Lincoln High School is a historic
high school
A secondary school, high school, or senior school, is an institution that provides secondary education. Some secondary schools provide both ''lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper secondary education'' (ages 14 to 18), i.e., ...
located in the south central sector of
Tacoma, Washington
Tacoma ( ) is the county seat of Pierce County, Washington, United States. A port city, it is situated along Washington's Puget Sound, southwest of Seattle, southwest of Bellevue, Washington, Bellevue, northeast of the state capital, Olympia ...
, adjacent to Lincoln Park. Part of
Tacoma Public Schools, it was named for
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln (February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was the 16th president of the United States, serving from 1861 until Assassination of Abraham Lincoln, his assassination in 1865. He led the United States through the American Civil War ...
, the sixteenth
President of the United States
The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president directs the Federal government of the United States#Executive branch, executive branch of the Federal government of t ...
. The school was founded in 1913 and built according to an architectural design by
Frederick Heath. It celebrated its Centennial Jubilee in 2014.
History
After a favorable bond vote by the people on September 2, 1911, the school board of Tacoma Public Schools chose the present site for a new high school. Originally called Lincoln Park High School, it adjoined city park property that was turned over to the school board without charge. The cost of the ground, nearly ten acres, was less than $424,000; the building, $438,000. With equipment, the total investment was about half a million dollars.
On Labor Day, September 1, 1913, the cornerstone was laid; by September 1914, classes began. In the spring of 1915, 98 students were graduated. Enrollment gradually increased, until in 1938 there were about 3,100 students, 709 graduating. When the auditorium could no longer accommodate the graduation exercises, they were held in the Helig Theater (now the Temple) from 1929 to 1932, graduation was moved to the Armory, and then to the University of Puget Sound Field house, and finally to the
Tacoma Dome
The Tacoma Dome is an indoor multi-purpose arena in Tacoma, Washington, United States. It is located south of Downtown Tacoma, adjacent to Interstate 5 in Washington, Interstate 5 and Tacoma Dome Station. It is currently used for basketball tou ...
.
Architecture
Frederick Heath, the architect behind Lincoln High School,
Stadium High School, and other noteworthy buildings in
Tacoma, sent his partner George Gove around the U.S. to study other schools before designing Lincoln. They wanted it to be
state of the art
The state of the art (SOTA or SotA, sometimes cutting edge, leading edge, or bleeding edge) refers to the highest level of general development, as of a device, technique, or scientific field achieved at a particular time. However, in some contex ...
. Style was also considered vital. The architectural inspiration was that of the
Eton School in England. The school was built primarily in a Collegiate Gothic style, meant to show a school building that would inspire and last. Carved in
Wilkeson sandstone above the doorways were inspirational words such as courage, reverence, grace and "
Labor omnia vincit" (Labor Conquers All Things).
The building was organized with the three wings, comprising the main building, in the shape of the letter Y. The Drost Auditorium, named for Lincoln class of 1938 alumna and former Tacoma School Board President, Betty Drost, is conveniently located for both public gatherings and quick access from classrooms. The tower clock, a silent replacement of the school bell of old, is the dominant feature of the building.
On the grounds, the most distinguishing feature is
Alonzo Victor Lewis' statue of Lincoln, unveiled February 12, 1918. The purchase price of $4,000 was made possible by contributions from Tacoma Public Schools and patriotic organizations.
The inscriptions over the entrances - Reverence, Justice, Goodwill, Simplicity, Grace, and Courage - were suggested by the architects and were inspired by similar words which
Bishop Keater, in a baccalaureate address at the university, designated as "gateways of the ideal democracy the public school aims to build."
Lincoln High School was substantially renovated in 2007. Designed by K-12 architectural firm
DLR Group, the renovation added a new academic building to support Lincoln's transition to a
Small Learning Community
A Small Learning Community (SLC), also referred to as a School-Within-A-School, is a school organizational model that is an increasingly common form of learning environment in American secondary schools to subdivide large school populations into ...
based curriculum. The exterior renovations including returning the school's original front door entrance; restoration of the iconic clock tower; and restoration of the Justice Arch as the connection between the original school and the new addition.
Area
Tacoma's two Federal Empowerment Zones lie within the school's attendance area. The Lincoln International Business District is one block from the school. The
Tacoma Mall and the city's largest commercial/retail sector are found less than to the west.
Events in school history and the Lincoln Bowl
On August 31, 1914, the school day was set to begin at 9 a.m., but so many students showed up early to get a peek at the new high school that Principal W.W Parker opened the doors at 7:30 a.m. to let them explore. The walls of the short hallway on the left of the central hub were not yet covered with pictures because there had not yet been a graduating class to display there. But someone thought it was a good idea to hang one as soon as there was a graduation. Once one picture was hung, it was fitting for each new class to join their fellow alums on the wall. Those frames were taken down for the renovation. Though they were replaced after the construction was finished, Lincoln stopped placing graduation class photos on the walls after the class of 2005 graduated.
In the 1920s, the stadium was used for Tacoma City League baseball.
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977) was an American singer and actor. Referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one of the most significant cultural figures of the ...
performed at the Lincoln Bowl in 1957.
Retired NFL quarterback Jon Kitna joined the staff of Lincoln High School from January 2012 through June 2015, teaching mathematics. In addition, he was hired as varsity football head coach. In 2015, Kitna accepted a position coaching football at
Waxahachie High School in Texas.
The visit of
President Xi Jinping of the
People's Republic of China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...
in September 2015 provided opportunities for students to explore Chinese music, government and culture.
Notable people
Faculty
*
Sugar Ray Seales, Olympic Boxer
*
Terry Bergeson
Teresa M. Bergeson (born October 5, 1942) is a former three-term Washington State Superintendent of Public Instruction.
Biography
Dr. Bergeson graduated from Emmanuel College in 1964 with a B.A. in English. In 1969, she earned a master's degre ...
, State Superintendent of Public Instruction 1996-2007
*
Jon Kitna, NFL quarterback 1997–2013, math teacher and head football coach 2013–2015
Alumni
*
Lee Artoe, NFL and AAFC football player, 1946–1948
*
Carmen Best, Police Chief of
Seattle
Seattle ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Washington and in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. With a population of 780,995 in 2024, it is the 18th-most populous city in the United States. The city is the cou ...
(2018–2020)
*
James E. Brau, Class of 1965,
particle physicist
Particle physics or high-energy physics is the study of fundamental particles and fundamental interaction, forces that constitute matter and radiation. The field also studies combinations of elementary particles up to the scale of protons and ...
, professor of physics at the
University of Oregon
The University of Oregon (UO, U of O or Oregon) is a Public university, public research university in Eugene, Oregon, United States. Founded in 1876, the university is organized into nine colleges and schools and offers 420 undergraduate and gra ...
*
Pappy Boyington, U.S. fighter pilot and
Medal of Honor
The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest Awards and decorations of the United States Armed Forces, military decoration and is awarded to recognize American United States Army, soldiers, United States Navy, sailors, Un ...
recipient
Roberta (Spencer) Byrd Barr civil rights leader, first woman principal of Seattle Public Schools, moderator of KCTS and KING-5 "Face to Face"
*
Brandon Brown (born 1989), basketball player for
Hapoel Jerusalem of the
Israeli Basketball Premier League
Ligat HaAl (, lit., ''Supreme League or Premier League''), or the Israeli Basketball Premier League, is a professional basketball league in Israel and the highest level of basketball in the country. The league's name is abbreviated as either BSL ...
*
Wade Cook, author and ignominious financial guru
*
Robert W. Copeland, Class of 1918. RADM USNR
Navy Cross
The Navy Cross is the United States Naval Service's second-highest military decoration awarded for sailors and marines who distinguish themselves for extraordinary heroism in combat with an armed enemy force. The medal is equivalent to the Army ...
recipient. Ship namesake
*
AJ Gil, singer-songwriter, who placed eighth on the
first season of ''
American Idol
''American Idol'' is an American Music competition, singing competition television series created by Simon Fuller, produced by Fremantle (company), Fremantle North America and 19 Entertainment, and distributed by Fremantle North America. It a ...
''
*
Frank Herbert
Franklin Patrick Herbert Jr. (October 8, 1920February 11, 1986) was an American science-fiction author, best known for his 1965 novel Dune (novel), ''Dune'' and its five sequels. He also wrote short stories and worked as a newspaper journalist, ...
, writer, author of ''
Dune
A dune is a landform composed of wind- or water-driven sand. It typically takes the form of a mound, ridge, or hill. An area with dunes is called a dune system or a dune complex. A large dune complex is called a dune field, while broad, flat ...
'' series
*
Bobby "Wheezer" Hutchins, child actor and former ''
Our Gang
''Our Gang'' (also known as ''The Little Rascals'' or ''Hal Roach's Rascals'') is an American series of comedy short films chronicling a group of poor neighborhood children and their adventures. Created by film producer Hal Roach, who also pr ...
'' member
*
Vince Hanson, All-American college basketball player
*
Jim Jones
James Warren Jones (May 13, 1931 – November 18, 1978) was an American cult leader, preacher and mass murderer who founded and led the Peoples Temple between 1955 and 1978. Jones and the members of his inner circle planned and orchestrat ...
, American football player
*
Jon Kitna, NFL quarterback 1996–2013
*
Stafford Mays, NFL defensive lineman 1980–1988
*
Lawyer Milloy, NFL strong safety 1996–2010
*
Alex Montgomery, WNBA basketball player
*
Brad Owen
Bradley Scott Owen (born May 23, 1950) is an American businessman and politician who served as the 15th Lieutenant Governor of Washington from 1997 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he was previously elected to the Washington State Legi ...
, Lt. Governor of Washington State 1997–2017
*
Phil Sarboe, American football player (1934–1936) and coached
Washington State Cougars
The Washington State Cougars (known informally as the Cougs) are the sport, athletic teams that represent Washington State University. Located in Pullman, Washington, WSU is a member of the Pac-12 Conference in NCAA Division I. The athletic pr ...
and
Humboldt State Lumberjacks
The Cal Poly Humboldt Lumberjacks are the 13 varsity athletic teams that represent California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt, located in Arcata, California, in NCAA Division II intercollegiate sports. The Lumberjacks compete as an associat ...
*
Bill Sewell, American football and baseball player, coach, athletic director
*
Frank Stojack, American football player, pro wrestler, politician, sheriff
*
Thor C. Tollefson, U.S. Representative 1947–1965
*
Steve Whitaker, Major League Baseball outfielder (1966–1970)
*
Dave Williams, NFL wide receiver 1967–1974
*
Victoria Woodards, mayor of
Tacoma, Washington
Tacoma ( ) is the county seat of Pierce County, Washington, United States. A port city, it is situated along Washington's Puget Sound, southwest of Seattle, southwest of Bellevue, Washington, Bellevue, northeast of the state capital, Olympia ...
and former member of the
Tacoma City Council
References
External links
*
{{authority control
Schools in Tacoma, Washington
Educational institutions established in 1914
High schools in Pierce County, Washington
Frederick Heath buildings
Public high schools in Washington (state)
1914 establishments in Washington (state)