John R. Buchtel High School is a public high school in Akron, Ohio

Akron, Ohio

Akron , is the fifth largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Summit County. It is located in the Great Lakes region approximately south of Lake Erie along the Little Cuyahoga River. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 199,110. The Akron Metropolitan...

. It is one of seven high schools in the Akron Public Schools

Akron Public Schools, Summit County, Ohio

Akron Public Schools is a school district serving students in Akron, Ohio and nearby communities. It is located in the northeastern part of Ohio, less than 40 miles south of Cleveland and 20 miles north of Canton. The district includes, as of 2009-10, 7 high schools, 10 middle schools and 34...

 district. It is commonly known as Buchtel High School.

History

Opening in 1931, Buchtel High was named after John R. Buchtel

John R. Buchtel

John R. Buchtel was an American businessman and philanthropist, most famous for being the founding figure of Buchtel College, the predecessor of the University of Akron. Buchtel High School, a public high school in Akron, Ohio, is also named in his honor....

, who was one of Akron's leading industrialists and philanthropists. John Buchtel helped to organize and finance a number of Akron firms and was also one of the early investors in the rubber company of Dr. Benjamin F. Goodrich (BF Goodrich).

Buchtel is best remembered for his role in the founding of the Universalist college originally named in his honor, which today is the University of Akron

University of Akron

The University of Akron is a coeducational public research university located in Akron, Ohio, United States. The university is part of the University System of Ohio. It was founded in 1870 as a small college affiliated with the Universalist Church. In 1913 ownership was transferred to the City of...

. Over the course of his life, Buchtel and his wife contributed more than $500,000 to the college. Buchtel competes in many sports. Most notably basketball. Although, an unfortunate happening occurred in 1999 when NBA star LeBron James chose to attend St. Vincent - St. Mary high school instead of Buchtel. James then went on to lead the Fighting Irish to 3 state championships and a national championship. Buchtel has yet to accomplish a state title.

Pulitzer Prize-winning

Pulitzer Prize

The Pulitzer Prize is a U.S. award for achievements in newspaper and online journalism, literature and musical composition. It was established by American publisher Joseph Pulitzer and is administered by Columbia University in New York City...

 poet and former Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress

Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress

The Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress—commonly referred to as the United States Poet Laureate—serves as the nation's official poet. During his or her term, the Poet Laureate seeks to raise the national consciousness to a greater appreciation of the reading and writing of...

 Rita Dove

Rita Dove

Rita Frances Dove is an American poet and author. From 1993-1995 she served as Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress, a position now popularly known as "U.S. Poet Laureate"...

 graduated from Buchtel.

Ohio High School Athletic Association State Championships

• Boys Football
  American football
  American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
  
   - 1987, 1988
• Boys Cross Country
  Cross country running
  Cross country running is a sport in which people run a race on open-air courses over natural terrain. The course, typically long, may include surfaces of grass and earth, pass through woodlands and open country, and include hills, flat ground and sometimes gravel road...
  
   – 1955, 1961
• Boys Swimming
  Swimming (sport)
  Swimming is a sport governed by the Fédération Internationale de Natation .-History: Competitive swimming in Europe began around 1800 BCE, mostly in the form of the freestyle. In 1873 Steve Bowyer introduced the trudgen to Western swimming competitions, after copying the front crawl used by Native...
  
   - 1963
• Boys Track
  Track and field
  Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
  
   - 1996, 2006
• Girls Track
  Track and field
  Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
  
   - 2007

Notable Alumni

Howard Hewett

Howard Hewett

Howard Hewett is an American R&B and gospel singer and former lead vocalist of the R&B group Shalamar.Raised in Akron, Ohio, Hewett moved to Los Angeles. He would eventually meet Soul Train dancer and future first wife Rainey Riley-Cunningham, then a secretary of the show's creator and original...

 singer (1974)
Bryan Williams

Bryan Williams (American football)

Bryan Williams is a American football defensive back, who currently plays for the Pittsburgh Power of the Arena Football League.-Early life:He was born the son of Sterling Campbell....

Arena football player
Antonio Pittman (NFL Player)
Charlton Keith (NFL Player)