Helena High School is a

public In public relations and communication science, publics are groups of individual people, and the public (a.k.a. the general public) is the totality of such groupings. This is a different concept to the sociology, sociological concept of the ''Öf ...

high school A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper seconda ...

for grades 9 through 12 located in

Helena, Montana Helena (; ) is the capital city of Montana, United States, and the county seat of Lewis and Clark County. Helena was founded as a gold camp during the Montana gold rush, and established on October 30, 1864. Due to the gold rush, Helena would be ...

, United States. It is part of the Helena Public School District. Founded in September 1876, it is the oldest high school in the state of Montana.Superintendent of Public Instruction, p. 57.
Accessed 2011-05-10. A new building was completed in August 1935 and it was almost destroyed a few months later in the 1935 Helena earthquake. In 1955, the building became Helena Junior High School (now Helena Middle School) and Helena High School moved into its present location at 1300 Billings Avenue, just off Montana Avenue.

Curriculum

Four foreign languages are taught at Helena High:

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through ...

, and

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Can ...

. The English Department, with 22 faculty, offers instruction in English literature and composition, as well as elective studies. Students are encouraged to take honors and

Advanced Placement Advanced Placement (AP) is a program in the United States and Canada created by the College Board which offers college-level curricula and examinations to high school students. American colleges and universities may grant placement and course ...

(AP) in English, math, science, and history. There are also many elective options.

Extracurricular activities

There are many extra-curricular clubs and activities for students to get involved at Helena High School. School teams and clubs include: * Basketball – Boys and Girls * Cross Country – Boys and Girls * Fast Pitch Softball * Football * Golf * Soccer – – Boys and Girls * Swimming * Tennis – Boys and Girls * Track and Field – Boys and Girls * Volleyball * Wrestling * Speech and Debate * Mock Trial

Notable alumni

Max Baucus Maxwell Sieben Baucus ( Enke; born December 11, 1941) is an American politician who served as a United States senator from Montana from 1978 to 2014. A member of the Democratic Party, he was a U.S. senator for over 35 years, making him the long ...

, former

United States Senator The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and po ...

and United States Ambassador to China (graduated in 1959) *

Steve Bullock Steve, Steven, or Stephen Bullock may refer to: *Steve Bullock (British politician) (born 1953), first directly elected mayor of the London Borough of Lewisham *Steve Bullock (American politician) Stephen Clark Bullock (born April 11, 1966) is ...

, former governor of Montana *

Dan Carpenter Daniel Roy Carpenter (born November 25, 1985) is a former American football placekicker. He was signed by the Miami Dolphins as an undrafted free agent in 2008 after playing college football for the University of Montana. He has also played for ...

, NFL placekicker for the

Buffalo Bills The Buffalo Bills are a professional American football team based in the Buffalo metropolitan area. The Bills compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division ...

Gary Cooper Gary Cooper (born Frank James Cooper; May 7, 1901May 13, 1961) was an American actor known for his strong, quiet screen persona and understated acting style. He won the Academy Award for Best Actor twice and had a further three nominations, a ...

Academy Award The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...

winning actor (dropped out in his sophomore year) * Chuck Darling, member of

1956 Summer Olympics The 1956 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XVI Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event held in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, from 22 November to 8 December 1956, with the exception of the equestrian events, w ...

basketball gold medalists, First team All-American at University of Iowa *

Pat Donovan Patrick Emery Donovan (born July 1, 1953) is a former American football offensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL) for the Dallas Cowboys. He played college football at Stanford University. ''Sports Illustrated'' named him the fourt ...

, NFL tackle for the

Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East divis ...

David Fuller David Fuller (born 4 September 1954) is an engineer, convicted English murderer and necrophile. In 2021, he was convicted of the murders of Wendy Knell, 25, and Caroline Pierce, 20, whom he strangled and sexually assaulted after breaking into ...

, politician. Montana state senator *

L. Ron Hubbard Lafayette Ronald Hubbard (March 13, 1911 – January 24, 1986) was an American author, primarily of science fiction and fantasy stories, who is best known for having founded the Church of Scientology. In 1950, Hubbard authored '' Dianetic ...

, author and the founder of

Scientology Scientology is a set of beliefs and practices invented by American author L. Ron Hubbard, and an associated movement. It has been variously defined as a cult, a Scientology as a business, business, or a new religious movement. The most recent ...

; enrolled at Helena High during his junior year *

Carol Judge Carol Ann Judge ( ''née'' Anderson; June 7, 1941 – December 7, 2014) was an American healthcare advocate and registered nurse. She served as the First Lady of Montana from 1973 until her divorce from her husband, Governor Thomas Lee Judge in ...

(1958), First Lady of Montana (1973–1980); healthcare activist and registered nurse *

Ian MacDonald Ian MacCormick (known by the pseudonym Ian MacDonald; 3 October 1948 – 20 August 2003) was a British music critic and author, best known for both '' Revolution in the Head'', his critical history of the Beatles which borrowed techniques from ...

(born Ulva Pippy), actor on film and television *

Colin Meloy Colin Patrick Henry Meloy (born October 5, 1974) is an American musician, singer-songwriter and author best known as the frontman of the Portland, Oregon, indie folk rock band The Decemberists. In addition to vocals, he performs with an acou ...

, lead singer and songwriter for the

Portland, Oregon Portland (, ) is a port city in the Pacific Northwest and the largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon. Situated at the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers, Portland is the county seat of Multnomah County, the most populous ...

, folk-rock band

The Decemberists The Decemberists are an American indie rock band from Portland, Oregon. The band consists of Colin Meloy (lead vocals, guitar, principal songwriter), Chris Funk (guitar, multi-instrumentalist), Jenny Conlee (piano, keyboards, accordion), Nate ...

Maile Meloy Maile Meloy (born January 1, 1972) is an American fiction writer. Early life and education Born and raised in Helena, Montana, Meloy received a bachelor's degree from Harvard College in 1994 and an MFA from the University of California, Irvi ...

, author * Robert Farris-Olsen, attorney and member of the

Montana House of Representatives The Montana House of Representatives is, with the Montana Senate, one of the two houses of the Montana Legislature. Composed of 100 members, the House elects its leadership every two years. Composition of the House :''67th Legislature – 2021� ...

Kimberly Reed Kimberly Reed is an American film director and producer who is best known for her documentaries '' Prodigal Sons'' and ''Dark Money'' which premiered at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival. In 2007, '' Filmmaker'' magazine named her one of the "25 ...

, director and producer of '' Prodigal Sons'' *

William Roth William Victor Roth Jr. (July 22, 1921 – December 13, 2003) was an American lawyer and politician from Wilmington, Delaware. He was a veteran of World War II and a member of the Republican Party. He served from 1967 to 1970 as the lone U.S ...

, former member of the

United States Senate The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and po ...

from

Delaware Delaware ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Maryland to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and New Jersey and the Atlantic Ocean to its east. The state takes its name from the adjacent ...

A. L. Strand August Leroy Strand (February 12, 1894 – April 27, 1980) was an American entomologist who served as President of Montana State University from 1937 to 1942, and as President of Oregon State University from 1942 to 1961. Life and career Str ...

, president of

Montana State College Montana State University (MSU) is a public land-grant research university in Bozeman, Montana. It is the state's largest university. MSU offers baccalaureate degrees in 60 fields, master's degrees in 68 fields, and doctoral degrees in 35 fi ...

(1937–1942) and

Oregon State University Oregon State University (OSU) is a public land-grant, research university in Corvallis, Oregon. OSU offers more than 200 undergraduate-degree programs along with a variety of graduate and doctoral degrees. It has the 10th largest engineering ...

(1942–1961)"Dr. A.L. Strand Elected President State College to Succeed Dr. Atkinson." ''Helena Independent.'' July 13, 1937. * Joseph P. Mazurek, former Montana Attorney General and member of the

Montana Senate The Montana Senate is the upper house of the Montana Legislature, the state legislative branch of the U.S. state of Montana Montana () is a state in the Mountain West division of the Western United States. It is bordered by Idaho to ...

Footnotes

Bibliography

* Superintendent of Public Instruction. ''Biennial Report of the Superintendent of Public Instruction.'' Vol. II. Montana Department of Public Instruction. Helena, Mont.: Independent Publishing Co., 1903.

External links

Official Helena High School Web site
Public high schools in Montana Buildings and structures in Helena, Montana Schools in Lewis and Clark County, Montana 1876 establishments in Montana Territory {{Montana-school-stub