Garfield High School (Seattle, Washington)

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**James A. Garfield High School**

Established	1920
School type	Public
Principal	Theodore Howard II
Faculty	92 (October 2005)
Students	1,595 (October 2005)
Mascot Colors	Bulldog Purple & White
Location	Temporarily Housed at Lincoln High School: 4400 Interlake Avenue North Seattle, WA 98103 Garfield Building Location: 400 23rd Avenue Seattle, WA 98122
Information	(206) 252-2270
Website	http://www.garfieldhighschool.org/

James A. Garfield High School is a public high school in the Seattle Public Schools district of Seattle, Washington, USA. It is known for its outstanding academic and arts programs, and for its high degree of cultural diversity.

Located along 23rd Avenue between E. Alder and E. Jefferson Streets in Seattle's urban Central District, Garfield draws students from all over the city. Garfield is also known as the magnet school for the school district's Accelerated Progress Program for especially gifted students. As a result it has many college level classes for students to take ranging from calculus-based physics to Advanced Placement studio art. It competes each year with the Lakeside School, a private school, for the highest number of graduating National Merit scholars in the city.

[edit] History

James A. Garfield High School was founded in 1920 as East High School at its current location. Its original class consisted of only 282 students, transferred from Broadway High School. In just three years, however, the school's enrollment grew enough that the 12-room building was replaced with a brand-new, Jacobean-style building designed by Floyd Naramore. In 1929, the city commissioned the architect to design an addition for the school as enrollment peaked at 2,300 students. [1]

Garfield High School has long played a key role in its neighborhood, and as what is now known as the Central District has changed, so has the school's population. In its early decades, the school was noted for its Jewish, Japanese and Italian populations. After World War II, the neighborhood evolved into a predominantly African-American one [2] and by 1961, 51 percent of Garfield students were black, compared to only 5.3 percent of the general Seattle school district population. [3] In the late 1960s and 1970s, Garfield was at the center of the school district's attempts to avoid forced busing through various schemes, including turning it into a "magnet" school. This began the focus on music and science that have continued to this today.

The buildings have lasted for over eight decades, but are being partially demolished in a sweeping redesign of the school which began in June 2006. The remodel is scheduled to be completed by the fall of 2008 making the class of 2009 the only class to attend both the old and new Garfield. There was a fight to hold off the remodel to preserve the building's history including a city initiative to preserve the auditorium as a historic site, thereby blocking the remodel.[4] The new design has wider hallways to better accommodate the mass of students during passing periods and a new start-of-the-art performing arts center.

[edit] Athletics

[edit] Basketball

Garfield basketball teams have won many regional and state titles, including a stretch of twelve years under coach Al Hairston from 1980 to 1991 during which time the Bulldogs won five Class AAA titles, eight Seattle Metro League championships, qualified for the state tournament nine times, and won the state tournament five times. The boys' basketball team has been state champions a total of eleven times and runner-up five times since 1949.[5] Both the girls' and boys' teams were state champions in 1980 and 1987. More recently, the girls' team was runner-up in 2004 and state champions in 2005 under former Garfield star Joyce Walker, who played on the 1980 championship team. [6] [7] [8]

[edit] Swim Team

Though widely known throughout the Pacific Northwest as a basketball school, Garfield also boasts a tremendous set of swim teams. Though hindered at the turn of the century by the lack of consistent coaching staff, the Garfield "Bullfrogs" as Men's and Women's swim teams are known, have enjoyed much success and an increasing degree of acknowledgement and respect. Accomplishments including several district team championships. The pinnacle of Bullfrog success came in 2001, when the men's team led by Ben Collins, Patrick Mead, Sky Hoagland, and Braden Pence surprised the state by winning the overall State championship.

[edit] Track & Field

Garfield track & field teams have won multiple metro, district & state titles. Garfield dominated AAA track & field in Washington state in the 1980's, winning state titles in boys & girls track in 1987 under Coaches Fred Beckwith & Greg Brashear. In addition the Garfield 1964 Mile Relay team of Robert Brewer, Bruce Armstrong, Fred Rogers, and Willie Mills still hold the City Record in a time of 3:20.8.

[edit] Tennis

Although it would seem to be an unlikely fit, Garfield's tennis teams have dominated the KingCo 4A division. In 2004 and 2006 the Boys Tennis Team was undefeated (10-0). Aaron Shimeles, the Boys team captain in 2004 and 2005, recieved a $10,000 USTA scholarship to Occidental College.

[edit] Programs, clubs, and activities

[edit] Post 84

Post 84, also known simply as Post, is the largest student program in Washington state, with over 350 members. It is a mostly autonomous youth branch of the Mountaineers, and is unique to Garfield. It provides extracurricular environmental and outdoor education as well as outdoor leadership training, which are all largely absent from the school district's curriculum. Membership is open to all high school students in the Seattle area, although convenience and absence of advertising outside of Garfield means that very few members come from other schools. The program maintains a scholarship fund for students who can't afford membership and trip costs. Post also maintains stocks of gear and outdoor equipment that members may borrow in an effort to reduce costs to those who would otherwise be unable to afford Post activities.[9]

The program's many outings include such activities as mountain and road biking, rock climbing, snow camping, hiking, kayaking, wilderness survival training, and a trip called Desert School. Desert School is a week-long trip to the sagebrush steppe of Eastern Washington to teach freshmen about the geological and ecological history of Washington as well as give them an opportunity to bond with other members of the freshman class.[10] All of the trips are led by Post 84 staff, all of whom are students.

The student staff have all undergone a 24 hour wilderness first aid course taught by the Mountaineers called Mountaineering Oriented First Aid (MOFA) in addition to leadership training, which is bolstered by the experience gained from leading trips. They have also completed the introductory Post trips called Wilderness Survival and Advanced Wilderness Survival.

The administrative side of the program is also run entirely by students in an occupational education class.[11] This class provides an opportunity for students to experience what it is like trying to keep a company running as Post 84 is a registered 501(c)3 non-profit with an executive committee comprised of Garfield students. Buying and maintaining gear, keeping financial and membership records, and securing reservations for the many trips Post takes also involves a great deal of work outside of school hours as the class time provides only five hours a week. Due to the extraordinary amount of time and effort students put in to the program, Post 84 received the King County Earth Hero award in 2002 for "exceptional work to help the environment and to promote stewardship of our natural resources".[12][13]

[edit] Drama

Garfield's Drama Club is the school's second-largest student organization. The Drama Club is run almost entirely by students, who decide what shows to produce each year. Annually it supports six productions, including the mainstage Winter Show. The five remaining shows are collections of student-directed one acts and musical reviews; there are four "Dramatic Paws" productions, and one "Senior Directed One Acts". All of Drama Club's productions are produced, directed, stage managed, and performed by Garfield students.

Many Drama Club members also participate in Garfield's spring musicals, which feature musicians from the award-winning Garfield Orchestra and Jazz Band. Garfield theatre productions have won a number of awards at the 5th Avenue Awards, run by the 5th Avenue Theatre Association in Seattle. In 2003, Garfield's production of West Side Story received awards for Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role, Outstanding Performance by a Male in a Leading Role Ensemble Member, Outstanding Achievement in Musical Direction and Outstanding Achievement by an Orchestra. It was nominated for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble Group and Outstanding Achievement in Direction as well. In 2004, Anything Goes was nominated for Outstanding Group Ensemble, Outstanding Orchestra, and Outstanding Female Lead and brought home Special Honors in Educational Impact. In 2005, Garfield's performance of Cabaret received nominations for Outstanding Male in a Leading Role and Outstanding Male in a Supporting Role. It also won the Outstanding Program and Poster Design award and Special Honors in Educational Impact and Student Achievement. [14]

[edit] The Garfield Messenger

The Messenger is Garfield's bi-weekly student-run newspaper. The typical issue is over 20 pages, and many go over 30. It is published in color and features some of the best high school journalism in the country. The Messenger has been heavily awarded by the Journalism Education Association and the National Scholastic Press Association: placing in Best of Show in the JEA/NSPA Spring National High School Journalism Conventions in 1997[15], 1998[16], 2000[17], 2001[18], 2002[19], 2003[20], and 2004[21]; honorable mention in the annual design competitions in 2000[22]; placing in the annual best photo competitions in 1998[23] and 2001[24]; placing in the annual best story competitions in 1998[25] and 2003[26]; and winning their most prestigious honor, the Pacemaker Award, in 1997[27] and was a finalist in 2000[28] and 2004[29]. The paper won an honorable mention from the Society of Professional Journalists in their 2001 Excellence in Journalism Competition.[30] It received an IRC and the Environmental Foundation Award Grant in 2005 for its Sustainability Edition.[31] A column from the paper was reprinted by All About Jazz in 2004.[32]

[edit] The Pen

The Pen is Garfield's official literary and artistic magazine. Publications come out once every year. The Pen is student produced, and showcases the artistic and literary talent of Garfield students. It has been in existence at Garfield for many decades.

[edit] Global Technology Academy

Global Technology Academy (GTA) is a non-profit organization run through Garfield High School that takes students and computers to underserved nations around the world. High school students take old computers donated to GTA and refurbish them. The students then take the computers to various countries, set up computer labs, and teach the students there how to use them. GTA has taken 23 trips abroad, bringing computers to children in Ghana, Russia, Mozambique, the Gambia, Guatemala, Ethiopia, Philippines, Poland, India, Tanzania, and Turkey. The program is celebrated for the life-changing experiences it offers students on both ends.

[edit] Math Team

The Garfield Math Team is composed of several four-person teams. The teams consistently place at the top of Washington State math contests like the Northwest Math Championship, Mu Alpha Theta and Math is Cool. The team also participates in national contests like the American Mathematics Contest, the American Invitational Mathematics Examination and the United States of America Mathematical Olympiad. Several team members have attended prestigious summer math camps like the Mathematical Olympiad Program, which prepares high school students for the International Math Olympiad. Six of the twelve members of the '05-'06 school year team represented Washington State at the American Regions Mathematics League in Las Vegas. The Garfield Math Team also hosts the Garfield Annual Math Extravaganza. Only one adult (a teacher) is closely involved in the staging of the event, making it an enormous undertaking. The team must write several hundred unique problems, find sponsors and manage the contest itself, with hundreds of competitors. The competition is open to other math teams in Washington.

[edit] Music

The music program at Garfield High School is world-renowned, and has won numerous awards and the respect of many. It has seen several noted artists, including Jimi Hendrix, Quincy Jones, and Ernestine Anderson, although Jimi Hendrix rarely attended school.

[edit] Orchestra

The orchestra, under the direction of Marcus Tsutakawa, currently holds Downbeat magazine's Best Overall Orchestra award, and has won the award multiple times previously. The orchestra program includes a symphony orchestra, a concert orchestra, and a thriving chamber music program. The orchestra has toured in Japan on numerous occasions. One tour included a joint concert with the Kobe Philharmonic Orchestra and a performance at the Asakuchi Music Festival in Satosho. It has also toured central Europe, finishing second in the internationally renowned Vienna, Austria, Austria Youth and Music Festival in 1997. [33]

The orchestra routinely takes first place at the Northwest Orchestra Festival in Gresham, Oregon. It was a finalist for the 2004-2005 GRAMMY Signature School Program award. Each year many students participate in the Washington State Solo and Ensemble Contest and bring home awards. Every year around 20 students from the Orchestra play in the Seattle Youth Symphony Orchestra, often in principal positions. Garfield students also play in the Youth Symphony's Junior and Debut Orchestras, the Seattle Conservatory of Music Starling Scholar Chamber Orchestra, and many community ensembles. Garfield Orchestra members have had their original compositions debuted by the Seattle Symphony and the Youth Symphony. In 1995, Garfield guest conductor Gerard Schwarz, Music Director of the Seattle Symphony, said, "I don’t recall hearing a high school orchestra perform anywhere in this country on such a high level."[34]

Graduates of the Garfield Orchestra have been admitted to many of the top music programs around the country, including those at The Juilliard School, the Manhattan School of Music, The Cleveland Institute of Music, Rice University, New England Conservatory of Music, San Francisco Conservatory of Music, University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, Eastman School of Music, and Oberlin College. Former Garfield Orchestra musicians hold principal positions in some of the country's leading orchestras, including The Cleveland Orchestra and the Seattle Symphony.

[edit] Jazz

Garfield's jazz program, under the direction of Clarence Acox since 1971, [35] has won many state, national, and international awards and accolades in big band, combo, and individual categories. The Jazz Ensemble has toured Europe at least five times, most recently in the Montreaux and North Sea Jazz Festivals, and has attended the International Association of Jazz Educators' conference, as well as the Essentially Ellington Competition in New York City. [36] Its consistent placement in national competitions and long history of national recognition make it one of the best high school jazz bands in the country. [37]

[edit] Notable alumni

[edit] Musicians and singers

Quincy Jones — United States music legend, record, television and film producer, musician, arranger and songwriter
Ernestine Anderson — jazz and blues singer
Jimi Hendrix — rock guitarist (never graduated, awarded an honorary diploma in 1968)[38][39]
Leah LaBelle — finalist on American Idol[40]

[edit] Athletes

Joyce Walker — 1984 Olympic women's basketball gold medalist, former Harlem Globetrotter, women's basketball All-American at LSU, member of the LSU Hall of Fame, holder of multiple Washington State high school records [41] [42]
Debbie Armstrong — the 1984 Olympic gold medalist in the giant slalom [43]
Homer Harris — first African American captain in any sport in Big Ten Conference history, member of the University of Iowa Athletic Hall of Fame
Chuck Carroll — earned 17 varsity letters as a multi-sport high school athlete, Garfield Athlete of the First Half of the Century, first-team All-Coast and second-team All American at University of Washington, set multiple University of Washington records, jersey retired by UW, member of College Football Hall of Fame, the National Football Foundation Hall of Fame, and University of Washington Husky Football Hall of Fame
Billy North — played 11 seasons in Major League Baseball, won the 1974 World Series with the Oakland Athletics, was one game away from winning World Series in 1978
Brandon Roy — 2005-06 Pac-10 Player of the Year as a guard for the University of Washington Men's Basketball Team, named to 2006 first-team All-America squad, drafted 7th overall (by Minnesota, traded to Portland) in the 2006 NBA Draft

[edit] Others

Minoru Yamasaki — architect of the Pacific Science Center in Seattle, the World Trade Center in New York City, and Conservatory of Music buildings at Oberlin College [44]
Mary McCarthy (author), novelist and critic (did not graduate, wrote about her time at Garfield in her memoir "How I Grew")
Jack Benaroya — philanthropist, funder of Benaroya Hall, which houses the Seattle Symphony [45]
Yasser Seirawan — Chess grandmaster, U.S. Junior Chess Champion, led Garfield to top five finish nationally, graduated early so he could become the World Junior Champion in what would have been his senior year[46]
Mike Selinker — award-winning game designer and author of poker books
Adam Hesterberg - won the national Mathcounts competition in 2003

[edit] References

James A. Garfield High School 2005 Annual Report. Retrieved on 2005-01-22.
Post 84 Parent Action Committee News. Retrieved on 2005-02-9.
Post 84 Trips. Retrieved on 2005-01-22.
Garfield High School Course Catalog. Retrieved on 2005-02-08.
Earth Heroes Making a Difference. Retrieved on 2005-02-08.
About Post 84. Retrieved on 2005-01-22.
Spring 1997 NSPA Best of Show Winners. Retrieved on 2005-01-22.
Spring 1998 NSPA Best of Show Winners. Retrieved on 2005-01-22.
Spring 2000 NSPA Best of Show Winners. Retrieved on 2005-01-22.
Spring 2001 NSPA Best of Show Winners. Retrieved on 2005-01-22.
Spring 2002 NSPA Best of Show Winners. Retrieved on 2005-01-22.
Spring 2003 NSPA Best of Show Winners. Retrieved on 2005-01-22.
Spring 2004 NSPA Best of Show Winners. Retrieved on 2005-01-22.
Spring 2000 NSPA Best of Show Winners. Retrieved on 2005-01-22.
2000 NSPA Design of the Year. Retrieved on 2005-01-22.
1998 NSPA Picture of the Year. Retrieved on 2005-01-22.
2001 NSPA Picture of the Year. Retrieved on 2005-01-22.
1998 NSPA Story of the Year. Retrieved on 2005-01-22.
2003 NSPA Story of the Year. Retrieved on 2005-01-22.
1997 NSPA Newspaper Pacemakers. Retrieved on 2005-01-22.
2000 NSPA Newspaper Pacemakers. Retrieved on 2005-01-22.
2004 NSPA Newspaper Pacemakers. Retrieved on 2005-01-22.
2001 SPJ Awards (pdf). Retrieved on 2005-01-22.
IRC and the Environmental Foundation Award Grants. Retrieved on 2005-01-22.
Seattle (pdf). All About Jazz. Retrieved on 2005-01-22.
Garfield Orchestra - Introduction. Retrieved on 2005-01-22.
Garfield Orchestra - Awards. Retrieved on 2005-01-22.
Kenneth Strong. An interview with Clarence Acox. Retrieved on 2005-01-22.
Garfield Jazz Parent Handbook. Retrieved on 2005-01-22.
Garfield Jazz Awards and Event Photos. Retrieved on 2005-01-22.
4A Girls Basketball Tournament Champions. Retrieved on 2005-01-22.
4A Boys Basketball Tournament Champions. Retrieved on 2005-01-22.
Garfield High School opens as East High School in 1920. History Link. Retrieved on 2005-01-22.
The Benaroya Gift. Retrieved on 2005-01-22.
Gregory Roberts (2002). Chess champ Seirawan has all the right moves. Seattle Post-Intellegencer. Retrieved on 2005-01-22.
4A Girls Tournament Records. Retrieved on 2005-01-22.
Craig Smith (2003). Worthy of the cover: 18 make front of SI. Seattle Times. Retrieved on 2005-01-22.
Pamela Sitt (2004). Garfield's LaBelle advances to finals on 'American Idol'. Seattle Times. Retrieved on 2005-01-22.
Larry Stone (2005). The changing face of baseball: African-American players on the decline. Seattle Times. Retrieved on 2005-01-22.
1978 World Series. Baseball Almanac. Retrieved on 2005-01-22.
Zags Hoops Staff (2001). Joyce Walker: Ground-breaking Girl. Retrieved on 2005-01-22.
5th Avenue Musical Theatre Awards. Retrieved on 2005-01-22.

[edit] External links

Garfield High School
Garfield Jazz Band
Garfield Messenger
Garfield Orchestra
Garfield Physics
Garfield Volleyball
Post 84
Garfield High School Foundation
Garfield School Design Team (Guiding the 2006-2008 redevelopment of Garfield)
Zoomable Google Satellite Map of Garfield and Central District
Global Technology Academy

Seattle Public High Schools

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Categories: Educational institutions established in 1920 | High schools in Washington | Schools in Seattle | Seattle, Washington