Fairmont High School (Ohio)
Encyclopedia
Kettering, Ohio
As of the census of 2000, there were 57,502 people, 25,657 households, and 15,727 families residing in the city. The population density was 3,077.4 people per square mile . There were 26,936 housing units at an average density of 1,441.6 per square mile...
, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It is the only public high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
in the Kettering City School District
Kettering City School District
Kettering City School District is a school district located in Kettering, Ohio.Kettering is well-known for its quality school system and was named a "Top 100" school district by Money magazine in 1995. Residents of the district are proud of their schools and have continually supported the district,...
and is home to approximately 2,500 students, making it the 9th largest high school in Ohio.
History
The original school was part of the Van Buren Township Schools and was opened in September 1906. The high school was located on Dorothy Lane just west of Far Hills Avenue. In 1922, the original four-room school was too small for the student population and was replaced by a larger building east of the original building on Dorothy Lane. The original four-room school house later became the first Kettering City Hall.As Van Buren Township began to rapidly grow as a desirable Dayton, Ohio
Dayton, Ohio
Dayton is the 6th largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Montgomery County, the fifth most populous county in the state. The population was 141,527 at the 2010 census. The Dayton Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 841,502 in the 2010 census...
suburban location, the new school on Dorothy Lane was quickly filled to capacity. In 1929, a new, modern building was built on Far Hills Avenue at the corner of Storms Road. The 1922 building became Dorothy Lane Elementary School. The cost of the new high school on Far Hills was $300,000 and led to its being called the "folly in the country." But it had to be expanded several times to keep pace with growing enrollment. The school mascot and colors were Dragons and purple and white.
From 1924 to 1942, C.P. "Pop" Warner coached football, basketball, track and girl’s basketball (a few years). “Pop” was the institution. His teams won numerous championships. The 1927 yearbook quote: “Coach C.P. Warner has put Fairmont on the athletic map in Ohio”. “Pop’s” track team had won Fairmont’s first ever State Championship. Probably his greatest and fondest memory was his 1939 football team which won Fairmont’s first Miami Valley League Championship in an undefeated season. The league that year had pronounced strength with a number of outstanding teams.
In 1934, Fairmont Stadium was constructed behind the school as a football and track and field venue for the school team. As interest in Fairmont football grew, a donation from the Foreman family, which had four sons who had been Dragon stars, helped remodel and enlarge the facilities. In the 1990s, a track and field facility was constructed on vacant land on the campus between Far Hills and Shroyer. Fairmont participated in the Miami Valley League (MVL) and later in the Western Ohio League (WOL). They are now in the Greater Western Ohio Conference.
In 1954, the Village of Kettering, which occupied much of Van Buren Township, became the City of Kettering, one of the fastest growing in the area. The high school on Far Hills could no longer be expanded to house the growing student population. The Kettering Board of Education secured a large tract of land between Far Hills Avenue and Shroyer Road. A seven building campus style high school, the first of its kind in the Midwest, was opened in 1957 as a three-year high-school. The former building became Dwight L. Barnes Junior High School. Today, it is the home of the Kettering Board of Education.
Within just a few years, the student enrollment of more than 2,000 was again exceeding the capacity of the new high school. By 1963, a second campus style high school located in the eastern part of the city was opened as Fairmont East High School and the existing school was renamed Fairmont West High School. Fairmont West retained the Dragons mascot and colors, while Fairmont East adopted the Falcons mascot and the colors Columbia blue and red.
In the 1970s, the vocational facilities at Fairmont West were expanded as the Kettering Fairmont Career Tech Center. But overall enrollment began to decline in the school district. After 20 years, the Fairmont East campus was converted to a middle school and the 7 buildings at the Fairmont West campus were connected with 35 new classrooms and expansion of facilities such as the library/media center, cafeteria and gymnasium. For the first time since the 1940s, the high school was again a four-year high school.
During 1970 to 1976 Fairmont East rivaled with Fairmont West. the track and cross country team of Fairmont East, Coached by Neal Charske, led the Cross Country to the State championships three times , The Western Ohio Conference several times in a row, the Track team to the State district championship three times in a row. In 1972, he , Neal Charske, put together a team that ran for 24 hours in August with the AAU,(Amateur Athletic Union) as witness to the event. Each man ran a mile and handed off the baton, rotating in sequence all through the night until 7 a.m. in the morning, beginning at 7 p.m. in the evening, accumulating enough miles at the end of 24 hours, to set the World record for a 7-man relay team. Fourteen year old Thomas A. Link was holding the baton when he crossed the finish line to break the world record with two hours remanding. The rest of the team added more miles in those two hours to surpassed the world record. Each member of the team averaged 5 minutes and 22 seconds per mile, approximately 22 miles (35.4 km) a piece.
In the fall of 1983, the consolidated school reopened as Kettering Fairmont High School, with students from both East and West joining as the Fairmont Firebirds, taking the flight of the Falcon and the fire of the Dragon. The new school colors are navy blue, silver and white. The current enrollment is about 2600.
During the 1994/1995 school year, the high school underwent a major reconstruction, turning the seven building campus into one large building. The project added new classrooms, lockers, common areas, and allowed for students to avoid inclement weather between classes.
In October 2005, the new $8.8 million 63000 square feet (5,852.9 m²) James S. Trent Gymnasium—named for the veteran Kettering educator—opened. It seats 3,400 (4,400 with folding seats on the floor) and is used not only for the school's indoor sports teams, but for traveling sports tournaments and music acts. The arena ranks as the seventh-largest entertainment venue in Dayton. It rivals Fraze Pavilion, the outdoor amphitheater in Kettering, which has 4,388 seats. Of course, the arena's first function is for the high school. But because residents approved a levy to pay for renovations and additions to almost every building in the school district, the arena also has community aspects such as:
- An 8000 square feet (743.2 m²) exercise facility, The Kettering Fitness and Wellness Center
- A wellness/physical therapy center operated by Kettering Medical CenterKettering Medical CenterKettering Medical Center is located in Kettering, Ohio, United States. The Kettering Medical Center is a faith-based not-for-profit regional acute care hospital. It is affiliated with the Seventh-day Adventist Church. The hospital has 522 certified beds and has 1,074 working employees. The...
- A cafe
- A reception and banquet facility
For high academic achievements, Fairmont awarded Dragon Bells. A bell tower was built on the campus in 1989 as a gift of the Class of 1989 and named the Kettering Firebird Spirit Bell. The bell is electronically operated and is the last operational bell from the original Deeds
Edward A. Deeds
Edward Andrew Deeds was an American engineer, inventor and industrialist prominent in the Dayton, Ohio area.-Biography:...
Carillon
Carillon
A carillon is a musical instrument that is typically housed in a free-standing bell tower, or the belfry of a church or other municipal building. The instrument consists of at least 23 cast bronze, cup-shaped bells, which are played serially to play a melody, or sounded together to play a chord...
, which was upgraded to 57 bells in 1988. The bell was rung in the past as a victory bell on important occasions, but now almost never is and has essentially fallen into disuse.
Principals
The following are the principals who have led Fairmont High School.- Dwight L. Barnes 1924-1927
- J. E. Prass 1927-1952
- Richard Somers 1952-1961
- Alfred Bolender 1961-1964
- Alfred Bolender 1964-1978 (West)
- John Stuckey 1978-1981 (West)
- Frank Spolrich 1981-1983 (West)
- Charles Nolan 1963-1976 (East)
- Harold Hall 1976-1983 (East)
- Harold Hall 1983-1986
- Frank Spolrich 1986-1989
- William Stager 1989-1997
- James Schoenlein 1997-2000
- Margaret "Peg" McAtee 2000-2004
- James Schoenlein 2004-2009
- Dan Von Handorf 2009–Present
James Schoenlein is the first Dayton-area principal to win Ohio High School Principal of the Year.
Graduates
- Keith PrenticeKeith PrenticeKeith Prentice was a Dayton, Ohio-born American TV, film and stage actor, whose most famous role was the part of Larry in both the original stage and film versions of The Boys in the Band. Prentice also appeared on the classic TV soap Dark Shadows during the series final months in 1971...
(1958), Professional actor
- Tony P. HallTony P. HallTony Patrick Hall is an American politician who served as a Democrat from Ohio in the U.S. House of Representatives for more than 20 years....
(1960), Politician
- Colin MacKinnon (1960), Author of Finding Hoseyn, Morning Spy, Evening Spy, The Contractor
- Ron RoseRon RoseRon Rose is an American poker player from Dayton, Ohio, and a two time World Poker Tour Champion with a World Series of Poker bracelet.-Early Life and Career:...
(1962), World Poker Champion
- Gary SandyGary SandyGary Sandy is an American actor, who starred as program director Andy Travis on the television sitcom WKRP in Cincinnati....
(1964), Professional actor; star of 1970s CBSCBSCBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
televisionTelevisionTelevision is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
comedy series WKRP in CincinnatiWKRP in CincinnatiWKRP in Cincinnati is an American situation comedy that featured the misadventures of the staff of a struggling fictional radio station in Cincinnati, Ohio. The show was created by Hugh Wilson and was based upon his experiences working in advertising sales at Top 40 radio station WQXI in Atlanta...
- Stephen K. HayesStephen K. HayesStephen K. Hayes is an American Bujinkan ninjutsu master, Buddhist priest and writer.-Life and martial arts:Stephen K. Hayes was born in Wilmington, Delaware and raised in Dayton, Ohio. He graduated from Fairmont West High School, Kettering, Ohio in 1967. He began formal training in the martial...
(1967), Actor/author/martial arts master
- John A. RoushJohn A. RoushJohn Allen Roush is a figure in American higher education and currently the president of Centre College. An Ohio native, Roush graduated from Kettering Fairmont High School and holds a bachelor's degree in English from Ohio University's Honors College and a Master's and PhD from Miami University. Dr...
(1968), President, Centre CollegeCentre CollegeCentre College is a private liberal arts college in Danville, Kentucky, USA, a community of approximately 16,000 in Boyle County south of Lexington, KY. Centre is an exclusively undergraduate four-year institution. Centre was founded by Presbyterian leaders, with whom it maintains a loose...
- Chet MoellerChet MoellerChet Moeller is a retired American football player who played for the Navy Midshipmen as a defensive back. In 2010, he was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.-References:...
(1972), Member, College Football Hall of FameCollege Football Hall of FameThe College Football Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and museum devoted to college football. Located in South Bend, Indiana, it is connected to a convention center and situated in the city's renovated downtown district, two miles south of the University of Notre Dame campus. It is slated to move...
; 1975 Consensus All-American for the United States Naval AcademyUnited States Naval AcademyThe United States Naval Academy is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located in Annapolis, Maryland, United States...
- Professional voice-over actress Nancy CartwrightNancy CartwrightNancy Campbell Cartwright is an American film and television actress, comedian and voice artist. She is best known for her long-running role as Bart Simpson on the animated television series The Simpsons...
(1976) is best known for her portrayal of Bart SimpsonBart SimpsonBartholomew JoJo "Bart" Simpson is a fictional main character in the animated television series The Simpsons and part of the Simpson family. He is voiced by actress Nancy Cartwright and first appeared on television in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987...
on Fox Television'sFox Broadcasting CompanyFox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
animated series, The SimpsonsThe SimpsonsThe Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
- America's longest running primetime entertainment program. Nancy received a Primetime Emmy AwardPrimetime Emmy AwardThe Primetime Emmy Awards are awards presented by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences in recognition of excellence in American primetime television programming...
for Outstanding Voice-Over PerformancePrimetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Voice-Over PerformanceThe Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Voice-Over Performance is a creative arts Emmy Award given out by the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. It is awarded to a performer for an outstanding "continuing or single voice-over performance in a series or a special." Prior to 1992, voice-actors...
in 1992, and the Annie AwardAnnie AwardThe Annie Awards have been presented by the Los Angeles, California branch of the International Animated Film Association, ASIFA-Hollywood since 1972...
for Best Voice Acting in the Field of Animation in 1995.
- Brady HokeBrady HokeBrady Hoke is the head football coach at the University of Michigan. He is in his first season. He grew up in Ohio and attended Ball State University where he played linebacker from 1977 to 1980...
(1977), Head football coach at the University of MichiganUniversity of MichiganThe University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
- Jeff YoungJeff YoungJeff Young is an American guitarist. He graduated from Musicians Institute in 1985, and is best known for his time with the thrash metal band Megadeth, appearing on the 1988 album So Far, So Good... So What!...
(1980), Musician (Megadeth)
- Ted RallTed RallTed Rall is an American columnist, syndicated editorial cartoonist, and author. His political cartoons often appear in a multi-panel comic-strip format and frequently blend comic-strip and editorial-cartoon conventions. The cartoons appear in approximately 100 newspapers around the United States...
(1981), Political cartoonist
- Rob DyrdekRob DyrdekRobert Stanley "Rob" Dyrdek is an American professional skateboarder, actor, entrepreneur, producer, philanthropist, and reality TV star. He is best known for his roles in the reality shows Rob and Big, Rob Dyrdek's Fantasy Factory and Ridiculousness .- Personal life :Rob Dyrdek was born in...
(1992), Professional skateboarder; star of MTVMTVMTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
comedy series Rob and Big and Rob Dyrdek's Fantasy FactoryRob Dyrdek's Fantasy FactoryRob Dyrdek's Fantasy Factory is an American reality television series starring Rob Dyrdek. The first season premiered on February 8, 2009 on MTV.-Summary:...
. Dyrdek opted-out of his senior year at Fairmont; choosing instead to join the professional skateboarding circuit. In 2003, Mr. Dyrdek and DC ShoesDC ShoesDC Shoes is an American company that specializes in footwear for extreme sports, skateboarding, snowboarding as well as snowboards, shirts, jeans, hats, and jackets.The company was founded in 1993 by Ken Block and Damon Way, and is based in Vista, California...
financed the construction of a major public skating park in the city of Kettering.
- Sherri SaumSherri Saum- Biography :Saum got her start at a Model Search America convention near her home in Kettering, Ohio. She was discovered during high school, modeling mostly during summer breaks until she decided to move to New York and work full time with the New York modeling agency Images Management. Her career...
(1993), Professional actress
Jeff Wellbaum (1994), Iraq War Veteran and local politician
- Benjamin Magnuson (2000), is an acclaimed BroadwayBroadway theatreBroadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
stage actor. Magnuson performed in the revival of Guys and DollsGuys and DollsGuys and Dolls is a musical with music and lyrics by Frank Loesser and book by Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows. It is based on "The Idyll of Miss Sarah Brown" and "Blood Pressure", two short stories by Damon Runyon, and also borrows characters and plot elements from other Runyon stories, most notably...
(2009) and Sweeney ToddSweeney ToddSweeney Todd is a fictional character who first appeared as then antagonist of the Victorian penny dreadful The String of Pearls and he was later introduced as an antihero in the broadway musical Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street and its film adaptation...
(2005); he also made an appearance on a 2010 episode of NBCNBCThe National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
's 30 Rock30 Rock30 Rock is an American television comedy series created by Tina Fey that airs on NBC. The series is loosely based on Fey's experiences as head writer for Saturday Night Live...
, and in Columbia Motion PicturesColumbia PicturesColumbia Pictures Industries, Inc. is an American film production and distribution company. Columbia Pictures now forms part of the Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group, owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment, a subsidiary of the Japanese conglomerate Sony. It is one of the leading film companies...
' theatrical release, The Other GuysThe Other GuysThe Other Guys is a 2010 American action comedy film directed and co-written by Adam McKay, starring Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg, and featuring Dwayne Johnson, Samuel L. Jackson, Michael Keaton, Eva Mendes, Steve Coogan, and Ray Stevenson...
(2010).
- Chris RolfeChris RolfeChris Rolfe is an American soccer player who currently plays for AaB in the Danish Superliga.-College:...
(2001), All-Pro Major League Soccer Player; member of United States men's national soccer teamUnited States men's national soccer teamThe United States men's national soccer team represents the United States in international association football competitions. It is controlled by the United States Soccer Federation and competes in CONCACAF...
- In 2003, Fairmont senior Robert Klenk set an Ohio High School Athletic AssociationOhio High School Athletic AssociationThe Ohio High School Athletic Association is the governing body of athletic programs for junior and senior high schools in the state of Ohio...
record in the 12-pound hammer throw. Klenk would later earn distinction as a 7-time NCAA All-American - in the thirty-five pound weightWeight throwThe weight throw is a track and field event that is held at Scottish Highland games and occasionally at indoor track meets.In the Highland Games, the weight throw consists of two separate events, the light weight and the heavy weight. In both cases, the implement consists of a steel or lead weight ...
, hammerHammer throwThe modern or Olympic hammer throw is an athletic throwing event where the object is to throw a heavy metal ball attached to a wire and handle. The name "hammer throw" is derived from older competitions where an actual sledge hammer was thrown...
and javelin throwJavelin throwThe javelin throw is a track and field athletics throwing event where the object to be thrown is the javelin, a spear approximately 2.5 metres in length. Javelin is an event of both the men's decathlon and the women's heptathlon...
- for Ashland UniversityAshland UniversityAshland University is a mid-sized, private, non-profit university that is located in Ashland, Ohio.The University offers 73 undergraduate majors and nine pre-professional programs. The majors include toxicology/environmental science and entrepreneurship, which are unusual for an institution of its...
. Robert Klenk was a NCAA Division II track and field National Champion in the 35lbs. weight in 2008 and was also a 2008 OlympicOlympic GamesThe Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
Trials qualifier in the hammer.
Coaches
- Chester A. Roush (1948–1952), Fairmont West Dragons Coach and later Kettering Superintendent of Schools
- William L. Kaylor (1965–1974), Fairmont West Dragons Head Basketball Coach, Division 1 District Champions 1971-72. Ohio High School Basketball Coaches Association Hall of FAME Inductee, 1989.
- Chris MacKeown (1997–1999), Fairmont Firebirds Assistant Football Coach. Went on to coach in the Arena Football League for over ten years. As the offensive coordinator lead the Louisville Fire to the 2005 ArenaCup Championship, and as head coach of the Amarillo Dusters lead his team to the 2008 ArenaCup Semi-Finals.
Athletics
Fairmont has a rich athletic history. Fairmont High has won 13 titles, including 8 won as Fairmont West High School.Football is played at Roush Stadium. Basketball, varsity baseball, softball, soccer, tennis, track and field, volleyball, and wrestling are held at James S. Trent Arena.
Ohio High School Athletic Association State Championships
Fairmont/Fairmont West:- Boys GolfGolfGolf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
– 1961, 1963* - Boys BaseballBaseballBaseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
- 1966* - Girls Field HockeyField hockeyField Hockey, or Hockey, is a team sport in which a team of players attempts to score goals by hitting, pushing or flicking a ball into an opposing team's goal using sticks...
- 1979*, 1980*, 1982*, 1983, 1985, 1989, 1990 - Girls VolleyballVolleyballVolleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules.The complete rules are extensive...
- 1976*, 1978* - Girls GymnasticsGymnasticsGymnastics is a sport involving performance of exercises requiring physical strength, flexibility, agility, coordination, and balance. Internationally, all of the gymnastic sports are governed by the Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique with each country having its own national governing body...
- 1981*
- * Titles won by Fairmont West.
Fairmont East:
- Girls SoftballSoftballSoftball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of 10 to 14 players. It is a direct descendant of baseball although there are some key differences: softballs are larger than baseballs, and the pitches are thrown underhand rather than overhand...
- 1982
Performing Arts Department
The Kettering Fairmont High School band department is currently made up of over 600 students and is under the direction of Michael Berning with assistance from Andrew Carr and Dan Nicora. The department consists of four concert bands, three jazz groups, the Marching Firebirds marching band, the pep band, indoor percussion ensemble, the winter guard, and other various groups. The Kettering Fairmont Marching Firebirds has consistently received superior ratings at OMEA adjudicated competitions and performs at Fairmont varsity football games as well as the annual Kettering Holiday at Home Parade. The department has received numerous honors at adjudicated events and has been represented at the OMEA Professional Conference many times.The Kettering Fairmont Music Department consists of an orchestra (directed by Richard Wright), choir and band department with over twenty active ensembles.
The Kettering Fairmont choir department hosts to one elite symphonic choral, mens choir, and womans chorus. After school they have illusion show choir and two a cappella groups Fusion and Eleventh Hour.
The a capella group Eleventh Hour was a contestant on the second season of the TV show The Sing-Off
The Sing-Off
The Sing-Off is an American television singing competition featuring a cappella groups. It premiered on NBC on December 14, 2009, and is produced by Sony Pictures Television....
. The group was eliminated in the second episode.
Clubs and activities
The school's Latin Club functions as a local chapter of both the Ohio Junior Classical League (OJCL) and National Junior Classical LeagueNational Junior Classical League
The National Junior Classical League is a youth organization of secondary school students sponsored by the American Classical League...
(NJCL).