R. A. Long High School is the oldest high school serving the city of

Longview, Washington Longview is a city in Cowlitz County, Washington, United States. It is the principal city of the Longview, Washington Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Cowlitz County. Longview's population was 37,818 at the time of the 2 ...

. A part of

Longview Public Schools Longview Public Schools is a school district headquartered in Longview, Washington. Schools High schools: * RA Long High School R. A. Long High School is the oldest high school serving the city of Longview, Washington. A part of Longview Publi ...

, it was erected in 1927, three years after the city of Longview was incorporated. The total student enrollment at the end of the 2015–2016 school year was 890. The school is named for the city's founder, Robert A. Long, a wealthy timber baron from

Missouri Missouri is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee ...

. Their mascot, the Lumberjack, was so named due to the area's reliance on the timber industry. The female students and sports teams are sometimes referred to as "Lumberjills." The school is on the city Historical Register, with the following inscription:

"This school, a gift to the City of Longview by Robert A. Long, was designed by
William B. Ittner William Butts Ittner (September 4, 1864 – 1936) was an architect in St. Louis, Missouri. He designed over 430 school buildings in Missouri and other areas, was president of the St. Louis Chapter of the American Institute of Architects from 1893 ...
. The two story Corinthian columns and clock tower dominates the Georgian Revival style. The 900-seat auditorium serves as an educational and cultural center. The building and grounds are listed on the
National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...
."

Student body and curriculum

Every senior at R. A. Long is required to complete a senior project consisting of a research paper and a senior oral presentation. Seniors must have a minimum of 24 hours of community service and at least 12 service to school points in order to graduate. Many classes and programs in the Longview school district are shared between both R. A. Long and

Mark Morris High School Mark Morris High School is a public high school in Longview, Washington, for grades nine through twelve. In 2013, it had an enrollment of 976 students. A part of Longview Public Schools, the school was built in 1957 and is named for Samuel Mark M ...

, such as the Dana Brown Mainstage Theatre program, higher level math, science, language classes, and the orchestra. In the past, it has been a tradition at R. A. Long for graduating seniors to hand off a small token or gift to the current principal (and the class counselor), often taking the form of a monetary sum based on the year, paper cups from local fast-food restaurants, or playing cards.

Lumberjack sports

R. A. Long High School currently competes in the

Washington Interscholastic Activities Association The Washington Interscholastic Activities Association (WIAA) is the governing body of athletics and activities for secondary education schools in the state of Washington. As of February 2011, the private, 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization consists ...

(WIAA) Greater St. Helens 2A league. The football team shares the Longview Memorial Stadium with cross-town rival

. The basketball team competes in the R. A. Long Gymnasium, playing in two "Civil War" games versus Mark Morris each year. One is held at R. A. Long and the other on Mark Morris's Ted M. Natt Court. The football team also plays at least one game a year against Mark Morris, also called the

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...

State championships

* Boys Swimming: 1939Washington Interscholastic Athletics Association
Tournament History: Champion Information
/ref> * Girls Basketball: 1981 * Softball: 1996 * Volleyball: 1983, 1984, 1985, 1990

State runners-up

* Boys Swimming: 1950 * Boys Baseball: 2010 * Softball: 1993, 2013 * Volleyball: 1982, 1988

Notable alumni

Jim Caple Jim Caple is a former columnist and senior writer for ESPN.com. He has worked previously with the ''Seattle Post-Intelligencer'' and the '' St. Paul Pioneer Press''. Caple attended R.A. Long High School in Longview, Washington. He graduated from ...

, sports reporter with

ESPN ESPN (originally an initialism for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by ESPN Inc., owned jointly by The Walt Disney Company (80%) and Hearst Communications (20%). The ...

and contributor to

Page2 Page most commonly refers to: * Page (paper), one side of a leaf of paper, as in a book Page, PAGE, pages, or paging may also refer to: Roles * Page (assistance occupation), a professional occupation * Page (servant), traditionally a young ma ...

, 1980 * Loren L. Coleman, science fiction author, 1986 *

Steve De Jarnatt Steve De Jarnatt is an American film and television director, screenwriter, and short-story author. De Jarnatt is perhaps best known for writing and directing the nuclear-apocalypse thriller ''Miracle Mile'' (1988) and directing the sci-fi film ...

, director of cult films ''

Miracle Mile Miracle Mile may refer to: Places in the United States * Miracle Mile, Los Angeles, California, a district of Los Angeles * Miracle Mile (Coral Gables), a shopping area in Coral Gables, Florida * Miracle Mile (Manhasset), New York, a premium sho ...

'' and ''

Cherry 2000 ''Cherry 2000'' is a 1988 American science-fiction film directed by Steve De Jarnatt and starring Melanie Griffith and David Andrews (actor), David Andrews. It was produced by Edward R. Pressman and Caldecot Chubb. The screenplay was by Michael ...

'' *

Cole Escola Cole Escola (born November 25, 1986) is an American comedian, actor, and singer. They are best known for their cabaret work and their appearances on the television series '' Jeffery & Cole Casserole'' (2009–2010), ''Difficult People'' (2015– ...

, comedian and actor, 2005Paulu, Tom (June 15, 2009)
"R.A. Long grad stars in new LOGO TV comedy series,"
'' The Daily News'' (Longview). Retrieved September 18, 2017. *

Sharry Konopski Sharry Konopski (December 2, 1967August 25, 2017) was an American model and actress. She was chosen as ''Playboy''s Playmate of the Month in August 1987 and appeared in numerous ''Playboy'' videos. She posed nude again for Playboy in the March 1 ...

Playboy ''Playboy'' is an American men's lifestyle and entertainment magazine, formerly in print and currently online. It was founded in Chicago in 1953, by Hugh Hefner and his associates, and funded in part by a $1,000 loan from Hefner's mother. K ...

centerfold, 1986 *

David Korten David C. Korten (born 1937) is an American author, former professor of the Harvard Business School, political activist, prominent critic of corporate globalization, and "by training and inclination a student of psychology and behavioral systems". ...

, author of '' When Corporations Rule the World'' (), 1955 *

Jeff Pilson Jeffrey Steven Pilson (born January 19, 1959) is an American musician best known for being the bass player in the glam metal band Dokken and currently classic rock band Foreigner. He has also had an extended stint with Dio in the 1990s. He is ...

, current Foreigner bass player, formerly of

Dokken Dokken is an American glam metal band formed in Los Angeles in 1978. It split up in 1989 and reformed four years later. The band had several hit singles which charted on the Billboard Hot 100, such as " Alone Again", " In My Dreams", and " Burn ...

and Dio, 1976

References

External links

*
R. A. Long High School Alumni Association

GSHL Football - R.A. Long High School
{{authority control High schools in Cowlitz County, Washington Longview, Washington School buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in Washington (state) Clock towers in Washington (state) William B. Ittner buildings Public high schools in Washington (state) National Register of Historic Places in Cowlitz County, Washington Educational institutions established in 1927 1927 establishments in Washington (state)