Eleanor Roosevelt High School (ERHS) is a

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...

public In public relations and communication science, publics are groups of individual people, and the public (a.k.a. the general public) is the totality of such groupings. This is a different concept to the sociological concept of the ''Öffentlichk ...

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, nicke ...

high school A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper seconda ...

specializing in

science Science is a systematic endeavor that Scientific method, builds and organizes knowledge in the form of Testability, testable explanations and predictions about the universe. Science may be as old as the human species, and some of the earli ...

technology Technology is the application of knowledge to reach practical goals in a specifiable and Reproducibility, reproducible way. The word ''technology'' may also mean the product of such an endeavor. The use of technology is widely prevalent in me ...

engineering Engineering is the use of scientific principles to design and build machines, structures, and other items, including bridges, tunnels, roads, vehicles, and buildings. The discipline of engineering encompasses a broad range of more speciali ...

, and mathematics. The school was established in 1976 at its current location in

Greenbelt, Maryland Greenbelt is a city in Prince George's County, Maryland, United States, and a suburb of Washington, D.C. At the 2020 census, the population was 24,921. Greenbelt is the first and the largest of the three experimental and controversial New D ...

, United States and is part of the

Prince George's County Public Schools Prince George's County Public Schools (PGCPS) is a large public school district administered by the government of Prince George's County, Maryland, United States, and is overseen by the Maryland State Department of Education. The school system is ...

system. It was the first high school named for former first lady

Eleanor Roosevelt Anna Eleanor Roosevelt () (October 11, 1884November 7, 1962) was an American political figure, diplomat, and activist. She was the first lady of the United States from 1933 to 1945, during her husband President Franklin D. Roosevelt's four ...

. It serves all of the City of Greenbelt and a section of the Seabrook census-designated place.2010 CENSUS - CENSUS BLOCK MAP (INDEX): Greenbelt city, MD
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U.S. Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...

. Retrieved on September 1, 2018.2010 CENSUS - CENSUS BLOCK MAP: Seabrook CDP, MD
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. Retrieved on September 1, 2018. It also serves a section of the former Goddard CDP.CENSUS 2000 BLOCK MAP: GODDARD CDP
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. Retrieved on September 1, 2018. 1990 Census map of Prince George's County
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Roosevelt has received numerous awards, including being twice awarded

National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence The National Blue Ribbon Schools Program is a United States Department of Education award program that recognizes exemplary public and non-public schools on a yearly basis. Using standards of excellence evidenced by student achievement measures, ...

; a

New American High School The New American High Schools initiative, started in 1996 under the direction of the United States Secretary of Education Richard W. Riley, is a national recognition program for United States secondary schools. Description In 1996, 1998, 1999, a ...

; a National School of Character; and receiving the Siemens Awards for Advanced Placement. Roosevelt was named #382 on ''America's Top 1,500 Public High Schools'' list for 2009, by ''

Newsweek Magazine ''Newsweek'' is an American weekly online news magazine co-owned 50 percent each by Dev Pragad, its president and CEO, and Johnathan Davis, who has no operational role at ''Newsweek''. Founded as a weekly print magazine in 1933, it was widel ...

'' and was also recognized as a ''Silver Medal School'' by '' U.S. News & World Report'', in 2008. Several prominent figures have attended Eleanor Roosevelt, including

Sergey Brin Sergey Mikhailovich Brin (russian: link=no, Сергей Михайлович Брин; born August 21, 1973) is an American business magnate, computer scientist, and internet entrepreneur, who co-founded Google with Larry Page. Brin was th ...

, one of the two founders of

Google Google LLC () is an American Multinational corporation, multinational technology company focusing on Search Engine, search engine technology, online advertising, cloud computing, software, computer software, quantum computing, e-commerce, ar ...

, R&B singers

Mýa Mya Marie Harrison (; born October 10, 1979), (stylized as Mýa), is an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and actress. Born into a musical family, she studied ballet, jazz, and tap dance as a child. Initially, Mýa began her career as a VJ ...

and

Kenny Lattimore Kenny Lattimore (born April 10, 1970) is an American R&B singer. Early life Lattimore first developed his interest for music in the high school band program at Eleanor Roosevelt High School in Greenbelt, Maryland. He often acknowledges Dr ...

, as well as television personality

Martin Lawrence Martin Fitzgerald LawrenceStated in interview on ''Inside the Actors Studio'' (born April 16, 1965) is an American comedian and actor. He came to fame during the 1990s, establishing a Hollywood career as a leading actor. He got his start playin ...

; including numerous sports personalities in American basketball and football. James Seppi set the record for fastest float down the lower Colorado River

History

In December 1975 Margaret Wolfe, a woman who previously lived in Greenbelt, sent a letter to the ''

Washington Star ''The Washington Star'', previously known as the ''Washington Star-News'' and the Washington ''Evening Star'', was a daily afternoon newspaper published in Washington, D.C., between 1852 and 1981. The Sunday edition was known as the ''Sunday Sta ...

'' suggesting that the school be named after

. Edna Benefiel, another woman who once resided in Greenbelt, later sent another letter to the ''Star'' also favoring the Eleanor Roosevelt name. ''

Prince George's Post A prince is a Monarch, male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary title, hereditary, in s ...

'' released an editorial favoring the naming on January 8, 1976.Knepper, Cathy D. ''Greenbelt, Maryland: A Living Legacy of the New Deal''.

JHU Press The Johns Hopkins University Press (also referred to as JHU Press or JHUP) is the publishing division of Johns Hopkins University. It was founded in 1878 and is the oldest continuously running university press in the United States. The press publi ...

, 2001. , 9780801864902. p
149
The PGCPS board voted for that name one week later.Knepper, Cathy D. ''Greenbelt, Maryland: A Living Legacy of the New Deal''.

, 2001. pp
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. "The following week the school board voted to name the new school Eleanor Roosevelt High School." The school was scheduled to open in fall 1976.

Academics

Roosevelt is best known for its specialized ''Science and Technology (S/T) program'', which has been in place since the school was first opened. Roosevelt is the S/T center for the northern part of Prince George's County, and admission is based on a competitive exam. Roosevelt is a member of the National Consortium for Specialized Secondary Schools of Mathematics, Science and Technology (NCSSSMST). Roosevelt is the first of three specialized science and technology centers located in the Prince George's County Public Schools system. STP is an active member of the National Consortium for Specialized Secondary Schools of Mathematics, Science and Technology (NCSSSMST). The magnet operates as a ''"School-Within-A-School"'', which essentially means it's a separate school within another school, and only a portion of the students who attend the school are actually enrolled in the magnet program. Many of the core courses such as English and Social Studies classes have mixed amounts of S/T, AOIT, QUEST, and comprehensive students in the same classes. The Science and Technology Center is a highly competitive selective enrollment program, and students are admitted into the magnet through pre-admission testing, as well as a combination of grades earned in four subjects areas during seventh grade and the first quarter of eighth grade. The comprehensive program at ERHS is further divided into several smaller schools, or ''Career Academies'', as part of the ''

smaller learning communities The house system is a traditional feature of schools in the United Kingdom. The practice has since spread to Commonwealth countries and the United States. The school is divided into subunits called "houses" and each student is allocated to o ...

'' initiative. Roosevelt was the first high school within the county to feature and successfully implement academy programs, and the strategy has since been expanded and implemented at several other area high schools. ERHS also offers several AP (advanced placement) courses which are open to all students.

Athletics

Basketball

The ERHS basketball teams are perennial county contenders. The boys team led by Coach Brendan O'Connell won the 4A South Region Title in 6 of the past 9 years (all except 2008, 2009, and 2014). They last won the 4A State Championship in 2022. The program has produced former NBA player Eddie Basden, former NBA player

Delonte West Delonte Maurice West (born July 26, 1983) is an American former professional basketball player. He played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for the Boston Celtics, Seattle SuperSonics, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Dallas Mavericks. He also ...

, former University of Kentucky player Darnell Dodson, and Lasan Kromah of the 2014 National Champion UConn Huskies. The girls basketball team, led by Coach Delton Fuller, has dominated county play in recent years. They won five straight 4A State Championships from 2005 to 2009.

Track and Field

In 2007 the Girls track team broke through at the

Penn Relays The Penn Relays (also Penn Relays Carnival) is the oldest and largest track and field competition in the United States, hosted annually since April 21, 1895 by the University of Pennsylvania at Franklin Field in Philadelphia. In 2012, there were ...

, winning two Penn Relay Championship of America events and they followed that up with another win in 2008. The Girls Outdoor Track team won the State Championship in 1978, 1995, 2000, 2003, 2005, and 2007–2009. The Raiders hold 6 of the top 10 fastest 4 × 100 meters times in State Meet history, 5 of the top 10 4×200 M times, four of the top 10 4 × 400 m times, and 5 of the top 10 4×800 M times. The cross country teams have also been very consistent with the girls team winning three straight state championships from 2004 to 2006, with a second-place finish in 2007. In 2007, they went on to Nationals and became 8th best in the country. The Girls Indoor track team has won a state record 20 State Championships including the last one in 2012. The boys track team has won seven Indoor State titles and 5 Outdoor State Titles, most recently in 2008.

Lacrosse

The boys lacrosse team is a Club Team currently (2010–2011) composed of players from surrounding public county high schools. As lacrosse is not a sport currently offered at all of the high schools in Prince George's County, Maryland, the team competes against area schools in the MILL (Maryland Independent Lacrosse League). In 2009, the total number of county high schools with lacrosse programs including public and private was up to nine.

Swimming

The girls' swimming team won the state title in the second year of the title's existence in 2008 and they were runners-up the previous year. The girls team has won 18 straight county titles, while the boys team has won 8 straight.

Tennis

The tennis team is also typically one of the best in the county. In 2007 Katelyn Stokes won the Girls Singles State Title as a freshman. She was upset her sophomore year but went on to win again in 2009 and 2010.

Wrestling

The wrestling team is a consistent contender in the county winning the past 4 county titles. They are under the tutelage of Head Coach Cornelius Cortez and assisted by longtime coach Mike McRae, the Raiders highest placed finish in the State Tournament was in 1989 when they finished 4th. The ERHS Raiders made history in 2016, when Chibueze OnWuka was the 1st ever state champ in school history at 220 pounds.

Soccer

Eleanor Roosevelt has a rich history with both their boys and girls soccer teams. The boys soccer team tied for the Maryland 4A Championship in 1984 and has enjoyed several regional championships (1985, 1988, 1998, 1999, 2015, 2016). Both the boys and girls soccer team have a fierce rivalry with the Bowie High School Bulldogs. Additionally, both programs have seen many players continue their soccer careers by playing in college. The girls team won three region titles in a row from 2005–2007 and won again in 2011, as well as 2013, 2014, 2017, 2018, and 2019. The Raiders won the lone State Championship by a County team in 2003. The Raiders saw their state title hopes fall just short in 2005 and 2006. In 2005 they lost a State Semi Final Game to C.M. Wright on penalty kicks and in 2006 they lost a State Semi Final Game to Quince Orchard. This was a game that they thoroughly dominated, hitting the crossbar or post at least five times and conceding a goal on a miscommunication in the 2nd OT period.

Accolades and achievements

Roosevelt has received numerous prestigious academic awards throughout its thirty-four year history. The school is a rare two-time awarded

for 1991 and 1998; a 1991 and 1998 Maryland Blue Ribbon School; a 1999

; a recipient of the 2002–2003 national Siemens Awards for Advanced Placement; and was named a 2002 National School of Character by the

Character Education Partnership Character.org is a nonprofit organization that encourages people of all ages to practice good ethical values. Formerly known as the Character Education Partnership, it was founded in 1993. Today, Character.org creates and shares resources that s ...

. Eleanor Roosevelt is regarded as one of the most academically challenging high schools in the nation, and for years has consistently ranked as the highest performing school in Prince George's County, averaging the highest combined SAT score in the county of 1570 out of 2400. Roosevelt also has more students enrolled in Advanced Placement courses---with more students receiving a passing score of three or higher---than any other high school in the county. Roosevelt was named #382 on ''America's Top 1,500 Public High Schools'' list for 2009, by ''

'' and was also recognized as a ''Silver Medal School'' by '' U.S. News & World Report'', in 2008. ERHS has one of the top music programs in the county with its extensive band and orchestras, choir and theater groups.

Notable alumni

* Ben Barnes, (1993), member of

Maryland House of Delegates The Maryland House of Delegates is the lower house of the legislature of the State of Maryland. It consists of 141 delegates elected from 47 districts. The House of Delegates Chamber is in the Maryland State House on State Circle in Annapolis, ...

Eddie Basden Edward Richard Basden (born February 15, 1983) is an American professional basketball player who formerly played in the National Basketball Association (NBA). College career Basden, born in Upper Marlboro, Maryland, played competitive basketball ...

(2001), professional basketball athlete *

Alvin Blount Alvin Wilbert Blount (born February 12, 1965) is a former American football running back in the National Football League (NFL) for the Dallas Cowboys. He also was a member of the Washington Commandos and Albany Firebirds of the Arena Football L ...

(1982), professional football athlete *

(1990), Co-founder and President of Technology of

Derrick Burgess Derrick Lee Burgess (born August 12, 1978) is an American former professional football player who was a defensive end in the National Football League (NFL) for 10 seasons, primarily with the Philadelphia Eagles and Oakland Raiders. He was selec ...

(1996), professional football athlete *

Daniel Cates Daniel Cates (born November 14, 1989) also known as jungleman12 or w00ki3z. is a professional poker player from the United States, once considered to be one of the best heads-up No Limit Texas Hold 'em players in the world. As of 2014, his onli ...

(2007), Professional poker player *

Afia Charles Afia Neliah Charles (born July 22, 1992) is a sprinter from Antigua and Barbuda who specializes in the 400 metre dash. Personal life Charles is from Greenbelt, Maryland, United States but her mother Ruperta, was born in Antigua and compete ...

(2010), sprinter, 2012 Olympian *

Gabrielle Christian Gabrielle Christian (born Gabrielle Christine Horchler; July 30, 1984) is an American actress and singer best known for her portrayal of Spencer Carlin in The N original series ''South of Nowhere'', and her portrayal of Colby Robson in the web ...

(2002), American film and television actress * Rob Davis (1986), professional football athlete * Will Davis (2004), professional football athlete *

Jared Gaither Jared Dwight Gaither (born March 18, 1986) is a former American football offensive tackle who played in the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in the fifth round of the 2007 Supplemental Draft. He played colle ...

(2004), professional football athlete *

Myla Goldberg Myla Goldberg (born November 19, 1971) is an American novelist and musician. Biography Goldberg was born into a Jewish family. She was raised in Laurel, Maryland, and graduated from Eleanor Roosevelt High School, where she was one of the Schola ...

(1989), American author (''

Bee Season ''Bee Season'' is a 2000 novel by Myla Goldberg. It follows a young girl as she attempts to win the national spelling bee, and the repercussions of her success on the other members of her family. Plot summary Eleven-year-old Eliza Naumann is the ...

'', ''

Wickett's Remedy ''Wickett's Remedy'' is a 2005 historical novel by Myla Goldberg, about the 1918 influenza epidemic. It was published by Doubleday. The novel makes heavy use of annotations, marginalia, and false documents to support its premise; Goldberg has s ...

'') * Russell Hairston (1982), professional football athlete * Mýa Marie Harrison (1996), musical entertainer *

Derrick Harvey Derrick Harvey (born November 9, 1986) is a former American football defensive end. He played college football for the University of Florida, and was a member of a BCS National Championship team. He was drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars in ...

(2004), professional football athlete * Charles Hill (1998), professional football athlete * Tim Jacobs (1988), professional football athlete *

(1985), singer *

(transferred to Friendly), comedian, actor * Jermaine Lewis (1992), professional football athlete *

Cheryl Mills Cheryl D. Mills (born 1965) is an American lawyer and corporate executive. She first came into public prominence while serving as deputy White House Counsel for President Bill Clinton, whom she defended during his 1999 impeachment trial. She has ...

(1983), lawyer, White House counsel * Okechukwu Okoroha (2008), professional football athlete * Joe Pug (2002), singer-songwriter * Justin Ross (1994), member of

Rosa Salazar Rosa Bianca Salazar (; born July 16, 1985) is a Canadian-American actress. She had roles in the NBC series '' Parenthood'' (2011–2012) and the FX anthology series '' American Horror Story: Murder House'' (2011). She made her breakthrough as t ...

(2003), actress * Annette Thomas (1983), science publishing executive and trustee of

Yale University Yale University is a Private university, private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Sta ...

* Tramell Tillman (2003), actor *

John Turner John Napier Wyndham Turner (June 7, 1929September 19, 2020) was a Canadian lawyer and politician who served as the 17th prime minister of Canada from June to September 1984. He served as leader of the Liberal Party of Canada and leader of t ...

(1986), professional basketball athlete *

(2001), professional basketball athlete * Derrick Williams (2005), professional football athlete

References

External links

* {{authority control Public high schools in Maryland Magnet schools in Maryland NCSSS schools Greenbelt, Maryland Buildings and structures in Prince George's County, Maryland Schools in Prince George's County, Maryland 1976 establishments in Maryland Educational institutions established in 1976 Monuments and memorials to Eleanor Roosevelt