Olympia High School (OHS), commonly referred to as Oly, is a public high school in the southeast part of
Olympia,
Washington
Washington most commonly refers to:
* George Washington (1732–1799), the first president of the United States
* Washington (state), a state in the Pacific Northwest of the United States
* Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States
** A ...
along the city's border with
Tumwater. It is the oldest of two comprehensive high schools in the
Olympia School District
Olympia School District is a school district (Washington school district number 111) serving 9,829 students (as of the 2020-2021 school year) in the city of Olympia in Thurston County, Washington. The school district has approximately 1200 sta ...
, and also one of the oldest public secondary schools in the state of Washington.
History

Olympia High School opened in 1849 as additional public schooling beyond 1-8 curriculum and graduated its first class in 1849. OHS shared a few locations with elementary schools before having its own building in 1907, when OHS became officially named William Winlock Miller School, a high school. The 1907 building was built on a square block donated by the widow of pioneer leader William Winlock Miller on ground immediately east of the today's sunken gardens, part of the
Washington State Capitol Campus. That building burned in 1918, its Tenino sandstone was salvaged in 1920 to construct the face of the Power House on Capitol Lake, used to heat Washington's permanent capitol campus that proceeded in construction.
The next structure for W.W. Miller High School was built in 1919 between 12th and 13th Streets on Capitol Way because the state had purchased the land near the sunken garden to increase the Capitol grounds. An auditorium, gymnasium, and more classrooms were added to that building in 1926; however, any further expansion on this site was impossible. As the school's capacity needed increasing, between Carlyon Avenue and North Street were purchased.
Until 1955, Oly drew students from all of
Thurston County, Washington
Thurston County is a County (United States), county located in the U.S. state of Washington (state), Washington. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, its population was 294,793. The county seat is Olympia, Washington, Olympia, the ...
, except its most southern reaches. But Oly's catchment area split in 1955 with the creation
North Thurston High School, then split again in 1961 as
Tumwater High School opened, then once again with the spawning of
Capital High School in 1975. Today's location of OHS opened in 1961, and underwent a full renovation, completed in the summer of 2000 that enclosed the 9 separate buildings of the 1961 design.
Sports
Olympia High School is a 4A-division member of the
Washington Interscholastic Activities Association
The Washington Interscholastic Activities Association (WIAA) is the governing body of athletics and activities for secondary education schools in the state of Washington. As of October 2024, the private, 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization consists ...
.
Olympia High School is known for their athletics teams consistently placing in the top 10 for the 4A classification.
State Championships, second place:
Boys' Basketball - 1987, 1998, 2023; Girls' Golf - 1997; Girls' Gymnastics - 1998; Girls' Soccer - 1988, 1995; Boys' Swimming - 1958, 1970, 1972; Girls' Swimming - 1989, 1995; Boys' Tennis - 1979, 1982, 1990, 2007; Girls' Tennis - 1982, 1999; Girls' Volleyball - 1981; Baseball - 2019; Girls' Bowling - 2022
Notable alumni
* General
Muir S. Fairchild, 1913, Vice Chief of Staff for USAF, first Academy commander, key air war strategist in World War II, World War I Flyboy
*
Eric Alexander, 1986, Jazz musician
*
Gerry L. Alexander, 1954, Chief Justice,
Washington State Supreme Court
*
Peter Blecha
Peter Charles Blecha is an American historian, curator, essayist, author, musician, and director of the Seattle-based Northwest Music Archives. He is primarily known for research related to aspects of Pacific Northwest musical history. In additio ...
, 1974, historian, curator, essayist, author, musician
*
Floyd Brown
Floyd Gregory Brown (born March 10, 1961) is an American author, speaker, and media commentator. He is formerly the CEO of USA Radio Network. Brown founded the conservative website '' Western Journalism'' in 2008. Brown in his early career worke ...
, 1980, author, speaker and media commentator
*
Adam Conley, 2008, former
MLB
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...
player (
Miami Marlins
The Miami Marlins are an American professional baseball team based in Miami. The Marlins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League East, East Division. The ...
)
*
Gretchen Christopher, 1958, singer,
The Fleetwoods
The Fleetwoods were an American vocal group from Olympia, Washington, whose members were Gary Troxel (born November 28, 1939), Gretchen Christopher (born February 29, 1940), and Barbara Ellis (born February 20, 1940).
Early history
The band ...
*
Bruce P. Crandall, 1951, Lieutenant Colonel, United States Army (Ret.) (Medal of Honor Recipient) (helicopter pilot, call sign "Snake", in movie ''
We Were Soldiers
''We Were Soldiers'' is a 2002 American war film written and directed by Randall Wallace and starring Mel Gibson. Based on the book '' We Were Soldiers Once… and Young'' (1992) by Lieutenant General (Ret.) Hal Moore and reporter Joseph L. ...
'')
*
Geraldine de Courcy, 1902, music critic, author, intelligence worker, translator
*
Daniella Deutscher, 1994, actress
*
Barbara Ellis, 1958, singer,
The Fleetwoods
The Fleetwoods were an American vocal group from Olympia, Washington, whose members were Gary Troxel (born November 28, 1939), Gretchen Christopher (born February 29, 1940), and Barbara Ellis (born February 20, 1940).
Early history
The band ...
*
Ira Flagstead, 1911(?), former
MLB
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...
player (
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are an American professional baseball team based in Detroit. The Tigers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. One of the AL's eight chart ...
,
Boston Braves
The Boston Braves were a Major League Baseball club that originated in Boston, Boston, Massachusetts, and played from 1871 to 1952. Afterwards they moved to History of the Atlanta Braves#Milwaukee, Milwaukee (and became the Milwaukee Braves). ...
,
Washington Senators,
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh. The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central ...
)
*
Rickie Lee Jones
Rickie Lee Jones (born November 8, 1954) is an American singer, musician, and songwriter. Over the course of a career that spans five decades and 15 studio albums, she has recorded in various musical styles including rock, R&B, pop, soul, an ...
, 1974, singer, songwriter, producer
*
Kathleen Hays, 1970, financial reporter on the Bloomberg TV network
*
Douglas Massey
Douglas Steven Massey (born October 5, 1952) is an American sociologist. Massey is currently a professor of sociology at the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University and is an adjunct professor of sociology ...
, 1970, professor of
sociology
Sociology is the scientific study of human society that focuses on society, human social behavior, patterns of Interpersonal ties, social relationships, social interaction, and aspects of culture associated with everyday life. The term sociol ...
and former president (2000–01) of the
American Sociological Association
The American Sociological Association (ASA) is a non-profit organization dedicated to advancing the discipline and profession of sociology. Founded in December 1905 as the American Sociological Society at Johns Hopkins University by a group of fi ...
*
Mel Melin, 1958, former
CFL
The Canadian Football League (CFL; , LCF) is a professional Canadian football league in Canada. It comprises nine teams divided into two divisions, with four teams in the East Division and five in the West Division. The CFL is the highest pr ...
player (
BC Lions
The BC Lions are a professional Canadian football team based in Vancouver, British Columbia. The Lions compete in the West Division (CFL), West Division of the Canadian Football League (CFL), and play their home games at BC Place.
The Lions playe ...
)
*
Bill Moos, 1969, Director of Athletics at the University of Nebraska
*
Moon Mullen, 1935(?) former
MLB
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...
player (
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. The Phillies compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East Division. Since 2004, the team's home stadium has ...
)
*
Thai Nguyen, 1998, fashion designer
*
Joy Osmanski
Joy Osmanski (born October 29, 1975) is an American actress. She is best known for her wide range of comedic roles on the TV shows '' The Loop'', ''Samantha Who?'', '' True Jackson, VP'' and ''Devious Maids''. Joy is also known for her recurrin ...
, 1993, actress, television series ''
The Loop'' and
It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia
''It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia'', also known colloquially simply as ''Always Sunny'', is an American sitcom created by Rob McElhenney and co-developed by Glenn Howerton for FX (TV channel), FX. It premiered on August 4, 2005, and stars Charl ...
*
Don Rich
Donald Eugene Ulrich (August 15, 1941 – July 17, 1974), best known by the stage name Don Rich, was an American country musician who helped develop the Bakersfield sound in the early 1960s. He was a noted guitarist and fiddler, and a ...
, 1959, guitarist/fiddler/band leader for
Buck Owens
Alvis Edgar "Buck" Owens Jr. (August 12, 1929 – March 25, 2006) was an American musician, singer, and songwriter. He was the frontman for The Buckaroos, which had 21 No. 1 hits on the ''Billboard'' country music chart. He pioneered what came ...
and
the Buckaroos
*
Travis Shook, 1986, jazz musician
*
Irene Stewart, 1975, Seattle School Board member
*
Gary Troxel, 1958, singer,
The Fleetwoods
The Fleetwoods were an American vocal group from Olympia, Washington, whose members were Gary Troxel (born November 28, 1939), Gretchen Christopher (born February 29, 1940), and Barbara Ellis (born February 20, 1940).
Early history
The band ...
*
Bud Ward, 1932, two-time winner of the US Amateur Golf Championship (1939, 1941)
References
External links
School websiteSchool District
{{authority control
High schools in Thurston County, Washington
History of Olympia, Washington
Schools in Olympia, Washington
Public high schools in Washington (state)
1882 establishments in the United States