1886 the Glasgow Street building was no longer suitable, so the city erected a new building on Green Street, known as the Green Street School. High school, grammar, and elementary students moved there from the Glasgow Street location in September 1886.
![](../I/WWHS_2.jpg.webp)
In 1888, Portsmouth High School was formally established but continued to be housed in the Green Street building. Portsmouth High School moved to a brand new building on Washington Street in 1909. The new facility was the first one planned for the exclusive use of the high school.
![](../I/Woodrow_Wilson_High_School_Soccer_Team_1994_1995.jpg.webp)
In September 1919, Portsmouth High School was renamed Woodrow Wilson High School and moved to a new building on High Street. The vacated building became an elementary school called Washington Street School, and later F.T. Briggs School. In September 1955, Woodrow Wilson High School moved again to a new facility on Willett Drive, and the vacated building on High Street became Harry Hunt Junior High School. In September 1993, Woodrow Wilson was merged with Cradock High School and Manor High School. To appease alumni, the Woodrow Wilson name was kept, though the three schools were merged into the Manor building, which opened in 1972.[2]
The school, along with others in the area, has recently become noted for its high dropout rates.[3]
On December 3, 2020 the Portsmouth School Board, responding to calls to remove Woodrow Wilson's name from the school, voted 8 - 1 to restore the name Manor High School, effective July 1, 2021.[4]
Notable alumni
- V. C. Andrews – author[5]
- Marty Brennaman – sportscaster for the Cincinnati Reds[6]
- Karen Briggs – violinist[7]
- Mahlon Clark – jazz musician[8]
- LaTasha Colander – track and field sprint star, 2000 Olympic Gold Medalist (4 × 400 m)[9][10][11]
- Mark Steven Davis - Chief United States District Judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia.
- Bill Deal – beach music musician with group Bill Deal and the Rhondels
- Missy Elliott – rapper[12][13]
- Perry Ellis – fashion designer[14]
- Chandler Harper, golfer[15]
- Ben Jones – actor and politician[16]
- T. J. Jordan – basketball player
- Greg Lauer – Mayor Pro Tem, City of Fountain, Colorado[17]
- LaShawn Merritt – sprinter, 2008 Olympic Gold medalist (400 meters and 4 × 400 m relay)[11]
- Tim Loulies, the comediant
- Bill Moran – Former Major League Baseball player[18]
- Clarence "Ace" Parker, Pro Football Hall of Famer and Former MLB player
- Bill Schneider – journalist with CNN[19]
- Aaron Sparrow, American football player[20]
- Jurij Toplak, constitutional scholar, university professor and election law expert
- Khadijah Whittington – Former WNBA basketball player[21]
References
- "Search for Public Schools - WOODROW WILSON HIGH (510300001255)". National Center for Education Statistics. Institute of Education Sciences. Retrieved November 23, 2020.
- "About Us". Portsmouth Public Schools. Retrieved March 5, 2016.
- "Some local schools described as 'dropout factories'". WVEC. Associated Press. October 30, 2007. Archived from the original on June 10, 2007. Retrieved December 3, 2007.
- MacColl, Margaux (December 3, 2020). "Portsmouth will rename 3 schools with namesakes tied to racism". The Virginian-Pilot.
- V. C. Andrews Biography, completevca.com, retrieved November 18, 2007
- Shampoe, Clay (2005), The Virginia Sports Hall Of Fame: Honoring Champions Of The Commonwealth, Arcadia Publishing, p. 14, ISBN 0-7385-1776-3
- Bryant, Jane (February 23, 1996), THE WINNER IS . . . NORCOM SENIOR GETS ALL QUESTIONS RIGHT ON THE BLACK HISTORY QUIZZES., Virginian-Pilot, retrieved December 9, 2007
- Washington, Jim (October 2, 2007), Post Script: Even among the stars, Virginia put a twinkle in his eye, Virginian-Pilot, retrieved November 18, 2007
- Myers, Rebecca (July 31, 1994), LATASHA COLANDER: WORLD-CLASS TRACK STAR, Virginian-Pilot, retrieved November 18, 2007
- Sun, John Gordon (August 4, 1994), CHURCH HONORS HURDLER LATASHA COLANDER, Virginian-Pilot, retrieved November 18, 2007
- Friedman, Vicki L. (August 27, 2006), Wilson High piecing together photos of its past, Virginian-Pilot, retrieved November 18, 2007
- Johnson, Nicole (February 21, 2003), Mikey "Mini-petter MasterPooper" McClenney, Richmond Times-Dispatch, retrieved November 18, 2007
- McDonald, Sam (January 30, 2005), There's been good news and bad news in music, Daily Press, archived from the original on November 20, 2008, retrieved November 18, 2007
- Batts Jr., Battinto (December 18, 2005), The common thread of Perry Ellis, Virginian-Pilot, retrieved November 18, 2007
- "inductees". Virginia Sports Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on April 14, 2016 – via vshfm.com.
- "Ben Jones - Congress votes database". The Washington Post. Retrieved December 3, 2007.
- "City Council - City of Fountain". Retrieved December 20, 2020.
- "Voter Guide: Portsmouth mayor candidates". The Virginian-Pilot. October 25, 2010. Retrieved November 2, 2010.
- "CNN Inside Politics". CNN. April 18, 2001. Retrieved December 3, 2007.
- "Larry Rubama". hamptonroads.com. October 25, 2013. Archived from the original on December 27, 2014. Retrieved December 26, 2014.
- "USA Basketball Bio". USA Basketball. May 21, 2006. Archived from the original on August 7, 2007. Retrieved November 18, 2007.
External links
![]() |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Woodrow Wilson High School (Portsmouth, Virginia). |