Will Rogers High School

Will Rogers High School
"Will on the Hill"
Location
Tulsa, Oklahoma, United States
Information
Type	Public
Established	1939
Head teacher	Mrs. Lyda Wilbur
Faculty	65+
Number of students	950+
Color(s)	Royal Blue & Gold
Website	School Website

Will Rogers High School, located on 3909 E. 5th Place in Tulsa, Oklahoma, was built by Tulsa Public Schools in 1939 using WPA workers and designed by Joseph R. Koberling, Jr. and Leon B. Senter. It was named for the humorist Will Rogers, who died in 1935 along with Wiley Post in a plane crash. The school has approximately 1,000 students as of 2008, and more than 39,000 alumni.

In in the 2008/09 school year, Rogers English teacher Brian Grimm was honored with the district's title of "teacher of the Year". Tulsa Public Schools has 83 schools and 3,300 teachers and staff.

The school's colors are royal blue and gold, their mascot is a roper and the students are known as the Ropers. The school's symbol is the dogiron (branding iron) used by the Rogers family.

On September 21, 2007 the Will Rogers High School building was added to the National Register of Historic Places with national significance. It is an example of Art Deco. The National Park Service has stated that it is one of the best examples of Art Deco high school architecture in the United States.

Change to College Magnet School

In 2011, Tulsa Public Schools announced that Will Rogers would no longer serve as a conventional high school, but would convert to a magnet school for students who plan to attend college after graduating from high school. The student body would consist of grades 7 through 12, eliminating the traditional middle school (junior high school). The conversion would be implemented at the end of the 2010 - 2011 school year. The next graduating class would be in 2015.

The school has a group of alumni who run the Tulsa Will Rogers High School Foundation Inc., which provides grants and scholarships to Rogers faculty and students. The Foundation was established in the 1990s and continues to this day.

Notable alumni

• Charles Bell (painter), 1935–1995, noted artist
• Don Chandler, 1934-2011, American professional football player.
• Gailard Sartain, actor and illustrator. Played Dr. Mazeppa Pompazoidi on "Dr. Mazeppa Pompazoidi's Uncanny Film Festival and Camp Meeting" and later became a regular on Hee Haw. Gailard was also featured in many Hollywood movies.
• Susan E. Hinton, novelist. Wrote The Outsiders in her sophomore year at Rogers.
• Dave Rader NCAA college football coach. Was the coach of the University of Tulsa Golden Hurricane from 1988 until the year 2005. He currently serves as the Offensive Coordinator and Quarterbacks Coach for the University of Alabama Crimson Tide.
• David Gates, singer. Singer and songwriter, best known as the lead singer of the group Bread.
• Leon Russell, musician. Occasionally referred to as "The Master of Space and Time," a title he acquired around the time of his collaborations with Joe Cocker.
• Elvin Bishop, musician. Blues-rock guitarist best known for his hit "Fooled Around and Fell in Love."
• Anita Bryant, singer. A former Miss Oklahoma, she was famous as a television spokesperson for Florida orange juice. She spearheaded opposition to a gay rights ordinance in Florida in 1977.
• Russell Myers, cartoonist. Created the comic strip Broom Hilda.
• Lee Mayberry NBA player, 1992 1st Round Draft Pick.
• John Ward NFL player, played at Oklahoma State University and 1970 1st Round Draft Pick of the Minnesota Vikings.

External links

• Will Rogers High School.com
• Will Rogers H.S. Alumni Foundation, Inc.
• "Will on the Hill" by WRHS Alumnus, Phyllis Bowles
• Will Rogers Alumni class of 1967
• Famous Will Rogers High School Alumni 1962-66
• John Ward - Will Rogers High School Alum 1963-66