DeWitt Clinton High School
DeWitt Clinton High School is a public high school located since 1929 in The Bronx, New York. Opened in 1897 in Lower Manhattan as an all-boys school, it maintained that status for 86 years. In 1983, it became co-ed. From its original building on West 13th Street in Manhattan, it moved in 1906 to its second home, located at 59th Street and Tenth Avenue (now the site of the John Jay College of Criminal Justice). In 1929, the school moved to its present home on Mosholu Parkway in The Bronx, across from the renowned Bronx High School of Science.
Organization-houses and small learning communities[edit]
Clinton is split into several small learning communities. They include the Macy Honors Gifted Program (internally often called the Macy House), Health Professions, Veterinary Professions, Public Service, Business Enterprise, Future Educators, Academy House, and Varsity House.
The Macy Program, begun in 1985 with funding from the Macy Foundation,[9] attracts intelligent, hard-working children and preparing them for exceptionally selective colleges. The Macy program has been expanded to serve 1,200 students. The current Macy coordinator is Ernesta Consolazio.[17] The Macy Honors Gifted Program in the Sciences and Humanities has its own teachers, and a nine-period day compared to the regular New York City eight-period day. The program offers Specialized and Advanced Technology (SMT) courses, Science, Math, English, Law, Government, Philosophy and Great Books. All students in the program are required to have a minimum average of 80 and not to fail any courses. When Macy students are removed from the program, they are placed in Excel, a special Macy-run program just for its kick-outs and drop-outs, before being fully demoted to the lower programs. From at least 1998 to 2002, some students went directly into the Excel program.
Advanced Macy students are invited to join the even more selective Einstein Program, which has about 50 students in each grade. This program has even more rigorous academic performance requirements. Einstein students in their junior year are required to take a College Now course for philosophy and government science, in their first and second semester, respectively. These courses allow students to earn college credits. Einstein students are automatically assigned to honors and AP classes as early as freshman year, followed by the mandatory AP United States History and AP English Language for Einstein students who make it to their junior year.
Many Macy students are invited to MASTERS, a month-long summer program that offers many hands-on college courses emphasizing mathematics and science. These include Forensic Science, Robotics, Anatomy, Business, Consumer Chemistry and Electricity.
Student organizations[edit]
The school has over 40 academic and interest clubs.
The Clinton News, the school's newspaper,[18] is written and managed by its students. However, like many other outstanding Clinton possessions, The Clinton News publishes several multi-page full color papers a year by a grant from the Christian A. Johnson Endeavour Foundation.
Another Clinton High School publication is The Magpie. Published yearly, the historic color edition of this magazine came out May 2007. This literary collection received the most attention for its association with the Harlem Renaissance.[19]
In the media[edit]
The institution was featured in A Walk Through The Bronx with David Hartman and historian Barry Lewis. In it, Hartman and Lewis take a peek at the library.[25]
The DeWitt Clinton Chorus performed songs in the 2000 production, Finding Forrester.[26]
A book has been written about the school: Pelisson, Gerard J., and James A. Garvey III (2009). The Castle on the Parkway: The Story of New York City's DeWitt Clinton High School and Its Extraordinary Influence on American Life. Hutch Press. ISBN 978-1-883269-30-2.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
Clintonites made headlines and New York City School history in September 2005, when they walked out. The 1,500 strong walk out was a result of the installation of metal detectors.[27]
(1922–2012), Lieutenant Governor of Ontario and first black Canadian Member of Parliament. William Roth Medal Recipient[30]
Lincoln Alexander
(1919–1993), professional basketball player
Ben Auerbach
(1902–1983), former editor and publisher of BusinessWeek, Superintendent of Banks for the State of New York under Thomas E. Dewey[45]
Elliott V. Bell
(1910–2009), pioneer player with the Columbia Lions and in early pro basketball; later a successful trial attorney[46]
Lou Bender
M.D. (1927 –2010), winner of the Pulitzer Prize for General Non-Fiction in 1976 (class of 1944)[33][51]
Robert Butler
actor (class of 1966) winner of Emmy 1977, A.P.Broadcasters Award 1978, IMDb https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0133474/?ref_=nmmi_mi_nm
Ron Canada
(born 1949), former Surgeon General of the United States, dropped out at age 16[29][53]
Richard Carmona
(1900–1977), guest at the Dean Martin Comedy Hour roasting Don Rickles (Man Of The Week), 8 February 1974
Ricardo Cortez
(1886–1939), Italian-born New York lawyer and politician; first Italian-American to serve in both houses of the New York State Legislature and the first to serve as Justice of the New York State Supreme Court[60]
Salvatore A. Cotillo
(born 1991), Nigerian-American sprinter
Paul Dedewo
(born 1941), scientist, "often hailed as the father of the human genome project"[63] (class of 1959)
Charles DeLisi
World War II B-17 pilot and Officer of the New York Federal Reserve (class of 1928)[65]: 33
Eugene Emond
(1886–1973), songwriter, "When Irish Eyes Are Smiling" (class of 1903)
George Graff Jr.
first black All-American college basketball player; New York City official (class of 1927)[33]
George Gregory Jr.
shotputter and weightlifter, Olympic athlete and world record holder (class of 1960)[33]
Gary Gubner
creator and host of The Open Mind, historian, professor, editor of Democracy in America, and former chairman of the Motion Picture Association of America film rating system[74]
Richard Heffner
former New York Labor mediator, civil rights activist, entrepreneur (class of 1931)[33]
Theodore W. Kheel
USAF pilot killed during World War II; square named for him in Chinatown, NYC (class of 1937)[33]
Benjamin Ralph Kimlau
(1933–2009), entertainer, talk-show host, sportscaster. Once the highest paid person on Australian television. (class of 1952)[33]
Don Lane
founder of Pickwick International record company; president of MGM Home Video (class of 1940)[80]
Seymour Leslie
composer and lyricist; Pulitzer Prize winner for Drama; Tony Award winner (class of 1926)[33]
Frank Loesser
private equity investor, Forbes 400 billionaire, chairman and CEO of natural resources buyout firm First Reserve Corporation[82]
William E. Macaulay
actor, Sesame Street, Law & Order; singer; lyricist; poet; painter
Hal Miller
comedian, also attended Clinton and with the approval of the New York City Department of Education, Morgan was awarded an honorary diploma in 2003.[65]: 64
Tracy Morgan
pianist, songwriter, "Lady Sings the Blues"; left at age 15 to attend City College of New York[85]
Herbie Nichols
winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Biography or Autobiography for his 1931 biography of Theodore Roosevelt (class of 1915)[33]
Henry F. Pringle
The New York Times journalist; 1960 Pulitzer Prize winner for International Reporting (class of 1938)[29][33]
A.M. Rosenthal
songwriter and author (class of 1919)
Bob Rothberg
(1949–2011) musician, poet, and activist. Did not graduate, transferred to The Fieldston School[96]
Gil Scott-Heron
played for the Chicago Bulls; won a gold medal at the 1976 Summer Olympics (class of 1973)[33]
Steve Sheppard
playwright and screenwriter; recipient of a Pulitzer Prize, various Emmy Awards, Tony Awards, and a Golden Globe (class of 1944)[43]
Neil Simon
(1918–1999) (Class of 1935) Scientist, inventor, chemical engineer, Manhattan Project scientist, Developed most economical method to produce heavy water
Jerome S. Spevack
(1908–1994), actor in films, radio, theater and television
Lionel Jay Stander
The New York Times reporter and Pulitzer Prize winner for Telegraphic Reporting in 1942 (class of 1907)[33][100]
Louis Stark
(1903–1950), prominent rabbi, philosopher, theologian and author; Valedictorian, class of 1921[65]: 16
Milton Steinberg
advertising expert, consultant, professor, author, photographer (class of 1936)[104]
Lester Wunderman
DeWitt Clinton High School students organized one of the largest high school walkouts in New York on September 19, 2005. The protest occurred over installation of airport-style metal detectors and X-ray scanners, which had already been installed in many other schools throughout New York City.
[105]
Kelley, Frank Bergen, ed. The DeWitt Clinton Book, New York: Clinton Memorabilia Society, 1906.
Official website
Alumni Association
at insideschools.org
Profile
Then and Now, Clinton Cultivates Young Activists
from C-SPAN's American Writers
"Writings of James Baldwin", broadcast from DeWitt Clinton High School
Images: