Benjamin Franklin High School (FHS) is a 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 Highland Park

Highland Park, Los Angeles, California

Highland Park is a neighborhood in Northeast Los Angeles.-Geography:Highland Park is located along the Arroyo Seco. It is situated within what was once Rancho San Rafael of the Spanish / Mexican era...

 neighborhood, approximately seven miles northeast of downtown Los Angeles, California

Los Angeles, California

Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...

, United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. It is part of the Los Angeles Unified School District

Los Angeles Unified School District

Los Angeles Unified School District is the largest public school system in California. It is the 2nd largest public school district in the United States. Only the New York City Department of Education has a larger student population...

.

First established in 1916 with an enrollment of 225 students, the school currently educates approximately 2,600 students within the facility.

History

Franklin opened in 1916 with 225 students. The classes were held several in each room. A sewing class was held on a balcony. All were very happy and excited about the new school. On May 1 of that year, the students planned a May Fiesta. All the students' paraded up Avenue 54 to the new building that was under construction. On April 3, 1916 the science building was completed and all moved into it. Classes were still very cramped and three classes going on at one time in room 220. The assemblies were held in the cafeteria. All of the speakers stood on soap-boxes to address their audience. Presentations were also made from the soap-boxes in the cafeteria. The physical education classes were held in room 102 and consisted of exercises and basketball drills. The basketball was loaned by one of the students. The first principal was Dr. Charles B. Moore.
The school will be relieved by Central Region High School 13 when the school opens in 2011.

Notable alumni

• Daryl F. Gates, 1944 graduate, Los Angeles police chief, 1978 to 1992
• Louis R. Nowell
  Louis R. Nowell
  Louis R. Nowell was a Los Angeles city fire captain who was elected to the City Council in the San Fernando Valley in 1963 and served until 1977. A conservative, he favored more growth in residential areas and opposed school busing for the purpose of racial integration. He pleaded no contest and...
  
  (1915–2000), Los Angeles City Council member, 1963–77