Torrance High School

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 This article needs additional citations for verification.
Please help improve this article by adding reliable references. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (October 2007)
Notepad
 To comply with Wikipedia's quality standards, this article may need to be rewritten.
Please help improve this article. The discussion page may contain suggestions.
Torrance High School
Location
2200 W. Carson Street

Torrance, California, USA
Information
Principal John O'Brien
Enrollment

2,257 (as of 2007)[1]
Faculty 91
Type Public
Mascot Tartar
Color(s) Maroon and gray
Established September 11, 1917
Information +1 310 533-4396
Statistics for 9–12 only, not 8th grade advanced course students.
Homepage torrancehigh.com

Torrance High School, the oldest of four high schools in the Torrance Unified School District in Torrance, California, is one of the oldest high schools in continuous use in California and a popular location for television and motion picture production. It was founded in 1917, sharing its campus with an elementary school. It is most known for its appearance in high-profile television shows, including Beverly Hills 90210 and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Its history of alumni is equally ostentatious, as the alma mater of broadcaster Paul Moyer, Medal of Honor recipient Ted Tanouye, prisoner of war in World War II Louis Zamperini, and professional golfer Angela Park.

Contents

[edit] School history

The school first opened as a school under the control of the Los Angeles Unified School District on September 11,1917 as a combination high school and elementary school to accommodate the area's rapid post-war growth brought on by its petroleum industry and iron works as well as the Pacific Electric Railway. Its first commencement ceremony took place June 18,1918, during which three female students received their diplomas. In 1947 Torrance Unified School District was formed but was not certified for a high school. During the school year of fall 1946 to summer 1947, Torrance High School became part of the Redondo Union High School District. The very first graduating high school class from TUSD was the Class of 1948.

[edit] Campus

The distinctive façade of the front building serves as the primary filming location for many shows.
The distinctive façade of the front building serves as the primary filming location for many shows.

Torrance High has over 100 classrooms, a library, access to site, district and county media resources, five computer labs, at least one computer per classroom, two gyms and local athletic fields. Torrance High offers 65,700 instructional minutes on a yearly basis and has nine minimum days for testing and/or staff development.

The Main Building with the 1921 L additions, the Senior Patio, original Science Building/current Home Economics Building(1921), the WPA Auditorium(1937) and the first Torrance Elementary School(1923 now referred to as the Annex) are listed on the National Register of Historic Places (1983) and was Torrance's first such listing. It received a major facelift and indoor modernization in the late 1970s and is the building most often seen on film. A scenic Spanish Revival Mexican tile fountain and patio,was added along with a L shaped wing attached to the main building in 1921 and frequently seen in Beverly Hills 90210, has been known for decades as the "Senior Patio." The patio is traditionally off-limits to underclassmen.

The so-called Long Beach Earthquake on March 10, 1933 left its mark on the campus. The quake destroyed the upper part of the original auditorium and caused the ground near it to sink several feet. The replacement auditorium was built (1937) as a Works Progress Administration (WPA) project while the elevated administrative offices were added in 1962.The area was nicknamed the "Sunken Garden" before the current building was built.[2]

A memorial honoring Ted T. Tanouye, THS Class of 1938 and recipient of the Congressional Medal of Honor, is directly across from THS. Tech. Sgt Tanouye was part of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, better known as the "Go For Broke" team. This memorial was dedicated in 2004 on the 60th Anniversary of the heroic acts of Ted Tanouye during World War II.

[edit] Filming history

The senior patio behind the main building
The senior patio behind the main building

Torrance High's unique architecture and relative proximity to Hollywood make it an ideal location for major television programs and motion pictures. Among its credits:

[edit] Activities

Marching Band in the Torrance Armed Forces Day Parade
Marching Band in the Torrance Armed Forces Day Parade

Torrance High is not an athletically superior school, but many alumni have gone on to become professional players, some before they even graduated. Deon Thompson graduated in 2006, and went on to play Basketball for UNC as a Forward.[3] Angela Park became a professional golfer in April before her graduation in 2006,[4] and went on to tie for second place in the LPGA US Women's Open of 2007.[5]

Student groups are a significant part of students' life, with service clubs like UNICEF and KIWIN'S, and academic groups such as Model United Nations and United States Academic Decathlon serving many interests.

Torrance High has a enrollment of 2,259 students with Caucasian and Asian being the most diverse.[1]

[edit] Academics

View of the main campus, the science building with two refurbished greenhouses on the right, band room and auditorium on the left
View of the main campus, the science building with two refurbished greenhouses on the right, band room and auditorium on the left

The school's alma mater is set to the ballad "Annie Lisle."

The school library is on the first floor, and multimedia classrooms are housed upstairs.
The school library is on the first floor, and multimedia classrooms are housed upstairs.

In 2004, Torrance High instated its Schoolwide Academic Goals in an effort to raise its education standards. Comprising an acronym of the mascot's name, they outline goals of technical competency and other standards.[6]

[edit] Notable alumni

[edit] Military

  • Louis Zamperini (1936) – Track star and World War II hero for whom Torrance's general aviation airport is named, he still makes frequent speaking appearances at the school. Torrance High School's football stadium, which located about a mile away from the campus, is also named for Zamperini.[7]
  • Ted T. Tanouye (1938) – A member of the famous Americans of Japanese heritage 442nd Regiment, better known as the "Go for Broke" Regiment. In front of the school, on Carson Street, there is a Memorial dedicated to Ted. Dedicated on July 7, 2004, the Memorial was the project of the Ted Tanouye Memorial Foundation and the Torrance High Alumni Association. The ceremony included performances by the Torrance High School NJROTC and Band. He is the only Torrance resident to have received the Medal of Honor. This award was presented to him posthumously on June 21, 2000 by President Bill Clinton.[8]

[edit] Movies and television

[edit] Music and radio

[edit] Sports

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b Torrance High - Torrance Unified - 1938752 - 1965060. California Public Schools - School Report. California Department of Education: Educational Demographics Unit (2007-09-08). Retrieved on 2007-10-14.
  2. ^ Troppozada, Toussan R. (1989). Earthquake Planning Scenario. California Geology. Retrieved on 2007-01-23.
  3. ^ Deon Thompson. Scout Hoops Experts (2007). Retrieved on 2008-03-14.
  4. ^ Beers, Joel (March 2006). Rising Stars. Southland Golf Magazine. Retrieved on 2008-03-14.
  5. ^ Hack, Damon (2007-05-18). Park Feels Right at Home Among Sybase Leaders. The New York Times. Retrieved on 2007-06-02.
  6. ^ S.W.A.G. at Torrance High. January 31, 2007.
  7. ^ World Sports Humanitarian Hall of Fame. Retrieved January 23, 2007.
  8. ^ MOH Citation for Ted Tanouye. Retrieved January 23, 2007.
  9. ^ Billy Kim at the Internet Movie Database
  10. ^ Michael Goode (I) at the Internet Movie Database
  11. ^ George Kiriyama - Talent Biographies News Story - KNTV | San Francisco
  12. ^ Stevo Polyi at the Internet Movie Database
  13. ^ http://www.bradschecter.com
  14. ^ http://www.goodenter.com/battle/
  15. ^ Nordhoff, Brett (2007-06-20). "Re: '82 reunion". THSAA Message Board. Retrieved on 2007-10-15.
  16. ^ Player Bio: Dion Thompson. Carolina: Men's Basketball. CSTV Networks, Inc. and the University of North Carolina. Retrieved on 2007-10-14.

[edit] External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:
v • d • e
Torrance Unified School District (TUSD)
High Schools: North • South • Torrance • West
Continuation: Kurt T. Shery
v • d • e
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
National Park Service logo
Languages