Abraham Lincoln High School, usually referred to simply as Lincoln High School, is a secondary school located in the Lincoln Heights district of

Los Angeles, California Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

, United States. Located in the

East Los Angeles East Los Angeles ( es, Este de Los Ángeles), or East L.A., is an unincorporated area in Los Angeles County, California. As of the 2020 census it had a population of 118,786, a drop of 6.1% from 2010, when it was 126,496. For statistical purpo ...

-area community, surrounded by El Sereno, Chinatown,

Boyle Heights Boyle is an English, Irish and Scottish surname of Gaelic, Anglo-Saxon or Norman origin. In the northwest of Ireland it is one of the most common family names. Notable people with the surname include: Disambiguation *Adam Boyle (disambiguation), ...

and Cypress Park. The school is named after

Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln ( ; February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was an American lawyer, politician, and statesman who served as the 16th president of the United States from 1861 until his assassination in 1865. Lincoln led the nation thro ...

, the 16th

President of the United States The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States ...

, and was one of the first public high schools established in California. It is one of the District 5 high schools in the Los Angeles Unified School District, the second largest school district in the US. Lincoln students are drawn from Chinatown and other areas. Cypress Park residents may attend either Lincoln or Franklin High School.

History

The early history of Lincoln High School is unusually complicated because, over the years, it has served all three of the typical grade configurations—elementary school, middle school and high school. What eventually became Lincoln High School was originally established in 1878 as Avenue 21 Grammar School. By 1913, the Avenue 21 school had become an intermediate school and its student population had grown to the point that a new campus was needed. That year the intermediate school moved to the present Lincoln High School site, and the curriculum expanded to include the senior high school grades. This marks the true beginning of Lincoln High. Pending the construction of a new school (the current site) on the former mansion property of Charles Woolwine, the Avenue 21 intermediate school moved its location to the hillside site (now the current physical education and track field), where students studied under the trees. In the early 1970s, students from all six upper grades attended the school together. In 1878, the plant was extended across Lincoln Park Avenue, which is now the current site. In 1881, the school added a gymnasium. In 1924, a science building was added. The present school was built extensively in the 1940s under President

Franklin D. Roosevelt Franklin Delano Roosevelt (; ; January 30, 1882April 12, 1945), often referred to by his initials FDR, was an American politician and attorney who served as the 32nd president of the United States from 1933 until his death in 1945. As the ...

Works Progress Administration The Works Progress Administration (WPA; renamed in 1939 as the Work Projects Administration) was an American New Deal agency that employed millions of jobseekers (mostly men who were not formally educated) to carry out public works projects, i ...

reform. Much of the construction and renovations occurred after the

1933 Long Beach earthquake The 1933 Long Beach earthquake took place on March 10 at south of downtown Los Angeles. The epicenter was offshore, southeast of Long Beach, California, on the Newport–Inglewood Fault. The earthquake had a magnitude estimated at 6.4 , and a ...

, which damaged the gymnasium, the auditorium, the music building, the library and the English building. Jim Tunney Stadium, home to Lincoln's football and track teams, was built during the reconstruction of Lincoln High School. It was in the

Los Angeles City High School District Los Angeles City High School District (known in its last year as West County Union High School District) was a school district that served high school-aged residents of western Los Angeles County, California from 1890 to 1962. At times the distr ...

until 1961, when it merged into LAUSD. Beginning in the latter part of the 1960s, Lincoln High School became a focal point for the emerging Chicano civil rights movement that was fueled by student activism which called for a more

culturally sensitive Cultural sensitivity, also referred to as cross-cultural sensitivity or cultural awareness, is the knowledge, awareness, and acceptance of other cultures and others' cultural identities. It is related to cultural competence (the skills needed fo ...

educational curriculum and access to college preparatory courses for Mexican American students. Encouraged by

Sal Castro Sal, SAL, or S.A.L. may refer to: Personal name * Sal (name), a list of people and fictional characters with the given name or nickname Places * Sal, Cape Verde, an island and municipality * Sal, Iran, a village in East Azerbaijan Province * Ca ...

, who championed equal educational opportunity as a Lincoln High faculty member, students at Lincoln organized a mass walk-out in protest of sub-standard facilities, vocational program tracking for Chicano youth and discriminatory practices which excluded them from advanced college prep courses. In March 1968, Lincoln High students led the first wave of what became the largest student strike in the history of public education in US. The "Blow-out" was joined by students from at least three other area high schools, among them Garfield, Roosevelt, Lincoln, Belmont and Wilson. In 2009 the opening of the

Felicitas and Gonzalo Mendez Learning Centers Felicitas and Gonzalo Mendez High School is a public high school in the Boyle Heights neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, United States. It is also known as Felicitas and Gonzalo Mendez Learning Center. History The school is named after F ...

relieved Lincoln. In 2015, Lincoln High School's baseball team won the CIF Los Angeles City Section Division II baseball championship, defeating Cesar Chavez High School of San Fernando by a score of 3–0 in a game played at

Dodger Stadium Dodger Stadium is a baseball stadium in the Elysian Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. It is the home stadium of Major League Baseball's Los Angeles Dodgers. Opened in 1962, it was constructed in less than three years at a cost of ...

. It was the school's second baseball championship, and the first one since 1935.

Demographics

Lincoln is mainly made up of a large Hispanic and Asian student body, though there is a smaller African-American and White student population. In 2019, Lincoln serves around 1,005 students in grades nine to twelve, with a student-teacher ratio of 19:1 (54 full-time teachers). The racial/ethnic enrollment breaks down as the following (as of the student class of 2008–2009): * American Indian - 0.3% * Asian - 30.8% * Filipino - 0.3% * Pacific Islander - 0.1% * Black - 0.9% * Hispanic - 80.1% * White - 0.5%

Academics

Overview

In 2008, Lincoln was ranked as the 900th best high school in the US in the

Challenge Index The Challenge Index is a method for the statistical ranking of top public and private high schools in the United States, created by ''The Washington Post'' columnist Jay Mathews. It is also the only statistical ranking system for both public and pri ...

. US News 2021 Rankings *55 in Los Angeles Unified School District High Schools *249 in

Los Angeles metropolitan area Greater Los Angeles is the second-largest metropolitan region in the United States with a population of 18.5 million in 2021, encompassing five counties in Southern California extending from Ventura County in the west to San Bernardino Coun ...

high schools *387 in

Magnet A magnet is a material or object that produces a magnetic field. This magnetic field is invisible but is responsible for the most notable property of a magnet: a force that pulls on other ferromagnetic materials, such as iron, steel, nickel, ...

high schools *587 in

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

high schools *3,841 in national rankings US News 2020 Rankings *94 in Los Angeles Unified School District High Schools *234 in

high schools *374 in

high schools *565 in

high schools *3,810 in national rankings US News 2019 Rankings *241 in

high schools *350 in

high schools *566 in

high schools *3,926 in national rankings

Magnet

Lincoln High School's Magnet program was established in 1999. The Magnet program has a maximum of 226 students, ranging from grade levels 9 to 12. The program offers opportunities for students to participate in courses and activities with an emphasis on science, mathematics and technology.

Science Bowl

Lincoln has a Science Bowl team that has been running for fifteen years. Lincoln has two teams with 5 students in each team. Competing students must have a knowledge base in astronomy, biology, chemistry, mathematics, physics and general science. Science Bowl uses a buzzer system, in which students must buzz in and wait to be recognized by a moderator before proceeding to answer a question. Lincoln has consistently scored in the top five in the Regional Science Bowl competition.

Academic Decathlon

Lincoln maintains an Academic Decathlon program for its students. Competing students in the program are placed into one of three teams based on their skill level: Varsity, Scholastic and Honors. The program covers language & literature, economics, art, music, mathematics, social science and science. In addition, students are required to write essays, participate in interviews, give speeches and take part in a Super Quiz, which focuses on a selected subject determined by the United States Academic Decathlon each year.

Speech and Debate

Formed in 2008, Lincoln is one of the 15 schools that are a part of the Los Angeles Metropolitan Debate League (LAMDL). LAMDL is one of the networks of Urban Debate Leagues that promotes debate for many urban high schools. In 2009, the Los Angeles Urban Debate League (as it was previously known) merged with a USC's Neighborhood Debate League, creating LAMDL. Lincoln has a highly successful

policy debate Policy debate is an American form of debate competition in which teams of two usually advocate for and against a resolution that typically calls for policy change by the United States federal government. It is also referred to as cross-examinat ...

team, competing and winning major tournaments both locally and nationally. Lincoln has won some of the most prestigious tournaments in California, including the California State Invitational held at the

University of California Berkeley The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California) is a public land-grant research university in Berkeley, California. Established in 1868 as the University of California, it is the state's first land-grant univ ...

as well as the Pepperdine Invitational Debates, and clearing into eliminations in tournaments like the

University of Southern California The University of Southern California (USC, SC, or Southern Cal) is a Private university, private research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Founded in 1880 by Robert M. Widney, it is the oldest private research university in C ...

's David Damus Trojan Championships. In 2009, Lincoln won four of the six local tournaments, winning City Championships, and, in 2010, won five of the six local tournaments. In 2009, Lincoln debated at the Chase Urban Debate Nationals, held in Chicago, and returned to the Nationals again in 2010, clearing into eliminations, and again in 2011, placing fifth overall.

Academic Performance Index (API)

API for Lincoln High School.

Feeder Patterns

A majority of the students come from Florence Nightingale Middle School, El Sereno Middle School.

Notable alumni

Rodolfo Acosta Rodolfo Pérez Acosta (July 29, 1920 – November 7, 1974) was a Mexican-American character actor who became known for his roles as Mexican outlaws or American Indians in Hollywood western films. He was sometimes credited as Rudolfo Acosta ...

, actor *

Gregory Ain Gregory Samuel Ain (March 28, 1908 – January 9, 1988) was an American architect active in the mid-20th century. Working primarily in the Los Angeles area, Ain is best known for bringing elements of modern architecture to lower- and medium- ...

, architect *

Ethel Percy Andrus Ethel Percy Andrus (September 21, 1884 – July 13, 1967) was a long-time educator and the first woman high school principal in California. She was also an elder rights activist and the founder of AARP in 1958. In 1993 she was inducted into t ...

, principal 1917–1944, founder AARP, first female high school principal in California *

Sam Balter Samuel Balter Jr. (October 15, 1909 – August 8, 1998) was an American basketball player who won a gold medal at the 1936 Summer Olympics. He was also a renowned sportscaster. Career Balter was born in Detroit, Michigan. He went first to Li ...

(1909–1998), basketball player *

Eddie Cano Edward Cano (June 6, 1927 – January 30, 1988) was an Afro-Cuban jazz and Latin jazz pianist and composer. Early life Cano was born in Los Angeles on June 6, 1927. His mother was Mexican-American, and his father, a bass guitarist, was Mexican. Can ...

, Afro-Cuban jazz and Latin jazz pianist *

Gaylord Carter Gaylord Carter (August 3, 1905 – November 20, 2000) was an American organist and the composer of many film scores that were added to silent movies released on video tape or disks. He died from Parkinson disease. Early life and musical begin ...

, organist *

Bobby Castillo Robert Ernie "Babo" Castillo Jr. (April 18, 1955 – June 30, 2014) was an American professional baseball pitcher. He played for the Los Angeles Dodgers and Minnesota Twins of Major League Baseball (MLB) between and . He was in the bullpen f ...

, former

Los Angeles Dodgers The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Established in 1883 in the city of Brooklyn ...

and

Minnesota Twins The Minnesota Twins are an American professional baseball team based in Minneapolis. The Twins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central Division. The team is named after the Twin Cities area w ...

pitcher *

, activist (faculty) *

Eldridge Cleaver Leroy Eldridge Cleaver (August 31, 1935 – May 1, 1998) was an American writer and political activist who became an early leader of the Black Panther Party. In 1968, Cleaver wrote '' Soul on Ice'', a collection of essays that, at the time of i ...

, writer - ''Soul on Ice'' * John Conte, actor *

John Doucette John Arthur Doucette (January 21, 1921 – August 16, 1994) was an American character actor who performed in more than 280 film and television productions between 1941 and 1987. A man of stocky build who possessed a deep, rich voice, he ...

, actor * Sue Kunitomi Embrey, Japanese-American teacher, activist and Manzanar intern *

Moctesuma Esparza Moctesuma Esparza (born March 12, 1949) is an American producer, entertainment executive, entrepreneur and community activist. Moctesuma Esparza is well known for his contributions to the movie industry and commitment to creating opportunities ...

, director, producer *

Jackie Fields Jackie Fields (Jacob Finkelstein, February 9, 1908 – June 3, 1987) was an People of the United States, American professional boxer who won the World Welterweight Championship twice. Statistical boxing website BoxRec lists Fields as the #19 ran ...

(Jacob Finkelstein; 1908–1987), boxer who twice won the World Welterweight Championship *

Jennifer Love Hewitt Jennifer Love Hewitt (born February 21, 1979) is an American actress and singer. Hewitt began her career as a child actress and singer, appearing in national television commercials before joining the cast of the Disney Channel series ''Kids I ...

, actress/singer *

John Huston John Marcellus Huston ( ; August 5, 1906 – August 28, 1987) was an American film director, screenwriter, actor and visual artist. He wrote the screenplays for most of the 37 feature films he directed, many of which are today considered ...

, director/actor *

Fidel LaBarba Fidel LaBarba (September 29, 1905 – October 2, 1981) was an American boxing, boxer and sportswriter. He was born in New York City and grew up in Los Angeles, California. LaBarba began his amateur career at fourteen, eventually winning the fl ...

, boxer, sportswriter, gold medalist 1924 Olympics (Paris) *

José Limón José Arcadio Limón (January 12, 1908 – December 2, 1972) was a dancer and choreographer from Mexico and who developed what is now known as 'Limón technique'. In the 1940s, he founded the José Limón Dance Company (now the Limón Dan ...

, choreographer *

Carlos R. Moreno Carlos Roberto Moreno (born November 4, 1948) is an American jurist who is the former United States Ambassador to Belize, serving from June 24, 2014 to January 20, 2017. Previously, he served as a judge of the United States District Court for the ...

, California Supreme Court Justice (Cl. of 1966) *

Sadao Munemori Sadao Munemori ( ja, 旨森貞雄, August 17, 1922 – April 5, 1945) was a United States Army soldier and posthumous recipient of the Medal of Honor, after he sacrificed his life to save those of his fellow soldiers at Seravezza, Italy durin ...

, Medal of Honor recipient *

Jeanette Nolan Jeanette Nolan (December 30, 1911 – June 5, 1998) was an American actress. Nominated for four Emmy Awards, she had roles in the television series '' The Virginian'' (1962–1971) and ''Dirty Sally'' (1974), and in films such as ''Macbeth'' ...

, actress * Robert Preston, actor *

Ref Sanchez Ref Sanchez (born Refugio Sanchez, 1917–1986) was an American actor who appeared mostly in television shows in smaller acting parts. He worked as a fashion photographer in the 1950s through the 1970s. Early life Sanchez was the son of Cruz S ...

, actor and fashion photographer * Jim Tunney, L. A. Unified School District administrator, NFL referee * Kenny Washington, (NFL) professional American football player * Robert Young, actor

Media

Abraham Lincoln High School is used prominently as both itself and the fictional "Clayton College" in the 1927

Buster Keaton Joseph Frank "Buster" Keaton (October 4, 1895 – February 1, 1966) was an American actor, comedian, and filmmaker. He is best known for his silent film work, in which his trademark was physical comedy accompanied by a stoic, deadpan expression ...

film ''

College A college (Latin: ''collegium'') is an educational institution or a constituent part of one. A college may be a degree-awarding tertiary educational institution, a part of a collegiate or federal university, an institution offering ...

'' and briefly appears at the end of the movie ''

Walkout In labor disputes, a walkout is a labor strike, the act of employees collectively leaving the workplace and withholding labor as an act of protest. A walkout can also mean the act of leaving a place of work, school, a meeting, a company, or an ...

'' (a real life video in the end credits).

References

External links

Abraham Lincoln High School website

Abraham Lincoln High School profile
provided by the Los Angeles Unified School District {{DEFAULTSORT:Lincoln High Los Angeles Unified School District schools High schools in Los Angeles Lincoln Heights, Los Angeles Public high schools in California Eastside Los Angeles Educational institutions established in 1878 1878 establishments in California School buildings completed in 1940 Works Progress Administration in California PWA Moderne architecture in California