McKinley Technology High School
Encyclopedia
McKinley Technology High School is a public city-wide 9-12th grade high school in the District of Columbia Public Schools
in northeast Washington, D.C.
. The school was originally an off shoot of Central High School (now Cardozo Senior High School
), was called McKinley Technical High School and was located at 7th and Rhode Island NW in the District of Columbia. The United States Congress
allocated $26 million in 1926 for the construction of the existing building at 2nd and T Streets NE, in the Eckington area. The school is originally named for William McKinley
, the 25th President of the United States
.
The school was exclusively for white residents of the City of Washington until integrated with other DC schools by an Executive Order by President Dwight D. Eisenhower
in June 1954. The school underwent a rapid change in the ethnic groups attending the school, similar to other schools in Washington, DC, and was a majority African-American school by 1960. The school continued to offer outstanding programs in printing, automotive technology, and other technical fields. In 1965, the school's football field was a secret emergency landing area for President Johnson in the event of a national emergency or attack on the U.S. By the late 1960s, Tech's boys basketball teams, nicknamed the "Trainers", coached by the late McKinley Armstrong, reached national prominence, winning city, league and even parochial school invitational tournaments. The school had a televison production program taught out of the Lemuel Penn Center in the 1970s. Its quiz teams during that era, fared well on America's longest running television quiz program, "It's Academic".
Enrollment fell from a peak of 2400 in the late 1960s to approximately 500 in the mid-1990s. The school was selected for closure during the period of the congressionally authorized financial control board. The school was shuttered in June 1997.
During the mayoral election campaign of 1998 then Chief Financial Officer Anthony A. Williams
promised the city a technology focused high school to connect city youth with the growing technology basis of the Washington metro area economy. After assuming the position of Mayor in January, 1999 planning began on a school that did not have a decided location. In 2000 a decision was made to place the new school in the closed McKinley facility. Plans at that time included placing incubator companies in the facility and using the facility for professional development for the DC Public Schools and growing charter schools movement. In July 2001 opening was delayed from 2002 to 2003. In January 2002 Daniel Gohl assumed the role of Founding Principal, coming from the Science Academy of Austin
in Austin, Texas
. In October, 2002 the DC School Board delayed opening again to September, 2004. Another reason they closed was to renovate the older campus and to modernize the school. They thought a technology school should look top of the line. The school reopened on September 1, 2004 with grades 9 and 10. On August 28, 2006 the school had a complete program with grades 9-12 and an enrollment of 800 students.
Poet and author Kenny Carroll, former director, DC WritersCorps
Pastor Rick Alexander - Minor league pro football Hall of fame 2007, coach in DC Inter high at Ballou, Mckinley, spingarn, HD woodson, Founder of the New Dawn Christain Family Center
John Mauchly, inventor ENIAC computer (first large supercomputer)
Earle Eldridge, automobile writer, USA Today
LaJeune Hundley, EBONY Fashion Fair model, Miss Cannes Film Festival
Lonnie Perrin, fullback, Denver Broncos
Art Beaty, painter, basketball All-American, American University
Jeffrey Banks, fashion designer
Tim Bassett, forward, New York Nets
Richard Smallwood, director, Richard Smallwood Singers
Ronnie Hogue, first Black basketball player, University of Georgia
Gene Littles, All-American guard, High Point College basketball, ABA Carolina Cougars, NBA g.m./coach
Orlando Vega, forward, Puerto Rican Olympic and national basketball teams "The Michael Jordan of Puerto Rico"
Kevin Tatum, reporter, Philadelphia News
Stan Kernan, all-service basketball player, U.S. Navy, small college All-American, McNeese State
Tracy Singleton, all-time receiving leader, Howard University, USFL
Aaron "J.J." Johnson, trombone player, Mingus Big Band
Billy Martin, Indiana Pacers
Bill Mayo, actor
Anthony Tucker, basketball player, Wake Forest, NBA
Class of 1969 basketball team "Magnificent Seven", four players named Washington Post All-Metropolitan- Bassett, Hogue, Randolph "Apple" Milam, Jeffrey Bossard. Team went undefeated two consecutive regular seasons in Interhigh.
District of Columbia Public Schools
District of Columbia Public Schools is the traditional public school system of Washington, D.C. in the United States.- Composition and enrollment :...
in northeast Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
. The school was originally an off shoot of Central High School (now Cardozo Senior High School
Cardozo High School (Washington, D.C.)
Cardozo Senior High School is a secondary school at 13th and Clifton Street in northwest Washington, D.C., United States, in the Columbia Heights neighborhood....
), was called McKinley Technical High School and was located at 7th and Rhode Island NW in the District of Columbia. The United States Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
allocated $26 million in 1926 for the construction of the existing building at 2nd and T Streets NE, in the Eckington area. The school is originally named for William McKinley
William McKinley
William McKinley, Jr. was the 25th President of the United States . He is best known for winning fiercely fought elections, while supporting the gold standard and high tariffs; he succeeded in forging a Republican coalition that for the most part dominated national politics until the 1930s...
, the 25th President of the United States
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
.
The school was exclusively for white residents of the City of Washington until integrated with other DC schools by an Executive Order by President Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower was the 34th President of the United States, from 1953 until 1961. He was a five-star general in the United States Army...
in June 1954. The school underwent a rapid change in the ethnic groups attending the school, similar to other schools in Washington, DC, and was a majority African-American school by 1960. The school continued to offer outstanding programs in printing, automotive technology, and other technical fields. In 1965, the school's football field was a secret emergency landing area for President Johnson in the event of a national emergency or attack on the U.S. By the late 1960s, Tech's boys basketball teams, nicknamed the "Trainers", coached by the late McKinley Armstrong, reached national prominence, winning city, league and even parochial school invitational tournaments. The school had a televison production program taught out of the Lemuel Penn Center in the 1970s. Its quiz teams during that era, fared well on America's longest running television quiz program, "It's Academic".
Enrollment fell from a peak of 2400 in the late 1960s to approximately 500 in the mid-1990s. The school was selected for closure during the period of the congressionally authorized financial control board. The school was shuttered in June 1997.
During the mayoral election campaign of 1998 then Chief Financial Officer Anthony A. Williams
Anthony A. Williams
Anthony Allen "Tony" Williams is an American politician who served as the fifth mayor of the District of Columbia for two terms, from 1999 to 2007. He had previously served as chief financial officer for the District, managing to balance the budget and achieve a surplus within two years of...
promised the city a technology focused high school to connect city youth with the growing technology basis of the Washington metro area economy. After assuming the position of Mayor in January, 1999 planning began on a school that did not have a decided location. In 2000 a decision was made to place the new school in the closed McKinley facility. Plans at that time included placing incubator companies in the facility and using the facility for professional development for the DC Public Schools and growing charter schools movement. In July 2001 opening was delayed from 2002 to 2003. In January 2002 Daniel Gohl assumed the role of Founding Principal, coming from the Science Academy of Austin
Liberal Arts and Science Academy of Austin at LBJ High School
The Liberal Arts and Science Academy High School of Austin is a specialized high school for students interested in liberal arts, science, and/or mathematics...
in Austin, Texas
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
. In October, 2002 the DC School Board delayed opening again to September, 2004. Another reason they closed was to renovate the older campus and to modernize the school. They thought a technology school should look top of the line. The school reopened on September 1, 2004 with grades 9 and 10. On August 28, 2006 the school had a complete program with grades 9-12 and an enrollment of 800 students.
Notable Alumni
- Tony JannusTony JannusAntony Habersack Jannus, more familiarly known as Tony Jannus , was an early American pilot whose aerial exploits were widely publicized in aviation's pre-World War I period. He flew the first airplane from which a parachute jump was made, in 1912. Jannus was also the first airline pilot, having...
- Early aviator.
Poet and author Kenny Carroll, former director, DC WritersCorps
Pastor Rick Alexander - Minor league pro football Hall of fame 2007, coach in DC Inter high at Ballou, Mckinley, spingarn, HD woodson, Founder of the New Dawn Christain Family Center
John Mauchly, inventor ENIAC computer (first large supercomputer)
Earle Eldridge, automobile writer, USA Today
LaJeune Hundley, EBONY Fashion Fair model, Miss Cannes Film Festival
Lonnie Perrin, fullback, Denver Broncos
Art Beaty, painter, basketball All-American, American University
Jeffrey Banks, fashion designer
Tim Bassett, forward, New York Nets
Richard Smallwood, director, Richard Smallwood Singers
Ronnie Hogue, first Black basketball player, University of Georgia
Gene Littles, All-American guard, High Point College basketball, ABA Carolina Cougars, NBA g.m./coach
Orlando Vega, forward, Puerto Rican Olympic and national basketball teams "The Michael Jordan of Puerto Rico"
Kevin Tatum, reporter, Philadelphia News
Stan Kernan, all-service basketball player, U.S. Navy, small college All-American, McNeese State
Tracy Singleton, all-time receiving leader, Howard University, USFL
Aaron "J.J." Johnson, trombone player, Mingus Big Band
Billy Martin, Indiana Pacers
Bill Mayo, actor
Anthony Tucker, basketball player, Wake Forest, NBA
Class of 1969 basketball team "Magnificent Seven", four players named Washington Post All-Metropolitan- Bassett, Hogue, Randolph "Apple" Milam, Jeffrey Bossard. Team went undefeated two consecutive regular seasons in Interhigh.