Harriton High School is a
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 ''Öffentlichkei ...
secondary 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 '' secondary education, lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) ...
serving portions of
Lower Merion Township, Pennsylvania
Lower Merion Township is a township in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. It is part of the Philadelphia Main Line. The township's name originates with the county of Merioneth in north Wales. Merioneth is an English-language transcription of the W ...
. The school is located on the
Philadelphia Main Line
The Philadelphia Main Line, known simply as the Main Line, is an informally delineated historical and social region of suburban Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Lying along the former Pennsylvania Railroad's once prestigious Main Line, it runs no ...
.
Harriton is one of two high schools in the
Lower Merion School District
Lower Merion School District, or LMSD, is a public school district located in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States. The school district includes residents of both Lower Merion Township and the Borough of Narberth. Established in 18 ...
; the other is
Lower Merion High School
Lower Merion High School is a public high school in Ardmore, a community in Philadelphia's Main Line suburbs. It is one of two high schools in the Lower Merion School District; the other one is Harriton High School. Lower Merion serves both Lowe ...
.
History
In 1957, a new "campus-style" school was designed by architect
Vincent Kling. It was situated on a portion of the plantation grounds belonging to
Charles Thomson
Charles Thomson (November 29, 1729 – August 16, 1824) was an Irish-born Patriot leader in Philadelphia during the American Revolution and the secretary of the Continental Congress (1774–1789) throughout its existence. As secretary, Thomson ...
, son-in-law of Richard and Hannah Harrison, giving Harriton High School its name. Harriton High School opened in 1958.
As of the 2009 school year, a new three-story building has been completed and the "campus-style" school largely demolished to make room for sports fields. The old Harriton High School consisted of five buildings connected by covered walkways otherwise open to the elements, a style unusual for the region that it shared with
Welsh Valley Middle School
Lower Merion School District, or LMSD, is a public school district located in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States. The school district includes residents of both Lower Merion Township and the Borough of Narberth. Established in 183 ...
, built at the same time; its buildings surrounded a mostly concrete courtyard nicknamed "the Tombs". The new school's design departs from this style greatly — a modern design that encompasses a simple and effective layout with a focus on natural light and an airy environment.
Clubs and activities
Science Olympiad
Harriton hosts a successful Science Olympiad chapter. The Team has placed among the top 10 at the
Science Olympiad
Science Olympiad is an American team competition in which students compete in 23 events pertaining to various fields of science, including earth science, biology, chemistry, physics, and engineering. Over 7,800 middle school and high school team ...
National Tournament for 21 consecutive years, winning three national championships and 16 consecutive state championships in that span.
Harriton competes in the Southeastern Region for Regionals and Pennsylvania for States.
Although they have not run any invitationals in the past, Harriton participates in multiple of invitationals, including Conestoga, Twin Tiers (Athens), Solon, Wright State, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cornell, Upenn and Princeton.
In the states competition, Harriton held the longest winning streak out of any Pennsylvanian team, athletic or not—placing first place at States for sixteen consecutive years (1997 to 2013). At the National competition, the team won the national title in 1995, 2001 and 2005. Additionally, the team has competed in the national competition from 1994 to present, 22 years. In more recent years, Harriton has not performed as well in Science Olympiad. In the 2021 season, the team got second at states, losing to Lower Merion High School. The team then went on to place 16th at the national tournament, the first time since 1993 that the team did not place in the top 10 at nationals. The 2020 regional, state, and national competition were cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Academic Decathlon
Harriton High School features a chapter of the United States Academic Decathlon. The chapter participates in the Eastern Pennsylvania Regional Competition.
Music at Harriton
Harriton features a full concert band and orchestra. Harriton also features a performance jazz band. Every fall and spring, Harriton stages a music concert featuring all the ensembles, as well as an occasional string quartet and percussion ensemble. Neither high school in Lower Merion School District supports a marching band, but Harriton does have its own "RAM Band", which plays at home and away football games.
Every year Harriton musicians audition for positions in the PMEA district band and/or orchestra.
''Harriton Banner''
The school newspaper had been called the ''Harriton Forum'' or the ''Harriton Free Forum'' since the opening of Harriton High School in 1957. In October 2006, it was renamed the ''Harriton Banner''.
Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA)
Harriton High School features a chapter of the Future Business Leaders of America. The chapter has been highly successful in the last few years. Members who advance past the PA Region 20 competition are eligible to compete in the annual State Leadership Conference (SLC) in Hershey, Pennsylvania. Members of FBLA chapters from across the State of Pennsylvania compete at the SLC for the right to compete in the National Leadership Conference (NLC).
Technology Student Association (TSA)
Harriton TSA has had successes at regional, state, and national competitions, including a TSA national championship in Prepared Presentation in 2010. Harriton TSA members held five of the eight Pennsylvania TSA state officer positions. The four Lower Merion School District TSA chapters, including Harriton's TSA, consistently win more awards than any other school district in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. As TSA itself deals within the realm of STEM learning, it is often compared to the successful Science Olympiad team.
Harriton Student Council (HSC)
![Mr](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0e/Mr._Harriton_2010.jpg)
This is the main body of representation for the Harriton student body. HSC holds meetings that are open to any Harriton student. HSC recruits members, who vote on issues at the meetings. Members are divided into six committees: Students' Rights, Events, Communication, Finance, Planning, and Technology. There is a sub-committee under Students' Rights that was established after the district initiated the 1:1 laptop-to-student initiative (the Students' Rights Technology Sub-Committee). Council is the organizing and executing body of the annual "Mr. Harriton" competition, one of the flagship productions at Harriton High School. Mr harriton is a competition between male students engaging in a "beauty pageant" style competition. It is generally a comedic event and it raises money for charity. The Student Council collects revenue from the show through ticket sales and catalog advertising. In 2014, the Student Council raised a record $17,000, all of which went to charity. In December 2018, the name of the event was changed to "Dr. Harriton" to reflect the fact that anyone may participate.
Athletics
![Harriton-field-practice](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/91/Harriton-field-practice.jpg)
Harriton High School competes the
Central League
The or is one of the two professional baseball leagues that constitute Nippon Professional Baseball in Japan. The winner of the league championship plays against the winner of the Pacific League in the annual Japan Series. It currently consist ...
in
District 1 District 1 may refer to:
* I District, Turku, in Finland
* District 1, Düsseldorf, a district in Düsseldorf, Germany
* Sector 1 (Bucharest), also known as District 1, in Bucharest, Romania
* District I, Budapest in Budapest, Hungary
* District ...
of the
Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association
The Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association, Inc., also known by its acronymn PIAA, is one of the governing bodies of high school and middle school athletics for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, in the United States.
The PIAA's main ...
(PIAA).
Tennis
Harriton's girls tennis team held the PIAA State Class AA Team Tennis Title for seven consecutive years from 2004 to 2010. After moving up to Class AAA in 2012, girls tennis won the PIAA State Class AAA Team Tennis Titles in 2016, 2017, and 2019.
Lacrosse
Harriton's girls lacrosse won the PIAA State Championship in 2013 and 2019.
Harriton's boys lacrosse won Pennsylvania State championships in 1970, 1971, and 1972 and came in second in 1974 and 1975.
Golf
Since 2013, Ram Golf has reached the
PIAA District
The Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association, Inc., also known by its acronymn PIAA, is one of the governing bodies of high school and middle school athletics for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, in the United States.
The PIAA's main ...
Team Championship competition in two of three years, as well as individuals reaching the district competition each year.
Cross Country/Track
Harriton has a cross country team in the fall, as well as a track team for the winter and the spring.
Ice hockey
Harriton features a Boys' Ice Hockey Team. It separated from the joint Lower Merion/Harriton team after the 2009–2010 season.
Crew
Harriton's rowing team has sent several boats to the National regatta. In the Spring of 2013, the Women's Varsity 4+ boat won the Scholastic National Championships, as well as made it to the final round of the Women's Henley Regatta in Henley-on-Thames, England. Both its girls' and boys' teams have won races in the all-city regatta. In 1976, Harriton's Varsity 4+ won the boys Stotesbury Regatta. In 1977, the boys Varsity 4+ won the Boys National Championship on Lake Carnegie in Princeton, NJ.
Football
Harriton's football team is ranked 486th in the state, and includes a varsity roster of 56 students.
Soccer
They offer both Girls and Boys Varsity Soccer during the fall season.
Swimming
The Harriton High School swim includes a girls and boys Varsity and Junior Varsity teams.
As of 2016, the boys teams have won 3 out of the last 5 state championships and the girls have won 2 out of the last 4.
The team practices at Lower Merion High School.
Laptop privacy lawsuit
In the 2010
WebcamGate
''Robbins v. Lower Merion School District'' is a federal class action lawsuit, brought in February 2010 on behalf of students of two high schools in Lower Merion Township, a suburb of Philadelphia. In October 2010, the school district agreed to ...
case, plaintiffs charged Harriton High School and Lower Merion High School with secretly spying on students by remotely activating webcams embedded in school-issued laptops the students were using at home, and therefore infringed on their privacy rights. The schools admitted to secretly snapping over 66,000 webshots and screenshots, including webcam shots of students in their bedrooms.
["Initial LANrev System Findings"](_blank)
, LMSD Redacted Forensic Analysis, L-3 Services – prepared for Ballard Spahr
Ballard Spahr LLP is an AmLaw 100 law firm practicing throughout the United States. Founded in 1885, the law firm focuses on litigation, securities and regulatory enforcement, business and finance, intellectual property, public finance, and rea ...
(LMSD's counsel), May 2010. Retrieved August 15, 2010. In October 2010, the school district agreed to pay $610,000 to settle the ''Robbins'' and parallel ''Hasan'' lawsuits against it.
Notable alumni
*
Lynda Resnick
Lynda Rae Resnick (born 1943) is an American billionaire businesswoman. Resnick is married to Stewart Resnick, who is her business partner, and through their holding company The Wonderful Company, they own the POM Wonderful and Fiji Water bra ...
(1960) – President/CEO Roll International Corporation.
*
Andy Hertzfeld
Andrew Jay Hertzfeld (born April 6, 1953) is an American software engineer and innovator who was a member of the original Apple Macintosh development team during the 1980s. After buying an Apple II in January 1978, he went to work for Apple ...
(1971) – Personal computing pioneer, member of the original Apple Macintosh design team.
*
Susan Kare
Susan Kare ( "care"; born February 5, 1954) is an American artist and graphic designer best known for her interface elements and typeface contributions to the first Apple Macintosh from 1983 to 1986. She was employee #10 and Creative Director at ...
(1971) – Graphic designer and originator of icons and typefaces for Apple Computer.
*
Lawrence Summers
Lawrence Henry Summers (born November 30, 1954) is an American economist who served as the 71st United States secretary of the treasury from 1999 to 2001 and as director of the National Economic Council from 2009 to 2010. He also served as pre ...
(1972) – former
president of Harvard University
The president of Harvard University is the chief academic administration, administrator of Harvard University and the ''Ex officio member, ex officio'' president of the President and Fellows of Harvard College, Harvard Corporation. Each is appoi ...
, former U. S.
Secretary of the Treasury
The United States secretary of the treasury is the head of the United States Department of the Treasury, and is the chief financial officer of the federal government of the United States. The secretary of the treasury serves as the principal a ...
, and former director of the
National Economic Council. (Summers returned to Harriton in 2009 to speak at the school's 50th commencement, and in 2015 to speak in the auditorium for the Stock Market Club.)
*
(1972) – Sports agent named "One of the 50 Most Influential People in Sports Business".
*
David Crane (1975) – Emmy Award-winning TV writer/producer/director, creator of ''
Friends
''Friends'' is an American television sitcom created by David Crane and Marta Kauffman, which aired on NBC from September 22, 1994, to May 6, 2004, lasting ten seasons. With an ensemble cast starring Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa ...
''.
*
Kenneth Merz
Kenneth M. Merz Jr. is an American biochemist and molecular biologist currently the Joseph Zichis Chair and a distinguished university professor at Michigan State University and editor-in-chief of American Chemical Society's ''Journal of Chemica ...
(1977) – American biochemist and molecular biologist currently the Joseph Zichis Chair and a Distinguished University Professor at
Michigan State University
Michigan State University (Michigan State, MSU) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in East Lansing, Michigan. It was founded in 1855 as the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan, the fi ...
.
*
Adena Halpern
Adena Halpern (born December 8, 1968) is an American author best known for her "chick lit" novels, "The Ten Best Days of My Life," "29" and "Pinch Me."
Career
After graduating from Harriton High School outside Philadelphia, she attended New York ...
(1987) – Author, ''The Ten Best Days of My Life'' (2008, Plume), ''29'' (2010, Touchstone), and ''Pinch Me'' (2011, Touchstone)
*
Josh Becker (politician)
Josh Becker (April 13, 1969) is an American politician currently in the California State Senate. He is a Democratic Party (United States), Democrat representing the California's 13th State Senate district, 13th Senate District, which encompasses ...
(1987) – California State Senator
*
John Wozniak
John Keith Wozniak (born January 19, 1971) is an American musician best known as the lead singer, guitarist and songwriter of the band Marcy Playground.
Early life
Wozniak was born and raised in Minneapolis. He learned how to play the guitar ...
(1988) – guitarist/singer
Marcy Playground
Marcy Playground is an American alternative rock band consisting of three members: John Wozniak (lead vocals, guitar), Dylan Keefe (bass), and Shlomi Lavie (drums). The band is best known for their 1997 hit "Sex and Candy".
History
Early yea ...
*
Katie Wright
Kathryn Wright Azaria (born December 25, 1971) is an American therapist and retired actress.
Career
Wright began her acting career in two episodes of ''The Wonder Years'' and later had leading roles in several network television films, in additi ...
(1990) – actress, ''
Melrose Place
''Melrose Place'' is an American prime time television soap opera that aired on Fox from July 8, 1992, to May 24, 1999, for seven seasons. The show follows the lives of a group of young adults living in an apartment complex on Melrose Place, in ...
'' married to actor/director
Hank Azaria
Henry Albert Azaria ( ; born April 25, 1964) is an American actor, comedian, and writer. He is known for voicing many characters in the animated sitcom ''The Simpsons'' (1989–present), most notably Moe Szyslak, Chief Wiggum, Comic Book Guy, Sna ...
since 2007
*
Lou D'Angeli
Lou D'Angeli (born August 19, 1972) is an American marketing professional and retired professional wrestling manager. He is the current director of marketing and public relations for Cirque du Soleil in Las Vegas, as well as the Vice President of ...
(1991) – performer & writer for
Extreme Championship Wrestling
HHG Corporation, doing business as Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW), was a professional wrestling promotion and media company that was based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The promotion was founded in 1992 by Tod Gordon as National Wrest ...
and
World Wrestling Entertainment
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc., d/b/a as WWE, is an American professional wrestling promotion. A global integrated media and entertainment company, WWE has also branched out into other fields, including film, American football, and vario ...
& currently working for
Cirque du Soleil
Cirque du Soleil (, ; "Circus of the Sun" or "Sun Circus") is a Canadian entertainment company and the largest contemporary circus producer in the world. Located in the inner-city area of Saint-Michel, it was founded in Baie-Saint-Paul on 16 Ju ...
in Las Vegas overseeing all marketing and PR.
*
Josh Cooke
Joshua Gregory Cooke is an American actor, songwriter, comedian and musician.
Personal life
Cooke was born in Philadelphia and attended Harriton High School, a small public high school in suburban Rosemont. He was a member of Harriton Theater ...
(1998) – actor, notably ''
Dexter
Dexter may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* Dexter, the main character of the American animated series ''Dexter's Laboratory'' that aired from 1996 to 2003
* Dexter, a fictional character in the British Diary of a Bad Man#Main, web series ''Diar ...
'', ''
I Love You Man
''I Love You, Man'' is a 2009 American bromantic comedy film written and directed by John Hamburg, based on a script by Larry Levin. The film stars Paul Rudd as a friendless man looking for a best man for his upcoming wedding. However, his new ...
'', and ''
Curb Your Enthusiasm
''Curb Your Enthusiasm'' is an American television sitcom produced and broadcast by HBO since October 15, 2000, and created by Larry David, who stars as a semi-fictionalized version of himself. It follows David's life as a semi-retired televisio ...
''
*
Wendell Holland
Wendell F. Holland, Jr. (born March 8, 1984) is an American furniture company owner best known for competing on the American reality show '' Survivor''. On May 23, 2018, he was revealed as the winner of the show's 36th season, '' Survivor: Ghost ...
(2002) - Winner of ''
Survivor: Ghost Island'' and contestant on
Survivor: Winners at War
*
Eugene Bright
Eugene Stanley Bright (born April 18, 1985) is a former American football tight end. He was signed by the Philadelphia Eagles as a street free agent in 2009. He played college football at Purdue. He is the older brother of Callahan Bright.
Prof ...
(2003) – American football player
*
Britt Reid
The Green Hornet is a superhero created in 1936 by George W. Trendle and Fran Striker, with input from radio director James Jewell. Since his 1930s radio debut, the character has appeared in numerous serialized dramas in a wide variety of med ...
(2003) - American football coach
*
Callahan Bright
Callahan Bright (born January 16, 1987) is a former high school football star. His career derailed during college. After one season at Division II Shaw University, Bright entered the 2010 NFL Draft but was not selected. He had brief stints with ...
(2005) – American football player
References
External links
Lower Merion School DistrictHarriton High School
{{authority control
Public high schools in Pennsylvania
International Baccalaureate schools in Pennsylvania
Lower Merion Township, Pennsylvania
Educational institutions established in 1958
Schools in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania
1958 establishments in Pennsylvania
School buildings completed in 2009