San Francisco Polytechnic High School

Last updated
San Francisco Polytechnic High School
SFPoly.jpg
Former girls' gymnasium of San Francisco Polytechnic
Location
701 Frederick Street

San Francisco
,
California

United States
Information
TypePublic secondary
Established1884 (1884)
Closed1973
School district San Francisco Unified School District
Grades9–12
Campus typeUrban
Color(s)red and black
MascotParrot
Former boys' gymnasium SF Polytechnic HS boys' gym.JPG
Former boys' gymnasium

San Francisco Polytechnic High School was a public secondary school in San Francisco, California. Located from 1912 at 701 Frederick Street, across from Kezar Stadium, the school was in operation from 1884 until 1973.

Contents

History

The school opened in 1884 as the Commercial School, on Powell Street between Clay and Sacramento. It subsequently moved to Bush and Stockton Streets. Academic subjects were added to the curriculum in 1890 and art and shop in 1895, when it was renamed San Francisco Polytechnic High School. [1] The building was destroyed in the 1906 earthquake, and replaced in 1911 by a classical revival building on Frederick Street, [2] which opened in 1915; a "manual and shop training" building facing Carl Street opened in 1912. [1] Later additions included a boys' and a girls' gymnasium in art deco style, at opposite ends of the school. [3] During this period the school had 2,000 students, more than any other in the city. [1]

In the 1960s an influx of black families led to an option system under which many white parents elected to send their children instead to Lowell High School, San Francisco Polytechnic's traditional rival; [4] by the late 1960s San Francisco Polytechnic was more than 50% African American and Filipino. The first black principal, Nathaniel Brooks, was appointed in spring 1968 and the numbers of black teachers and Black studies courses were increased after student protests about a letter to the Superintendent of Education from teachers complaining about the students. [5] However, in 1972 the decision was made to close the school because of a continuing decline in enrollment and because all the buildings, except the girls' gym, were found not to meet the requirements of the Field Act for seismic soundness. [3] In 1973 the school closed and students were transferred to the new McAteer High School. [5] [4] The school was the temporary home of Mission High School from 1973 to 1977. [4]

Squatters occupied the buildings in the 1980s; in 1989 all except the two gyms were demolished and replaced by the Parkview Commons condominium development. [3] The cornerstone was stolen during demolition. [6] As of January 2018 the boys' gym houses the San Francisco Circus Center and the girls', AcroSports. [3] In October 2022 the street name "Polytechnic Way" was given to the 700 block of Frederick Street by the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. [7]

Extracurricular activities

The San Francisco Polytechnic football team won numerous trophies from the 1920s to the 1950s. [8] More than 50,000 people were at Kezar Stadium for the 1928 city championship game with the school's traditional rival Lowell High School, the highest attendance for a high school football game in northern California. [3] In November 2020, the Polytechnic Alumni Association offered a reward of up to $5,000 for the return of approximately 50 sports trophies that went missing after the school closed. [8]

Notable alumni

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bob St. Clair</span> American football player (1931–2015)

Robert Bruce St. Clair was an American professional football player who was a tackle for 11 seasons with the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Tulsa Golden Hurricane.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kezar Stadium</span> Outdoor athletic and football stadium in San Francisco

Kezar Stadium is an outdoor athletics stadium in San Francisco, California, located adjacent to Kezar Pavilion in the southeastern corner of Golden Gate Park. It is the former home of the San Francisco 49ers and the Oakland Raiders of the National Football League (NFL) and of the San Francisco Dragons of Major League Lacrosse. It serves as the home of San Francisco City FC of USL League Two.

George Gerald Seifert is an American former football coach. He served as the head coach for the San Francisco 49ers and the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League (NFL). Seifert owned the second-greatest winning percentage in NFL history by a head coach at the time of his resignation as the 49ers head coach, second to Guy Chamberlin. Among coaches with at least 100 wins, his winning percentage is fifth best in football history.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hilo High School</span> Public school in Hawaii, United States

Hilo High School is a public, co-educational high school of the Hawaii State Department of Education, and serves grades nine through twelve. Established in 1906, its first class graduated in 1909. Hilo High School is near the Wailuku River in Hawaii County on the Big Island of Hawaii, United States. The campus boasts the black marble terrazzo and gray gravel sculpture Matrix by Ken Shutt in the middle of its two patios in its courtyard. The school is situated at 556 Waianuenue Avenue on across the street from Hilo Intermediate School, one of its two feeder schools, the other being Kalanianaole Intermediate School. Hilo's symbol and mascot is the Viking and its school colors are blue and gold. Hilo High School celebrated its centennial during Homecoming of 2006. Hilo High School's crosstown rivals are the Warriors of Waiakea High School.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lowell High School (San Francisco)</span> Public school in San Francisco, California, United States

Lowell High School is a co-educational, magnet public high school in San Francisco, California.

John H. Francis Polytechnic High School is a secondary school located in the Sun Valley neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, United States. It serves grades 9 through 12 and is a part of the Los Angeles Unified School District. Despite its name, Polytechnic is a comprehensive high school.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">San Mateo High School</span> Public secondary school in San Mateo, California, United States

San Mateo High School is a National Blue Ribbon comprehensive four-year public high school in San Mateo, California, United States. It serves grades 9–12 and is one of the seven San Mateo Union High School District public high schools.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sacred Heart Cathedral Preparatory</span> Private, coeducational school in San Francisco , California, United States

Sacred Heart Cathedral Preparatory, commonly known as SHC or SH, is a Catholic school located in the Cathedral Hill neighborhood of San Francisco, California. Founded in 1852, Sacred Heart Cathedral is the oldest Catholic secondary school and was the first co-ed Catholic high school in San Francisco.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Merl Saunders</span> American pianist and keyboardist

Merl Saunders was an American multi-genre musician who played piano and keyboards, favoring the Hammond B-3 console organ.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Archbishop Riordan High School</span> Private, co-ed school in San Francisco, California, United States

Archbishop Riordan High School is a diocesan, co-ed Catholic high school established by the Society of Mary in San Francisco, California. It is part of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of San Francisco. It opened in fall 1949 as Riordan High School, named after Archbishop Patrick William Riordan, the second Archbishop of San Francisco; "Archbishop" was officially added to its name in 1990.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kezar Pavilion</span> Arena in California, United States

Kezar Pavilion, located adjacent to Kezar Stadium, is an indoor arena in the southeast corner of Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, California, United States (US). Built in 1924, the Pavilion seats 4,000 people and is owned and operated by the City of San Francisco. The venue is home to the Academy of Art Urban Knights and the annual San Francisco Pro-Am tournament. It was previously home to the San Francisco Dons, Santa Clara Broncos, San Francisco Pilots (ABA), San Francisco Rumble (ABA) and San Francisco City Cats (ABA).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sports in California</span>

California has 21 major professional sports franchises, far more than any other US state. The San Francisco Bay Area has six major league teams spread amongst three cities: San Francisco, Oakland and San Jose. The Greater Los Angeles Area has ten major league teams. San Diego and Sacramento each have one major league team.

Wenonah High School is a four-year public high school in Birmingham, Alabama. It is one of seven high schools in the Birmingham City School System. School colors are Old gold and white. The mascot is the Dragon. Wenonah competes in Alabama High School Athletic Association (AHSAA) Class 5A athletics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Visco Grgich</span> American football player (1923–2005)

Visco Grgich was a professional American football lineman who played in the All-America Football Conference and the National Football League. He played seven seasons for the San Francisco 49ers. He was originally drafted by the Chicago Bears in the 1946 NFL Draft. Grgich was known as a tough and sometimes vicious two-way lineman who loved to intimidate Norm Van Brocklin. Grgich was also known for his rousing pep talks prior to games and was even brought back by Coach Frank Albert to give pep talks after his playing days were through. At the end of his pep talk, Grgich would say "This is the way you've gotta do it!" and would promptly deliver a forearm shiver to the nearest door, wall or even one of the wooden support posts in Kezar Stadium which was rumoured to be felt throughout Kezar Stadium. He is distinguished as being the first Yugoslav to play in the National Football League.

St. Mary's Catholic High School is a private, Roman Catholic high school in Phoenix, Arizona, United States. It is located in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Phoenix.

Washington County High School is located in Sandersville, Georgia, United States. It was founded in 1959 from a county-wide consolidation of small community high schools. Because segregation was still active, only white students could attend. A twin school for black students, Thomas Jefferson Elder High School, was built in 1959 on Hines Street in the Tybee neighborhood of Sandersville.

Michael David Hinton was an American guitarist, residing in the San Francisco Bay Area. During his career, he played with numerous bands, including Norton Buffalo and the Knockouts, High Noon, Merl Saunders & the Rainforest Band, to name a few. He appeared on several albums with the Rainforest Band and other Merl Saunders projects, including It's In The Air, Fiesta Amazonica, Still Having Fun, Merl Saunders With His Funky Friends - Live, and Still Groovin' .

The San Francisco Dons football program were the intercollegiate American football team for University of San Francisco located in San Francisco, California. The team competed in NCAA Division II as a Division II Independent football program. The school's first football team was fielded in 1917. The program disbanded in 1982.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sobrato Center</span> Athletic venue in California, US

The War Memorial at the Sobrato Center in San Francisco, California is an athletic venue on the University of San Francisco (USF) campus. It contains War Memorial Gymnasium and serves as home for the San Francisco men's and women's basketball teams as well as the women's volleyball team. It also houses athletic department offices and training facilities for the university's other athletic teams. It is currently the oldest basketball venue in the West Coast Conference. It is popularly known as "The Hilltop" because of USF's position on the summit of Lone Mountain. On some occasions, St. Ignatius College Preparatory hosts their basketball games here as well.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Louis Macouillard</span>

Louis Macouillard American artist known for his watercolor paintings of travel and marine genres, as well as his work as a commercial illustrator.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Gaar, Greg; et al. (July 2005) [September 1984]. "The Rise and Fall of Polytechnic High School Part 1: 'The Finest School in San Francisco'" (PDF). Perennial Parrot. "Our Gang" Polytechnic High School Alumni Association. 18 (1): 1–2.
  2. ↑ "Polytechnic High School Gymnasiums, 639 and 755 Frederick Street, Built 1929 and 1937". Noehill: San Francisco Points of Historical Interest. Retrieved December 28, 2015.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Bevk, Alex (January 11, 2013). "Then & Now: Polytechnic High School's Gynmasiums [sic] Still Standing Strong". Curbed San Francisco. Vox.
  4. 1 2 3 Gaar, Greg; et al. (December 2005) [September 1984]. "The Rise and Fall of Polytechnic High School Part 2: 'The Death of a Great High School'" (PDF). Perennial Parrot. "Our Gang" Polytechnic High School Alumni Association. 18 (2): 1–3.
  5. 1 2 Wagner, Venise (October 4, 1996). "Poly High alums seek spirit of '68". San Francisco Examiner – via San Francisco Chronicle.
  6. 1 2 "$1,500 reward offered in theft of cornerstone". Spartanburg Herald-Journal . December 9, 1987. p. A2.
  7. ↑ Polytechnic Alumni Association
  8. 1 2 Williams, Michael (November 11, 2020). "Alumni from S.F.'s old Polytechnic High School offer up to $5,000 for missing trophies". San Francisco Chronicle.
  9. ↑ Parish, James Robert (1971). The Fox Girls . Arlington House. p.  50. ISBN   0-870-00128-0.
  10. ↑ "Edward Leonard Ginzton". Biographical Memoirs. Vol. 88. Washington, D.C.: The National Academies Press. 2006. p. 110. ISBN   0-309-10389-4. Less than four years later he graduated from San Francisco's Polytechnic High School....
  11. ↑ "Louis Macouillard". FAMSF Explore the Art. 2015-05-08. Retrieved 2017-12-06.
  12. ↑ "San Francisco Musician Merl Saunders Dies at 74". KTVU. 2008-10-24. Archived from the original on 2011-06-07. But Saunders jammed for decades, starting at San Francisco's Polytechnic High School....
  13. ↑ Vigil, Delfin (2007-06-03). "An acting pioneer". San Francisco Chronicle.
  14. ↑ "Rudolph Alexander Rintala," San Francisco Examiner, Dec. 14, 1999, pg. A25.
  15. ↑ "49ers quarterbacks coach thankful to be alive after 1960 plane crash". Contra Costa Times. 2003-11-27. Marinai, a teammate of George Seifert's at San Francisco Polytechnic High School....
  16. ↑ Maiocco, Matt; Fucillo, David (2011). San Francisco 49ers: Where Have You Gone? Joe Montana, Y.A. Tittle, Steve Young, and other 49ers greats. New York: Sports Publications. p. 32. ISBN   9781613210451.
  17. ↑ Knight, Heather (October 28, 2005). "Johnny Land—students' musical muse". SF Gate. Retrieved July 6, 2019.
  18. ↑ "A Career of Service and History". The Library of Congress Information Bulletin. May 2007. His early interest in politics is shown by ... items he kept ... during his time as a student at San Francisco Polytechnic High School in the 1930s.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.