Danville High School (Illinois)

Danville High School
Address

202 East Fairchild Street Danville , Illinois 61832 United States
Coordinates	40°08′17″N 87°37′36″W / 40.1381°N 87.6267°W / 40.1381; -87.6267
Information
School type	Public secondary
Motto	Service
Opened	1870
School district	Danville District 118
Superintendent	Alicia Geddis^[1]
Principal	Tracy Cherry^[2]
Staff	151^[3]
Teaching staff	86.81 (FTE)^[4]
Grades	9–12
Gender	Coed
Enrollment	1,424 (2018–19)^[4]
Average class size	21.6^[5]
Student to teacher ratio	16.40^[4]
Campus type	urban
Color(s)	Maroon White^[7]
Athletics	IHSA
Athletics conference	Big Twelve
Mascot	Odin^[6]
Team name	Vikings/Lady Vikings^[7]
Newspaper	Maroon & White^[8]
Yearbook	Medley^[8]
Website	dhs.danville118.org

Danville High School (DHS) is a public high school located in Danville, Illinois, United States. It is part of Danville District 118, which also includes two middle schools and eight elementary schools.^[9]

The school is perhaps best known for four of its alumni who went on to success in acting: Gene Hackman, Ned Luke, the brothers Dick and Jerry Van Dyke, Donald O'Connor; and one who became an important figure in popularizing early twentieth-century popular music, Bobby Short.

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History

Principals

Charlotte "Tracy" Cherry, the current principal of Danville High School, is the school's 33nd principal since 1870.^[6]

Principal

Years

Belle Spillmen

1870-1874

Cornelia Branch

1874-1876

Annie Hoff

1876-1878

M. A. Lapham

1878-1879

Silas Y. Gillan

1879-1886

E. C. Williams

1886-1887

Lawrence A. McLauth

1887-1891

Stratton B. Brooks

1891-1892

S.A.D. Harry

1892-1897

Dr. B. D. Billinghurst

1897-1900

B. A. Sweet

1900-1902

Edwin D. Martin

1902-1905

Zora Mayo Smith

1905-1909

Charles E. Lawyer

1909-1912

A. W. Smalley

1912-1916

William C. Baer

1916-1930

John E. Wakeley

1930-1934

Russell M. Duffin

1935-1948

E. D. Milhon

1948-1967

Richard L. Burrer

1967-1969

Arthur F. Mathisen

1969-1980

Blaine E. Bonynge

1980-1989

Dr. Carl Esslinger (interim)

1989-1990

Dr. Ellen S. Russell

1990-1994

Dr. Carol A. Stack

1994-1996

Nanette L. Mellen

1996-2001

Mark Denman

2001-2004

Gail Garner

2004-2006

Marla Bauerle-Hill

2006-2008

Mark A. Neil

2008-2013

Phil Cox

2013-2015

Kimberly Norton

2015–2018

Tracy Cherry

2019-2023

Academics

For the graduating class of 2016, DHS had an average composite ACT score of 17.6, and graduated 69.7% of its senior class.^[5]

In September 2009 the school hosted several education administrators from Taiwan who were visiting to not only see how the school functions, but to participate in a learning opportunity for the school's Global House.^[10]

School activities

Activities

The school offers approximately 30 clubs and activities ranging from service-oriented clubs to academic competition, to art appreciation.^[11] Among the clubs which are chapters for more national organizations are Key Club, and National Honor Society.^[11]

The choral music program supports a choir, show choir, and madrigal program.^[12]

The instrumental music program supports two symphonic bands, a pep band (the Maroon Maniacs), percussion ensemble, jazz ensemble, madrigal brass band, marching band (Band of Vikings), a jazz combo (The Tenth Degree), madrigal strings, string orchestra and a symphony orchestra.^[13]

In 2021 the school staged the musical Bye Bye Birdie, which (at its 1958 Broadway premier) had starred alum Dick Van Dyke in the role of Albert Peterson. For the 2004 production, Van Dyke returned to the school, and learned one of the numbers ("Put On a Happy Face") alongside the students, performing both nights of the show. Van Dyke, who joined the military before receiving his diploma, was also granted his high school diploma at a ceremony.^[14]^[15]

Athletics

DHS competes in the Big Twelve conference and is a member of the Illinois High School Association (IHSA); the organization which organizes most interscholastic high school sports and competitive activities in the state of Illinois. Teams are stylized as the Vikings (or Lady Vikings for women's teams).

The school sponsors interscholastic teams for young men and women in basketball, cross country, soccer, swimming & diving, tennis, and track & field.^[16] Young men may participate in baseball, football, golf, and wrestling, while young women may compete in cheerleading and softball.^[16] While not sponsored by the IHSA, the Athletic Department also sponsors a poms team (Pompettes).^[16]

The following teams finished in the top four of their respective IHSA sponsored state championship tournament or meet:^[17]

Basketball (boys): 3rd place (1970–71, 1992–93); 2nd place (1935–36, 1949–50)
Football: 2nd place (1976–77); semifinals (1978-1979) (2009–10); semifinals (2010–2011)
Golf (boys): 4th place (1938–39); State Champions (1981–82)
Swimming & Diving (boys): 3rd place (1939–40, 1940–41)
Tennis (boys): 4th place (1952–53, 1958–59, 1966–67); 3rd place (1946–47, 1947–48, 2002–03); 2nd place (1951–52, 1959–60); State Champions (1945–46, 1953–54)
Track & field (boys): 3rd place (1983–84, 1989–90); State Champions (1924–25)
JROTC drill (Chicago): 2nd place

Traditions

The school has two songs: a fight song and a cheer song. The cheer song's lyrics were borrowed from the cheer song written for Illinois Wesleyan University, substituting "Danville High" for "Wesleyan" and "maroon" for "green".^[6]^[18]

The school claims no knowledge as to why the school colors were chosen, though they date to at least 1906.^[6] The school's teams were originally stylized as the "Maroons".^[6] The school's teams briefly used the name "Silver Streaks" before adopting "Vikings" in 1960.^[6] While the Vikings name stuck, an attempt to change the school's primary color from maroon to light blue failed to catch on.^[6]

Dress code

As of the 2017–2018 school year, Danville District 118 had revised its old dress code into a new dress code that lets students dress freely as long as it is not vulgar or explicit.^[19]

Notable alumni

Jason Anderson, former Major League Baseball relief pitcher (2003–05)^[20]^[21]
Irving Azoff, personal manager to several notable musical talents; former head of MCA Records; producer of several films (Fast Times at Ridgemont High); Chairman of Ticketmaster^[22]
Kenneth D. Bailey, major in the United States Marine Corps; posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions at Matanikau River during the Battle of Guadalcanal in 1942; namesake of destroyer USS Kenneth D. Bailey^[22]
William B. Black, member of the Illinois House of Representatives (1986–2010)^[22]
Keon Clark, former NBA basketball player (1998–2004); selected in the first round of the 1998 NBA draft^[23]
Laurie Perry Cookingham (1896–1992), city manager of multiple cities, including Kansas City, Missouri and Fort Worth, Texas^[24]
Gene Hackman, Academy Award-winning actor, best known for his work in film (The French Connection, Unforgiven)^[22]
Ned Luke, actor, Grand Theft Auto V
Justin March-Lillard, NFL linebacker
Greg Meidel, television producer^[22]
John P. Meyer, Illinois state legislator and judge^[25]
Donald O'Connor, Emmy Award-winning actor and dancer, perhaps best known for his role in the film Singin' in the Rain^{[citation needed]}
Julian Pearl, college football offensive tackle for the Illinois Fighting Illini^[26]
Bill Putnam, audio engineer, songwriter, producer, studio designer and businessman, who has been described as "the father of modern recording"^[27]
Scott Shaw, photojournalist; received the 1988 Pulitzer Prize for spot news photography^[22]
Trent Sherfield, wide receiver for the Miami Dolphins
Bobby Short, singer and musician known for his interpretations of early 20th-century American music, and for promoting the compositions of African American composers^[22]
Sterling Slaughter, former MLB player (Chicago Cubs)
John W. Speakman, Illinois state legislator and lawyer^[28]
Matthew Stover, science fiction and fantasy author of Heroes Die and novels set in the Star Wars universe, including Revenge of the Sith^[22]
Joseph R. Tanner, former NASA astronaut; flew into space four times as a mission specialist where he performed work on the Hubble Space Telescope and International Space Station^[22]
Edward R. Telling, Chairman and CEO of Sears, Roebuck and Company (1978–85)^[22]
Dick Van Dyke, Emmy and Tony award-winning actor; was in the original Broadway cast of Bye Bye Birdie; worked in film (Mary Poppins) and television (The Dick Van Dyke Show, Diagnosis: Murder)^[22]
Jerry Van Dyke, actor and musician best known for his work on television (My Mother the Car, Coach)^[22]
Reg Weaver, former president of the National Education Association; vice president for Education International^[22]

Maj. Kenneth D. Bailey, USMC
Gene Hackman
Bobby Short

Joe Tanner
Dick Van Dyke
Jerry Van Dyke

References

^ "Superintendent - Danville School District No. 118". directory. Danville District 118. Retrieved 15 Oct 2015.
^ "Principal - Danville High School". Danville High School. Retrieved 15 Oct 2015.
^ "Staff - Danville High School". directory. Danville High School. Retrieved 7 May 2015.
^ ^a ^b ^c "Danville High School". National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved March 17, 2021.
^ ^a ^b ^c "Illinois School Report Card - Danville High School" (PDF). Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE). 2016. Retrieved 13 August 2017.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g "About Danville High School". Danville High School. Archived from the original on 14 August 2017. Retrieved 13 August 2017.
^ ^a ^b "Danville (HS)". Illinois High School Association (IHSA). 30 October 2009. Retrieved 31 October 2009.
^ ^a ^b "Danville High School Production Organizations". Danville High School. 8 October 2009. Archived from the original on 17 January 2010. Retrieved 31 October 2009.
^ "District 118 Information - District Statistics". Danville District 118. 29 October 2009. Archived from the original on 21 October 2009. Retrieved 31 October 2009.
^ Herkamp, Anna (16 September 2009). "Global learning: Taiwanese educational dignitaries tour schools". The Commercial-News. Danville, IL, USA. Retrieved 13 August 2017.
^ ^a ^b "Clubs and Organizations index". Danville High School. Retrieved 13 August 2017.
^ "Danville High School Choral Music". Danville High School. 8 October 2009. Archived from the original on 16 July 2011. Retrieved 1 November 2009.
^ "Danville High School Instrumental Music". Danville High School. 8 October 2009. Archived from the original on 16 July 2011. Retrieved 1 November 2009.
^ "Danville High School Choral Music Historic Events". Danville High School. 8 October 2009. Archived from the original on 16 July 2011. Retrieved 1 November 2009.
^ "Dick Van Dyke comes Home to Danville High School" (PDF), Maroon & White, 2 (2): 2–3, June 2004, archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-07-16, Choreographed by Michael Weaver and arranged by Robert Hills, the highlight of the production occurred when Mr. Van Dyke himself came out to perform "Put On a Happy Face" with the cast ... Since Dick Van Dyke left Danville High School before the end of his senior year to enter the army, Superintendent Gary Tucker, board members David Groves and Leon Parker, and DHS Registrar Nancy Van Vickle presented him with his Class of 1944 diploma.
^ ^a ^b ^c "Danville High School Athletics". Danville High School. 8 October 2009. Archived from the original on 13 November 2009. Retrieved 31 October 2009.
^ "IHSA season summaries". Illinois High School Association (IHSA). 6 October 2009. Retrieved 31 October 2009.
^ Freese, Ralph S. (8 July 2006). "Illinois Wesleyan Cheer Song". lyrics. fightsonglyrics.com. Retrieved 1 November 2009.
^ "Student Dress Code - Danville School District No. 118". Retrieved 2018-08-24.
^ Bleill, Tony (10 July 2009). "Danville's Chuck Robinson, 14, has big-league aspirations". The News-Gazette. Champaign, Illinois, US. Archived from the original on 14 August 2017. Retrieved 13 August 2017. And by the time he enrolls at Danville High in August for his freshman year, he'll be carrying a reputation as one of the best up-and-coming baseball players in central Illinois ... That's high praise, considering the talent that has made Danville a home. The list includes Jason Anderson, a former Illini and major league reliever now pitching in Class AA.
^ "Jason Anderson". the baseball cube.com. Retrieved 1 November 2009.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m "Danville High School - Wall of Fame". Danville High School. Retrieved 13 August 2017.
^ "Keon Clark". biographical sketch and statistics. basketballreference.com. Retrieved 13 August 2017.
^ Lucas, Ray F. (2021-10-15). "Cookingham, Laurie Perry". Texas State Historical Association. Archived from the original on 2022-10-08. Retrieved 2022-10-08.
^ 'Illinois Blue Book 1961-1962,' Biographical Sketch of John P. Meyer, pg. 204-205
^ Asmussen, Bob (10 October 2023). "At every Illini game, Danville grad has his own cheering section". The News-Gazette. Retrieved 19 February 2024.
^ Blakey, Larry (August 1983). "Bill Putnam: In His Own Words". Mix. NewBay Media. ISSN 1403-8927. Retrieved 24 August 2021.
^ 'Illinois Blue Book 1941-1942,' Biographical Sketch of John W. Speakman, pg. 194-195

Bibliography

Jones, Lottie E. (1911). History of Vermilion County, Illinois. Chicago, Illinois: Pioneer Publishing Company. pp. 255, 334–5.

External links

Danville High School

This page was last edited on 2 April 2024, at 17:26

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