Omaha Central High School

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For schools of a similar name, see Central High School (disambiguation).
Omaha High School
Location: Omaha, Nebraska
Coordinates: 41°15′38″N 95°56′37″W / 41.26056°N 95.94361°W / 41.26056; -95.94361 (Central High School)Coordinates: 41°15′38″N 95°56′37″W / 41.26056°N 95.94361°W / 41.26056; -95.94361 (Central High School)
Architect: John Latenser, Sr.
Architectural style: Late 19th And 20th Century Revivals, Other
Governing body: Omaha Public Schools
NRHP Reference#:

79003684

[1]
Added to NRHP: October 11, 1979

Omaha Central High School, originally known as Omaha High School, is a fully accredited public high school located in downtown Omaha, Nebraska. Omaha Central is one of many public high schools located within Omaha. The school colors are purple and white. Athletic teams are known as the "Eagles".

The current building, located in Downtown Omaha, Nebraska, was designed by John Latenser, Sr. and built between 1900 and 1912. It is the oldest active high school building in the city.[2]

With an enrollment of around 2,500 students, today Central High School is the largest school in the state. Central is a four-year high school with a traditional college preparatory curriculum, an honors and advanced placement program, and a diverse student body which includes international students from all over the world. Co-curricular activities such as athletics, clubs, honor societies, student government, drama, art, musical groups, speech, and debate are offered.[3] The high school's newspaper is known as The Register. In 1986 Quill and Scroll, officially declared The Register the oldest continuously published newspaper west of the Mississippi.[4] As of the 2012-2013 school year, Central High School is an International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme World School. Notable alumni include two Nobel Prize recipients, politicians, professional athletes, entertainers, and a Medal of Honor recipient.

Contents

Extracurricular activities

Athletics

The extracurricular activities offered at Omaha Central High School are numerous and diverse due to the school's large size. The Eagles compete in Class A, the largest classification in Nebraska according to the Nebraska School Activities Association. Throughout its history, Omaha Central has won numerous state championships in various sports. Many graduates have gone on to participate in collegiate athletics. The football and soccer teams compete at Seeman Stadium located on campus. The boys and girls basketball games and volleyball matches are played at the Central High gymnasium. The baseball and softball teams compete at Boyd Stadium, a renovated park three miles northeast of the campus.

In 2007, the Eagles became the only high school in Nebraska to have won championships in three main sports in the same calendar year. As a result, Central was ranked by Sports Illustrated as one of the top 10 high-school athletic programs in the country.[5][6][7][8]

Football

Central's football program has sometimes been referred to as "I-Back High" for the level of running backs the football program has produced.[citation needed] Notable I-backs in Central history include Gale Sayers, Ahman Green, Damion Morrow, David Horne, Keith "Endzone" Jones, and Calvin Jones.[citation needed]

State championships

State Championships[9]
Season Sport Number of Championships Year
Fall Football 2 1984, 2007
Cross Country, Boys 2 1965, 1972
Tennis, Boys 4 1967, 1968, 1969, 1985
Winter Wrestling 12 1939, 1940, 1941, 1942, 1944, 1945, 1946, 1947, 1949, 1950, 1954, 1955
Basketball, Boys 10 1912, 1974, 1975, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013
Basketball, Girls 3 1983, 1984, 2012
Spring Baseball 2 1939, 1998
Golf, Boys 5 1929, 1930, 1936, 1951, 1956
Track and Field, Boys 21 1909, 1910, 1911, 1912, 1914, 1915, 1916, 1922, 1924, 1945, 1958, 1959, 1961, 1965, 1966, 1982, 1983, 1989, 2007, 2010, 2011
Track and Field, Girls 11 1974, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1983, 1984, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990
Soccer, Boys 1 1992
Total 72

Newspaper and media

The high school's newspaper is known as The Register. In 1986 Quill and Scroll, officially declared The Register the oldest continuously published newspaper west of the Mississippi.[10] After running a controversial story in 2001, the staff and the paper was rebuked by the administration. The story reported on a football player continuing to play, despite 2 assault charges. The charges, as stated in the school's handbook, should have led to a dismissal from the team. After running the story, the paper was threatened with being shut down. The school advisor received support from media outlets on the local and national level. This support stopped the paper from being shut down.[11]

The staff of Central's student newspaper, were awarded the Student Press Review's Edmund J. Sullivan Award in 2002 after they wrote a series of articles exposing several controversial topics throughout the school.[12] After administration had again threatened the paper with closure, the students won reprieve through the support of professional journalists across the country.[13]

Central has had youth-led media for some years. Starting in 1923, the school had a high school radio station for five years. First, KFCZ operated during the 1923–1924 school year. In 1925 the call letters changed to KOCH, and the Central High School Radio Club presented shows throughout the school day and special events on the weekends. The station was ordered discontinued by the Federal Communications Commission in 1928, as they devalued the purpose of school-affiliated radio stations and rescinded their licenses across the United States.[14]

Central also had, starting in 1969, a student run radio station KIOS-FM (91.5 MHz) which operated during the 1969–1973 school years. In 1973 the radio station was moved to Benson High School and then later to the old Tech High location where it is still in operation. KIOS-FM (91.5 MHz) is a National Public Radio member station in Omaha, Nebraska, USA, owned and operated by Omaha Public Schools.

JROTC

The Military Science program at Omaha Central High School predates the JROTC program. It began in the 1892–1893 school year. It became the most popular activity at the school. At one point, all male students were required to participate.[15]

Notable alumni

Former principals

The list of principals of Omaha High School/Central dates from 1870 to present.[16]

  • John Kellom, 1870–1875
  • W. H. Merritt, 1875–1877
  • C. H. Crawford, 1877–1881
  • Charles Hine, 1881–1882
  • Homer Lewis, 1882–1896
  • Irwen Leviston, 1896–1899
  • A. H. Waterhouse, 1899–1908
  • E. U. Graff, 1908–1911
  • Kate McHugh, 1911–1914
  • Clayton Reed, 1914–1915
  • Joseph G. Masters, 1915–1939
  • Fred Hill, 1939–1944
  • J. Arthur Nelson, 1944–1968
  • Gaylord “Doc” Moller, 1968–1995
  • Gary L. Thompson, 1995–2002
  • Jerry F. Bexten, 2002–2006
  • Gregory Emmel, 2006–2010
  • Keith Bigsby, 2010-
Central High School
Central High School at night
Central High School at night 
On The grounds of Central High School
On The grounds of Central High School 
Dodge Street entrance of Central
Dodge Street entrance of Central 
Looking west up Capitol Ave; Central sits atop capitol hill
Looking west up Capitol Ave; Central sits atop capitol hill 

See also

References

  1. ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. 2007-01-23. http://nrhp.focus.nps.gov/natreg/docs/All_Data.html.
  2. ^ Gerber, Kristine; Jeffrey S. Spencer (2003). Building for the Ages: Landmarks in Omaha.. Landmarks, Inc.. pp. 84–85. ISBN 0-9745410-1-X.
  3. ^ (2005) Central High Newsletter. Central High School. Retrieved 2007-05-17.
  4. ^ History
  5. ^ "Top 25 athletic programs for 2007-08" (English). http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/highschool/05/19/high.school.top.10/. Retrieved 2012-06-19.
  6. ^ "Sports Illustrated Ranks Omaha Central No. 10 High School Program" (English). http://www.kptm.com/global/story.asp?s=8354167. Retrieved 2012-06-19.
  7. ^ "Generation "C"" (English). http://www.chsfomaha.org/support/generation-qcq. Retrieved 2012-06-19.
  8. ^ "Omaha Central" (English). http://www.bighuskerfan.com/smf/index.php?action=printpage;topic=47483.0. Retrieved 2012-06-19.
  9. ^ "Nebraska School Activities Association" (English). http://nsaahome.org/tr.php. Retrieved 2012-06-19.
  10. ^ History
  11. ^ [1]
  12. ^ (2003) Edmund J. Sullivan Award to two newspaper staffs Student Press Review. Retrieved 2007-05-16.
  13. ^ Wynn, C. (2002) Threat of censorship has chilling effect: High school journalists try to continue work after clash with administration. The Quill. Retrieved 2007-05-16.
  14. ^ Frost, S., Frost, E. (1977) Education's Own Stations: The History of Broadcast Licenses Issued to Educational Institutions. National Advisory Council on Radio in Education Committee on Research. pp299-300.
  15. ^ History of Central High, Central High Traditions, Military
  16. ^ (2006) Annual Report. Central High School Foundation. Retrieved 2007-05-16.

External links

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National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places, Omaha Landmark
Omaha Landmark
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Flag of Nebraska