Westinghouse High School, also known as The Academy at Westinghouse or Westinghouse Academy is one of 10 high schools and of four 6-12 schools in the

Pittsburgh Public Schools Pittsburgh Public Schools is the public school district serving the city of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (except for two small parts served by the Baldwin-Whitehall School District) and adjacent Mount Oliver. As of the 2021–2022 school year, the ...

. It is located in the Homewood neighborhood of

Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Wester ...

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

, and is named for Pittsburgh resident and entrepreneur

George Westinghouse George Westinghouse Jr. (October 6, 1846 – March 12, 1914) was an American entrepreneur and engineer based in Pennsylvania who created the railway air brake and was a pioneer of the electrical industry, receiving his first patent at the age of ...

. As of October 2019, Westinghouse has an enrollment of 697 students, 95% of whom are

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

. Westinghouse High School serves East Hills, East Liberty, Highland Park, Homewood North,

Homewood South Homewood is a predominantly African-American neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States, officially divided into three neighborhoods: Homewood North, Homewood South and Homewood West. Homewood is bordered on the southwest by the Ma ...

Homewood West Homewood is a predominantly African-American neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States, officially divided into three neighborhoods: Homewood North, Homewood South and Homewood West. Homewood is bordered on the southwest by the Ma ...

, Larimer, Lincoln-Lemington-Belmar, and Point Breeze North, as well as the nearby town of

Wilkinsburg Wilkinsburg is a borough in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. The borough has a population of 15,930 as of the 2010 census. Wilkinsburg is part of the Pittsburgh metropolitan area. The borough was named for John Wilkins Jr., a United States Army ...

. The school's mascot is a bulldog.

History

Early years

Westinghouse High School opened in 1917 and served a diverse population of middle- and working-class individuals who lived in the neighborhood of Homewood in Pittsburgh, PA. The school was built and opened by industrialist

whose home and electric business was located in Homewood. While the school opened in 1917, the building was not completed until 1924, and another annex was added in 1932 to give space for the 3,300 pupils that were enrolled at that time. The school employed well-regarded faculty and offered English, mathematics, history, science and technical programs like engine repair for boys and home economics for girls.

1940's and 1950's

Midcentury marked a change in the racial makeup of Homewood as more Italian immigrants moved to the neighborhood and their children attended Westinghouse. Furthermore, African Americans made up larger percentages of the students at Westinghouse as White residents began moving to the suburbs. By 1955, African American students made up 53.4% of enrolled students at Westinghouse. By this time Westinghouse had produced several notable alumni including musicians

Billy Strayhorn William Thomas Strayhorn (November 29, 1915 – May 31, 1967) was an American jazz composer, pianist, lyricist, and arranger, who collaborated with bandleader and composer Duke Ellington for nearly three decades. His compositions include "Take ...

Mary Lou Williams Mary Lou Williams (born Mary Elfrieda Scruggs; May 8, 1910 – May 28, 1981) was an American jazz pianist, arranger, and composer. She wrote hundreds of compositions and arrangements and recorded more than one hundred records (in 78, 45, and ...

, and

Errol Garner Erroll Louis Garner (June 15, 1921 – January 2, 1977) was an American jazz pianist and composer known for his swing playing and ballads. His instrumental ballad "Misty", his best-known composition, has become a jazz standard. It was first re ...

1960's

White families continued to move to the suburbs during this time which considerably changed the racial makeup of the school. The school's budget was also affected by the changing demographics of the area. Even in this time of great change, many students continued to receive scholarships and other accolades.

Recent Decades

During the 2011-2012 school year, the school absorbed students from the East Liberty neighborhood due to the closure of nearby Peabody High School. Due to increasing violence throughout the city, and the shooting of 15-year-old Westinghouse High School Student Dayvon Vikers, students from Westinghouse High School organized a youth-led protest against violence on April 2, 2022 .

Sports

Overview

Westinghouse high school offers the following sports programs: Football, track and cross country, volleyball, basketball, tennis, wrestling, and baseball.

Football

Westinghouse High School has a long football sports history. The first championship game was the 1921 season. Westinghouse’s football program is notable because it reached 500 total wins by 1996 -- a feat reached faster than many other high schools. The most recent city league title was won by Westinghouse in 2020 with a score of 36 - 20 vs. Allderdice High School Westinghouse Football winning championships: 1921-1922, 1927-1928, 1928-1929, 1930-1931, 1934-1935, 1938-1939, 1939-1940, 1941-1942, 1942-1943, 1944-1945, 1945-1946, 1946-1947,1947-1948, 1948-1949, 1949-1950, 1951-1952, 1954-1955, 1955-1956, 1956-1957, 1957-1958, 1958-1959, 1959-1960, 1960-1961, 1961-1962, 1963-1964, 1964-1965, 1965-1966, 1966-1967, 1970-1971, 1981-1982, 1992-1993, 1993-1994, 1995-1996, 1996-1997, 2020-2021

Notable Players and Coaches

Notable players who have gone on to play in the NFL include:

Tony Liscio Anthony Liscio (July 2, 1940 – June 18, 2017) was an American football offensive tackle in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys. He played college football at the University of Tulsa. Early years Liscio attended Westinghouse Hig ...

, Art Dremer, Ron Casey, Mark Ellison, Wes Garnett,

Jon Henderson Jon Elliott Henderson (December 17, 1944 – August 2, 2020) is a former American football wide receiver in the National Football League for the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Washington Redskins. He also played one season in the Canadian Footbal ...

, Eugene Harrison,

Dave Kalina Dave Kalina (born September 2, 1947) is a former American football player who played two season with the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League. He played college football at the University of Miami The University of Miami (UM ...

, Melvin Myricks,

Mose Lantz Montgomery Stoffal Lantz (November 24, 1903 – November 2, 1969) was an American football Center (American football), center who played one season with the Pittsburgh Pirates (NFL), Pittsburgh Pirates of the National Football League (NFL). He pl ...

, William Robinson and John Greene. Notable Westinghouse coaches include Pro Burton, Pete Dimperio and George Webb, all winning over 100 games and multiple championships in their coaching careers.

Basketball

Men

The Westinghouse Men’s Basketball Team won its first conference championship in the 1918-1919 season. Other championship year include: 1942-1943, 1943-1944, 1947-1948, 1949-1950, 1950-1951, 1951-1952, 1952-1953, 1953-1954, 1971-1972, 1997-1998, 1998-1999, 1999-2000, 2011-2012, 2012-2013.

= Notable Players and Referees

= Notable athletes that came from Westinghouse High School’s men’s basketball program include Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer Chuck Cooper, the first African-American player drafted into the NBA; Edward Flemming who was drafted by the Rochester Royals in 1955;

Maurice Stokes Maurice Stokes (June 17, 1933 – April 6, 1970) was an American professional basketball player. He played for the Cincinnati/Rochester Royals of the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1955 to 1958. Stokes was a three-time NBA All-Star, ...

who played for the

Rochester Royals The Sacramento Kings are an American professional basketball team based in Sacramento, California. The Kings compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Western Conference Pacific Division. The Kings are the oldest ...

and was the 1956

NBA Rookie of the Year The National Basketball Association's Rookie of the Year Award is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) award given to the top rookie(s) of the regular season. Initiated following the 1952–53 NBA season, it confers the Eddie Gottl ...

, 3 time all star, and

NBA Hall of Fame The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame is an American history museum and hall of fame, located at 1000 Hall of Fame Avenue in Springfield, Massachusetts. It serves as basketball's most complete library, in addition to promoting and prese ...

r; and Kenneth Hudson, who was the first full-time African American NBA referee.

Women

The Westinghouse High School women's basketball team won their first conference championship in 1983. The team won 15 straight conference championships from the 1995-1996 season through the 2008-2009 season. Throughout that span they went to 18 title games. Championship seasons: 1982-1983, 1983-1984, 1988-1989, 1989-1990, 1994-1995, 1995-1996, 1996-1997, 1997-1998, 1998-1999, 1999-2000, 2000-2001, 2001-2002, 2002-2003,2003-2004, 2004-2005, 2005-2006, 2006-2007, 2007-2008, 2008-2009, 2010-2011, 2011-2012, 2012-2013.

= Notable players

= Notable player Shawnice Wilson came out of the Westinghouse High School women's basketball program. She played for the

University of Miami The University of Miami (UM, UMiami, Miami, U of M, and The U) is a private research university in Coral Gables, Florida. , the university enrolled 19,096 students in 12 colleges and schools across nearly 350 academic majors and programs, incl ...

and the WNBA.

Track and Cross Country

The track team has a history of successful league championships: Men's Track Championships: 1962-1963, 1963-1964, 1964-1965, 1965-1966, 1966-1967 1968-1969, 1969-1970, 1970-1971 Men's Track Relay Championships: 1957-1958, 1958-1959, 1962-1963, 1963-1964, 1964-1965, 1966-1967, 1967-1968, 1968-1969, 1969-1970, 1970-1971 Women's Track Relay Championships: 1979-1980, 1980-1981, 1981-1982 Cross Country: 1959-1960 season

Volleyball

Westinghouse High School won its first volleyball championship in 1955 and went on to win 5 state championships in a 6-year period. The team of the 1930s and 40s were very successful in their district. Historical state championships for the Westinghouse volleyball team include the seasons of 1936-1937, 1937-1938, 1938-1939, 1940-1941.

Courses and Training Programs

Overview

At Westinghouse High School there are many Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs including business administration, sports and entertainment, carpentry, cosmetology, culinary arts, emergency response technology, and health careers. All certificate programs give students the opportunity to receive college credit for their work.

Business Administration

In Business Administration, Sports & Entertainment (B.A.S.E), students learn about marketing and accounting and get certificates in Microsoft Office and OSHA. Students also go on field trips to sports facilities. This program partners with Point Park University.

Culinary Arts

Culinary arts is a CTE program at Westinghouse High School and Carrick High School. Students in this program are offered the following ServSafe certificates: food manager, food handler, and food allergen. They also can become competent in safety and pollution prevention.

Emergency Response Technology (E.R.T.)

Students in these courses learn how to apply skills and tech knowledge required to perform duties like law enforcement, emergency medical services, and firefighting.

Carpentry

Students in carpentry CTE learn to build things like tables and dog houses . Allderdice High School students in the nearby neighborhood of Squirrel Hill in Pittsburgh have the opportunity to come to Westinghouse to participate in these courses. Students in carpentry learn to use hand tools, power tools, blueprint reading, site preparation and layout, footings and foundations, framing, floor construction, wall construction, roof construction, exterior finish, interior finish, estimation, and other skills.

Cosmetology

The cosmetology program helps students enrolled learn about beauty treatments of the hair, complexion, and hands. These include facials, waxing, eyebrows, nails, haircuts, and hair dying. Students tour salons around Pittsburgh to see how they run their businesses. At the end of the program, and after earning 1250 hours of training, students may earn a Pennsylvania state cosmetology license.

National Landmark Status

Westinghouse High School's building received Historic Landmark Status in 2001. The architectural style of the school is classical revival, and the design firm was Ingham & Boyd.

Alma Mater

Oh, Westinghouse forever, loyal and true. Nothing can ever change our love for you. Rah! Rah! Rah! Oh, Westinghouse forever we're true to you, we love our colors of GOLD and BLUE

Notable alumni

* Tom Casey - Professional football player and

Canadian Football Hall of Fame The Canadian Football Hall of Fame (CFHOF) is a not-for-profit corporation, located in Hamilton, Ontario, that celebrates great achievements in Canadian football. It is maintained by the Canadian Football League (CFL). It includes displays about t ...

inductee * Chuck Cooper - First

African-American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American ...

drafted in the

NBA The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United St ...

Frank Cunimondo Frank Cunimondo (born 1934) is an American jazz pianist and educator based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. In addition to performing, Cunimondo has taught at Duquesne University and the University of Pittsburgh The University of Pittsburgh (Pitt) ...

Jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...

pianist A pianist ( , ) is an individual musician who plays the piano. Since most forms of Western music can make use of the piano, pianists have a wide repertoire and a wide variety of styles to choose from, among them traditional classical music, ja ...

Erroll Davis Erroll Brown Davis Jr. (born August 5, 1944) is an American administrator and businessman. Erroll earned a Bachelor of Science in electrical engineering from Carnegie Mellon University in 1965 and an MBA in finance from the University of Chica ...

- Education administrator and chancellor,

University System of Georgia The University System of Georgia (USG) is the government agency that includes 26 public institutions of higher learning in the U.S. state of Georgia. The system is governed by the Georgia Board of Regents. It sets goals and dictates general ...

; businessman * Anthony M. DeLuca - politician * Jim Ellis - Swim coach and subject of the feature film ''

Pride Pride is defined by Merriam-Webster as "reasonable self-esteem" or "confidence and satisfaction in oneself". A healthy amount of pride is good, however, pride sometimes is used interchangeably with "conceit" or "arrogance" (among other words) wh ...

'' *

Chauncey Eskridge Chauncey Eskridge (November 11, 1917 – January 18, 1988) was an American attorney and judge. He provided legal counseling for activist Martin Luther King Jr., one of the leaders of the civil rights movement. He served on the legal team of worl ...

- Attorney who represented

Martin Luther King Jr. Martin Luther King Jr. (born Michael King Jr.; January 15, 1929 – April 4, 1968) was an American Baptist minister and activist, one of the most prominent leaders in the civil rights movement from 1955 until his assassination in 1968 ...

and

Muhammad Ali Muhammad Ali (; born Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr.; January 17, 1942 – June 3, 2016) was an American professional boxer and activist. Nicknamed "The Greatest", he is regarded as one of the most significant sports figures of the 20th century, a ...

; judge *

Erroll Garner Erroll Louis Garner (June 15, 1921 – January 2, 1977) was an American jazz pianist and composer known for his swing playing and ballads. His instrumental ballad "Misty", his best-known composition, has become a jazz standard. It was first rec ...

- Jazz pianist and composer * John Greene - NFL player *

- NFL player *

Dakota Staton Dakota Staton (June 3, 1930 – April 10, 2007) was an American jazz vocalist who found international acclaim with the 1957 No. 4 hit "The Late, Late Show". She was also known by the Muslim name Aliyah Rabia for a period due to her conversion to ...

- Jazz vocalist *

Ahmad Jamal Ahmad Jamal (born Frederick Russell Jones, July 2, 1930) is an American jazz pianist, composer, bandleader and educator. For six decades, he has been one of the most successful small-group leaders in jazz. Biography Early life Jamal was born Fr ...

- Jazz pianist *

- NFL player *

- NFL player * Bill Nunn, Jr. - Administrator,

Pittsburgh Steelers The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. Founded in , the Steel ...

; newspaper editor and sports writer * Wendell H. Phillips - Member

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

- NBA player *

- Jazz composer * Adam Wade - Singer, musician and actor; first African-American game-show host *

- Jazz pianist/composer-arranger

References

External links

*
Pittsburgh Public Schools

National Center for Education Statistics data for Westinghouse High School
{{authority control School buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in Pennsylvania Educational institutions established in 1917 High schools in Pittsburgh Neoclassical architecture in Pennsylvania City of Pittsburgh historic designations Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation Historic Landmarks Public high schools in Pennsylvania Public middle schools in Pennsylvania 1917 establishments in Pennsylvania National Register of Historic Places in Pittsburgh