Eastern High School (Washington, D.C.)

Eastern High School is a public high school in Washington, D.C. The school is located on the eastern edge of the Capitol Hill neighborhood, at the intersection of 17th Street and East Capital Street Northeast. Eastern was a part of the District of Columbia Public Schools restructuring project, reopening in 2011 to incoming first-year students and growing by a grade level each year. It graduated its first class in 2015. In addition, Eastern was designated an International Baccalaureate school in 2013 and awarded its first IB diploma in 2015. As of the 2022–2023 school year, it educates 766 students in grades 9 through 12.

Eastern is part of the District of Columbia Public Schools. It was founded in 1890 as the Capitol Hill High School. It was later relocated and rebuilt in the Collegiate Gothic style and renamed Eastern Senior High School. It is one of the oldest continuously operating high schools in the District of Columbia. The campus is listed on The National Register Of Historic Places.

Early years
Eastern High School, as it is known today, was founded in 1890 under the name Capitol Hill High School. It was established in the Peabody Elementary School building at 5th and C Streets NE. The school served an all white student body with an enrollment of 170 students and a teaching staff of seven individuals. As time progressed, the school gained popularity, prompting its relocation to a new site at 7th and C Streets S.E. in 1892. Alongside the move, the school underwent a name change to Eastern High School, and its student body continued to expand. In 1909, the community rallied for the construction of a new school building, ultimately selecting the current location in 1914–1915. However, the onset of World War I caused a delay in the construction process.

Snowden Ashford, a municipal architect, was chosen to create the blueprint for the new school. The Eastern Alumni Association strongly encouraged Ashford to deviate from his preferred Elizabethan and Collegiate Gothic style and instead design the new school in the more popular Colonial Revival style. However, Ashford's vision ultimately prevailed. He completed the designs for the school in 1921 and subsequently resigned from his position as Municipal Architect. Eastern High School became the last public school in the District to be constructed in the Collegiate Gothic style. Albert L. Harris, who succeeded Ashford, oversaw the final design and construction of the school.

The new Eastern High School building, built by the Charles H. Tompkins Company Incorporated in 1923, was situated at 17th and East Capitol Streets N.E. Charles R. Hart, who was principal of Eastern High School from 1918 to 1945 led the school during its new building construction. In memory of the alumni who died in the Spanish-American War and World War I, a memorial flagstaff was erected in front of the building. The old Eastern High School building was eventually demolished to make way for Hine Jr. High School. When the students moved to the new facility, the enrollment exceeded 1,000. As the surrounding neighborhood of Eastern High School continued to grow, the school's capacity reached 3,000 students by 1934. To address the overcrowding issue, students who lived east of the Anacostia River were redirected to Anacostia High School.

Subsequent Years
In 1954, the U.S. Supreme Court made a significant decision regarding the desegregation of public schools. Specifically, in the case of Bolling vs. Sharpe, the court declared that the practice of racial segregation within the DC public school system was unconstitutional, as it violated the Due Process Clause of the Fifth Amendment. Consequently, new school boundaries were established to address this issue. Subsequently, during the autumn of 1954, the first African-American students who were previously attending Cardozo (Central) and Spingarn High schools were transferred to Eastern, resulting in an African-American student population of 1.4%. However, within a span of ten years, Eastern underwent a transformation, with the African-American student population reaching an overwhelming majority of 99%.

During the 1960s, significant milestones took place at Eastern High School, primarily involving its African-American student population. In 1964 Mr. Madison W. Tignor became the first African-American principal to serve Eastern. Recognizing the lack of curriculum that represented the Black experience and culture, students formed a collective called the Modern Strivers. In 1968, supported by the community, they founded the Freedom School, which employed committed educators. This institution offered Eastern students the chance to participate in classes off-campus that focused on Black History and culture in addition to their regular coursework.

In the 1980s, the school underwent its first modernization phase. This included the installation of new windows, flooring, and parabolic troffer lighting in classrooms, as well as the addition of new stairwells, paint, fire doors, bathrooms, and the restoration of the auditorium, along with an overhaul of the elevator. Furthermore, significant improvements were made to the gymnasium. Unfortunately, a devastating fire broke out in the gymnasium on July 16, 1984, resulting in damages of approximately $1 million (equivalent to $2.90 million in 2023) and causing a 2-year delay on the gym's completion.

Eastern High School was renowned for its exceptional marching band and its world-renowned choir. The Blue And White Marching Machine has graced national stages and even performed at presidential inaugurations. Under the direction of Dr. Joyce Garrett, the Eastern High School choir has captivated audiences at major national events, impressing Presidents Reagan, Clinton, George Bush Sr., and George W. Bush. They have also showcased their talent on televised performances, providing backup vocals for popular artists, and have even embarked on international tours. Notably, in 1988, the Eastern choir participated in the International Youth Music Festival held in Vienna, Austria, where they achieved the remarkable feat of securing the second place silver medal.

Attendance Boundaries
In 2021, DC's redistricting of Wards moved Eastern from Ward 6 to Ward 7. The school's boundaries and feeder patterns, however, have remained the same. Neighborhoods within Eastern's boundaries include Barney Circle, Capitol Hill, Carver Langston, Hill East, Kingman Park, Navy Yard, and Southwest Waterfront.

Feeder patterns
The following elementary schools feed into Eastern:
 * Amidon-Bowen Elementary School
 * Brent Elementary School
 * J.O. Wilson Elementary School
 * Ludlow-Taylor Elementary School
 * Maury Elementary School
 * Miner Elementary School
 * Payne Elementary School
 * Peabody Elementary School (Capitol Hill Cluster)
 * Thomson Elementary School
 * Tyler Elementary School
 * Van Ness Elementary School
 * Watkins Elementary School (Capitol Hill Cluster)

The following middle schools feed into Eastern:
 * Eliot-Hine Middle School
 * Jefferson Middle School Academy
 * Stuart-Hobson Middle School (Capitol Hill Cluster)

The following K-8 schools feed into Eastern:
 * Browne Education Campus
 * Capitol Hill Montessori School @ Logan

Athletics
The school offers ten different athletic programs. • Baseball

• Basketball

• Cheerleading

• Cross Country

• Football

• Golf

• Softball

• Swimming

• Track and field

• Volleyball

Academia
• Maude E. Aiton (1894), educator

• Calvin Beale (1941), demographer whose work led to the development of the Beale code

• Alvin C. Graves (1927), nuclear physicist

• Gilbert Hunt (1934), mathematician

• Mary Eleanor Spear (1915), data visualization specialist who pioneered the development of the bar chart and box plot

• Ibrahim K. Sundiata (1962), American scholar of West African and African-American history

Arts and entertainment
• Gayle Adams (1970), disco music artist

• Monta Bell (1909), film director, producer, screenwriter

• Dave Chappelle (attended, did not graduate), actor, comedian

• The Choice Four (1969), all-male soul vocal group

• Y'Anna Crawley (1995), contemporary gospel music artist and musician; winner on BET's Sunday Best

• Pat Flaherty (attended, did not graduate), actor, Major League Baseball pitcher for five teams, punter for the Chicago Bears

• Kevin LeVar (1995), singer, songwriter

• Bert Sadler (1893), photographer

• Frank Wright (1950), painter

Government and politics
• Sheila Abdus-Salaam (1970), New York Court of Appeals judge

• Vernon D. Acree (1937), Commissioner of the United States Customs Service

• Bennett Champ Clark (1908), United States Senator (Missouri), D.C. Circuit court judge

• Gail Cobb (attended, did not graduate), D.C. Metropolitan Police officer who was the first female police officer in the United States killed in the line of duty

• Stephen Early (1907), White House Press Secretary, United States Deputy Secretary of Defense

• Isaac Fulwood (1959), Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia (1989–1992)

• Calvin H. Gurley (1972), perennial candidate

• George Huddleston Jr. (1937), member of the United States House Of Representatives (Alabama)

• Franklin McCain (1959), civil rights activist and member of the Greensboro Four

• Edna G. Parker (1948), United States Tax Court judge

• Jane Menefee Schutt (1929) civil rights activist

• Gladys Spellman (attended, did not graduate), educator, member of the United States House of Representatives (Maryland)

• Brandon Todd (2001), former D.C. Council member

Media and journalism
• George D. Beveridge (1940), journalist

• Eleni Epstein (1943), fashion journalist

• Jackie Martin (1921), photojournalist

• Andy Ockershausen (1947), Washington-area media executive, longtime manager at WMAL radio

• Ira Sabin (1946), founder of JazzTimes magazine

• Eugene Scott (1999), political reporter for The Washington Post, former CNN reporter

• Krissah Thompson (1993), managing editor for The Washington Post

Military
• George S. Blanchard (1938), United States Army general

• Lester A. Dessez (1914), United States Marine Corps general

• Alexander D. Goode (1929), rabbi and lieutenant of the United States Army; he was one of the Four Chaplains who gave their lives saving soldiers during the sinking of the Dorchester during World War II

• Cecil D. Haney (1974), retired United States Navy admiral

• Ernest E. Harmon (1911), aviator

• Haywood T. Kirkland (1966), Vietnam veteran whose story inspired the 1995 film, Dead Presidents

• Charles T. Lanham (1920), United States Army general

• Anthony McAuliffe (1916), United States Army general

• Earle Wheeler (1928), United States Army general

Sports
• Robin Campbell (attended, did not graduate), Olympic sprinter

• Jerry Chambers (1961), former NBA player

• Al Chesley (1975), former NFL linebacker (Philadelphia Eagles)

• Frank Chesley (1973), former NFL linebacker (Green Bay Packers)

• Vince Colbert (1964), former Major League Baseball pitcher, (Cleveland Indians)

• Mark Johnson (1989), former professional boxer, International Boxing Hall of Fame inductee

• Jimmy Jones (1958), former NFL wide receiver (Chicago Bears)

• Gilbert Kelly (1896), football player

• Mike Martin (1979), former NFL wide receiver, (Cincinnati Bengals)

• Charles Mooney (1969), Olympic boxer

• Josh Morgan (attended, did not graduate), former NFL wide receiver

• Art Perry (1964), former collegiate basketball coach

• Jamorko Pickett (2016), American basketball player

• James Ratiff (1977), American basketball player, (Howard)

• Thomas Robinson (attended, did not graduate), American basketball player

• Kelvin Scarborough (1983), American basketball player (University of New Mexico)

• Dallas Shirley (1931), basketball referee

• John Smith (1924), Major League Baseball utility player, (Boston Red Sox)

• Mike Wilcher (1979), former NFL linebacker

Notable faculty
• Regis Louise Boyle, taught and advised journalism at Eastern from 1942 to 1955

• Linda W. Cropp, District of Columbia Councilmember (1991–1997), first female chair of the Council of the District of Columbia (1997–2007)

• Patrick Lundy, gospel recording artist

• Charles Mooney, retired boxer who won a silver medal in the boxing tournament at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, Quebec, Canada

• Dallas Shirley, basketball referee who was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1980