Upper Darby High School

Upper Darby High School (UDHS) is a four-year public high school located in Upper Darby Township, Delaware County, Pennsylvania, United States, as part of the Upper Darby School District. UDHS is also the oldest high school in Delaware County, having been established in 1895.

As of the 2019-2020 school year, the school had an enrollment of 3,845 students and 233.23 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student-teacher ratio of 16.49.

The population is diverse, with over 55 nationalities of students. It has a long-established football rivalry with Monsignor Bonner High School, located less than a block away. Upper Darby High School was a part of the inspiration for Upper Darby alumna Tina Fey's movie comedy ''Mean Girls''.
The mascot of Upper Darby High is the Royal, which is portrayed as a lion. In previous years, it was a court jester. The school emblem is the royal oak tree, the yearbook is named the Oak, and the newspaper is called the Acorn. An Acorn award is rewarded every year at the UDAEF Sweet Night Out Foundation Ball in February.

Upper Darby Senior High School is one of the largest high schools in Pennsylvania by enrollment. The High School is also home to the Upper Darby Performing Arts Center, and the Summer Stage program.

Campus

The campus is adjacent to, but not within, the Drexel Hill census-designated place. It has a Drexel Hill postal address.

Demographics

Arts

Upper Darby High School is home to the Upper Darby Performing Arts Center, a nearly 1,800-seat theater that hosts not only school functions, but also between 200 and 400 events annually. During the summer, the arts center hosts the largest summer theater group in Delaware County: Summer Stage, with over 200 participants in multiple musicals. Harry Dietzler founded the Summer Stage program in 1976.

Extracurriculars

Upper Darby High School offers a wide variety of clubs, activities and an extensive sports program.

Sports

Upper Darby sports teams compete in the Central League.

The District funds:

*Boys Sports:
**Baseball – AAAA
**Basketball – AAAAA
**Cross Country – AAA
**Football – AAAA
**Golf – AAA
**Indoor Track and Field – AAAA
**Lacrosse – AAAA
**Soccer – AAA
**Swimming and Diving -AAA
**Tennis – AAA
**Track and Field – AAA
**Wrestling – AAA
*Girls Sports:
**Basketball – AAAA
**Cheerleading – AAAA
**Cross Country – AAA
**Field Hockey – AAA
**Golf – AAA
**Indoor Track and Field – AAAA
**Lacrosse – AAAA
**Soccer (Fall) – AAA
**Softball – AAAA
**Swimming and Diving – AAA
**Girls' Tennis – AAA
**Track and Field – AAA
**Volleyball – AAA

According to PIAA directory July 2012

Notable alumni

Upper Darby High School's Wall of Fame committee recognizes individuals who have become leaders in their industries. Wall of Fame members are noted by WoF after their information.

*Lloyd Alexander; Class of 1940: Fantasy writer, author of the books forming the basis for Disney's '' The Black Cauldron''. WoF
* Keith Andes; Class of 1938: Broadway and film actor.
* Mario J. Civera, Jr.; Class of 1965: Member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives WoF
*Jim Croce; Class of 1960: Singer-songwriter, one Number 1 album. WoF first Wall of Famer
* Mark Cronin; Class of 1982: Creator and producer of many VH1 shows, including Flavor of Love, Rock of Love, Rock of Love Charm School, I Love Money, The Surreal Life, etc. WoF
*Heather Donahue; Class of 1991: Star of ''The Blair Witch Project'' and '' Taken''.
* Tina Fey; Class of 1988: Senior writer, ''Saturday Night Live''. Scriptwriter and co-star, ''Mean Girls'' and the TV show 30 Rock. Notable player in the 2008 presidential campaign because of her impersonation of Republican Vice-Presidential candidate Sarah Palin. WoF
* D'or Fischer (born 1981), Israeli-American basketball player in the Israeli National League
* Derek Frey, Class of 1991, film director and producer, produced several Tim Burton films.
* D. Barry Gibbons; member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, Delaware County from 1961 to 1962
* Kermit Gordon; Class of 1933: President of the Brookings Institution, a Rhodes Scholar, and former Director of the United States Bureau of the Budget WoF
* Jeff LaBar; best known for being the guitarist for the band Cinderella
* Simoni Lawrence; Class of 2006: Professional football player. Currently plays with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the Canadian Football League
* Bob Lloyd; Class of 1963; NCAA First Team All-American and then American Basketball Association player
* F. Joseph Loeper; Class of 1962: Former majority leader of the Pennsylvania Senate WoF
* David MacAdam; Class of 1928: Discoverer of MacAdam ellipses; former head of image structure at Eastman Kodak Research Laboratory, former President of Optical Society of America
* Shannon Meehan; Class of 2001: Iraq War veteran, author, disabled Veterans activist. WoF
* Terrence J. Nolen; Class of 1981: Artistic director of the Arden Theatre Company (Philadelphia)
* Dorothy Germain Porter; Class of 1943: Amateur golfer, winner – U.S. Women's Amateur in 1949, U.S. Senior Women's Amateur in 1977, 1980, 1981, 1983. WoF
*Jack Ramsay; Class of 1942: NBA coach, Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame 1992, seventh-winningest coach in NBA history WoF
*Maaly Raw; Professional hip hop producer. Having worked with Lil Uzi Vert, Kur and others
*Todd Rucci; Class of 1988: Played for the New England Patriots
*Todd Rundgren; Class of 1966: Musician and award-winning record producer
*Alvin Sargent; Class of 1945: Two-time Academy Award winner for screenplays (''Julia'' and ''Ordinary People''). WoF
*Jerome Socolovsky; Class of 1982: journalist, radio correspondent formerly with National Public Radio NPR and currently with Voice of America (VOA).
* "Uncle" Marty Stern; Class of 1954: Coach, best known for his success with the women's cross country team at Villanova. WoF
*George Wackenhut; Class of 1937: Founder of Wackenhut Corp, major security contractor WoF
* Floyd Wedderburn; Class of 1994: Played for the Seattle Seahawks
* Carolyn "Bunny" Welsh; Class of 1961: Sheriff of Chester County, Pennsylvania. One of only 22 female sheriffs in the US WoF
* William Wharton; Class of 1943: Writer, best known for his first novel '' Birdy'', which was also successful as a film. WoF

References

External links

*
Upper Darby Performing Arts CenterDelaware County IU 25Delaware County Technical High SchoolDelaware County Workforce Investment Board

{{authority control

Educational institutions established in 1895
Public high schools in Pennsylvania
Schools in Delaware County, Pennsylvania
1895 establishments in Pennsylvania