South Pasadena High School (SPHS or "South Pas") is the one public
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 ...
serving grades 9-12 in the city of
South Pasadena, California
South Pasadena is a city in Los Angeles County, California, Los Angeles County, California, United States. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 25,619, up from 24,292 at the 2000 census. It is located in the West San Gabriel Valley. It ...
. With the South Pasadena Middle School and three elementary schools (Arroyo Vista, Marengo, and Monterey Hills) it makes up the
South Pasadena Unified School District.
Established in 1906, it is the only public high school in South Pasadena. The campus is on the west side of the city on Fremont Avenue. The school contains several main academic buildings, a performing arts auditorium, a swimming pool, two sets of tennis courts, two indoor gymnasiums, a 400-m outdoor track, and three athletic fields. The school's motto is "Scholarship, Leadership, Strength, and Fair Play." The school colors are orange and black, and the mascot is a tiger.
History
SPHS opened in 1906 after South Pasadena residents approved a measure to construct a public high school. Until 1955, South Pasadena High School was known as South Pasadena-San Marino High School and served both cities. San Marino opened
their own high school in 1955.
Athletics
The school offers a variety of sports such as baseball, volleyball, football, water polo, basketball, cross country, soccer, track and field, tennis and others. A new athletic director, Anthony Chan, was hired in 2019.
The football field at South Pasadena High School is known today as Ray Solari Stadium in honor of the former football head coach, where South Pasadena High's football team plays their home games. It is also used for boys and girls' soccer teams and for track and field meets and it is used for the graduation ceremonies as well.
Partnership
The school was one of the first to work with the
Children's Hospital Los Angeles
Children's Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA) is a nationally ranked, freestanding acute care children's hospital in the East Hollywood district of Los Angeles, on Sunset Boulevard at the corner of Vermont Avenue. The hospital has been academically affi ...
and the mobile Sports Analysis Lab, to help demonstrate how data is collected, evaluated and assessed to study athletes
biomechanics
Biomechanics is the study of the structure, function and motion of the mechanical aspects of biological systems, at any level from whole organisms to organs, cells and cell organelles, using the methods of mechanics. Biomechanics is a branch of ...
.
Recognition and awards
In 2019 the school was recognized due to its
U.S. News & World Report ranking. It was ranked #1 in California's 41st State Assembly District, #87 in the state and #622 out of 17,000 public high schools within the United States, placing in the top 5% of schools nationwide. It was also ranked #675 out of 5,000 by
Newsweek
''Newsweek'' is an American weekly online news magazine co-owned 50 percent each by Dev Pragad, its president and CEO, and Johnathan Davis (businessman), Johnathan Davis, who has no operational role at ''Newsweek''. Founded as a weekly print m ...
for the top STEM high schools of 2019.
Notable alumni
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Steven Alvarez – actor/business entrepreneur
*
William Bradford Bishop
William Bradford Bishop Jr. (born August 1, 1936) is a former United States Foreign Service officer who has been a fugitive from justice since allegedly killing his wife, mother, and three sons in 1976. On April 10, 2014, the Federal Bureau of In ...
– Former United States Foreign Service officer, accused murderer and wanted fugitive
*
Alison Brie
Alison Brie Schermerhorn (born December 29, 1982) is an American actress. Her breakthrough came with the role of Trudy Campbell in the drama series ''Mad Men'' (2007–2015), which won her a Screen Actors Guild Award. She gained recognition fo ...
– actress
*
John Bush – Professional Musician, Singer for the band
Armored Saint
Armored Saint is an American heavy metal band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1982. Since 1990, the band has consisted of John Bush on lead vocals, Joey Vera on bass, Jeff Duncan (musician), Jeff Duncan on rhythm guitar and the Sandoval ...
*
Wesley Chesbro
Wesley P. Chesbro (born August 20, 1951) is an American Democratic politician from California. He was an assemblymember for the 2nd district, encompassing the North Coast. Previously, Chesbro served as the Assembly member from California's 1 ...
- California Assemblyman and Senator
*
John Gabbert – Associate Justice of the California Court of Appeals
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Bobby Garrett
Robert Driscoll Garrett (August 16, 1932 – 5 December 1987) was an American football quarterback who played for Stanford University and played one season in the National Football League. He is a member of the Stanford Athletics Hall of Fame.
...
– former NFL player
*
John Hart – actor
*
George Hodel
George Hill Hodel Jr. (October 10, 1907 – May 17, 1999) was an American physician and suspect in the murder of Elizabeth Short, the Black Dahlia. He was never formally charged with the crime. He was also accused of raping his daughter, Tama ...
– physician accused of 1947 murder of Elizabeth Short, a.k.a. the
Black Dahlia
Elizabeth Short (July 29, 1924 – January 14–15, 1947), known posthumously as the Black Dahlia, was an American woman found murdered in the Leimert Park neighborhood of Los Angeles on January 15, 1947. Her case became highly publicized ow ...
, and of committing several additional murders
*
William Holden
William Holden (born William Franklin Beedle Jr.; April 17, 1918 – November 12, 1981) was an American actor, and one of the biggest box-office draws of the 1950s. Holden won the Academy Award for Best Actor for the film ''Stalag 17'' (1953) ...
- (William Beedle) – actor
*
Tommy Hutton
Thomas George Hutton (born April 20, 1946), is an American former professional baseball infielder-outfielder who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Philadelphia Phillies, Toronto Blue Jays, and Montreal Expos.
...
- former Major League Baseball player
*
Porochista Khakpour
Porochista Khakpour (Farsi: پوروچیستا خاکپور, born January 17, 1978) is an Iranian American novelist, essayist, and journalist.
A refugee from Iran whose family fled the Iran-Iraq War and the Islamic Revolution, Khakpour grew up ...
- novelist, writer and reviewer for national and international publications
*
Bob Long
Robert Andrew Long (born June 16, 1941) is a former American football wide receiver in the National Football League who played in the 1960s and 1970s and earned two Super Bowl rings. He attended suburban Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh's ...
– former NFL player
*
Mary Bono Mack
Mary Bono (née Whitaker and formerly Mary Bono Mack, born October 24, 1961) is an American politician, businesswoman, and lobbyist who served Palm Springs and most of central and eastern Riverside County, California, in the U.S. House of Repres ...
– politician
*
Adrian Picardi
Adrian Picardi (born April 1987) is an American filmmaker originally from ''South Pasadena,'' California. For all his works thus far, he has been credited as director, writer, cinematographer, and Film editor. He got his start in the industry b ...
– director
*
Bronson Pinchot
Bronson Alcott Pinchot (; born May 20, 1959) is an American actor. He is best known for playing Balki Bartokomous on the ABC sitcom '' Perfect Strangers'' (1986–93). He also performed in films, such as ''Risky Business'' (1983), ''Beverly Hill ...
– actor
*
Ward Ritchie
Harry "Ward" Ritchie (Los Angeles, California June 15, 1905Laguna Beach, California January 24, 1996) was an American printer, book designer, book collector and writer of around 100 books. He was part of the "Golden Age" of fine printing that took ...
– master printer, book designer
*
Noelle Scaggs
Noelle Scaggs (born October 8, 1979) is an American musician and singer-songwriter from Los Angeles, known as the co-lead singer of the pop group Fitz and the Tantrums. Scaggs has also had numerous collaborations with the Black Eyed Peas, Dilated ...
– singer (Fitz and the Tantrums)
*
Shanice
Shanice Lorraine Wilson-Knox (née Wilson; born May 14, 1973) is an American singer-songwriter, actress and dancer. Shanice had the ''Billboard'' hit singles "I Love Your Smile" and "Silent Prayer" in 1991 and "Saving Forever for You" in 1993. ...
– singer
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Leslie Smith - fighter
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Hilary Swank
Hilary Ann Swank (born July 30, 1974) is an American actress and film producer. She first became known in 1992 for her role on the television series '' Camp Wilder'' and made her film debut with a minor role in ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer'' (1992 ...
– actress
*
Jaleel White
Jaleel Ahmad White (born November 27, 1976) is an American actor. He is best known for his role as Steve Urkel on the sitcom ''Family Matters''.
The character was originally intended to be a one-time guest appearance on the show; however, he wa ...
– actor
*
Kristinia DeBarge
Kristinia Jamie DeBarge (; born March 8, 1990) is an American singer, songwriter, dancer and actress. DeBarge first appeared on national television in 2003 as a contestant on the ''American Idol'' spin-off, ''American Juniors''. In 2009, DeBarge ...
– singer
*
Chris Spencer – actor/director/comedian
References
External links
South Pasadena High School
{{authority control
South Pasadena, California
Art Deco architecture in California
High schools in Los Angeles County, California
Public high schools in California
1906 establishments in California