Taylor Allderdice High School
Encyclopedia
Taylor Allderdice High School, also referred to by the Pittsburgh Public Schools
as “Pittsburgh Allderdice” or informally by students as "Dice", is a public high school located in the Squirrel Hill
neighborhood of Pittsburgh’s East End. Allderdice is the "largest of the Pittsburgh Public Schools' ten urban high schools", as measured by student population. It is also one of the better-performing schools in the district; It was awarded a Silver Medal by the U.S. News & World Report
Best High Schools 2009 Search.
The school was opened in 1927. It was named for the noted industrialist and Squirrel Hill resident Taylor Allderdice, who was at the time a member of the city's school board and president of the National Tube Company, a then subsidiary of the U.S. Steel
Corporation.
, Homewood
, Hazelwood
, Greenfield
, Hays
, New Homestead
, Lincoln Place
, Point Breeze
, Regent Square
, Park Place, Squirrel Hill
, and Swisshelm Park
. Students from other neighborhoods within the City of Pittsburgh and the borough of Mt. Oliver
may also attend Allderdice through the pre-engineering magnet program, the Chinese magnet program, as Allderdice is the only Pittsburgh Public School to offer Chinese, or under the provisions of the No Child Left Behind Act.
results on: math, reading, writing and one year of science, by the Pittsburgh Business Times in May 2009.
The school has been consistently recognized as one of the best urban public high schools in America. During the 1994-96 school years, Taylor Allderdice High School was recognized with the Blue Ribbon School
Award of Excellence by the United States Department of Education
, the highest award an American school can receive.
In 2005, Taylor Allderdice was ranked as tied for 1,062nd place in Newsweek
s ranking of America's top high schools, in 2006 it was ranked 1,036th, and in 2007 it earned the rank of 1,183, the 18th-highest ranked school in Pennsylvania.
In 2005, the school was ranked as 148th of 601 high schools in Pennsylvania.
This practice was discontinued by Principal Melissa Friez in 2010.
Pittsburgh Public Schools
Pittsburgh Public Schools is the public school district in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA and adjacent Mount Oliver.The combined land area of these municipalities is with a population of 342,503 according to the 2000 census. In August 2005, the superintendent became Mark Roosevelt. His tenure ends...
as “Pittsburgh Allderdice” or informally by students as "Dice", is a public high school located in the Squirrel Hill
Squirrel Hill
Squirrel Hill is a residential neighborhood in the east end of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. The city officially divides it into two neighborhoods, Squirrel Hill North and Squirrel Hill South, but it is almost universally treated as a single neighborhood...
neighborhood of Pittsburgh’s East End. Allderdice is the "largest of the Pittsburgh Public Schools' ten urban high schools", as measured by student population. It is also one of the better-performing schools in the district; It was awarded a Silver Medal by the U.S. News & World Report
U.S. News & World Report
U.S. News & World Report is an American news magazine published from Washington, D.C. Along with Time and Newsweek it was for many years a leading news weekly, focusing more than its counterparts on political, economic, health and education stories...
Best High Schools 2009 Search.
The school was opened in 1927. It was named for the noted industrialist and Squirrel Hill resident Taylor Allderdice, who was at the time a member of the city's school board and president of the National Tube Company, a then subsidiary of the U.S. Steel
U.S. Steel
The United States Steel Corporation , more commonly known as U.S. Steel, is an integrated steel producer with major production operations in the United States, Canada, and Central Europe. The company is the world's tenth largest steel producer ranked by sales...
Corporation.
Feeder district
Its feeder district includes all or parts of South Oakland, East HillsEast Hills (Pittsburgh)
East Hills is a neighborhood in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA's east city area. It has a ZIP Code of 15221, and has representation on Pittsburgh City Council by the council member for District 9 ....
, Homewood
Homewood (Pittsburgh)
Homewood is a predominantly African American neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States, officially divided into three neighborhoods: Homewood North, Homewood South and Homewood West....
, Hazelwood
Hazelwood (Pittsburgh)
Hazelwood is a neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in the United States. It is represented on by Douglas Shields. It is bordered by Greenfield and Oakland on the north, Squirrel Hill and Glen Hazel on the east, and the Monongahela River on the south and west...
, Greenfield
Greenfield (Pittsburgh)
Greenfield is a neighborhood in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. It is represented on by Doug Shields.Greenfield is a member of Pittsburgh's 15th Ward, which includes the neighborhoods of Greenfield and Four Mile Run. Greenfield is adjacent to the Pittsburgh neighborhoods of Hazelwood to...
, Hays
Hays (Pittsburgh)
Hays is a neighborhood in the 31st Ward of southeastern Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It is represented on by the representative of . It occupies ZIP codes 15227, 15207, and 15236. It is named after James H...
, New Homestead
New Homestead
New Homestead is a neighborhood in the 31st Ward of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA's southeast city area. It has a ZIP Code of 15207 and 15120, and it is represented on by Douglas Shields.-Surrounding communities:Hays, Lincoln Place, Munhall, West Homestead...
, Lincoln Place
Lincoln Place (Pittsburgh)
Lincoln Place is a neighborhood in the 31st ward of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, located in the southeast corner of the city. It spans two ZIP codes, 15207 and 15120, and is represented on the by Douglas Shields....
, Point Breeze
Point Breeze, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Point Breeze, or South Point Breeze, is a largely residential neighborhood in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.It is adjacent to the Pittsburgh neighborhoods of Regent Square, Squirrel Hill, Shadyside, and North Point Breeze, and the borough of Wilkinsburg. It includes the neighborhood of Park Place...
, Regent Square
Regent Square (Pittsburgh)
Regent Square is a distinct neighborhood in the East End of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. According to the , it is "a neighborhood that includes portions of the municipalities of Pittsburgh, Edgewood, Swissvale and Wilkinsburg", though traditionalists associate the neighborhood exclusively with the...
, Park Place, Squirrel Hill
Squirrel Hill
Squirrel Hill is a residential neighborhood in the east end of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. The city officially divides it into two neighborhoods, Squirrel Hill North and Squirrel Hill South, but it is almost universally treated as a single neighborhood...
, and Swisshelm Park
Swisshelm Park
Swisshelm Park is a neighborhood located in the southeast corner of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It is represented on by Douglas Shields. The neighborhood is notable for being almost unreachable by road within the city limits. As a result, it's often mistaken for a suburban neighborhood...
. Students from other neighborhoods within the City of Pittsburgh and the borough of Mt. Oliver
Mount Oliver, Pennsylvania
Mount Oliver is a borough in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is a largely residential area situated atop a crest about west of the Monongahela River. The borough is surrounded entirely by the city of Pittsburgh....
may also attend Allderdice through the pre-engineering magnet program, the Chinese magnet program, as Allderdice is the only Pittsburgh Public School to offer Chinese, or under the provisions of the No Child Left Behind Act.
Recognition
The high school ranks 40th of 123 high school in western Pennsylvania for academic achievement based on three years of PSSAPennsylvania System of School Assessment
The Pennsylvania System of School Assessment is a standardized test administered to public schools in the state of Pennsylvania. Students in grades 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 11 are assessed in reading skills and mathematics. Students in grades 5, 8, and 11 are assessed in writing skills...
results on: math, reading, writing and one year of science, by the Pittsburgh Business Times in May 2009.
The school has been consistently recognized as one of the best urban public high schools in America. During the 1994-96 school years, Taylor Allderdice High School was recognized with the Blue Ribbon School
Blue Ribbon Schools Program
The Blue Ribbon Schools Program is a United States government program created in 1981 to honor schools which have achieved high levels of performance or significant improvements with emphasis on schools serving disadvantaged students. The program centers around a self-assessment conducted by the...
Award of Excellence by the United States Department of Education
United States Department of Education
The United States Department of Education, also referred to as ED or the ED for Education Department, is a Cabinet-level department of the United States government...
, the highest award an American school can receive.
In 2005, Taylor Allderdice was ranked as tied for 1,062nd place in Newsweek
Newsweek
Newsweek is an American weekly news magazine published in New York City. It is distributed throughout the United States and internationally. It is the second-largest news weekly magazine in the U.S., having trailed Time in circulation and advertising revenue for most of its existence...
s ranking of America's top high schools, in 2006 it was ranked 1,036th, and in 2007 it earned the rank of 1,183, the 18th-highest ranked school in Pennsylvania.
In 2005, the school was ranked as 148th of 601 high schools in Pennsylvania.
Current student body
As of 1 January 2011| Subset | Number of students | Percent |
|---|---|---|
| All | 1,334 | 100% |
| White | 711 | 53.30% |
| African American | 492 | 36.88% |
| Asian | 54 | 4.05% |
| Hispanic | 24 | 1.80% |
| Multiracial | 50 | 3.75% |
| American Indian | 3 | 0.22% |
| Male | 695 | 52.10% |
| Female | 639 | 47.90% |
The Foreword
The Foreword is the school's student newspaper and publishes a new edition every five to six weeks of the school year. The Foreword is supported solely by ad sales and is distributed free of charge to all students as well as to faculty, parents, and members of the local Pittsburgh community. The paper's namesake is a play on words of Forward Avenue, the street that runs along the building's eastern side.Alma mater
The traditional singing of the Allderdice alma mater was returned to Taylor Allderice by the decree of Principal Cassandra Richardson Kemp in 2006.This practice was discontinued by Principal Melissa Friez in 2010.
Notable alumni
| Name | Graduating Class | Occupation |
|---|---|---|
| Gene Forrell Gene Forrell Gene Forrell was an American composer and conductor.Forrell was born Eugene Finkelhor in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA, where he attended Allderdice High School and Duquesne University. He left Duquesne for New York City and a scholarship from the Dalcroze School.As a composer and orchestral... |
Composer and conductor | |
| Nathaniel Philbrick Nathaniel Philbrick Nathaniel Philbrick is an American author and a winner of the National Book Award for his 2000 work of maritime history In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex. He is member of the Philbrick literary family.-Life:... |
Author | |
| Marty Allen | 1940 | Stand-up comedian and dramatic actor |
| Myron Cope Myron Cope Myron Cope , born Myron Sidney Kopelman, was an American sports journalist, radio personality, and sportscaster who is best known for being "the voice of the Pittsburgh Steelers."... |
1947 | Late Pittsburgh Steelers Pittsburgh Steelers The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC... radio announcer and sports commentator, second cousin of Greg Schaffer |
| Edgar Snyder Edgar Snyder Edgar Snyder is a Pittsburgh-area personal injury lawyer.Born in Connellsville, Pennsylvania to Polish and Russian immigrants, Snyder attended Penn State University and was a member of the fraternity Beta Sigma Beta.... |
1959 | Lawyer and Pittsburgh personality |
| Sara Alpern Sara Alpern Sara Alpern Tarlow, known as Sara Alpern , is an associate professor of history at Texas A&M University, known for her specialization in women's studies.-Early life:... |
1960 | Professor of women's history at Texas A&M University Texas A&M University Texas A&M University is a coeducational public research university located in College Station, Texas . It is the flagship institution of the Texas A&M University System. The sixth-largest university in the United States, A&M's enrollment for Fall 2011 was over 50,000 for the first time in school... in College Station College Station, Texas College Station is a city in Brazos County, Texas, situated in East Central Texas in the heart of the Brazos Valley. The city is located within the most populated region of Texas, near three of the 10 largest cities in the United States - Houston, Dallas, and San Antonio... , Texas Texas Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in... |
| Bob O'Connor | 1962 | Former Pittsburgh politician and mayor Mayor In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city.... |
| Harvey V. Fineberg Harvey V. Fineberg Harvey Fineberg is President of the Institute of Medicine. He served as Provost of Harvard University from 1997 to 2001, following thirteen years as Dean of the Harvard School of Public Health. He has devoted most of his academic career to the fields of health policy and medical decision making... |
1963 | 7th President of Institute of Medicine, former Provost of Harvard |
| Larry Lucchino Larry Lucchino Lawrence Lucchino, is the current President and CEO of the Boston Red Sox, and a member of John W... |
1963 | President and CEO of the Boston Red Sox Boston Red Sox The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"... , Baltimore Orioles Baltimore Orioles The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league... , and the San Diego Padres San Diego Padres The San Diego Padres are a Major League Baseball team based in San Diego, California. They play in the National League Western Division. Founded in 1969, the Padres have won the National League Pennant twice, in 1984 and 1998, losing in the World Series both times... |
| Howard Fineman Howard Fineman Howard Fineman is an American journalist who is senior politics editor at the Huffington Post. Prior to his move to Huffington Post in October 2010, he was Newsweek’s Chief Political Correspondent, Senior Editor and Deputy Washington Bureau Chief. An award-winning writer, Fineman also is an NBC... |
1966 | Senior Politics Editor, Huffington Post |
| Richard Pacheco Richard Pacheco Richard Pacheco is a former American pornographic film & video actor, writer, and directorwho retired from the X-rated business in the mid-1980s.... (AKA Howie Gordon) |
1966 | Pornographic film & video actor, writer, and director |
| Evan Wolfson Evan Wolfson Evan Wolfson is an American civil rights attorney and advocate. He is founder and executive director of Freedom to Marry, a group favoring same-sex marriage in the United States... |
1974 | Civil rights attorney |
| Gary Graff Gary Graff Gary Graff is an American music journalist and author.-Biography:Originally from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Graff attended Taylor Allderdice High School where he wrote for school newspaper The Taylor Allderdice Foreword. He received his Bachelor of Journalism degree from the University of Missouri... |
1978 | Music journalist |
| Maxine Lapiduss Maxine Lapiduss Maxine Lapiduss is an American television producer, television writer, comedian and businessperson.She has written and produced for such television shows as Charles in Charge, Dharma & Greg, The Jeff Foxworthy Show, Ellen, Roseanne, and Home Improvement.In most recent years, Lapiduss has also... |
1978 | Comedienne and actress |
| Rob Marshall Rob Marshall Rob Marshall is an American theater director, film director and choreographer. He is a six-time Tony Award nominee, Academy Award nominee, Golden Globe nominee and four-time Emmy winner whose most noted work is the 2002 Academy Award for Best Picture winner Chicago.-Life and career:Marshall was... |
1978 | Theater and film director |
| Kathleen Marshall Kathleen Marshall Kathleen Marshall is an American choreographer, director, and creative consultant.-Life and career:Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Marshall graduated from Taylor Allderdice High School and Smith College. She worked in the Pittsburgh theatre scene when she was younger, performing with such... |
1980 | Choreographer, theater and film director |
| Antoine Fuqua Antoine Fuqua Antoine Fuqua is an American film director. He directed the film Training Day as well as Tears of the Sun, King Arthur, Shooter and Brooklyn's Finest... |
1983 | Movie director |
| Jimmy McGuire | 1984 | Member, Jeopardy! Jeopardy! Griffin's first conception of the game used a board comprising ten categories with ten clues each, but after finding that this board could not be shown on camera easily, he reduced it to two rounds of thirty clues each, with five clues in each of six categories... Clue Crew |
| Jesse Michaels Jesse Michaels Jesse Michaels is a songwriter, vocalist, guitarist and artist from Berkeley, California. He is the son of the deceased author Leonard Michaels. His lyrics deal with politics, racism, and general social issues.-Musical overview:... |
1987 | Singer with Operation Ivy Operation Ivy Operation Ivy was the eighth series of American nuclear tests, coming after Tumbler-Snapper and before Upshot-Knothole. Its purpose was to help upgrade the U.S. arsenal of nuclear weapons in response to the Soviet nuclear weapons program... and Common Rider Common Rider Common Rider were a ska punk band, formed in 1999 by Jesse Michaels , Mass Giorgini and Dan Lumley . The band's name is taken from a 1970s Japanese TV show, Kamen Rider... |
| Billy Porter | 1987 | Broadway performer and pop vocalist |
| William Herndon William Herndon William Herndon may refer to:*William Herndon , officer and explorer in the United States Navy*William Herndon , law partner and biographer of Abraham Lincoln... |
1988 | UMass-Amherst University of Massachusetts Amherst The University of Massachusetts Amherst is a public research and land-grant university in Amherst, Massachusetts, United States and the flagship of the University of Massachusetts system... Men's Basketball forward |
| Curtis Martin Curtis Martin Curtis James Martin, Jr. is a former American football running back. He is an alumnus of Taylor Allderdice High School in Pittsburgh and the University of Pittsburgh... |
1991 | New York Jets New York Jets The New York Jets are a professional football team headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, representing the New York metropolitan area. The team is a member of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League... running back |
| Pittsburgh Slim Pittsburgh Slim Sied Chahrour, better known by his stage name Slimmie Hendrix , is an American rapper from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. In January 2011, he teamed up with Snowballers Entertainment, the record label founded by famed music video director Ray Kay and music producer Axident. His first single is expected... |
1997 | Hip hop artist |
| Wiz Khalifa Wiz Khalifa Cameron Jibril Thomaz , better known by the stage name Wiz Khalifa , is an American rapper. He released his debut album, Show and Prove, in 2006, and signed to Warner Bros. Records in 2007... |
2006 | Hip hop artist |
| Mac Miller Mac Miller Malcolm McCormick , known by his stage name Mac Miller , is an American rapper from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania... |
2010 | Hip hop artist |