University School
Encyclopedia
University School, commonly referred to as US, is an all-boys K - 12 school with two campus locations in the Greater Cleveland, Ohio
area. The Shaker Heights Campus is kindergarten through grade 8, and the Hunting Valley campus is grades 9 through 12.
University School is a founding member of the International Boys' Schools Coalition and a member of the Center for the Study of Boys' and Girls' Lives and Cleveland Council of Independent Schools
.
Houses are organized to encourage greater interaction between students, especially students at separate campuses and in different grades. As such, the House System is a large part of student life at University School. House meetings occur regularly at the Upper School, in which faculty and students may plan activities and community service projects such as the annual Thanksgiving food drive. Each House elects a prefect from the senior class who acts as the House leader.
Houses are typically named after former Headmasters or notable alumni, and each House has a color to represent it. The numbers, names and colors of Houses have changed over the years.
The current House names are: Anderson (maroon); Cruikshank (white); Goodwillie (navy blue); Hawley (purple); McCarraher (orange); McKinley (light blue); Peters (red); Pettee (black); Pickands (green); and Sanders (gold).
If sufficient peer interest is present, a student may initiate a club or activity by gaining the support of a faculty sponsor.
University School competes in the Premier Athletic Conference (PAC), 8-team conference. The cross country, wrestling, basketball, track and field and baseball teams began competing in this conference in 2009. Football began its PAC schedule in the fall of 2011.
The 81000 square feet (7,525.1 m²) Kilroy Field House at the Hunting Valley Campus is a multi-purpose indoor practice facility featuring two basketball courts, three squash courts, a 200-meter cantilevered indoor track, and practice areas for track events. The complex also includes a fitness center equipped with the latest in weight training and aerobic equipment.
Wrestling rooms, a gymnasium and an Olympic-sized indoor swimming pool with a separate diving well complete the indoor facilities at the Hunting Valley Campus. Outdoors, there is a football stadium and a new turf football field, an all-weather track, four soccer and other practice fields, two baseball diamonds, and seven tennis courts.
The physical education facilities at the Shaker Campus include a football field, 400-meter track, three baseball fields, two soccer fields, eight tennis courts, a double-size gymnasium, wrestling room, a four-lane, 25-meter indoor swimming pool, and a rock climbing wall.
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
area. The Shaker Heights Campus is kindergarten through grade 8, and the Hunting Valley campus is grades 9 through 12.
University School is a founding member of the International Boys' Schools Coalition and a member of the Center for the Study of Boys' and Girls' Lives and Cleveland Council of Independent Schools
Cleveland Council of Independent Schools
The Cleveland Council of Independent Schools is a consortium of independent schools in Northeast Ohio, serving more than 4,500 learners from over 50 communities...
.
History and headmasters
- 1890 - 1900 - Headmaster Newton M. Anderson (Founder) - University School was established in 1890 by Anderson. The school's first building was erected on 10 acres (40,468.6 m²) at the corner of Hough Avenue and East 71st Street in Cleveland.
- 1900 - 1908 - Headmaster George D. Pettee - Pettee led the entire student body to the Pan-American ExpositionPan-American ExpositionThe Pan-American Exposition was a World's Fair held in Buffalo, New York, United States, from May 1 through November 2, 1901. The fair occupied of land on the western edge of what is present day Delaware Park, extending from Delaware Ave. to Elmwood Ave and northward to Great Arrow...
in BuffaloBuffalo, New YorkBuffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
, New York, in 1901. Seeing that the school had begun to outgrow its environs, Pettee was the first to suggest the idea of moving the school to what later became the eastern suburbs of Cleveland. - 1908 - 1947 - Headmaster Harry S. Peters - Peters led US through two World Wars, the Great Depression and, in 1926, to the 36 acres (145,687 m²) campus in Shaker Heights. He was the longest-tenured headmaster in University School history.
- 1947 - 1963 - Headmaster Harold L. Cruikshank - Cruikshank oversaw the building of the Hanna Wing on the Shaker Campus and guided the school through the end of World War II to the beginning of the 1960s.
- 1963 - 1988 - Headmaster Rowland P. McKinley Jr. - Under the leadership of McKinley, the Upper School moved, in 1970, from Shaker Heights to nearly 200 acre (0.809372 km²) of meadows and woodland in Hunting Valley.
- 1988 - 2005 - Headmaster Richard A. Hawley - Hawley, the sixth headmaster of US, had a national reputation as an educator and author. With the support of the US community, Conway Hall on the Shaker Campus and the William S. Kilroy ’43 Field House in Hunting Valley were built during Dr. Hawley's tenure.
- 2005 - present - Headmaster Stephen Smoustache Murray
Publications
- The University School Journal is published two times a year for the alumni, parents and friends of the school.
- The US News is published monthly by students. Founded in 1898, the US News is the oldest school newspaper in Ohio.
- The Record, released annually, is a compilation of the artistic and literary achievement of University School boys including poetry, short stories, photography, and more recently, drawing.
- The Mabian is the Upper School's yearbook published every year since 1919. The first three letters of the name "Mabian" come from the school's colors, Maroon And Black, and "...ian" means "of the" - "of the maroon and black."
- The Tower is the Lower/Middle School counterpart of The Mabian.
House system
Following in the tradition of boys' schools in England and Australia, University School's House System provides an organizational structure that enhances a student's sense of belonging to a community. Every student is assigned to a house, which integrates students from all grades and provides a structure for the boys to connect with each other for companionship and support. Houses participate in community service activities and spirited athletic competitions. Every year, younger and older boys compete in Founders’ Day, a tradition that celebrates the school’s founding in 1890.Houses are organized to encourage greater interaction between students, especially students at separate campuses and in different grades. As such, the House System is a large part of student life at University School. House meetings occur regularly at the Upper School, in which faculty and students may plan activities and community service projects such as the annual Thanksgiving food drive. Each House elects a prefect from the senior class who acts as the House leader.
Houses are typically named after former Headmasters or notable alumni, and each House has a color to represent it. The numbers, names and colors of Houses have changed over the years.
The current House names are: Anderson (maroon); Cruikshank (white); Goodwillie (navy blue); Hawley (purple); McCarraher (orange); McKinley (light blue); Peters (red); Pettee (black); Pickands (green); and Sanders (gold).
Clubs and activities
The special programs and activities offered by University School reflect student interests.If sufficient peer interest is present, a student may initiate a club or activity by gaining the support of a faculty sponsor.
Hunting Valley Campus (grades 9 - 12)
- Academic Challenge. Interscholastic competitions in academic subjects ranging from history, science, and math to arts and literature.
- Anderson Scholars Program. Enables students to pursue a passion with structure, rigor, and depth. Students concentrate in science or entrepreneurship.
- Anime Club. A club for students interested in Japanese anime; meets Fridays after school.
- Aurelian Society. Promotes community service at agencies and organizations outside US.
- Cadmean Society. Students help at events such as athletic contests, plays, and open houses and often provide leadership for school-wide service projects.
- Davey Fellowships in Creative Writing. Enables boys of special literary promise to undertake extensive projects in fiction, drama, and poetry writing.
- Entrepreneur Club. Students discover and explore their passion for business while they develop entrepreneurial skills.
- Investment Committee I Stock Market Challenge. Students learn about publicly-traded companies and investment strategies through weekly meetings with an experienced stock market analyst and participate in a stock market competition.
- Latin Club. The school's Latin Club functions as a local chapter of both the Ohio Junior Classical League (OJCL) and National Junior Classical LeagueNational Junior Classical LeagueThe National Junior Classical League is a youth organization of secondary school students sponsored by the American Classical League...
(NJCL). - LoPresti Board. Students engage in community service, learn the institutional skills necessary for philanthropy, raise funds to support their philanthropic goals, and solicit and make grants to help those in need.
- Mabian Yearbook. The school yearbook derives its name from the school colors (maroon and black) and has been published every year since 1919.
- Mock Trial. Students practice for and participate in this statewide organization that helps them learn about the United States' trial system.
- Model UN. Students step into the shoes of ambassadors from UN member states to debate current issues on the organization's agenda.
- Outdoor Projects. Students can elect to work in the school's acclaimed Outdoor Projects Program, which operates a nature trail, a full-fledged fish hatchery, a trout farm, a maple-syrup industry, and several foresting and erosion control projects.
- Record. Presents the best literary work of the school's Writing Forum.
- Science Olympiad. Promotes interest in science through participation in local and statewide competition.
- Speech and Debate. Members learn Lincoln-Douglas, Public Forum and Student Congress debate and compete with other schools throughout northern Ohio.
- Strnad Fellowships. Involves projects of significant original research beginning at the end of the junior year that are presented to the student body at the end of the next school year.
- US News. Founded in 1898, the US News is the oldest school newspaper in Ohio and is published once a month.
Shaker Heights Campus (grades K - 8)
- Center for Excellence. The Center for Excellence serves the needs and interests of students by providing support and enrichment opportunities to be their best.
- Junior Research Fellows Program. Through the Junior Research Fellows Program, middle school boys pursue high-level research on topics of particular interest. Younger boys at US can also participate in Junior Model United Nations, Mock Trial, National Geographic Bee, Math Olympiad, Junior Great Books, and Kids’ Philosophy Slam, to name a few.
- Clubs. US offers a variety of clubs such as the Civil War Club, Chess Club, Cribbage Club, Entrepreneur Club, Maple Sugaring Club, Rocketry Club and Balsa Tower Construction Club. Fifth and sixth graders can enroll in the Intramural Basketball League, which is coached and refereed by eighth grade boys.
- Community Service. Students are involved in community service throughout the year to learn the importance of making a difference in others’ lives. Boys raise funds for Harvest for Hunger, participate in a school wide Thanksgiving food drive, and collect clothing and toys for needy families and for an orphanage in Honduras. Middle School boys prepare and deliver soup to a Cleveland soup kitchen and provide help.
- Space Shuttle Simulations. The virtual space science facility allows boys to experience what it's like to live and work in space. The facility features a space shuttle simulator, a mission control area, a module of the International Space Station, and a flight simulator.
Athletics
US fields varsity teams in thirteen sports, five in the winter season and four in each the fall and the spring seasons: football, soccer, cross country and golf in the fall, ice hockey, wrestling, swimming, squash, and basketball in the winter, and in the spring, lacrosse, tennis, track and field, and baseball.University School competes in the Premier Athletic Conference (PAC), 8-team conference. The cross country, wrestling, basketball, track and field and baseball teams began competing in this conference in 2009. Football began its PAC schedule in the fall of 2011.
The 81000 square feet (7,525.1 m²) Kilroy Field House at the Hunting Valley Campus is a multi-purpose indoor practice facility featuring two basketball courts, three squash courts, a 200-meter cantilevered indoor track, and practice areas for track events. The complex also includes a fitness center equipped with the latest in weight training and aerobic equipment.
Wrestling rooms, a gymnasium and an Olympic-sized indoor swimming pool with a separate diving well complete the indoor facilities at the Hunting Valley Campus. Outdoors, there is a football stadium and a new turf football field, an all-weather track, four soccer and other practice fields, two baseball diamonds, and seven tennis courts.
The physical education facilities at the Shaker Campus include a football field, 400-meter track, three baseball fields, two soccer fields, eight tennis courts, a double-size gymnasium, wrestling room, a four-lane, 25-meter indoor swimming pool, and a rock climbing wall.
Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA) state championships
- Golf: 1990, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2008 University School currently holds the record for DII Lowest Score (Hunting Valley University School 289-275) - 564 set in 2003 on the OSU Gray.
- Hockey: 2003, 2009 Cleveland Baron Cup Champion 2010-2011, 2009–2010, 2008–2009, 2006–2007, 2005–2006, 1983-1984
- Wrestling: Individual State Champions Harrison Hightower 09-10 (152), 08-09 (140), 07-08 (130), Brad Wukie 2009-2010 (160), Dennis Roche 2005-2006 (112), Adam Kriwinsky 2004-2005 (112), Chris Tripp 2003–2004 (145)
- SwimmingSwimming (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...
: 2009, 2010, 2011 Note: Boys Division II Swimming and Diving was added in the 2008-2009 school year.
Boys division II Swimming - records
Records at the OHSAA.| Event | Time | Name | Location | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 200 Yard Medley Relay | 1:34.85 | Kevin Stang, Russell Stack, Andrew Malone, Korey Schneider | Canton | 2010 |
| 200 Yard Freestyle | 1.38.64 | Ian Stewart-Bates | Canton | 2009 |
| 100 Yard Freestyle | 0:45.44 | Tyler Bailey | Canton | 2009 |
| 500 Yard Freestyle | 4:31.02 | Ian Stewart-Bates | Canton | 2009 |
| 100 Yard Breaststroke | 0:56.83 | Andrew Malone | Canton | 2010 |
| 400 Yard Freestyle Relay | 3:06.70 | Tyler Bailey, Ben Stewart-Bates, Nicholas Crane, Ian Stewart-Bates | Canton | 2009 |
Other state championships
- Tennis: 1990, 1992, 1993, 1996, 2002, 2005
- LacrosseLacrosseLacrosse is a team sport of Native American origin played using a small rubber ball and a long-handled stick called a crosse or lacrosse stick, mainly played in the United States and Canada. It is a contact sport which requires padding. The head of the lacrosse stick is strung with loose mesh...
(OHSLA): 1999, 2008, 2009 - Swimming: 2009, 2010, 2011
Notable alumni
- Austin PendletonAustin PendletonAustin Pendleton is an American film, television, and stage actor, a playwright, and a theatre director and instructor.-Life and career:...
, actor, class of 1956 - Chuck SeelbachChuck SeelbachCharles Frederick "Chuck" Seelbach is a right-handed former pitcher in Major League Baseball.Seelbach played baseball at Dartmouth College from 1968-1970 and still ranks among Dartmouth's all time leaders in winning percentage , strikeouts , and shutouts .Drafted by the Detroit Tigers in the 1st...
, former Major League BaseballMajor League BaseballMajor League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
pitcher for the Detroit TigersDetroit TigersThe Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
, class of 1966 - Tom GriswoldTom GriswoldThomas Bruce "Tom" Griswold co-hosts the radio show The Bob & Tom Show together with Bob Kevoian, Kristi Lee, and Chick McGee. This comedy-based early morning program is among the highest rated in American radio and has been nationally syndicated since 1995...
, radio host, class of 1971 - John BellJohn Bell (musician)John Farmer Bell is the lead singer and rhythm guitarist for the American rock band Widespread Panic, where he is known for his raspy southern drawl that hits a variety of octaves. He is frequently called JB by fans...
, lead singer and rhythm guitarist for the southern rock band Widespread PanicWidespread PanicWidespread Panic is an American rock band from Athens, Georgia. The current lineup includes guitarist/singer John Bell, bassist Dave Schools, drummer Todd Nance, percussionist Domingo "Sunny" Ortiz, keyboardist John "JoJo" Hermann, and guitarist Jimmy Herring...
, class of 1980 - Bob HarrisBob Harris (writer)Bob Harris is an American radio commentator, writer, stand-up comedian, and thirteen-time Jeopardy! contestant.From 1998–2002, his daily political commentaries aired on an average of 75 radio stations across the U.S., winning awards from the and the Associated Press...
, author, TV writer (BonesBones (TV series)Bones is an American crime drama television series that premiered on the Fox Network on September 13, 2005. The show is based on forensic anthropology and forensic archaeology, with each episode focusing on an FBI case file concerning the mystery behind human remains brought by FBI Special Agent...
, CSI:CSI: Crime Scene InvestigationCSI: Crime Scene Investigation is an American crime drama television series, which premiered on CBS on October 6, 2000. The show was created by Anthony E. Zuiker and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer...
), eight-time Jeopardy!Jeopardy!Griffin's first conception of the game used a board comprising ten categories with ten clues each, but after finding that this board could not be shown on camera easily, he reduced it to two rounds of thirty clues each, with five clues in each of six categories...
winner, class of 1980 - Michael RuhlmanMichael RuhlmanMichael Carl Ruhlman is an American author. He has written 12 books of mostly nonfiction, the best known of which have been in collaboration with American chefs.-Personal:...
, author, class of 1981 - John Garrett (American football coach), former NFLNational Football LeagueThe National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
wide receiver, and tight end coach for the Dallas CowboysDallas CowboysThe Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
, class of 1983. - Jason GarrettJason GarrettJason Calvin Garrett is an American former National Football League player and the current head coach of the Dallas Cowboys...
, former NFLNational Football LeagueThe National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
quarterback and Offensive Coordinator and assistant head coach for the Dallas CowboysDallas CowboysThe Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
, and current Head Coach of the Cowboys, class of 1984 - Judd GarrettJudd GarrettJudd Garrett is an American football coach and former running back. He is currently the director of pro scouting for the Dallas Cowboys.-Early years:...
, former NFLNational Football LeagueThe National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
running back, and the current Director of Pro Scouting for the Dallas CowboysDallas CowboysThe Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
, class of 1985. - Chris RoseChris RoseChristopher Rose is an American sportscaster.-Early life and career:Rose attended University School in Hunting Valley during high school. Rose attended Miami University in Oxford, Ohio and graduated in 1993...
, host of the popular sports program The Best Damn Sports Show PeriodThe Best Damn Sports Show PeriodThe Best Damn Sports Show Period is an American sports television show on Fox Sports Net and Comcast SportsNet. The show regularly featured irreverent and opinionated interviews with top athletes, coaches, celebrities, and entertainers. It also aired Top 50 countdown shows and other sports...
, Class of 1989 - Warren BrownWarren BrownThe Hon. Warren Brown was a writer, historian, farmer, and politician from Hampton Falls, New Hampshire.-Early life:...
, founder of CakeLove, entrepreneurEntrepreneurAn entrepreneur is an owner or manager of a business enterprise who makes money through risk and initiative.The term was originally a loanword from French and was first defined by the Irish-French economist Richard Cantillon. Entrepreneur in English is a term applied to a person who is willing to...
and former host of the Food NetworkFood NetworkFood Network is a television specialty channel that airs both one-time and recurring programs about food and cooking. Scripps Networks Interactive owns 70 percent of the network, with Tribune Company controlling the remaining 30 percent....
show Sugar RushSugar Rush (Food Network)Sugar Rush is a TV show on the Food Network hosted by Warren Brown, a former lawyer who decided to become a pastry chef. Brown, who runs a pastry shop, Cake Love, and cafe, Love Cafe in Washington, DC, meets other pastry chefs and dessert makers and cooks with them. The show is currently in its...
', class of 1989. - Joshua RadinJoshua RadinJoshua Radin is an American recording artist, songwriter and actor. He was born and raised in Shaker Heights, Ohio, and is of Swedish, German, Polish, Russian, and Austrian descent. He studied drawing and painting at Northwestern University, following his college years with stints as an art...
, musical artist, class of 1992 - Nick CaserioNick CaserioNick Caserio is an American football executive, currently serving as director of player personnel for the New England Patriots of the National Football League...
, New England PatriotsNew England PatriotsThe New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
Director of Player Personnel, class of 1994 - Jeff TerrellJeff Terrell (American football)Jeff Terrell is an American football quarterback of the NFL currently a free agent. He was waived by the Kansas City Chiefs in August 2007, former starting quarterback and captain for the Princeton University football team and 4th all-time leader in passing yards at Princeton. 2006 Asa S. Bushnell...
, professional football quarterback, class of 2003 - Chris KorbChris KorbChris Korb is an American soccer player currently playing for D.C. United in Major League Soccer.-Youth:...
, Major League Soccer Major League SoccerMajor League SoccerMajor League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation . The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada...
, professional soccer player for DC United, class of 2006