Towson High School

Towson High School
Towson Law & Public Policy High School

A Tradition of Excellence
Location
Towson, Maryland
United States
Information
Type Public Secondary
Established 1873
School district Baltimore County Public Schools
Principal Charlene DiMino
Grades 9-12
Enrollment 1,442 (2008)[1]
Campus Suburban
Color(s)

Maroon and White

         
Song "Amici"
Mascot Generals
Rivals Dulaney Lions
National ranking 341st
Newspaper The Talisman
Yearbook Sidelights
Literary Magazine Colophon
Website towsonhs.bcps.org

Towson High School is a high school in Baltimore County, Maryland, founded in 1873. The school's current stone structure was built in 1949. Located in the northern Baltimore suburb of Towson and serving the surrounding communities of Towson, Lutherville, and Ruxton, it is part of the Baltimore County Public Schools system, the 25th largest school system in the nation as of 2005.[2] Area middle schools that feed into Towson High are Dumbarton Middle School, Ridgely Middle School, and Loch Raven Technical Academy, although students from other areas attend the Law and Public Policy magnet school.[3] In 2010, Towson was ranked No. 341 in Newsweek magazine's "America's Best High Schools: The List" annual national survey.[4]

Academics

Festooned above the entrance to the auditorium lobby is the school's mission statement: "...to prepare students to become lifelong learners and productive global citizens... and foster the development of scholarship, leadership, citizenship and integrity".

The school has risen steadily in Newsweek's annual nationwide high school survey during the five-year period culminating in its No. 246 ranking in 2008, having previously placed No. 292 in 2007, No. 317 in 2006, No. 452 in 2005, and No. 511 in 2003.[4][5] Following publication of the magazine's survey in May 2008, Towson High's then-principal Jane Barranger, said: "I'm very proud of our parents and our kids and our teachers. It takes all of their efforts to make sure that students are prepared to take challenging tests."[5] Barranger retired in June, 2013, after 12 years as the school's principal, succeeded by Charlene DiMino, the current principal.[6]

Law and Public Policy Program

The law magnet requires seven total law credits, which can be obtained within the span of four years by approved courses. In the 9th grade, students take an Introduction to Law Research and Legal Writing Course. This class is currently taught by Towson High alumnus Randy Dase, longtime soccer coach. In 10th grade, students take a Trial Advocacy and Criminal Law course in a classroom that replicates a courtroom, complete with witness box, jury box, defense/prosecution tables, etc. In the next two years, students can choose from a variety of electives, including Latin, forensic science, philosophy, international law, AP Government, and other law-related courses to fulfill the remaining law credits required for graduation in accordance with the Law and Public Policy magnet.

History

Towson High School was originally located on East Chesapeake Avenue, in a small brick structure built in 1873. When it burned down in 1906, a replacement was built on Allegheny Avenue. In 1925, the high school moved to a larger 3-story brick structure at an adjacent site on Central Avenue and the vacated building was converted into an elementary school. This old Allegheny Avenue building still stands today, now used for County offices.[7]

Construction of Towson High School's present-day campus on the grounds of the old Aigburth Vale estate began in the late 1940s, as the Towson area's population surged upward following World War II. The Aigburth Vale house, still standing near the school's athletic field, was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1999.[8]

When the current campus at Cedar and Aigburth Avenues opened as Towson Senior High School in 1949, the former Central Avenue building became a Junior High School for grades 7 and 8 and, later, Towson Elementary School. It is now a senior citizen center.[9]

Towson High's current campus underwent a renovation from 1996 to 1999. Classrooms were rebuilt to be smaller, air conditioning was retrofitted, and all exterior doors and windows were replaced.

With the end of racial segregation in Baltimore County public schools in 1954, the African-American student body of the old Carver High School on York Road (now the George Washington Carver Center for Arts and Technology magnet school) was merged with Towson High School.[10]

Structure

The present 5-level stone structure completed in 1949 includes a large auditorium with theater-style seating, a gymnasium, and a cafeteria. Classrooms are on the lower three floors. The fourth floor was originally used for administrative offices, then became an art studio, and currently contains two classrooms and a computer lab. The fifth floor of the school may not be used for classes as it would not comply with fire codes for proper evacuation. It is used to store books, and is occasionally used as an office. In the early 1960s, the fifth floor was also used by a student-operated ham radio station.

The library and science wing were added in the mid-1960s and the entire school underwent extensive upgrading in the late 1990s, including the installation of modern heating and air conditioning. As of 2008, only eight of Baltimore County's 23 public high schools are air conditioned.[11] The school exceeded state-rated capacity according to September 2007 enrollment figures.[12]

Extracurricular activities

There are many clubs and activities in the arts, languages, music, career interests, and recreation from which students may choose. Particularly noteworthy are:

Athletics

The "Generals" have won the following Maryland state championships:

Boys' basketball team, 1921
State Championship basketball team, 1963
      SPORT              YEAR
Baseball2000
Boys' basketball1963
Boys' lacrosse1988, 1989, 1992
1993, 1994, 1997
Boys' soccer1972, 1986•, 1991•     
2003•, 2005•
Boys' track and field     1953
Boys' cross country     1952, 1953, 1955,
1974, 1987
Girls' cross country1980, 1982, 1984
2001, 2008[15]
Girls' lacrosse1997
Mixed-Varsity Badminton2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010
Volleyball2001, 2010
• = denotes co-champions
Source: MPSSAA Official Tournament Records[16]

Michael Phelps, as a 15-year-old student at Towson High School, competed in the 2000 Olympics, the youngest American male swimmer to do so, and in 2001 he became the youngest man ever to set a world record in swimming.

The traditional rivals of Towson High School's Generals are the Lions of nearby Dulaney High School.

Notable alumni

Cedar Avenue entrance

The school's alumni association, founded in 1907, says it is "one of the oldest, continuous, public school alumni associations in the U.S.".[9] Well-known alumni include:

References

  1. ↑ "School Profile for Towson High". 2008. Retrieved 2008-10-02.
  2. ↑ 100 largest school districts, by enrollment size, United States Department of Education (2004-05 school year)
  3. ↑ "School Profile", Baltimore County Public Schools, Dec. 7, 2006
  4. 1 2
  5. 1 2 S. Ann Johnson, "Towson high schools make magazine's list", Towson Times, p. 10.
  6. ↑
  7. ↑ Gunning, Brooke. Towson and the Villages of Ruxton and Lutherville. Arcadia Publishing, 1999.
  8. ↑ "Aigburth Vale (Building), #99001016". National Register of Historic Places. 1999. Retrieved 2009-03-21.
  9. 1 2 Loni Ingraham, "Alumni group celebrates 100 years, 3 schools", Towson Times, September 19, 2007
  10. ↑ Ingraham, Loni (July 29, 2009). "Bittersweet recollections of segregation, and change". Towson Times. pp. 6–7.
  11. ↑ Gina Davis (2008-07-06). "Air Conditioning is Hot Topic". The Baltimore Sun. p. B1.
  12. ↑ Virginia Terhune (2008-04-09). "No stopping review of school plan". Towson Times.
  13. ↑ "Contest Winners", National Scholastic Press Association, Dec. 23, 2006
  14. ↑ "Towson band marches to proud new beat", Towson Times, Dec. 27, 2006.
  15. ↑ Clary, Craig (2008-11-19). "Generals put their best feet forward". Towson Times. p. 13.
  16. ↑ MPSSAA Official Tournament Records
  17. ↑ Klingaman, Mike (May 31, 2007). "Towson High proud to have its own star in Phelps". Baltimore Sun. Retrieved July 28, 2012.
  18. ↑ http://www.mdarchives.state.md.us/msa/educ/exhibits/womenshall/html/risteau.html

Coordinates: 39°23′29″N 76°36′05″W / 39.39137°N 76.60140°W / 39.39137; -76.60140

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