Riverside Polytechnic High School
Location
5450 Victoria Avenue

Riverside
,
California

United States
Information
TypePublic
Established1887
StatusOpen
School districtRiverside Unified School District
SuperintendentDavid Hansen[1]
PrincipalDarel Hansen[2]
Grades9–12[3]
Enrollment2,515 (2019–20)[4]
Campus size40 acres (16 ha)[5]
Color(s)Orange and green    
Athletics conferenceCIF Southern Section
Inland Valley League
NicknameBears
AccreditationWestern Association of Schools and Colleges, 2009[3]
CAHSEE average61.4 English-Language Arts
59.1 Mathematics[5]
Websitepoly.riversideunified.org

Riverside Polytechnic High School is a four-year public high school in Riverside, California, United States, and part of the Riverside Unified School District. The current facility, located on Victoria Avenue, was opened in September 1965; the traditions of the school go back to 1887, then known as the Riverside High School, making Riverside Polytechnic the oldest high school in the city.

History

Girls High School in Riverside, California, c. 1915

Riverside Polytechnic High School traces its heritage from 1887,[3] when the newly formed city of Riverside needed higher education for the community. The first joint elementary and high school's first graduating class in 1890 comprised seven students—four girls and three boys. Eugenie Fuller was its principal. When classes grew too large in 1902, a new co-educational high school building was constructed on Ninth Street between Lemon and Lime Streets, and the original 14th Street building became the Grant School, serving grades 3–8.[6]

In 1910, Riverside High School's enrollment was approximately 500 students, and new facilities were required. In 1911, the genders were separated, creating a Girls High School at the Ninth Street building, and the Polytechnic High School for boys at a newly constructed campus on Terracina Avenue.[6] Fuller continued as principal of the Girls High School, and Mr. J.E. McKown was appointed principal of the Riverside Polytechnic High School.

In 1916, the Polytechnic High School began offering postgraduate classes. The Riverside Junior College District was formed in 1920, and the Riverside Junior College moved out of the high school to an adjacent property.[6]

World War I brought changes to both high school campuses. The earlier enrollment explosion waned as young men joined the armed forces. In 1924, the school board created a junior high school level and consolidated the senior high schools into one co-educational school.[6] A new Applied Arts Building provided Home Economics and "other facilities for the girls." The old Girls High School now served as a Girls Junior High School, while the Boys Junior High School was located at the old Grant School. 1924–25 saw the Junior College and the Senior High School with growing enrollments, and so provided separate administrations for each. There were 202 seniors in 1924.

During World War II, many Poly girls worked with a federal government–sponsored group called the High School Victory Corps.[7] The girls helped make bandages and other needed items, or worked in essential industries after school. All who took part in these activities were volunteers. In 1944, the Victory Corps was discontinued at Poly.[8][9]

In the 1940s, there was a tradition that each incoming class at the school would be given an unflattering nickname that would remain with the class until their graduation. For example, the class of 1951 was dubbed the "Geeks" and the class of 1953 was the "Orts".[10]

In 1956, double sessions at Poly were needed until a second high school, Ramona High, could be built. As high school enrollment continued to grow, it was evident that a third high school would be needed in Riverside. In 1960, a new high school, Rubidoux, shared the Poly campus until its campus could be completed in 1961. In 1965, Poly separated from the junior college campus and a site on the corner of Central and Victoria Avenues was built, along with a high school on Third Street and Chicago Avenue, named North High. Both high schools opened their doors in September 1965, with the Victoria site keeping the traditional name of Riverside Polytechnic High School. Since that time, Poly High School classes have taken place on the present site.

Riverside Polytechnic High School is home to one of the original, still active Army Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps (JROTC) units, established in 1917 and was originally called the Poly High Cadet Corps. It is the oldest JROTC program west of the Mississippi River, and second oldest in the United States. In 1970 it was among the first JROTC units to offer a girls program [11]

There were 51 young men making up the Class of 1916, known as the "Stags of 1916". There were 18 faculty members. This class was the first to complete the four-year course offered in the new building.[12]

Notable alumni

Alumnus Class Field Notability
Members of The Misunderstood (George Phelps, Rick Moe, Greg Treadway, Rick Brown, Steve Whiting, Glenn Ross Campbell) 1964 (est) Music One of the earliest bands on the psychedelic rock scene of the 1960s. Moved to London very early in career, forced to disband due to Brown's draft notice.
Neil Levang 1945 (est) Music Guitarist most well known for song "Ghost Riders in the Sky" performed on The Lawrence Welk Show, along with 42 other titles featured in Hollywood films.
Hakim Akbar 1998 Sports Football linebacker drafted by the New England Patriots[13]
Austin Barnes 2008 Sports Major League Baseball (MLB) player, Los Angeles Dodgers, 2020 World Series Champion [14]
Bobby Bonds 1964 Sports Major League Baseball (MLB) player, 3-time All-Star[15]
Larry Christiansen 1974 Sports Chess Grandmaster, US chess champion 1980, 1983, 2002[16] First junior high school student to win the National High School Championship.
Tyler Clary 2007 Sports Swimmer who won silver medal at 2009 World Aquatics Championships, three silvers at 2010 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships and gold medal in 2012 London Olympics.[17]
Marcella Craft 1893 Music International operatic soprano[18]
Coby Dietrick 1967 Sports Professional basketball
John Gabbert 1927 Law Associate Justice of the California Court of Appeals
Walter A. Gordon 1914 (est) Government First All-American at UC Berkeley, first African American graduate of Boalt Hall, Governor of the U.S. Virgin Islands, Federal District Judge[19]
John Ham 1996 Entrepreneur West Point Class of 2000, Ustream Founder, CEO & Chairman
Joshua Holz 2019 (est) Social media Co-creator of the "Damn Daniel" internet meme with Daniel Lara.
Sharon Jordan 1978 Film and TV Actress, recurring role on Disney's The Suite Life of Zack & Cody [20]
Daniel Lara 2019 (est) Social media Co-creator of the "Damn Daniel" internet meme with Joshua Holz.
Lorenz Larkin 2004 Sports Wrestler and MMA fighter[21]
Ben H. Lewis 1921 (est) Government Mayor of Riverside from 1965 to 1978
Jake Marisnick 2009 Sports Major League Baseball (MLB) player, Houston Astros, 2017 World Series Champion [22]
Cloyd Marvin 1908 (est) Education president of George Washington University
Rex Mays 1931 (est) Sports Auto racer, 1940 and 1941 national champion, four-time pole winner at Indianapolis 500, member Motorsports Hall of Fame of America, National Sprint Car Hall of Fame, Riverside Sports Hall of Fame[23]
Cheryl Miller 1982 Sports USC basketball player, College Basketball Hall of Fame inductee, WNBA coach, and commentator[24]
Reggie Miller 1983 Sports UCLA and NBA player, Olympic gold medalist, Basketball Hall of Famer, commentator[25][26]
Donnie Murphy 2001 Sports MLB player [27]
Greg Myers 1984 Sports MLB player[26]
Paul Oglesby Sports Football player[28]
Bill Parsons 1966 Sports Former Major League Baseball pitcher for Milwaukee Brewers and Oakland Athletics
Miné Okubo 1930 (est) Arts Artist and writer[29]
Lauren Potter 2010 TV and government Actress, played Becky Johnson, a cheerleader with Down syndrome, on TV series Glee. In 2011, she was appointed by President Obama to the President's Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities.
Jo-Jo Reyes 2003 Sports MLB pitcher [30]
Bob Rule 1962 (est) Sports NBA All-Star center[31]
Herman O. Ruhnau 1928 Architecture Postmodern architect[32]
William F. Sharpe 1951 Economics Winner of 1990 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences, helped develop Capital asset pricing model, part of Modern portfolio theory. Also known for Sharpe ratio.[33]
Mel Streeter 1950 Sports College basketball player and Seattle architect.[34]
Morgan Stuart 2007 Sports Softball player for Washington Huskies, 2009 Women's College World Series champions[35]
Jacob Webb 2012 Sports Professional baseball pitcher for the Atlanta Braves, Los Angeles Angels, and Baltimore Orioles[36]
Ray Lyman Wilbur 1892 Government Medical doctor, Stanford University president, 31st United States Secretary of the Interior[37]
Bert Williams 1892 Vaudeville "Foremost Colored Comedian"[38]
Cynthia Woodhead 1982 Sports 1978 world champion swimmer; 1984 Olympic silver medalist in 200m freestyle[39]
Alan Yang 1999 Film and TV Screenwriter, producer, director known for Parks and Recreation, Master of None

Notable instructors

  • Edmund Jaeger – noted naturalist, his first zoology class in 1921 had 3 students[40]

References

  1. ↑ "Meet The Superintendent". Riverside Unified School District. Retrieved 28 June 2018.
  2. ↑ "Mr. Darel Hansen, Principal".
  3. 1 2 3 "Poly High School". Riverside Unified School District. Archived from the original on December 11, 2010. Retrieved November 6, 2010.
  4. ↑ "Polytechnic High". National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved August 13, 2021.
  5. 1 2 Riverside Polytechnic High School (2009). School Accountability Report Card Reported for School Year 2008–09 (PDF) (PDF). Riverside Unified School District. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 22, 2010. Retrieved November 7, 2010.
  6. 1 2 3 4 "Riverside Public Schools Records". Riverside Public Library. Riverside: City of Riverside. September 27, 2007. Retrieved November 6, 2010.
  7. ↑ "Victory Corps. (Education)". Time. Vol. 40, no. 14. October 5, 1942. p. 64. Retrieved November 6, 2010.
  8. ↑ Yearbook. Riverside High School. 1944. p. 85.
  9. ↑ Yearbook. Riverside High School. 1945.
  10. ↑ Durian, Hal (June 12, 2010). "Riverside Recollections". The Press-Enterprise. Riverside: Enterprise Media. Retrieved November 7, 2010.
  11. ↑ Riverside Poly – JROTC History
  12. ↑ "The Stag". Riverside Polytechnic High School. June 19, 1914. Archived from the original on July 27, 2011. Retrieved November 6, 2010.
  13. ↑ "Hakim Akbar – Official New England Patriots Biography". patriots.com. New England Patriots. Archived from the original on February 21, 2011. Retrieved November 6, 2010.
  14. ↑ "Austin Barnes".
  15. ↑ "Bobby Bonds". The Baseball Cube. Gary Cohen. Retrieved November 6, 2010.
  16. ↑ Immitt, Steve. "A History of the National High School Chess Championship". NYSTAR Chess. NYSTAR.COM Consulting. Archived from the original on February 26, 2012. Retrieved November 6, 2010.
  17. ↑ "National Team Bios: Tyler Clary". U.S. Olympic Journey. USA Swimming. 2010. Retrieved November 7, 2010.
  18. ↑ "Marcella (Sarah Marcia) Craft". Evergreen Memorial Historic Cemetery. Evergreen Memorial Historic Cemetery. Archived from the original on July 21, 2011. Retrieved November 6, 2010.
  19. ↑ Gordon, Walter; et al. (1976–1979). "Athlete, Officer in Law Enforcement and Administration, Governor of the Virgin Islands" (Interview). Interviewed by Anne Hus Brower; Caryn Prince; Rosemary Levenson; Amelia R. Fry. Berkeley, CA: Bancroft Library. Retrieved 14 April 2010.
  20. ↑ Jordan, Sharon (October 26, 2010). "Sharon Jordan". Retrieved November 6, 2010.
  21. ↑ "Sports Now". Los Angeles Times.
  22. ↑ "BASEBALL: Poly's Marisnick called up by Marlins: Blog: Alumni Report". Archived from the original on 2016-03-03. Retrieved 2014-09-25.
  23. ↑ Patton, Gregg (May 21, 2007). "Riverside Sport Hall of Fame Welcomes Class of 2007". The Press-Enterprise. Riverside: Enterprise Media. Retrieved November 7, 2010.
  24. ↑ "Cheryl Miller". Hall of Famers. Springfield, MA: Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. 2009. Archived from the original on August 31, 2009. Retrieved November 7, 2010.
  25. ↑ "Reggie Miller Summary". NBA Encyclopedia Playoff Edition. NBA Media Ventures. 2010. Retrieved November 7, 2010.
  26. 1 2 Jacobsen, Marylin (April 23, 2009). "Riverside Sport Hall of Fame induction is May 18". The Press-Enterprise. Riverside: Enterprise Media. Retrieved November 7, 2010.
  27. ↑ "Donnie Murphy". The Baseball Cube. Gary Cohen. Retrieved November 6, 2010.
  28. ↑ "Paul Oglesby". profootballarchives.com. Archived from the original on September 10, 2015. Retrieved October 10, 2015.
  29. ↑ Nealon, Sean (July 14, 2009). "Materials left by late artist provide look into Japanese-American experience". The Press-Enterprise. Riverside: Enterprise Media. Retrieved November 7, 2010.
  30. ↑ "High School Athletes of the Year". The Press-Enterprise. Riverside: Enterprise Media. June 24, 2003. Retrieved November 7, 2010.
  31. ↑ "Riverside Sports Hall of Fame: Bob Rule". 6 March 2011. Retrieved 2019-09-14.
  32. ↑ "PE.com – Riverside County California News Podcasts". PodcastDirectory.com. Archived from the original on March 14, 2012. Retrieved November 7, 2010.
  33. ↑ Durian, Hal (July 9, 2011). "Poly Highs Class of 1951 Left its Mark". The Press-Enterprise. Retrieved February 9, 2013.
  34. ↑ Streeter, Kurt (7 June 2009). "For him, French Open final is a family matter". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 1 April 2017.
  35. ↑ "Player Bio: Morgan Stuart". University of Washington Official Athletics Site. CBS Interactive. 2010. Archived from the original on 2010-11-16. Retrieved November 7, 2010.
  36. ↑ Hoornstra, JP (21 May 2023). "Angels call on trio of relievers to bolster bullpen". Orange County Register.
  37. ↑ Wilson, John L. (1998). "Ray Lyman Wilbur (1875–1949)". Stanford University School of Medicine and the Predecessor Schools: an historical perspective. Stanford, CA: Stanford University. Archived from the original on June 13, 2011. Retrieved November 7, 2010.
  38. ↑ Lech, Steve (2016). "2. Riverside: 'Foremost Colored Comedian' of Vaudeville Era Grew Up in Riverside". In Johnson, Kim Jarrell; Lech, Steve (eds.). Back in the Day. Vol. II. Riverside. pp. 73–75. ISBN 978-1537666037.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  39. ↑ Drehs, Wayne (September 19, 2000). "Woodhead was devastated by boycott". ESPN.com. Bristol, CN: ESPN Internet Ventures. Retrieved November 7, 2010.
  40. ↑ Ryckman, Raymond E.; Zackrison, James L. (1998). Son of the Living Desert – Edmund C. Jaeger, 1887–1983: Ecologist, Educator, Environmentalist, Biologist, and Philanthropist. Loma Linda, CA: R.E. Ryckman. p. 328. ISBN 978-0966356304. OCLC 39497413. LCC QH31.J33 R97 1998 University of California, Riverside, Science Library

33°57′06″N 117°22′09″W / 33.95167°N 117.36917°W / 33.95167; -117.36917

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