# Who was your school named after? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 6, 2010, 8:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-your-school-named-after/559690 "2010-11-06T08:59:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2012, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-your-school-named-after/559690/101 "2012-06-20T18:32:39Z")
I was keen to answer this until I realised that I already answered a year and a half ago. ---
**Author:** ![caveman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/caveman/32/7242_2.png) [@caveman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/caveman)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2012, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-your-school-named-after/559690/102 "2012-06-20T19:05:40Z")
John Coffee Hays, Texas Ranger and founder of Oakland CA. ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/22080_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2012, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-your-school-named-after/559690/103 "2012-06-20T19:15:24Z")
My schools were named for the zip codes/neighborhoods they occupied. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2012, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-your-school-named-after/559690/104 "2012-06-20T19:36:45Z")
nm ---
**Author:** ![Iggy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iggy/32/3364_2.png) [@Iggy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Iggy)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2012, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-your-school-named-after/559690/105 "2012-06-20T21:00:14Z")
Just looked it up. Two brothers sold a parcel of land to the county for the purposes of building a school. They made naming the school after their grandfather a condition of the sale. No idea if grandpa ever did anything noteworthy other than own this farmland. ---
**Author:** ![Skammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skammer/32/143_2.png) [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2012, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-your-school-named-after/559690/106 "2012-06-20T21:11:11Z")
> [@hogarth](#): > > I was keen to answer this until I realised that I already answered a year and a half ago. Same here. So I’ll just say my jr high and high schools are still named after a Native American war chief who burned our town to the ground. My university was named after its geographical location, which is now an anachronism. ---
**Author:** ![Damfino](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Damfino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Damfino)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2012, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-your-school-named-after/559690/107 "2012-06-20T21:23:16Z")
My grammar school was named after William Harvey, who described the circulatory system. ---
**Author:** ![jabiru](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/bbce88/32.png) [@jabiru](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jabiru)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2012, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-your-school-named-after/559690/108 "2012-06-21T01:47:31Z")
The area I live in was heavily settled in the '50s by returning soldiers. Most of the streets are named after well known WWII figures and theatres of war. The four streets surrounding my primary school were: Truscott, Ryrie, Edmondson and Morshead and the school itself was Trustcott Street Public School (after Keith “Bluey” Truscott). The other schools I went to were named after the suburb they were in: West Ryde Public School and North Ryde High. A bit boring, really. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2012, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-your-school-named-after/559690/109 "2012-06-21T02:02:28Z")
Elementary–Mckinley. Named after the street upon which it stood. Jr. High–Swanson–as in Claude. Gov, Sen. It was Virginia. HS–Washington-Lee. Need I say more. ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanub/32/132_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUB)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2012, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-your-school-named-after/559690/110 "2012-06-21T02:34:24Z")
> [@caveman](#): > > John Coffee Hays, Texas Ranger and founder of Oakland CA. John Coffee? Spellt like the drink? ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Woo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7c8e57/32.png) [@Dr.Woo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Woo)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2012, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-your-school-named-after/559690/111 "2012-06-22T18:31:37Z")
My school was named after the Spanish don who donated the land for the school to be built (in Southern California). Don Adolfo Camarillo. Our mascot was a Scorpion, named after the fighter planes then (1950’s) in use at Oxnard Air Force Base. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2012, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-your-school-named-after/559690/112 "2012-06-22T19:40:46Z")
> [@darnold714](#): > > 9th, 11th & 12th Grade I attended John Hay High School named after [John Hay](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Hay), Civil War Veteran and the Secretary of State under Presidents McKinley and Teddy Roosevelt. He is interred at Lake View Cemetery less than 2 miles away. His in-laws, the Stone family, were major benefactors of Western Reserve College (now part of Case Western Reserve University) which is right across the street from the high school. I was idly skimming through this thread looking for anyone I had attended high school with. I saw this and went “Yay! Wait…who the fuck is John Hay?” I went to John _Jay_ HS. First Supreme court Chief justice. :smack: Also big on emancipation and VERY anti-slavery. ---
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2012, 10:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-your-school-named-after/559690/113 "2012-06-23T10:25:44Z")
[Saint Aloysius Gonzaga](http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/01331c.htm) ---
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2012, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-your-school-named-after/559690/114 "2012-06-23T14:48:21Z")
In Latham NY: Kindergarten at **St. Ambrose** Catholic School, named after [the bishop of Milan in 4th century AD](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ambrose). Sister Mary HolyWater was darned good at chucking the eraser clear across the room and bonking me on the forehead. OK, I exaggerate - Father forgive me, for I have sinned… **Latham Ridge Elementary** , named after the street, Latham Ridge Road. In West Hartford CT: **Alfred E. Plant** Jr High **William H. Hall** High School I have no clue who those guys were, and it hasn’t been easy looking it up, either. If I figure it out, I’ll post an update. USMC Staff NCO Academy at **Camp Geiger** , NC, named after [General Roy Stanley Geiger, the first Marine to lead an army, in WWII](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roy_Geiger). ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2012, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-your-school-named-after/559690/115 "2012-06-23T18:23:39Z")
My first elementary school (K-2) was named after [Clara Barton](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clara_Barton). My Middle School was named after Frank L. Wiley. I have no idea who he was, and Google only leads me to the school. All other schools were named after the communities they were in. And of course, The Ohio State University was named after some guy named “The.” ---
**Author:** ![clairobscur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/839c29/32.png) [@clairobscur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clairobscur)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2012, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-your-school-named-after/559690/116 "2012-06-23T22:34:33Z")
Charlemagne (He favored scholars, that’s why he got schools named after him) ---
**Author:** ![Jim\_s\_Son](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19adc/32.png) [@Jim\_s\_Son](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jim_s_Son)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2012, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-your-school-named-after/559690/117 "2012-06-24T00:24:40Z")
Elementary- the man who used to own the farmland before the baby boom/ housing expansion/his death that made the family sell. Area has a slightly higher than usual cancer rate, some thinking it was his use of chemicals in farming. Junior High- street it was on. Now renamed for the principal we had at the time, The only thing I remember him for nowadays was escorting four girls to the ladies room to change when they violated the dress code for wearing pants instead of skirts/dresses. No, he didn’t go in but waited outside for them to come out properly attired. High School the town it was in. Now considered the worst in the county. It probably wasn’t much higher back then. ---
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2012, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-your-school-named-after/559690/118 "2012-06-24T01:18:04Z")
> [@echo7tango](#): > > In West Hartford CT: > > **Alfred E. Plant** Jr High > **William H. Hall** High School > > I have no clue who those guys were, and it hasn’t been easy looking it up, either. If I figure it out, I’ll post an update. It took a while, but I found the information. I’m glad, too, since for all this time I never knew who these men were. **Alfred E. Plant** Jr High, named after Alfred E. Plant (1873-1931), a Board of Education member, insurance businessman and community leader in West Hartford. ([cite](http://www.lifepublications.com/WestHartford/June/files/assets/basic-html/page34.html)). Plant JHS, opened 1922, was closed in 1979 and the building now belongs to the [West Hartford Housing Authority](http://westhartfordha.org/properties/alfred-e-plant/). **William H. Hall** High School, named after William Henry Hall (b. 1845), a teacher, principal and superintendent of schools in West Hartford from 1897-1922. West Hartford’s first high school, West Hartford High, was named after Hall in 1924. A new Hall High School opened in 1970. ([cite 1](http://www.mywesthartfordlife.com/community.php?cid=1&id=717); [cite 2](http://www.westhartfordlibrary.org/research_tools/local_history/west_hartford/whps); [cite 3](http://westhartford.patch.com/articles/what-year-was-this-team-picture-taken)) **HALL RULES '79!!** 😃 (Prominently painted on a West Hartford water tower in Conard territory 33yrs ago by yours truly, and my brother, and my best friend) ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2012, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-your-school-named-after/559690/119 "2012-06-24T01:27:34Z")
Just about every school I have ever atteded has been named for the town it was in. Or the county. ---
**Author:** ![Landshark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/77aa72/32.png) [@Landshark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Landshark)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2012, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-your-school-named-after/559690/120 "2012-06-24T01:31:04Z")
Junior (now Middle) School (in San Diego): [John J. Pershing](http://www.firstworldwar.com/bio/pershing.htm), American Army General during World War One. High School (in San Diego): [Patrick Henry](http://www.ushistory.org/declaration/related/henry.htm), the American Revolution figure. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-your-school-named-after/559690.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-your-school-named-after/559690.md?page=7)