If you heard something about Clinton High School, you would probably think this educational institution is named after one of the US presidents of the late 20th century. However, the devil is in the details. This exact school is called DeWitt Clinton High School. Thus, it is another Clinton it was named after. Therefore, bronx1.one is going to tell you about this educational institution located in the Bronx that has been providing quality education for over 100 years. Are you ready? Then, let’s begin the story.
How the school was launched
The school, which is simply called Clinton, was opened in 1897 in Manhattan. It was not a high school but a school for boys. Girls were not accepted in it at that time. This was a common practice for women and men to study separately. Moreover, it still exists in some places. Talking about our school, its first premises were located at the building at 60 West 13th Street. In those early years, it had nothing to do with DeWitt Clinton. The school was named after him only in 1900.
Who is DeWitt Clinton?
This man was a well-known American politician. He was born a little before the start of the American Revolutionary War in the city of New York. We are sure you remember when it lasted. His relatives held important positions in the Executive Office of the President of the USA. Therefore, his career was quite predictable. He graduated from the college that later became Columbia University, studied and practiced law. Then, he worked as a secretary to the governor of New York, became a senator several times, mayor of New York three times, vice governor and governor of the state. He took part in the creation of various institutions and societies in the city and even planned the Erie Canal. Thus, he was an active man. Therefore, when in 1900, a school was named after him, no one was surprised. After all, he was definitely worth it.
The school at the beginning of the 20th century
In 1906, the institution received new premises and moved to Tenth Avenue, where Hell’s Kitchen is located. In the same year, the park was named after the ex-governor of New York DeWitt Clinton. This place later became the first public garden in the city. The building in which the school was located was H-shaped and was considered the largest school building in the country at that time. Now the police are located there because the school changed its location again in 1929. After that, it moved to a new building in Bedford Park in the Bronx at the address 100 West Mosholu Parkway South and East 205th Street. By the way, the nearby street is named after one of the principals of the school, Dr. Paul, who headed the school when it was relocated.
Dr. Irwin (Doc) Guernsey of Clinton
Until 1930, Clinton, like other classical educational institutions, had a Greek and Latin faculty. Since the early 1930s, general education has become mandatory for all Americans, so this school has changed. In addition, a legendary teacher started working in Clinton in those years. Everyone admired him. His name was Irwin S. (Doc) Guernsey. He was born in Yonkers and graduated from New York University. Before starting work at the school, he received the title of Doctor of Sciences. He joined the school in 1915, during World War I, and retired in 1959. Thus, he worked at Clinton for 44 years, teaching social studies.
At the beginning, he taught 60 boys who refused to call him Mister, using Doc instead. From that time everyone called him that. What was he like? He was a stout man with blue eyes and looked like a typical teacher. He was strict but kind. Doc suffered from polio since childhood and wore braces and two heavy Irish canes. He pounded them heavily on the pulpit or on the table to emphasize some points of his stories. The disease did not prevent him from performing the functions of a sports advisor. In addition to his doctoral degree, he received the title of Master-teacher in New York and headed the Arista Honor Society.
After retirement, Irwin S. (Doc) Guernsey worked in various positions in the areas of scholarships, student aid and coordination of the school’s alumni association. He organized the Leadership Camp program, which allowed students with different academic achievements to work, study and relax together outside the city.
Once he told his graduates that they should always be proud to say ‘I’m a Clinton man.’
Today, the historic part of the campus is named Guernsey Hall in his honor and you can even see a book cart in the library bearing the words Doctoral Special.
The school in the second half of the 20th century and at the beginning of the 21st century
The educational institution quickly increased the number of its students and, in the 1930s, it already had 12 thousand of them. Thus, it was the largest high school not only in the USA but also in the world. In 1999, 4.000 students studied here, and in 2021, there were 1.118 students. At the end of the 20th century, the school received numerous awards, as the most improved and outstanding educational organization. Not only men but also women worked as school directors here. At the beginning of the 21st century, many Latin Americans studied at the school.
In the 1980s, despite the positive reviews of critics, the school slowly lost its former luster. It became state-owned and was financed from the city budget. Grades began to be falsified here, curricula were not followed and its level slowly decreased. The school, whose graduates include James Baldwin, Neil Simon and Ralph Lauren, was on the verge of closing.
Improvements in the education process
However, the school found a way out of trouble. The changes began in 1989. The state created a fund called Project Achieve, the goal of which was to reduce dropout rates in the city’s schools and increase attendance. The new principal, Norman Wexler, also helped the school. It received funds for employees who were to become mentors for students. The director believed that the world judges Black people and Latin Americans in the wrong way. However, the school’s duty was to prepare them for college. That is why the school administration began taking care of the students to return them to their studies.
School organizations
DeWitt Clinton High School combines an educational process and a social activity. For this purpose, the school has small educational communities, which are divided by interests, such as journalism, the future, medicine, business, etc. Students, who participate in these communities, prepare for college admission. They are funded by the Macy Foundation. Students must have a score of at least 80 and must pass all course exams. If the student studies well, he is transferred to the program Einstein. These students can compete for college credits.
Therefore, DeWitt Clinton High School is a wonderful educational institution with a rich history. Everyone who has studied here or is currently studying, in addition to knowledge, gets the opportunity to stay at a legendary place. Famous personalities worked and stayed in it, so it carries the spirit of the past era.