Walt Whitman High School (Bethesda, Maryland)
| Walt Whitman High School | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Location | |
|
7100 Whittier Boulevard Bethesda, Maryland United States | |
| Coordinates | 38°58′53″N 77°07′33″W / 38.981447°N 77.12574°WCoordinates: 38°58′53″N 77°07′33″W / 38.981447°N 77.12574°W |
| Information | |
| Type | Public secondary |
| Motto | Pride + Determination = Success |
| Established | 1962 |
| School district | Montgomery County Public Schools |
| Principal | Robert Dodd |
| Grades | 9–12 |
| Enrollment | 1,899 [1] (2015–2016) |
| Campus | Suburban |
| Color(s) | Black, White, and Columbia blue |
| Mascot | Viking |
| Nickname | WWHS |
| Rivals | Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School, Winston Churchill High School |
| Newspaper | The Black & White |
| Yearbook | Saga |
| Feeder schools | Thomas W. Pyle Middle School |
| Information | 301-320-6600 |
| Website | Walt Whitman Home Page |
Walt Whitman High School is a public secondary institution serving roughly the western part of Bethesda—an unincorporated suburban area of Washington, D.C., in Montgomery County, in Maryland. The school is named in honor of the American poet, Walt Whitman. Thomas W. Pyle Middle School feeds into Walt Whitman High School.
History
The school opened in the fall of 1962 with 1,418 students. Designed by local architect Anthony Ferrara, it was built on 17 levels, with a center courtyard and a geodesic dome for its gymnasium. A Ford Foundation grant underwrote the design and construction of the dome. During the first school year, Broadway composer and lyricist Meredith Willson visited the school to assist with the production of The Music Man, which he had created. In 1981, a 1,176-seat auditorium was added to the school. In 1992, the geodesic dome and all other buildings except for the auditorium were demolished[2] and construction began on a new school building, which opened in fall 1993.[3]
Daryl Shaw served as the inaugural principal from 1962 until 1975. Jerome Marco was principal from 1975 until his retirement in 2004. Today, the Principal is Alan Goodwin, who was assistant principal for several years before taking his current post.
Five elementary schools feed Thomas W. Pyle Middle School, which in turn feeds Walt Whitman. The elementary schools are Wood Acres, Bannockburn, Burning Tree, Carderock Springs, and Bradley Hills. The Bethesda area is served by Whitman High School, Walter Johnson High School, and Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School.
The Black & White is the student-run newspaper.[4] It was established in 1962 and produces nine issues each academic year. The newspaper was inducted into the National Scholastic Press Association Hall of Fame in 1991.[5]
The school has an active FIRST Robotics Competition team, Team 1389, nicknamed "The Body Electric" from the Walt Whitman poem I Sing the Body Electric. The team was founded in 2004, and has competed every year since.[6]
On May 21st, 2018, the Montgomery County Board of Education announced that Robert Dodd would become the new principal of Whitman after Dr. Goodwin announced his retirement. Dr. Dodd will take office on June 1st.[7]
Awards/Rankings and Recognition
In 2008, Newsweek ranked Whitman at #69 on its "Best High Schools in America" list.[8]
In 2009, U.S. News & World Report ranked Whitman as the #44 best school nationwide on its list of "America's Best High Schools"[9]
In 2014, Whitman was ranked the best high school in Maryland and #61 nationwide.[10]
In 2015, Whitman remained ranked as the best high school in Maryland and #55 nationwide by U.S. News & World Report.[11]
In 2016, Whitman was once again ranked as the best high school in Maryland and #63 nationwide.[12]
Notable alumni
- Eric Pierpoint, '69, film and television actor, Alien Nation.
- Steven Rales, '69, entrepreneur and billionaire, Danaher Corporation.
- Gordon Smith, '70, U.S. Senator, Oregon.
- Ken Navarro, '71, jazz guitarist, "Smooth Sensation" and "Love Coloured Soul".
- Lisa Pelikan, '72, actress, Julia and Return to the Blue Lagoon.
- Bob Raba, '73, football player, (tight end, New York Jets, Washington Redskins).
- Mitchell Rales, '74, entrepreneur and billionaire, Danaher Corporation.
- Shelly Burch '76, actress One Life to Live.
- Chris Anderson, '79, editor-in-chief of Wired.
- Kahane Cooperman, '80, documentary filmmaker and television producer[13]
- Kate Seelye, '80, Middle-East reporter for National Public Radio.
- Mark Pryor, '81, U.S. Senator, Arkansas.
- Debra Granik, '81, Academy Award nominated filmmaker, Winter's Bone.
- Orde Kittrie, '82, law professor/U.S. State Department official, nuclear nonproliferation expert, author Lawfare: Law as a Weapon of War
- Mark Halperin, '83, political analyst, ABC News, Time Magazine, author, Game Change.
- Anthony Dilweg, '84, football player, (1988 ACC player of the year, Duke University; quarterback, Green Bay Packers).
- Susan Dynner, '84, movie producer/director, Punk's Not Dead, producer, Brick, After Porn Ends, Free Ride.
- Jeff Tremaine, '85, co-creator, co-writer, and director of MTV series Jackass, its spin-off series Wildboyz and its three subsequent movies, Jackass: The Movie, Jackass: Number Two, and Jackass 3D.
- Michael Eisen, '85, biologist, co-founder of the Public Library of Science
- Spike Jonze, '87, Academy Award Winning writer and director, Her, Being John Malkovich, Adaptation., and Where the Wild Things Are.
- David Dobkin, '87, director, Wedding Crashers, Shanghai Knights, Fred Claus, and The Change-Up.
- Eric Steinberg, '87, actor, The Young and the Restless, Stargate SG-1, and Pretty Little Liars.
- Ryan Kuehl, '90, football player (defensive tackle, New York Giants).
- Dan Shanoff, '91, sports columnist for The Sporting News, formerly of ESPN.
- Giuliana Rancic, '92, celebrity news personality, E! News and co-star of Giuliana and Bill on the Style Network.
- Alexandra Robbins, '94, author, The Overachievers, Pledged, and Conquering Your Quarterlife Crisis.
- David Moon, '97, Maryland politician and legislator
- Ashley Parker, '01, White House Correspondent for The Washington Post
- Andrea Carroll, '08, operatic soprano with the Vienna State Opera and the Houston Grand Opera
References
- ↑ "WALT WHITMAN HIGH SCHOOL". School Directory Information. National CVenter for Education Statistics. Retrieved 29 April 2018.
- ↑ Bethesda magazine edition of September-October 2013
- ↑ Washington Post February 6, 1995
- ↑ "The Black & White". theblackandwhite.net. Retrieved January 21, 2015.
- ↑ [http:studentpress.org/nspa/critiques/all-american-hall-of-fame-inductees/ "All-American Hall of Fame Inductees"]. studentpress.org. Retrieved April 29, 2018.
- ↑ "Team 1389 - The Body Electric". The Blue Alliance. Retrieved 2018-05-18.
- ↑ "Updated: New Principals Named for Whitman, Churchill High Schools". Retrieved 2018-05-24.
- ↑ America's Top Public High Schools
- ↑ "Best High Schools Rankings - Top High Schools - US News". usnews.com. Retrieved January 21, 2015.
- ↑ Whitman Named Best Public High School In Maryland | BethesdaNow
- ↑ https://www.usnews.com/education/best-high-schools/maryland/districts/montgomery-county-public-schools/walt-whitman-high-school-9150
- ↑ "These Are the Best High Schools in Maryland". Retrieved 2017-03-21.
- ↑ Seevers, Katie (March 24, 2011). "Kahane Cooperman ('80) moves from school publication to 'The Daily Show'". The Black and White.