Compton High School is a high school in

Compton, California Compton is a city in southern Los Angeles County, California, United States, situated south of downtown Los Angeles. Compton is one of the oldest cities in the county and, on May 11, 1888, was the eighth city in Los Angeles County to incorporat ...

, United States, part of the

Compton Unified School District Compton Unified School District is a school district headquartered in Compton, California, United States. The district serves Compton, portions of Paramount, portions of Carson, and the unincorporated Los Angeles County neighborhoods of We ...

History

The school opened in 1896 as Compton Union High School and was later re-established as Compton Senior High School in the 1950s after Compton College separated from the high school district and opened its new campus at 1111 East Artesia Boulevard in 1953. During the 1960s, there was a dramatic transition from a

white White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...

student body to one which was predominantly

African-American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American ...

. Contrary to popular belief, Compton High School is hardly a "black" high school today. After the

1992 Los Angeles Riots The 1992 Los Angeles riots, sometimes called the 1992 Los Angeles uprising and the Los Angeles Race Riots, were a series of riots and civil disturbances that occurred in Los Angeles County, California, in April and May 1992. Unrest began in S ...

, many black people left

South Los Angeles South Los Angeles, also known as South Central Los Angeles or simply South Central, is a region in southwestern Los Angeles County, lying mostly within the city limits of Los Angeles, south of downtown. It is "defined on Los Angeles city maps as ...

and moved to the

Antelope Valley The Antelope Valley is located in northern Los Angeles County, California, and the southeast portion of Kern County, California, and constitutes the western tip of the Mojave Desert. It is situated between the Tehachapi, Sierra Pelona, and the ...

, the

Inland Empire The Inland Empire (IE) is a metropolitan area and region inland of and adjacent to coastal Southern California, centering around the cities of San Bernardino and Riverside, and bordering Los Angeles County to the west. It includes the cities o ...

, or the

San Joaquin Valley The San Joaquin Valley ( ; es, Valle de San Joaquín) is the area of the Central Valley of the U.S. state of California that lies south of the Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta and is drained by the San Joaquin River. It comprises seven c ...

. Today, Compton High School is over eighty percent

Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...

as Mexican immigrants settled in

New Campus

Ground broke on a new high school campus on May 7, 2022 and is expected to open in 2025. Designed by

DLR Group DLR Group is an employee-owned integrated design firm providing architecture, engineering, planning, and interior design. Their brand promise is to elevate the human experience through design. A self-described advocate for sustainable design, the ...

, the facility will feature a new performing arts center, academic building, and athletic facilities. New classroom spaces will provide Compton’s 2,500 students the opportunity to participate in programs such as Construction Manufacturing, Graphic Arts, A/V Technology, Communications, Robotics, and Culinary Arts. Additionally, there will be a new football/soccer stadium and outdoor swimming pool.

Dr. Dre donation

On June 15, 2017,

Dr. Dre Andre Romelle Young (born February 18, 1965), known professionally as Dr. Dre, is an American rapper and record producer. He is the founder and CEO of Aftermath Entertainment and Beats Electronics, and previously co-founded, co-owned, and ...

pledged to donate $10 million to the school for a 1200-seat performing arts theater.

Mascot

Compton College's team nick-name is the Tartars, named after the Turkic

Tatars The Tatars ()Tatar
in the Collins English Dictionary is an umbrella term for different

, so the team nick-name for Compton High School became the "Tartar Babies". The mascot is "Baby Tartar", who wears a diaper and carries a big sword.

Notable alumni

Rod Barksdale Rod Barksdale (born September 8, 1962) is a former American football wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL) for the Los Angeles Raiders and Dallas Cowboys. He practiced track & field at the University of Arizona. Early years Barks ...

: NFL wide receiver with Los Angeles Raiders and

Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East divisi ...

Polly Bergen Polly Bergen (born Nellie Paulina Burgin; July 14, 1930 – September 20, 2014) was an American actress, singer, television host, writer and entrepreneur. She won an Emmy Award in 1958 for her performance as Helen Morgan in ''The Helen Mo ...

: movie, television and stage actress, singer, entrepreneur *

Reynaldo Brown Reynaldo Brown (born December 6, 1950 in Los Angeles, California) is an American track and field athlete, known for the high jump. He competed in the 1968 Summer Olympics at the beginning of his senior year in high school, finishing fifth. His ...

: 1968 Olympic High Jumper while still at Compton *

Joe Cain Joseph Stillwell Cain, Jr. (''Joe Cain'') (October 10, 1832 – April 17, 1904) is largely credited with initiating the modern way of observing Mardi Gras and its celebrations in Mobile, Alabama, following the Civil War. "Joe Cain Artic ...

: former NFL player * Ken Carpenter: 1936 Olympic discus throw gold medal winner *

James Coburn James Harrison Coburn III (August 31, 1928 – November 18, 2002) was an American film and television actor who was featured in more than 70 films, largely action roles, and made 100 television appearances during a 45-year career.AllmoviBi ...

: movie and television actor, Oscar winner *

Robin Cole Robin Cole (born September 11, 1955) is a former professional American football player. He was the seventh of ten children born to Obediah and Georgia Mae Cole. He attended high school at Compton High, graduating in 1973. He furthered his educati ...

: former NFL player *

Nadine Conner Nadine Conner (born Evelyn Nadine Henderson; February 20, 1907 - March 1, 2003) was an American operatic soprano, radio singer and music teacher. Early years She was born in Compton, California as Evelyn Nadine Henderson, and was the descendan ...

: opera star *

Aaron Craver Aaron LeRenze Craver (born December 18, 1968, in Los Angeles, California) is a former American football running back and kick returner in the NFL for the Miami Dolphins, Denver Broncos, San Diego Chargers, and the New Orleans Saints. He playe ...

: former NFL player * David Croudip: former NFL player * Johnny Davis: MLB player *

DeMar DeRozan DeMar Darnell DeRozan (born August 7, 1989) is an American professional basketball player for the Chicago Bulls of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the USC Trojans and was selected ninth overall by the T ...

: NBA player for the

Chicago Bulls The Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago. The Bulls compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division. The team was founded on January 1 ...

DJ Yella Antoine Carraby (born December 11, 1961), better known by his stage name DJ Yella, is an American DJ, rapper, record producer and film director from Los Angeles, California. DJ Yella began his career as a member of the World Class Wreckin' Cru a ...

: DJ from the group

N.W.A N.W.A (an abbreviation for Niggaz Wit Attitudes) was an American hip hop group whose members were among the earliest and most significant popularizers and controversial figures of the gangsta rap subgenre, and the group is widely considered ...

Eazy-E Eric Lynn Wright (September 7, 1964 – March 26, 1995), known professionally as Eazy-E, was an American rapper who propelled West Coast rap and gangsta rap by leading the group N.W.A and its label, Ruthless Records. He is often referred t ...

: rapper from the group

Jamaa Fanaka Jamaa Fanaka (born Walter Gordon; September 6, 1942 – April 1, 2012) was an American filmmaker. He is best known for his 1979 film, ''Penitentiary'', and was one of the leading directors of the L.A. Rebellion film movement. Early life and ...

: independent filmmaker *

Marv Fleming Marvin Lawrence Fleming (born January 2, 1942) is a former professional American football player, a tight end in the National Football League (NFL) for 12 seasons, seven with the Green Bay Packers and five with the Miami Dolphins. He was a membe ...

: NFL tight end with

Green Bay Packers The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. It ...

and

Miami Dolphins The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member team of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The team pla ...

* Alfonso Freeman: actor * The Game: rapper *

Roddy Ricch Rodrick Wayne Moore Jr. (born October 22, 1998), known professionally as Roddy Ricch, is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter. He rose to fame in 2018 with his single, "Die Young", which peaked at number 98 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. R ...

: rapper *

William Hanna William Denby Hanna (July 14, 1910 – March 22, 2001) was an American animator and cartoonist who was the creator of ''Tom and Jerry'' as well as the voice actor for the two title characters. Alongside Joseph Barbera, he also founded the ani ...

: animator and co-founder of

Hanna-Barbera Hanna-Barbera Cartoons, Inc. ( ) was an American animation studio and production company which was active from 1957 to 2001. It was founded on July 7, 1957, by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera following the decision of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer to c ...

* Tim Harris: former NFL player *

Ed Hervey Edward Hervey (born May 4, 1973) is a former professional Canadian football wide receiver and currently an assistant general manager for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He played in the CFL for the Edmonton Eskimos ...

CFL The Canadian Football League (CFL; french: Ligue canadienne de football—LCF) is a professional sports league in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football. The league consists of nine teams, each located in a ci ...

All-star and general manager *

Roy Jefferson Roy Lee Jefferson (born November 9, 1943) is a former American football player, a wide receiver in the National Football League for twelve seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Baltimore Colts, and Washington Redskins. During 162 regular season ...

: NFL wide receiver with

Pittsburgh Steelers The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. Founded in , the Steel ...

Baltimore Colts The Baltimore Colts were a professional American football team that played in Baltimore from its founding in 1953 to 1984. The team now plays in Indianapolis, as the Indianapolis Colts. The team was named for Baltimore's history of horse breed ...

, and

Washington Redskins The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) N ...

Dean Jeffries Edward Dean Jeffries (February 25, 1933 – May 5, 2013) was an American custom car designer and fabricator, as well as stuntman and stunt coordinator for motion pictures and television programs based in Los Angeles, California. Early life ...

: car designer and builder, movie stuntman * Cornelius Johnson: 1936 Olympic high jump champion *

Datone Jones Datone Wayne Jones (born July 24, 1990) is an American football defensive tackle who is currently a free agent. He played college football at UCLA Bruins football, UCLA from 2008 to 2012 as a defensive end and defensive tackle. In 2008, he was ...

: NFL defensive end with

Freeman King Freeman King (June 1, 1943 – June 1, 2002) was an American comedian known for such television shows and films as ''The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour'', '' Fletch'', ''Dance Fever'', ''Under The Rainbow'', and ''The Buddy Holly Story''. At the sugg ...

: Comedian * Don Klosterman: professional football player, general manager of

LA Rams The Los Angeles Rams are a professional American football team based in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Rams compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) West division. The Rams pla ...

and other teams * Jim Marshall: athlete, coach and scout with over 60 years in professional baseball *

Keb' Mo' Kevin Roosevelt Moore (born October 3, 1951), known as Keb' Mo', is an American blues musician and five-time Grammy Award winner. He is a singer, guitarist, and songwriter, living in Nashville, Tennessee. He has been described as "a living link ...

: blues musician and songwriter *

Louie Nelson Louis Nelson (born May 28, 1951) is an American former National Basketball Association (NBA) player. Nelson was drafted with the first pick in the second round of the 1973 NBA draft by the Baltimore Bullets. Before the 1974–75 NBA season, Nel ...

: NBA player *

Violet Palmer Violet Renice Palmer (born July 20, 1964) is a retired American basketball referee in the NBA and WNBA and the first female official to reach the highest competitive tier in any major U.S. professional sports league. She also earned recognition a ...

: NBA official * Walter Roberts: former NFL player *

Pete Rozelle Alvin Ray "Pete" Rozelle (; March 1, 1926 – December 6, 1996) was an American businessman and executive. Rozelle served as the commissioner of the National Football League (NFL) for nearly thirty years, from January 1960 until his retirement i ...

: former NFL commissionerr *

Troy Ruttman Troy Ruttman (born March 11, 1930 – May 19, 1997) was an American race car driver. He was the older brother of Jimmy Ruttman, and NASCAR driver Joe Ruttman. Ruttman won the Indianapolis 500 in 1952, at the age of 22 years and 80 days. , he is t ...

: racecar driver *

Hugo Salcedo Hugo Salcedo (born January 25, 1946) is a former soccer player who was a member of the U.S. Olympic soccer team. He coached at the collegiate level at UCLA and has spent over thirty years in various executive positions with FIFA, USSF and Major L ...

soccer player and coach *

Woody Sauldsberry Woodrow Sauldsberry Jr. (July 11, 1934 – September 3, 2007) was an American National Basketball Association (NBA) player. Sauldsberry was born in Winnsboro, Louisiana and graduated from Compton Union High School, where he was the star of his ...

: basketball player *

Howard E. Scott Howard E. Scott (born March 15, 1946) is an American funk/rock guitarist and founding member of the successful 1970s funk band War. Biography Scott grew up in Compton, California. He began playing bass at a very young age under the guidance of ...

: guitarist and co-founder of the funk band

War War is an intense armed conflict between states, governments, societies, or paramilitary groups such as mercenaries, insurgents, and militias. It is generally characterized by extreme violence, destruction, and mortality, using regular o ...

* Bobby Smith: former NFL player *

Duke Snider Edwin Donald "Duke" Snider (September 19, 1926 – February 27, 2011), nicknamed "the Silver Fox" and "the Duke of Flatbush", was an American professional baseball player. Primarily a center fielder, he spent most of his Major League Baseball (M ...

: Hall of Fame baseball player *

Iva Toguri Iva Ikuko Toguri D'Aquino ( ja, 戸栗郁子アイバ; July 4, 1916 – September 26, 2006) was a Japanese-American disc jockey and radio personality who participated in English-language radio broadcasts transmitted by Radio Tokyo to Allied t ...

: Second World War Japanese propaganda broadcaster *

William Cameron Townsend William Cameron Townsend (July 9, 1896 – April 23, 1982) was an American Christian missionary-linguist who founded Wycliffe Bible Translators and the Summer Institute of Linguistics (now SIL International), both of which emphasized transla ...

: Bible translator *

John William Finn John William Finn (24 July 1909 – 27 May 2010) was a sailor in the United States Navy who, as a chief petty officer, received the United States military's highest decoration, the Medal of Honor, for his actions during the attack on Pearl Harbo ...

: Congressional

Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of valor. ...

recipient

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. *

Ulis Williams Ulis C. Williams (born October 24, 1941) is an American former athlete, winner of a gold medal in the 4×400 meter relay at the 1964 Summer Olympics. He later served as President of Compton Community College in Compton, California, from 1996 to ...

: 1964 Olympian in track, President of Compton College

References

External links

Compton High School

Compton High School Alumni Association

Compton High School profile
provided by greatschools.net

provided by schooltree.org {{Los Angeles County Gateway Cities Schools Compton Unified School District High schools in Los Angeles County, California Compton, California Public high schools in California 1896 establishments in California Educational institutions established in 1896