Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School (or SPFHS) is a comprehensive regional four-year

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 ...

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 ...

in Union County,

New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...

, United States, which serves students in

ninth In music, a ninth is a compound interval consisting of an octave plus a second. Like the second, the interval of a ninth is classified as a dissonance in common practice tonality. Since a ninth is an octave larger than a second, its ...

through

twelfth grade Twelfth grade, 12th grade, senior year, or grade 12 is the final year of secondary school in most of North America. In other regions, it may also be referred to as class 12 or Year 13. In most countries, students are usually between the ages of 17 ...

s from the Township of Scotch Plains and the Borough of Fanwood, operating as the lone secondary school of the Scotch Plains-Fanwood Regional School District. The school has been accredited by the

Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools The Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools (Middle States Association or MSA) was a voluntary, peer-based, non-profit association that performed peer evaluation and regional educational accreditation, accreditation of public and priva ...

Commission on Elementary and Secondary Schools since 1932.Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School

Commissions on Elementary and Secondary Schools. Accessed February 9, 2022. As of the 2021–22 school year, the school had an enrollment of 1,539 students and 117.2 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a

student–teacher ratio Student–teacher ratio or student–faculty ratio is the number of students who attend a school or university divided by the number of teachers in the institution. For example, a student–teacher ratio of 10:1 indicates that there are 10 students ...

of 13.1:1. There were 31 students (2.0% of enrollment) eligible for

free lunch A free lunch is the providing of a meal at no cost, usually as a sales enticement to attract customers and increase revenues from other business. It was once a common tradition in saloons and taverns in many places in the United States, with th ...

and 15 (1.0% of students) eligible for reduced-cost lunch.School data for Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School

National Center for Education Statistics The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) is the part of the United States Department of Education's Institute of Education Sciences (IES) that collects, analyzes, and publishes statistics on education and public school district finance ...

. Accessed December 1, 2022. In order to qualify for graduation, students must complete 120 credits of course work. Over 80% of students participated in clubs, athletics, service organizations, and music programs in 2008. In the class of 2008, there were ten National Merit Commended Students. In the class of 2003, 21 students were named

Edward J. Bloustein Distinguished Scholar Edward J. Bloustein Distinguished Scholars are recognized as the highest achieving graduating high school students in or from New Jersey and are granted awards regardless of need. Students are selected on the basis of the following criteria: #c ...

s. There were 89

Advanced Placement Advanced Placement (AP) is a program in the United States and Canada created by the College Board which offers college-level curricula and examinations to high school students. American colleges and universities may grant placement and course ...

(AP) examinations administered in 21 subject areas; 71% of the students received a score of 3 or better giving them exemption from certain required courses at various colleges and universities. 98% of the class of 2003 was enrolled in the college preparatory course of study. A total of $2,407,154 in scholarship money was awarded to graduates for their academic achievements.

History

Designed to accommodate a maximum enrollment of 1,350, the facility is located in Scotch Plains and opened for 1,080 students in September 1957 after delays due to a series of strikes. Originally, the high school was located in another part of town on Park Avenue, which currently houses Malcolm E. Nettingham (formerly Park) Middle School. That building was constructed in 1926.

Awards, recognition and rankings

In its listing of "America's Best High Schools 2016", the school was ranked 210th out of 500 best high schools in the country; it was ranked 33rd among all high schools in New Jersey and 16th among the state's non-magnet schools. In its 2013 report on "America's Best High Schools", ''

The Daily Beast ''The Daily Beast'' is an American news website focused on politics, media, and pop culture. It was founded in 2008. It has been characterized as a "high-end tabloid" by Noah Shachtman, the site's editor-in-chief from 2018 to 2021. In a 20 ...

'' ranked the school 918th in the nation among participating public high schools and 69th among schools in New Jersey. In the 2011 "Ranking America's High Schools" issue by ''

The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...

'', the school was ranked 42nd in New Jersey and 1,349th nationwide. The school was the 54th-ranked public high school in New Jersey out of 339 schools statewide in ''

New Jersey Monthly ''New Jersey Monthly'' is an American monthly magazine featuring issues of possible interest to residents of New Jersey. The magazine was started in 1976. It is based in Morristown. In addition to articles of general interest, the publication fe ...

'' magazine's September 2014 cover story on the state's "Top Public High Schools", using a new ranking methodology. The school had been ranked 60th in the state of 328 schools in 2012, after being ranked 62nd in 2010 out of 322 schools listed. The magazine ranked the school 69th in 2008 out of 316 schools. Schooldigger.com ranked the school tied for 86th out of 381 public high schools statewide in its 2011 rankings (a decrease of 14 positions from the 2010 ranking) which were based on the combined percentage of students classified as proficient or above proficient on the mathematics (88.6%) and language arts literacy (96.3%) components of the

High School Proficiency Assessment The High School Proficiency Assessment (HSPA, pronounced "hess-pah" (/ˈhɛspə/) or sometimes just "H-S-P-A") was a standardized test that was administered by the New Jersey Department of Education to all New Jersey public high school students in ...

(HSPA). SPHFS's quiz bowl team, founded in 1982, won the New Jersey state championship of the Rutgers University-run College Bowl competition in 1988 and embarked on creative televised fundraising in order to afford the travel costs to the many regional and national competitions where they were invited.

Publications

The school is host to an annually published literary magazine, ''Muse'', which features poetry, stories and art by the students. The school's newspaper, ''The Fanscotian,'' was ranked by the GSSPA as the best newspaper in New Jersey. The school's yearbook is called ''Culmen''.

Music

Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School is host to an extensive music department. The department is home to multiple choruses, including concert choir and five auditioned groups: Select Choir, Men's Choir, Women's Choir, Chamber Choir, and the Sensations a cappella group. The instrumental music program includes a plethora of groups. Non-auditioned groups include Freshman Band, Symphonic Band, Percussion Ensemble, two jazz lab bands, as well as the SPF Raiders Marching Band. Auditioned groups include the Wind Ensemble, RhythmSense, SPF Jazz, and the Moonglowers. Scotch Plains-Fanwood is also home to the Repertory Theatre program, which in the past few years has put on such shows as ''

Footloose Footloose may refer to: * ''Footloose'' (1984 film), a musical film ** ''Footloose'' (1984 soundtrack) ** "Footloose" (song), performed by Kenny Loggins * ''Footloose'' (2011 film), a remake of the 1984 film ** ''Footloose'' (2011 soundtrack) ...

'', ''

Les Misérables ''Les Misérables'' ( , ) is a French historical novel by Victor Hugo, first published in 1862, that is considered one of the greatest novels of the 19th century. In the English-speaking world, the novel is usually referred to by its original ...

'', ''

West Side Story ''West Side Story'' is a musical conceived by Jerome Robbins with music by Leonard Bernstein, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, and a book by Arthur Laurents. Inspired by William Shakespeare's play ''Romeo and Juliet'', the story is set in the mid-1 ...

'', '' 42nd Street'', ''

Once Upon a Mattress ''Once Upon a Mattress'' is a musical comedy with music by Mary Rodgers, lyrics by Marshall Barer, and book by Jay Thompson, Dean Fuller, and Marshall Barer. It opened off-Broadway in May 1959, and then moved to Broadway. The play was written ...

'', ''

Urinetown ''Urinetown: The Musical'' is a satirical comedy musical that premiered in 2001, with music by Mark Hollmann, lyrics by Hollmann and Greg Kotis, and book by Kotis. It satirizes the legal system, capitalism, social irresponsibility, populism, burea ...

'', ''

Guys and Dolls ''Guys and Dolls'' is a musical with music and lyrics by Frank Loesser and book by Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows. It is based on "The Idyll of Miss Sarah Brown" (1933) and "Blood Pressure", which are two short stories by Damon Runyon, and also bo ...

'', ''

Curtains A curtain is a piece of cloth or other material intended to block or obscure light, air drafts, or (in the case of a shower curtain), water. A curtain is also the movable screen or drape in a theatre that separates the stage from the auditoriu ...

'', ''

Hairspray Hairspray may refer to: * Hair spray, a personal grooming product that keeps hair protected from humidity and wind * ''Hairspray'' (1988 film), a film by John Waters ** ''Hairspray'' (1988 soundtrack), the film's soundtrack album ** ''Hairspray ...

'', and ''

The Mystery of Edwin Drood ''The Mystery of Edwin Drood'' is the final novel by Charles Dickens, originally published in 1870. Though the novel is named after the character Edwin Drood, it focuses more on Drood's uncle, John Jasper, a precentor, choirmaster and opium ...

'' garnering a number of Rising Star Award nominations from the

Paper Mill Playhouse Paper Mill Playhouse is a regional theater with approximately 1200 seats, located in Millburn, New Jersey on the Rahway River. Due to its relatively close location to Manhattan, it draws from the pool of actors (and audience members) who live in ...

, including one win for Outstanding Student Orchestra, for ''42nd Street'' in 2006.

SPF Moonglowers

SPF's top level ("A") jazz band, the Moonglowers, is the oldest continuously operated high school jazz band in the state of New Jersey. It was formed in 1942 to play contemporary big-band songs during lunch periods and at the high school's senior prom. Beginning in 1979, the Moonglowers started competing in the New Jersey International Association of Jazz Education (now the North Jersey Association for Jazz Education) jazz band circuit. Since then, the Moonglowers have won a McDonald's National Jazz Band title and 10 New Jersey State titles. Since 2007, when the NJIAJE reformed into the New Jersey Association for Jazz Education, the Moonglowers have competed in Division II. Notably, in 2008, both the Moonglowers and SPF Jazz, SPF's second tier ("B") jazz band, competed together at the New Jersey State Final festival, and SPF Jazz took first place. This is the only time in the 21-year competition history of the school that SPF Jazz scored higher than the Moonglowers in competitions. When not competing, the Moonglowers play old time big band swing songs for various community events and organizations. From community concerts to retirement homes, the Moonglowers play songs from the golden age of jazz for those who remember them. Since 2007, the Moonglowers have headlined the

Susan G. Komen for the Cure Susan G. Komen (formerly known as Susan G. Komen for the Cure; originally as The Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation; often simply as Komen) is a breast cancer organization in the United States. Komen focuses on patient navigation and advo ...

race in New York City in early September.

SPF Raiders Marching Band

The marching band's 2006 program was entitled "Mystic Journey" with selections from ''

Harry Potter ''Harry Potter'' is a series of seven fantasy literature, fantasy novels written by British author J. K. Rowling. The novels chronicle the lives of a young Magician (fantasy), wizard, Harry Potter (character), Harry Potter, and his friends ...

'' and ''

The Lord of the Rings ''The Lord of the Rings'' is an epic high-fantasy novel by English author and scholar J. R. R. Tolkien. Set in Middle-earth, intended to be Earth at some time in the distant past, the story began as a sequel to Tolkien's 1937 children's boo ...

'' movies. The band competed in the USSBA NJ State finals and won with a score of 86.6. It also competed in the USSBA All State finals, and won second place, with a score of 90.1. The marching band's 2007 show was entitled "Quest: Visions of a Dream" with selections from

Zorro Zorro (Spanish language, Spanish for 'fox') is a fictional character created in 1919 by American pulp magazine, pulp writer Johnston McCulley, appearing in works set in the Pueblo of Los Angeles in Alta California. He is typically portrayed a ...

and ''

Man of La Mancha ''Man of La Mancha'' is a 1965 musical with a book by Dale Wasserman, music by Mitch Leigh, and lyrics by Joe Darion. It is adapted from Wasserman's non-musical 1959 teleplay ''I, Don Quixote'', which was in turn inspired by Miguel de Cervantes ...

''. The SPF Raiders Marching Band competed at the USSBA Yamaha Cup in Giant's Stadium and took second place. At the USSBA New Jersey State Finals, the Marching Band took first place for the second year in a row while also receiving the award for best percussion for the third year in a row. Moving on to the All-Eastern Finals in Allentown, Pennsylvania, the band received the award for second place as well as the caption award for best percussion. The 2008 program was entitled "Destiny: Past, Present, And Future". For the first time in the band's history, it competed in USSBA Group VI Open, the most prestigious of all USSBA groups. The show included large props, actors, and narration. At the 2008 All Eastern Finals, Scotch Plains-Fanwood took 7th place with a historic score of 94.375. The 2010 show, entitled "Generation Millennium", featured selections of music from Epcot's IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth fireworks show. The band competed in the USSBA NJ State Finals in Union, NJ and was named the state champion of Group VIA. At the All-Eastern Finals in Allentown, PA, the band received 3rd place but received the caption awards for best color guard and best music. In 2012, the Marching Raiders went into the USBands National Championships (Groups 2 Open & 4 Open PLUS 3A &6A) at MetLife Stadium, with a show entitled "On The Brink Of Change: Gold Rush To A Better Tomorrow". They ended the competitive marching band season ranked 2nd place, with a score of 95.8 in group 6A, with a caption award of Best Effect. In 2014, the show was entitled Il Cuore Di Romano: The Heart of the Roman Empire. The band had an undefeated season and were Group VIA NJ State and Group VIA National Champions, winning all captions at the latter. For the 2015 season, the Raider Marching Band was promoted to Group VI Open with their show "Chance Love: Tales Beneath a Persian Moon". In the 2016 season, the band displayed a medieval themed show entitled "The Code: Of Kingdoms and Glory", featuring narration by Morgan Freeman taken from a documentary. In 2017, the show was entitled Elements and featured parts such as "Water", "Mother Earth", and "Fire". The band took third place at the Group VI Open New Jersey state championships. In 2018, the show was called "On Point"—The band took third place at the Group VI Open USBands New Jersey State Championships with a score of 90.938. They also took 6th place at the 2018 USBands National Championships with a score of 90.825.

Theater

The school has a Repertory Theater, which does yearly stage productions, the most recent one being '' Les Miserables''. Additionally, beginning in 2015, the school has put on a yearly fall play, with '' She Kills Monsters'' being the most recent production.

Athletics

The Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School RaidersScotch Plains-Fanwood High School

New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association The New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) is an association of hundreds of New Jersey high schools that regulates high school athletics and holds tournaments and crowns champions in high school sports. State championsh ...

. Accessed October 20, 2020. compete in the

Union County Interscholastic Athletic Conference The Union County Interscholastic Athletic Conference (UCIAC) is a New Jersey high school sports association operating under the jurisdiction of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA). The league consists of 26 public an ...

, which is comprised of public and private high schools in the county and was established following a reorganization of sports leagues in Northern New Jersey by the

(NJSIAA). Prior to the 2010 reorganization, the school had competed in the

Watchung Conference The Watchung Conference was a high school sports association under the jurisdiction of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA). The conference consisted of eleven public high schools covering Essex County, Hudson Count ...

, which consisted of public and private high schools in

Essex Essex () is a county in the East of England. One of the home counties, it borders Suffolk and Cambridgeshire to the north, the North Sea to the east, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent across the estuary of the River Thames to the south, and G ...

Hudson Hudson may refer to: People * Hudson (given name) * Hudson (surname) * Henry Hudson, English explorer * Hudson (footballer, born 1986), Hudson Fernando Tobias de Carvalho, Brazilian football right-back * Hudson (footballer, born 1988), Hudso ...

and Union counties. With 1,152 students in grades 10–12, the school was classified by the NJSIAA for the 2019–20 school year as Group IV for most athletic competition purposes, which included schools with an enrollment of 1,060 to 5,049 students in that grade range. The football team competes in Division 4 of the

Big Central Football Conference The Big Central Football Conference is a football-only athletic league of high schools in Central New Jersey. The 60-team league was formed in 2020. History The Big Central consists of the members of the former Mid-State 38 Conference and the foot ...

, which includes 60 public and private high schools in Hunterdon,

Middlesex Middlesex (; abbreviation: Middx) is a Historic counties of England, historic county in South East England, southeast England. Its area is almost entirely within the wider urbanised area of London and mostly within the Ceremonial counties of ...

Somerset ( en, All The People of Somerset) , locator_map = , coordinates = , region = South West England , established_date = Ancient , established_by = , preceded_by = , origin = , lord_lieutenant_office =Lord Lieutenant of Somerset , lord_ ...

, Union and

Warren A warren is a network of wild rodent or lagomorph, typically rabbit burrows. Domestic warrens are artificial, enclosed establishment of animal husbandry dedicated to the raising of rabbits for meat and fur. The term evolved from the medieval A ...

counties, which are broken down into 10 divisions by size and location. The school was classified by the NJSIAA as Group IV North for football for 2018–2020. The school has a longstanding rivalry with

Westfield High School Westfield High School may refer to: * The Westfield School, Perry, Georgia * Westfield High School (Westfield, Indiana) * Westfield High School (Massachusetts), Westfield, Massachusetts * Westfield Technical Academy, Westfield, Massachusetts * West ...

, with the two schools first competing against each other in football in 1901. The boys spring track team won the Group IV state championship in 1963, 1964 and 1967, and won the Group III title in 1998 (as co-champion). The girls' tennis team won the North state championship in 1971 and 1972. The 1977 boys' baseball team finished the season with a record of 29-3 after winning the Group IV state championship by defeating

Piscataway High School Piscataway High School is a four-year comprehensive community public high school serving students in ninth through twelfth grades from Piscataway in Middlesex County, New Jersey, United States, operating as the lone secondary school of the P ...

by a score of 1–0 in the final game of the tournament. The team won the Union County Tournament championship in 1969, 1976, 2004 and 2009. They also won the 2019 Union County Tournament, with a 4–0 win against Arthur L. Johnson High School in the finals. The boys' soccer team won the Group III state championship in 1986 (as co-champion with Randolph High School), 1987 (vs. Wall High School), 1989 (vs.

Bridgewater-Raritan High School Bridgewater-Raritan High School (commonly abbreviated as BRHS) is a four-year comprehensive public high school. It is the lone secondary school of the Bridgewater-Raritan Regional School District serving students in ninth through twelfth grad ...

), 1991 (vs.

Lacey Township High School Lacey Township High School is a four-year comprehensive public high school serving students in ninth through twelfth grades, located in the Lanoka Harbor section of Lacey Township, in Ocean County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, which oper ...

), 1992 (vs. Wall Township High School), 1995 (as co-champion with

Ocean City High School Ocean City High School (OCHS) is a four-year comprehensive public high school located in Ocean City, in Cape May County, New Jersey, United States, serving students in ninth through twelfth grades as the lone secondary school of the Ocean C ...

), 1997 (vs.

Brick Memorial High School Brick Memorial High School (also known as Brick Township Memorial High School) is a four-year comprehensive public high school serving students in ninth through twelfth grades in Brick Township in Ocean County, New Jersey, United States, oper ...

) and 1998 (vs.

Delsea Regional High School Delsea Regional High School is a four-year comprehensive regional public high school that serves students in ninth through twelfth grade from Elk Township (feeding into Delsea from Aura Elementary School, which serves grades PreK-6) and Frank ...

). The football team won the North II Group III state championship in 1990 with a 25–12 win against

West Morris Central High School West Morris Central High School (WMCHS) is a four-year comprehensive public high school that serves students in ninth through twelfth grades from Washington Township, Morris County, New Jersey, United States. It is one of two high schools in ...

in the tournament final, after coming back from a 12–0 deficit early in the first half. The Scotch Plains-Fanwood girls swim team won their first state championship title in 2005 and won again in 2006 and 2015.History of NJSIAA Team Swimming

. Accessed October 20, 2020. The Lady Raider Swimmers defeated Princeton High School 100–70 to win the 2015 Group B State championship. The Lady Raiders have also won the Union County Championship 5 years in a row (2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019) however their streak was broken in 2020 with a loss to

The boys' basketball team won the Group III state championship in 2008, defeating

Timber Creek Regional High School Timber Creek Regional High School is a four-year comprehensive community public high school for students in ninth through twelfth grades located in the Erial section in southern Gloucester Township in Camden County, New Jersey, United State ...

in the tournament final. The Scotch Plains-Fanwood boys swim team won their only Group B state championship in 2011. The boys have won four Union County Championships (1999, 2002, 2010, 2011). The boys also have won fourteen sectional championships (1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2011, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019) and are common contenders for the state title. They returned to the state championship for multiple consecutive years most recently in 2019 after winning against Ridgewood High School in the state semi-finals but they fell to

Mainland Regional High School Mainland Regional High School is a regional public high school and school district serving students in grades nine through twelve from the communities of Linwood, Northfield and Somers Point in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States, servi ...

. The boys track team won the indoor Group III state title in 2019. The boys track team also won the Group III indoor relay championship in 2019.

Administration

Core members of the school's administration are: *Dr. David L. Heisey, Principal *Dr. Timothy Donahue, Assistant Principal *Brooke Esposito, Assistant Principal *Ryan Miller, Assistant Principal

Notable alumni

Many of the alumni listed below have been inducted into the Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School Hall of Fame.Alumni Hall of Fame
Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School. Accessed August 12, 2019.

Business, industry and media

Amy Ellis Nutt Amy Ellis Nutt is a Washington, D.C.-based journalist and a ''New York Times'' bestselling author. She was the recipient of the 2011 Pulitzer Prize for Feature Writing for her reporting at ''The Star-Ledger'' on the 2009 wreck of the Lady Mary f ...

(class of 1973), journalist and ''New York Times'' bestselling author, who was the recipient of the 2011

Pulitzer Prize for Feature Writing The Pulitzer Prize for Feature Writing is one of the fourteen American Pulitzer Prizes that are annually awarded for Journalism. It has been awarded since 1979 for a distinguished example of feature writing giving prime consideration to high liter ...

for her reporting at ''

The Star-Ledger ''The Star-Ledger'' is the largest circulated newspaper in the U.S. state of New Jersey and is based in Newark. It is a sister paper to ''The Jersey Journal'' of Jersey City, ''The Times'' of Trenton and the '' Staten Island Advance'', all of wh ...

''. *

Steve Schnur Steve Schnur is Worldwide Executive and President of Music for Electronic Arts (EA), the largest video game producer in the world and home to titles like Madden NFL, The Sims and Medal of Honor. Schnur was born in Scotch Plains, New Jersey, wher ...

(class of 1979), Worldwide Executive and President of Music for

Electronic Arts Electronic Arts Inc. (EA) is an American video game company headquartered in Redwood City, California. Founded in May 1982 by Apple employee Trip Hawkins, the company was a pioneer of the early home computer game industry and promoted the d ...

. *

Peter C. Schultz Peter C. Schultz, Ph.D. (born 1942), is co-inventor of the fiber optics now used worldwide for telecommunications. He is retired President (1988 to 2001) of Heraeus Tenevo Inc., a $200 million technical glass manufacturer specializing in fiber opt ...

(born 1942, class of 1960), co-inventor of the

fiber optics An optical fiber, or optical fibre in Commonwealth English, is a flexible, transparent fiber made by drawing glass (silica) or plastic to a diameter slightly thicker than that of a human hair. Optical fibers are used most often as a means to ...

now used worldwide for

telecommunication Telecommunication is the transmission of information by various types of technologies over wire, radio, optical, or other electromagnetic systems. It has its origin in the desire of humans for communication over a distance greater than that fe ...

s.Staff
"New inductees to Scotch Plains-Fanwood H.S. Hall of Fame"
''Suburban News'', October 9, 2014. Accessed June 18, 2016. "Peter Schultz. Class of 1960. He invented an optical fiber which is the basis for the Internet.... Sada Thompson. Class of 1945. Now deceased, Sada starred as an actress in productions off-Broadway, Broadway, TV and films."

Government and public service

Carol Bellamy Carol Bellamy (born January 14, 1942) is an American nonprofit executive and former politician. She is chair of the board of the Global Community Engagement and Resilience Fund (GCERF). Previously, she was director of the Peace Corps, executive ...

(born 1942, class of 1959), executive director of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF). *

Donald DiFrancesco Donald Thomas DiFrancesco (born November 20, 1944) is a retired American politician who served as the 51st governor of New Jersey from 2001 to 2002. He succeeded Christine Todd Whitman after her resignation to become Administrator of the Enviro ...

(born 1944, class of 1962), elected to the

New Jersey General Assembly The New Jersey General Assembly is the lower house of the New Jersey Legislature. Since the election of 1967 (1968 Session), the Assembly has consisted of 80 members. Two members are elected from each of New Jersey's 40 legislative districts for ...

in 1976 and moved to the

New Jersey Senate The New Jersey Senate was established as the upper house of the New Jersey Legislature by the Constitution of 1844, replacing the Legislative Council. There are 40 legislative districts, representing districts with an average population of 232, ...

in 1979, serving as the Senate President for 10 years and as acting governor of New Jersey for 11 months. *

Peter Emery Sir Peter Frank Hannibal Emery (27 February 1926 – 9 December 2004) was a British Conservative Party politician. Early life Emery was born in London, but was evacuated to the United States during World War II. He was educated at Scotch Plai ...

(1926–2004, class of 1943),

Conservative Party The Conservative Party is a name used by many political parties around the world. These political parties are generally right-wing though their exact ideologies can range from center-right to far-right. Political parties called The Conservative P ...

politician in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...

, who served for 40 years in the

House of Commons The House of Commons is the name for the elected lower house of the bicameral parliaments of the United Kingdom and Canada. In both of these countries, the Commons holds much more legislative power than the nominally upper house of parliament. ...

. * Christian J. Lambertsen (1917-2011, class of 1934),

environmental medicine Environmental medicine is a multidisciplinary field involving medicine, environmental science, chemistry and others, overlapping with environmental pathology. It can be viewed as the medical branch of the broader field of environmental health. Th ...

and

diving medicine Diving medicine, also called undersea and hyperbaric medicine (UHB), is the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of conditions caused by humans entering the undersea environment. It includes the effects on the body of pressure on gases, the diag ...

specialist who developed the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

frogmen A frogman is someone who is trained in scuba diving or swimming underwater in a tactical capacity that includes military, and in some European countries, police work. Such personnel are also known by the more formal names of combat diver, comb ...

rebreather A rebreather is a breathing apparatus that absorbs the carbon dioxide of a user's breathing, exhaled breath to permit the rebreathing (recycling) of the substantially unused oxygen content, and unused inert content when present, of each breath. ...

s in the early 1940s and created the acronym "

SCUBA Scuba may refer to: * Scuba diving ** Scuba set, the equipment used for scuba (Self-Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus) diving * Scuba, an in-memory database developed by Facebook * Submillimetre Common-User Bolometer Array, either of two in ...

". * Zahid Quraishi,

United States district judge The United States district courts are the trial courts of the United States federal judiciary, U.S. federal judiciary. There is one district court for each United States federal judicial district, federal judicial district, which each cover o ...

of the

United States District Court for the District of New Jersey The United States District Court for the District of New Jersey (in case citations, D.N.J.) is a federal court in the Third Circuit (except for patent claims and claims against the U.S. government under the Tucker Act, which are appealed to the ...

and a former

United States Magistrate Judge In United States federal courts, magistrate judges are judges appointed to assist U.S. district court judges in the performance of their duties. Magistrate judges generally oversee first appearances of criminal defendants, set bail, and conduct ...

of the same court. He is the first Muslim Article III judge in the United States. *

Todd D. Robinson Todd D. Robinson (born c. 1963) is an American diplomat who has served as Assistant Secretary of State for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs since September 2021. He previously served as the charge d'affaires of the U.S. embassy ...

(born , class of 1981), American diplomat who was U.S. ambassador to Guatemala and Venezuela, and was a senior advisor for Central America in the

Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs In the United States government, the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs (WHA) is a part of the U.S. Department of State, charged with implementing U.S. foreign policy and promoting U.S. interests in the Western Hemisphere, as well as advising ...

. *

Linda Stender Linda Stender (born July 25, 1951) is an American Democratic Party politician who served in the New Jersey General Assembly from 2002 to 2016, where she represented the 22nd legislative district. She ran unsuccessfully for a seat in the United ...

(born 1951, class of 1969), member of the

for the 22nd Legislative District from 2002 to 2016, who was formerly the mayor of Fanwood. *

Allen Weh Allen Edward Weh (born November 17, 1942) is an American business executive, politician, and retired colonel in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve. He was a candidate for the Republican nomination for governor of New Mexico in the 2010 election, and t ...

(born 1943, class of 1960), retired military officer and politician in

New Mexico ) , population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano) , seat = Santa Fe , LargestCity = Albuquerque , LargestMetro = Tiguex , OfficialLang = None , Languages = English, Spanish ( New Mexican), Navajo, Ker ...

Sports

* Bill Austin (born 1937, class of 1955), former football player. *

David S. Blitzer David S. Blitzer (born September 7, 1969) is global head of tactical opportunities at the private equity firm Blackstone Group and is co-founder of Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment. He is or has been a co-managing partner and minority owner o ...

(class of 1987), minority owner and co-managing partner of the

New Jersey Devils The New Jersey Devils are a professional sports, professional ice hockey team based in Newark, New Jersey. The Devils compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), Eastern ...

and the

Philadelphia Sixers The Philadelphia 76ers, colloquially known as the Sixers, are an American professional basketball team based in the Delaware Valley, Philadelphia metropolitan area. The 76ers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of ...

. *

Derrick Caracter Derrick Eugene Caracter (born May 4, 1988) is an American former professional basketball player who last played for Capitanes de Arecibo of the Puerto Rican Baloncesto Superior Nacional. He played college basketball for Louisville and UTEP. Caracte ...

(born 1988), professional

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...

player for

Capitanes de Arecibo The Capitanes de Arecibo are a Puerto Rican professional basketball team based in Arecibo that competes in the Baloncesto Superior Nacional (BSN) league. In 2010, the team also had the distinction to play in the Premier Basketball League (PBL) u ...

of the Puerto Rican

Baloncesto Superior Nacional The Baloncesto Superior Nacional, abbreviated as BSN, is the first-tier-level professional men's basketball list of basketball leagues, league in Puerto Rico. It was founded in 1929 and is organized by the Puerto Rican Basketball Federation. T ...

, who played in the NBA for the

Los Angeles Lakers The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Lakers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. The Lakers play their ...

. *

Rashan Gary Rashan Abdul Gary (born December 3, 1997) is an American football outside linebacker for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League (NFL). In 2015, he concluded his high school football career at Paramus Catholic High School in New J ...

(born 1997), defensive tackle for the

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 ...

team who transferred to

Paramus Catholic High School Paramus Catholic High School is a co-educational Roman Catholic high school located in Paramus in Bergen County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The school, founded in 1965, under Archbishop Thomas A. Boland, and Superintendent of Schools, Mon ...

after his sophomore year. *

Scott Goldblatt Scott Daniel Goldblatt (born July 12, 1979) is an American former competition swimmer and Olympic gold medalist who specialized in freestyle events. While swimming primarily in the lead position of the 4 x 200 freestyle relay, Goldblatt took a ...

(born 1979, class of 1997), swimmer who won a gold medal at the

2004 Summer Olympics The 2004 Summer Olympics ( el, Θερινοί Ολυμπιακοί Αγώνες 2004, ), officially the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad ( el, Αγώνες της 28ης Ολυμπιάδας, ) and also known as Athens 2004 ( el, Αθήνα 2004), ...

in Athens and a silver medal at the

2000 Summer Olympics The 2000 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the XXVII Olympiad and also known as Sydney 2000 (Dharug: ''Gadigal 2000''), the Millennium Olympic Games or the Games of the New Millennium, was an international multi-sport event held from 1 ...

Sydney Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

, with both medals earned in the 4 × 200 m Freestyle Relay. *

Jeffrey Hammonds Jeffrey Bryan Hammonds (born March 5, 1971) is an American former professional baseball player. Hammonds was an outfielder and played for the Baltimore Orioles (1993–1998), Cincinnati Reds (1998–1999), Colorado Rockies (2000), Milwaukee ...

(born 1971, class of 1989), baseball Olympian, twelve years in major leagues including one all-star appearance. * Nate Jones (born 1982),

cornerback A cornerback (CB) is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in gridiron football. Cornerbacks cover receivers most of the time, but also blitz and defend against such offensive running plays as sweeps and reverses. They create tur ...

who played in the NFL for the

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 ...

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 ...

Denver Broncos The Denver Broncos are a professional American football franchise based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The team is headquart ...

and

New England Patriots The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East divisio ...

. * Hillary Klimowicz (born 1987), professional basketball player for Limoges ABC. * Jim Lambert (born 1966, class of 1984), track & field writer for ''

'' *

Bryan Meredith Bryan Meredith (born August 2, 1989) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a goalkeeper. Early life Raised in Scotch Plains, New Jersey, Meredith attended top public program Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School and achieved the ...

(born 1989), High-School Adidas All American, Keeper for the

Seattle Sounders FC Seattle Sounders Football Club is an American professional men's soccer club based in Seattle. The Sounders compete as a member of the Western Conference of Major League Soccer (MLS). The club was established on November 13, 2007, and began ...

soccer team of the

MLS Major League Soccer (MLS) is a men's professional soccer league sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation, which represents the sport's highest level in the United States. The league comprises 29 teams—26 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada ...

. * James Murphy (born 1997),

soccer Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel the ball around a rectangular field called a pitch. The objective of the game is ...

player who previously played as a

midfielder A midfielder is an outfield position in association football. Midfielders may play an exclusively defensive role, breaking up attacks, and are in that case known as defensive midfielders. As central midfielders often go across boundarie ...

for

club Los Angeles FC and Arbroath F.C. of

Scottish Championship The Scottish Championship, known as the cinch Championship for sponsorship reasons, is the second tier of the Scottish Professional Football League, the league competition for men's professional football clubs in Scotland Scotland (, ...

. He currently plays for

Rio Grande Valley FC Rio Grande Valley FC, also known as RGVFC or Rio Grande Valley FC Toros, is an American semi-professional soccer team based in Edinburg, Texas operated by Lone Star, LLC. They joined the USL Championship in the 2016 season. The team served as a ...

in the

USL Championship The USL Championship (USLC) is a professional men's soccer league in the United States that began its inaugural season in 2011. The USL is sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation (U.S. Soccer) as a Division II league since 2017, pl ...

. * John Murphy (born 2000),

player who last played as a

for

club Loudoun United. *

Renaldo Nehemiah Renaldo Nehemiah (born March 24, 1959) is a retired American track and field athlete who specialized in the 110 m hurdles. He was ranked number one in the world for four straight years, and is a former world record holder. Nehemiah is the first m ...

(born 1959, class of 1977), held 110 meter hurdles record for years, twice Superstars champion and

San Francisco 49ers The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National ...

wide receiver. * John Pak (born 1998), golfer. * Joe Scarpati (born 1943, class of 1960), former NFL

safety Safety is the state of being "safe", the condition of being protected from harm or other danger. Safety can also refer to risk management, the control of recognized hazards in order to achieve an acceptable level of risk. Meanings There are ...

for the

Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. The team plays ...

and the

New Orleans Saints The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. Since 1975, the te ...

who was the holder for

Tom Dempsey Thomas John Dempsey (January 12, 1947April 4, 2020) was an American professional football player who was a placekicker in the National Football League (NFL) for the New Orleans Saints, Philadelphia Eagles, Los Angeles Rams, Houston Oilers and ...

's previous record field goal in 1970. * Jim Shreve (1926-2018, class of 1945), football, basketball and lacrosse coach, who served as the head football coach at

Moravian College Moravian University is a private university in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. The institution traces its founding to 1742 by Moravians, descendants of followers of the Bohemian Reformation under John Amos Comenius. Founded in 1742, Moravian University ...

from 1951 to 1954. *

Lance Thomas Lance Thomas (born April 24, 1988) is an American former professional basketball player. He played college basketball for the Duke Blue Devils where he started at power forward for the national champion 2010 team. High school career Thomas att ...

(born 1988),

power forward The power forward (PF), also known as the four, is one of the five traditional positions in a regulation basketball game. Traditionally, power forwards have played a role similar to centers. When on offense, they typically play with their ba ...

center Center or centre may refer to: Mathematics *Center (geometry), the middle of an object * Center (algebra), used in various contexts ** Center (group theory) ** Center (ring theory) * Graph center, the set of all vertices of minimum eccentrici ...

for the

Brooklyn Nets The Brooklyn Nets are an American professional basketball team based in the New York City borough of Brooklyn. The Nets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. The t ...

, who attended Scotch Plains before graduating from St. Benedict's in 2006.

Fine arts

* Amy Lee, better known as

Ailee Amy Lee (born May 30, 1989), known professionally as Ailee, is an American singer and songwriter based in South Korea. Amassing digital sales success in South Korea, she has released four studio albums, six extended plays, and twenty one singles ...

(born 1989), a popular Korean-American singer who grew up in Scotch Plains and graduated from Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School. She has earned wide recognition in South Korea, most notably as "Best New Female Artist" at the

2012 Mnet Asian Music Awards The 2012 Mnet Asian Music Awards took place on November 30, 2012, at Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre in Hong Kong. The ceremony was the third consecutive Mnet Asian Music Awards to occur outside of South Korea. It was reported by inter ...

. *

Pat DiNizio Patrick Michael DiNizio (October 12, 1955 – December 12, 2017) was the lead singer, songwriter, and founding member of the band The Smithereens, which he formed in 1980 with Jim Babjak, Dennis Diken, and Mike Mesaros, from Carteret, New Jersey ...

(1955-2017, class of 1973), lead singer, songwriter, and founding member of the band

The Smithereens The Smithereens are an American rock band from Carteret, New Jersey, United States. The group formed in 1980 with members Pat DiNizio (vocals & guitar), Jim Babjak (guitar & vocals), Mike Mesaros (bass guitar & vocals), and Dennis Diken (drums & ...

. *

John Bernard Riley John Bernard Riley (born June 11, 1954, Aberdeen, Maryland) is an American jazz drummer and educator. He has performed with Woody Herman, Stan Getz, Milt Jackson, Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie, John Scofield, Bob Mintzer, Gary Peacock, Mike Stern, ...

(born 1955, class of 1971), jazz drummer who has recorded on over 40 albums and CDs with internationally renowned artists, winning two

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...

s out of 14 nominations. *

Cynthia Sayer Cynthia Nan Sayer (born May 20, 1962) is an American jazz banjoist, singer and a founding member of Woody Allen's New Orleans Jazz Band. Career A native of Waltham, Massachusetts, Sayer spent her early childhood in Wayland, Massachusetts and th ...

(class of 1974), jazz

banjo The banjo is a stringed instrument with a thin membrane stretched over a frame or cavity to form a resonator. The membrane is typically circular, and usually made of plastic, or occasionally animal skin. Early forms of the instrument were fashi ...

ist, vocalist, concert / recording artist and entertainer, who was inducted into the National Four-String Banjo Hall of Fame in 2006. *

Marc Shaiman Marc Shaiman (; born October 22, 1959) is an American composer and lyricist for films, television, and theatre, best known for his collaborations with lyricist and director Scott Wittman. He wrote the music and co-wrote the lyrics for the Broadw ...

(born 1959, class of 1974), Tony and Grammy winning composer, five time

Academy Award The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...

-nominee. *

Cecilia Tan Cecilia Tan (born April 8, 1967) is a writer, editor, sexuality activist, and founder of Circlet Press, the first press devoted primarily to erotic science fiction and fantasy. She lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts. She also writes about baseball ...

(born 1967, class of 1985), writer, editor, sexuality activist, and founder of

Circlet Press Circlet Press is a publishing house in Cambridge, in the U.S. state of Massachusetts. It was founded by Cecilia Tan, who is also its manager. It specializes in science fiction erotica, a once uncommon genre, and its publications often feature BDS ...

, the first press devoted primarily to erotic science fiction and fantasy. *

Sada Thompson Sada Carolyn Thompson (September 27, 1927 – May 4, 2011) was an American stage, film, and television actress. She was known to television audiences as Kate Lawrence in '' Family'' (1976-1980). Life and career She was born Sada Carolyn Thomps ...

(born 1927, class of 1945), actress who appeared in the television series ''

Family Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...

''. *

David S. Ware David Spencer Ware (November 7, 1949 – October 18, 2012) was an American jazz saxophone, saxophonist, composer, and bandleader. Biography Ware was born in Plainfield, New Jersey, and grew up in Scotch Plains, New Jersey. While in high sc ...

(born 1949), jazz musician.

Controversies

Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School has been the center of several controversies regarding its use of a logo with a Native American mascot. In September 2017, the school came under controversy when students raised concerns through a petition on

change.org Change.org is a worldwide nonprofit petition website, based in California, US, operated by the San Francisco-based company of the same name, which has over 400 million users and offers the public the ability to promote the petitions they care abo ...

regarding the use of the former logo at sporting events by spectators in a fan group called Raider Nation. The petition garnered over 400 signatures. A counter petition was also created, stating that the school should return to using its original logo with a Native American head. The petitions gained news attention from NJ 101.5,

Fox News The Fox News Channel, abbreviated FNC, commonly known as Fox News, and stylized in all caps, is an American multinational conservative cable news television channel based in New York City. It is owned by Fox News Media, which itself is owne ...

, ''

Courier News The ''Courier News'' is a daily newspaper headquartered in Somerville, New Jersey, that serves Somerset County and other areas of Central Jersey. The paper has been owned by Gannett since 1927. Notable employees * John Curley, former pre ...

'' and

NJ.com NJ.com is a digital news content provider and website in New Jersey owned by Advance Publications. According to a report in ''The New York Times'' in 2012, it was the largest provider of digital news in the state at the time. In 2018, comScore r ...

.Miscavage, Nick; and Tufaro, Greg
"Scotch Plains-Fanwood students call for ban of 'racist' symbols"
''

'' / ''

Home News Tribune The ''Central New Jersey Home News Tribune'' is a Daily newspaper serving Middlesex County, New Jersey. The paper has an average daily weekday circulation of about 49,000. The newspaper is the result of the 1995 merger of ''The Home News'' of ...

'', September 22, 2017. Accessed March 4, 2018. "Students at Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School have started a petition calling for a ban to be placed on students and fans using Native American symbols."

References

External links

Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School
*
Data for Scotch Plains-Fanwood Regional High School

{{Authority control 1957 establishments in New Jersey Educational institutions established in 1957 Fanwood, New Jersey Middle States Commission on Secondary Schools Public high schools in Union County, New Jersey Scotch Plains, New Jersey