Stockton High School (California) facts for kids
Stockton High School was a high school in Stockton, California. It was open from 1904 to 1966. The school was known as the home of the "Tarzans," which was its mascot. It was part of the Stockton Unified School District.
The school first opened its doors in 1904. It was located in Stockton on land near Harding Way, Vine, San Joaquin, and California streets. The main building of the high school was later used as Stockton Junior High School starting in 1948. However, this building was found to be unsafe and was taken down in 1966. Other buildings on the campus were also not safe in case of an earthquake, so they were also left empty and later removed.
Years later, in 1979, a new school called Commodore Skills School opened on the same land. This school later moved to a different building that used to be Webster Middle School.
California Concerts is a live music album that features performances recorded at Stockton High School. It is also known as Jazz Goes to High School. The album features the famous saxophonist and bandleader Gerry Mulligan.
During World War II, Stockton High School helped the war effort through a program called "Schools at War." The school "sponsored" 275 jeeps, which means they helped raise money or support for these military vehicles.
Famous People from Stockton High School
Many talented people attended Stockton High School before it closed. Here are some of them:
- Gil Evans (1912–1988) was a Canadian-American jazz musician. He was a pianist, arranger, composer, and bandleader.
- Andrew Osborne Hayfield was a businessman and a state legislator in Minnesota.
- Joe Allen Hong was a fashion designer. He designed the dresses for Grace Kelly's grooms-maids at her wedding.
- Dolores Huerta is a well-known activist who worked for labor rights.
- Harry Lochhead was a baseball player.
- Janet Leigh (1927–2004) was a famous actress. She starred in the movie Psycho.
- Nicholas Mayall (1906–1993) was an astronomer. He studied stars and planets at the Lick Observatory. He also worked at MIT's Radiation Laboratory during World War II.
- David Rowland (1924–2010) was an American industrial designer. He is famous for creating the 40/4 Chair.
- Oscar Stanage (1883–1964) was an American baseball catcher.
Teachers and Coaches at Stockton High School
Some notable people also worked as faculty members at Stockton High School:
- Lawrence Edwin Siemering was a football coach. He also coached at the college level, in the NFL (National Football League), and in the CFL (Canadian Football League).
- Ruby Green Smith (1878-1960) was the head of the Department of Biology and Botany. She later became an entomologist (someone who studies insects), a peace campaigner, and an educator in home economics.
