Roy C. Ketcham High School, more informally Ketcham High School or RCK, is a public secondary school under jurisdiction of the Wappingers Central School District. Located in

Wappinger Falls The Wappinger () were an Eastern Algonquian Munsee-speaking Native American people from what is now southern New York and western Connecticut. At the time of first contact in the 17th century they were primarily based in what is now Dutchess C ...

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

, United States, the school serves approximately 1,600 students in grades nine through twelve residing in the southwest of

Dutchess County Dutchess County is a county in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2020 census, the population was 295,911. The county seat is the city of Poughkeepsie. The county was created in 1683, one of New York's first twelve counties, and later or ...

. Their mascot is the Ketcham Indian.

History

As a result of considerable population growth in Dutchess County during the 1940's and 1950's, a new senior high school was built and opened to students in the fall of 1962. It was named in honor of Roy C. Ketcham, who had been a prominent member of the town's board of education for a quarter of a century. In 1987 the school became involved in a national controversy when 11th grade African-American student Tawana Brawley skipped class and faked her own abduction and rape, falsely accusing four white men of the crime which included writing racial slurs on her body and smearing her in faeces. A

grand jury A grand jury is a jury—a group of citizens—empowered by law to conduct legal proceedings, investigate potential criminal conduct, and determine whether criminal charges should be brought. A grand jury may subpoena physical evidence or a ...

hearing later found all the allegations to have been fabricated and Brawley lost a defamation suit against one of her victims.

Athletics

*Cheerleading *Bowling *Basketball *Football *Golf *Crew Club *Hockey Club *Baseball *Gymnastics *Soccer *Track and Field *Cross Country *Tennis *Lacrosse Club *Wrestling *Volleyball *Softball *Swimming *Field Hockey

Section 1 (NYSPHSAA) Section 1 is a high school athletic organization that is one of the eleven sections of the New York State Public High School Athletic Association (NYSPHSAA). It is made up of high schools from around the southern portion of the Hudson Valley. The ...

Academics

The music department occasionally hosts regional events at the school, such as NYSSMA competitions, Area All State Festivals, and All County Jazz Festivals. Roy C. Ketcham's current principal is David Seipp. The assistant principals for the 2022-2023 school year are Timothy Feron, Jenna Ferris, Michael Lopez, and Nicolle Strang.

Notable alumni

Tyler Adams Tyler Shaan Adams (born February 14, 1999) is an American professional soccer player who plays for Premier League club Leeds United and captains the United States national team. Primarily a midfielder, Adams is capable of playing as a fullback ...

, athlete, soccer midfielder. *

Brigetta Barrett Brigetta LaShea Barrett (born December 24, 1990) is a former high jumper from the United States. Her biggest success is winning the silver medal at the 2012 Olympic Games in London and the gold medal at the 2013 World Championships in Moscow. S ...

, athlete, Olympic high jumper. *

Dario Brose Dario Brose (born January 27, 1970, in New York City) is a retired American soccer player who spent eight seasons in Europe, three in Major League Soccer and one in the USL First Division. He has also coached the Mid-Michigan Bucks of the Prem ...

, athlete, *

Jeh Johnson Jeh Charles Johnson ( "Jay"; born September 11, 1957) is an American lawyer and former government official. He was United States Secretary of Homeland Security from 2013 to 2017. From 2009 to 2012, Johnson was the general counsel of the Departm ...

(born 1957, class of 1975), lawyer who was

United States Secretary of Homeland Security The United States secretary of homeland security is the head of the United States Department of Homeland Security, the federal department tasked with ensuring public safety in the United States. The secretary is a member of the Cabinet of the U ...

from 2013 to 2017.Pace, Julie; and Cassata, Donna
"Dutchess' Jeh Johnson could be next defense secretary"
''

Poughkeepsie Journal The ''Poughkeepsie Journal'' is a newspaper based in Poughkeepsie, New York, and owned by Gannett, which bought the paper in 1977. Founded in 1785 (though not a daily newspaper until 1860), the ''Journal'' is the oldest paper in New York state, ...

'', November 27, 2014. Accessed December 2, 2020. "Johnson, who previously served as the Pentagon's general counsel, is a 1975 graduate of Roy C. Ketcham High School in Wappingers Falls." *

Ryan Kienle Matchbook Romance was an American emo band from Poughkeepsie, New York and was formed in 1997. They were signed to Epitaph Records. They released two full-length albums and one EP. Their EP, ''West for Wishing'', released in 2003 was their first ...

, musician, bassist. *

Keith Lockhart Keith Alan Lockhart (born November 7, 1959) is an American conductor. He is the Conductor of the Boston Pops Orchestra, the Chief Guest Conductor of the BBC Concert Orchestra, and the Artistic Director of the Brevard Music Center in North Carol ...

, music director of the

Boston Pops Orchestra The Boston Pops Orchestra is an American orchestra based in Boston, Massachusetts, specializing in light classical and popular music. The orchestra's current music director is Keith Lockhart. Founded in 1885 as an offshoot of the Boston Sym ...

. *

Bo Oshoniyi Adegboyega "Bo" Oshoniyi (born November 3, 1971) is a retired American soccer goalkeeper who spent eight seasons in Major League Soccer. He is now the head men's soccer coach at Dartmouth College. Career Oshoniyi's Nigerian father drowned wh ...

, athlete, soccer goalkeeper. * John Regan, musician, bassist. * Mary Chris Wall, actress. * D. B. Woodside, actor. *

Tim Wyskida Tim Wyskida (born November 13, 1971) is an American drummer, most recognized for his work in the bands Khanate and Blind Idiot God. Biography Tim Wyskida began playing drums at the age of twelve, learning jazz technique and composition. In 2000, ...

, musician, drummer.

References

External links

School website
{{authority control 1952 establishments in New York (state) Educational institutions established in 1952 Public high schools in Dutchess County, New York School buildings completed in 1962