# Who/What were your schools named after? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 8, 2002, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-what-were-your-schools-named-after/113001 "2002-06-08T20:00:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Big\_Kahuna\_Burger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Big\_Kahuna\_Burger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Big_Kahuna_Burger)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2002, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-what-were-your-schools-named-after/113001/1 "2002-06-08T20:00:29Z")
As for me, they’re: Elementary School: A famous chemist Middle School: A famous Indian chief in the area during the 17th century High School: This one is boring. A former superindendant of the town’s schools. After former Governor/Senator/Kennedy cabinet member Abe Ribicoff died they briefly considered renaming it after him. I think they should, considering how much he did for the state and its Jewish community (my high school has the largest Jewish population of any public high school in the state). College: Technically, Amerigo Vespucci, but American University is named after the country it’s in. ---
**Author:** ![Loopus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loopus/32/15343_2.png) [@Loopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loopus)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2002, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-what-were-your-schools-named-after/113001/2 "2002-06-08T20:14:28Z")
Primary School: A principal. Elementary School: Another principal. Intermediate School: The city it’s in. High School: They completly made it up, as far as I can tell. College: The city it’s in. Man, I never knew my schools were so dull… -Loopus ---
**Author:** ![Bearflag70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Bearflag70](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bearflag70)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2002, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-what-were-your-schools-named-after/113001/3 "2002-06-08T20:17:47Z")
Elementary: Los Nogales (the walnuts) in honor of the walnut groves plowed under to make room for the school. Intermediate: Los Altos (the heights) for no apparent reason because the area is flat. High School: Named after the town founder who donated the land to the school. College: Named after the state and the city in which the school sits. Law School: Named after the city in which the school sits. ---
**Author:** ![StGermain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stgermain/32/2868_2.png) [@StGermain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StGermain)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2002, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-what-were-your-schools-named-after/113001/4 "2002-06-08T20:42:00Z")
Elementary and Junior High - Virgin Mary, both at “Immaculate Conception” and “Our Lady of Perpetual Help” High School - Geographical Direction: Minneapolis West high School. College - State: University of Minnesota StG ---
**Author:** ![Yo\_La\_Tengo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/41988e/32.png) [@Yo\_La\_Tengo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yo_La_Tengo)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2002, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-what-were-your-schools-named-after/113001/5 "2002-06-08T20:52:07Z")
Elementary - President (Roosevelt) Middle School - Poet, I think (Riley) High School - British Prime Minister (Churchill) That’s as far as I got so far… ---
**Author:** ![dead0man](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/edb3f5/32.png) [@dead0man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dead0man)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2002, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-what-were-your-schools-named-after/113001/6 "2002-06-08T20:54:25Z")
Primary: Midwestern Writer from the 19 century Grade: Founder of the Red Cross and whoever the hell Horace Mann is Middle: Direction on the compass that is oposite of West(then I moved to the oposite of South) Senior: Name of Town (the town was named after the founder’s son) College: 2 Explorer’s of the Louisiana Purchase dead0man ---
**Author:** ![Daoloth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/82dd89/32.png) [@Daoloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daoloth)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2002, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-what-were-your-schools-named-after/113001/7 "2002-06-08T20:54:28Z")
Elementary- Some guy that had something to do with oil companies in the '50s. Middle- Local Sheriff. High School- Town it’s in. ---
**Author:** ![racer72](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/racer72/32/3075_2.png) [@racer72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racer72)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2002, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-what-were-your-schools-named-after/113001/8 "2002-06-08T20:55:54Z")
Grade schools: the first one has the same name as a famous college in Boston, the other 3 were named for the area the school was located. Jr. High: Some guy named Morris E. Ford. High School: The 14th president of the U.S. Recently completed college classes: The college has the same name as a local river and killer of over 50 prostitutes in the Seattle area. ---
**Author:** ![CrankyAsAnOldMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crankyasanoldman/32/11670_2.png) [@CrankyAsAnOldMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CrankyAsAnOldMan)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2002, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-what-were-your-schools-named-after/113001/9 "2002-06-08T20:56:02Z")
Elementary schools: for their location (one in a park, one located in the center of the town) Junior & High Schools: for the town College: For two fellows, one a VA statesman and one a NC statesman, both early important politicos when the United States was new. Grad school: For the state (as in, “University of”) ---
**Author:** ![KarlGrenze](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/dbc845/32.png) [@KarlGrenze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGrenze)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2002, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-what-were-your-schools-named-after/113001/10 "2002-06-08T22:03:44Z")
Pre-elementary: Montessori school, named Pueblo Trabajador (working people) Elementary: For the founder of the school. Secondary: After the university it is part of. College: The state! ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2002, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-what-were-your-schools-named-after/113001/11 "2002-06-08T22:32:02Z")
Elementary: Area of the city in which it is located. Jr. High: Famous Senator and statesman. High School: Street on which it is located near an area of the city with that same name. University and Grad School: City and State in which it is located. Haj ---
**Author:** ![Neurotik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/91b2a8/32.png) [@Neurotik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neurotik)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2002, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-what-were-your-schools-named-after/113001/12 "2002-06-08T22:36:11Z")
Elementary: ripped off a tiny city-state in the middle Italy for some reason (San Marino) Jr. High: no idea, but probably has something to do with orange groves (Orangeview) High School: was built west of the first high school in the area (Western) College: the only university in the US established by the Council of Catholic Bishops (The Catholic University of America) ---
**Author:** ![Lsura](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7993a0/32.png) [@Lsura](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lsura)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2002, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-what-were-your-schools-named-after/113001/13 "2002-06-08T23:34:13Z")
Elementary: All Saints & Our Lady of Perpetual Help (I had to change schools in 7th grade because the old one closed) High School: Notre Dame College: I really don’t know, but as far as I can tell it was named after a cheese. ---
**Author:** ![Burnt\_Sugar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ee59a6/32.png) [@Burnt\_Sugar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Burnt_Sugar)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2002, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-what-were-your-schools-named-after/113001/14 "2002-06-08T23:38:36Z")
Pre-school - after the street it’s on (Glebe Rd Pre-school) Primary School - after a Saint (St Mary’s Primary School) High School - after a religion and a region (West Moreton Anglican College) University - after the state it’s in. (The University of Queensland) Pretty boring… ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2002, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-what-were-your-schools-named-after/113001/15 "2002-06-08T23:39:50Z")
Elementary, Junior High, High School: The name of the town I lived in. College: Named because it was formed as a nondenominational college, a union of the faiths. Graduate School: State and City where it was located. Where I work: Named for a Catholic saint. ---
**Author:** ![Philbuck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e9a140/32.png) [@Philbuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philbuck)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2002, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-what-were-your-schools-named-after/113001/16 "2002-06-08T23:43:56Z")
Elementary schools (4): Four figures from the Texas revolution and the Republic of Texas Junior highs (2): A major battle of the Texas revolution and a famous rocket scientist (don’t ask me how that one crept in) First high school: A famous Confederate general Second high school/first college: Region of the state that it’s in College: A wealthy industrialist and a wealthy banker Graduate school: The state it’s in ---
**Author:** ![Smashed\_Ice\_Cream](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Smashed\_Ice\_Cream](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smashed_Ice_Cream)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2002, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-what-were-your-schools-named-after/113001/17 "2002-06-08T23:49:15Z")
Elementary School - Town it’s in High School - The two small towns it represents. Undergrad College - State it’s in. Grad School - City it’s in. And they’re all different towns. :::sigh::: ---
**Author:** ![Burnt\_Sugar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ee59a6/32.png) [@Burnt\_Sugar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Burnt_Sugar)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2002, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-what-were-your-schools-named-after/113001/18 "2002-06-08T23:50:06Z")
Pre-school - after the street it’s on (Glebe Rd Pre-school) Primary School - after a Saint (St Mary’s Primary School) High School - after a religion and a region (West Moreton Anglican College) University - after the state it’s in. (The University of Queensland) Pretty boring… ---
**Author:** ![DarkWriter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ee59a6/32.png) [@DarkWriter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DarkWriter)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2002, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-what-were-your-schools-named-after/113001/19 "2002-06-08T23:54:48Z")
Elementary School: [Matthew Henson](http://www.matthewhenson.com/) Middle: St. Mary’s High school: [Elizabeth Seton](http://www.catholic.org/saints/saints/elizabethannseton.html) ---
**Author:** ![reprise](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ea666f/32.png) [@reprise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/reprise)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2002, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-what-were-your-schools-named-after/113001/20 "2002-06-08T23:59:25Z")
My [high school](http://www.dmsc.vic.edu.au/school.html) was named as a memorial to those people from the surrounding community who fought in World War I. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-what-were-your-schools-named-after/113001.md?page=2)