Paul Laurence Dunbar High School (Maryland)
| Paul Laurence Dunbar High School | |
|---|---|
| File:1dunbar.jpg | |
| Address | |
 | |
1400 Orleans Street , 21231 | |
| Information | |
| School type | Public |
| School district | Baltimore City Public School System |
| Superintendent | Dr. Andrès Alonso, CEO |
| School number | 414 |
| Principal | Roger Shaw |
| Grades | 9-12 |
| Language | English |
| Area | Urban |
| Color(s) | Maroon █ and Gold █ |
| Team name | Poets |
Paul Laurence Dunbar High School is a public, secondary school located in Baltimore, Maryland.
History
Dunbar opened in 1918 as the Paul Lawrence Dunbar Elementary School, No. 101. It was named in memory of Paul Lawrence Dunbar, an African-American poet, who had died ten years earlier. In 1925, a secondary school evolved from the primary grades and was called Dunbar Junior High School, No. 133. By 1940 Dunbar was a full fledged high school and awarded its first diploma, the second "negro" school in Baltimore to do so.[1]
Academics
Dunbar is a magnet school like Baltimore City College and Baltimore Polytechnic Institute. Dunbar's programs include biotechnology, Emergency Medical Technology (EMT), Accounting, Nursing and Health Care Delivery Systems. It is similar to Paul Laurence Dunbar High School in Washington, D.C. and Fort Worth, Texas, as all three schools have a majority African American student body and are of a major importance to the local African American community. All three schools are also highly regarded for their athletic programs within their respective school district in the sports of Football, Basketball, and Track. Prior to the Supreme Court decision in 1954 (Brown v. Board of Education), African American teenagers in Baltimore were allowed to attend only Dunbar and Frederick Douglass high schools.
Renovation
In the summer of 2007, the main high school building was emptied so that renovations to the school could be effected. Students were moved to Thomas G. Hayes, an elementary school behind Dunbar at 601 N. Central Avenue. The renovations are expected to be completed in 2009.
Athletics
Dunbar's current athletic program consists of five men's varsity teams, five women's varsity teams, and five coeducational teams. The men's sports played at Dunbar are baseball, basketball, football, soccer, and wrestling. The women's teams are badminton, basketball, soccer, softball, volleyball. The four co-ed teams are cross country running, indoor track and field, swimming, track and field.
Football
Since the Baltimore City School system joined the Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association in 1993, Dunbar has dominated the class 1A division. The Poets won state championships in 1994, 1995, 2004, 2006, 2007 (setting a state record with 58 points in the title game); played in the state finals in 1997, the semi-finals in 1993, 1996, 2003, 2005 and the quarter-finals in 1999 and 2002.[2]
Basketball
The Dunbar basketball Poets have enjoyed an even greater success in the state. Since 1993 the Poets were State Championship in: 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2006; and made it to the final game in 1997, 2002 and 2007.[3] The Lady Poets have excelled as well, winning the state girl's basketball title in 2000, 2001, 2002 and 2003.
Community Partnerships
Dunbar is home of the Incentive Mentoring Program, an organization formed by Johns Hopkins School of Medicine graduate students to prevent teenagers from failing high school.[4] Struggling students selected by the principal can receive 1-on-1 tutoring from IMP mentors, as well as comprehensive social support to address any personal challenges that may be affecting their school performance.[5]
Notable alumni
Politics and Government
- Robert M. Bell, Chief Judge, Maryland Court of Appeals
- Clarence Davis,Maryland House of Delegates, District 45 (1983-2007)
- Kenneth N. Harris, Sr., Baltimore City Council, District 4
- Nathan C. Irby, Jr., Maryland State Senate, District 45 (1983-1994)[1]
- Hattie N. Harrison, Maryland House of Delegates, District 45
- John D. Jeffries, Maryland House of Delegates, District 39 (1988-1994)
- Paul A. Smith, Judge Circuit Court, Baltimore City (1990-2003)
Sports
NFL
- Tommy Polley
- Bob Wade, cornerback, Pittsburgh Steelers[2]
- Calvin Williams, wide receiver, Philadelphia Eagles
- Kirk Adams, running back, Cincinnati Bengals
NBA
Coaches
- Keith Booth - current Assistant Coach of University of Maryland Men's Basketball Team
- Bob Wade, Head Coach, University of Maryland men's basketball team, Dunbar boys basketball team, first African American Head Basketball Coach of the Atlantic Coast Conference.
Fictional
- Proposition Joe Stewart - East Baltimore Drug kingpin on the HBO drama The Wire
- Ervin Burrell - Former Police Commissioner on the HBO drama The Wire. Burrell was a member of the Glee Club while at Dunbar.
Notes
- ^ Gladden, Elzee; Gladden, Jessie B. (1988), "The Dunbar Chronicle: A Case Study", The Journal of Negro Education, 57 (3): 372–393
- ^ "MPSSA Football Championships Tournament History" (PDF). Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association. Retrieved 2007-10-20.
- ^ "MPSSA Boys Basketball Championships Tournament History" (PDF). Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association. Retrieved 2007-10-20.
- ^ "Incentive Mentoring Program". Incentive Mentoring Program, Inc. Retrieved 2008-03-20.
- ^ "Partnership Spotlight: Dunbar Mentoring Project" (PDF), Schools Monthly: 21, 1 January 2008
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