Compton High School is a high school in

Compton, California Compton is a city located in the Gateway Cities region of southern Los Angeles County, California, United States, situated south of downtown Los Angeles. Compton is one of the oldest cities in the county, and on May 11, 1888, was the eighth ci ...

, United States, part of the

Compton Unified School District Compton Unified School District is a school district headquartered in Compton, California, United States. The district serves almost all of Compton, all of East Rancho Dominguez, most of Willowbrook CDP, portions of Carson, Lynwood, West ...

History

Compton Union High School opened in 1896. Both the high school and Compton Junior High School were severely damaged in the

1933 Long Beach earthquake The 1933 Long Beach earthquake took place on March 10 at south of downtown Los Angeles. The epicenter was offshore, southeast of Long Beach, California, on the Newport–Inglewood Fault. The earthquake had a magnitude estimated at 6.4 , and ...

. The school re-established as Compton Senior High School in the 1950s after

Compton College Compton College is a Public college, public community college in Compton, California. From 2006, when it lost its regional accreditation, to 2017, when it regained that accreditation, it operated as a part of El Camino College. Before and after ...

separated from the high school district and opened its new campus at 1111 East Artesia Boulevard in 1953. During the 1960s, there was a dramatic transition from a

white White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

student body to one which was predominantly

African-American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from any of the Black racial groups of Africa. ...

. Contrary to popular belief, Compton High School is hardly a "black" high school today. After the

1992 Los Angeles Riots The 1992 Los Angeles riots were a series of riots and civil disturbances that occurred in Los Angeles County, California, United States, during April and May 1992. Unrest began in South Los Angeles, South Central Los Angeles on April 29, after ...

, many black people left

South Los Angeles South Los Angeles, also known as South Central Los Angeles or simply South Central, is a region in southwestern Los Angeles County, California, lying mostly within the city limits of Los Angeles, south of Downtown Los Angeles, downtown. It is de ...

and moved to the

Antelope Valley The Antelope Valley is a valley primarily located in northern Los Angeles County, California, United States and the southeast portion of Kern County, California, Kern County, and constitutes the western tip of the Mojave Desert. It is situated ...

, the

Inland Empire The Inland Empire (commonly abbreviated as the IE) is a metropolitan area and region inland of and adjacent to coastal Southern California, centering around the cities of San Bernardino and Riverside, and bordering Los Angeles County and Or ...

, or the

San Joaquin Valley The San Joaquin Valley ( ; Spanish language in California, Spanish: ''Valle de San Joaquín'') is the southern half of California's Central Valley (California), Central Valley. Famed as a major breadbasket, the San Joaquin Valley is an importa ...

. Today, Compton High School is over eighty percent Latino as Mexican immigrants settled in

New campus

Ground broke on a new high school campus on May 7, 2022 and is expected to open in 2025. Designed by

DLR Group DLR Group is an employee-owned integrated design firm providing architecture, engineering, planning, and interior design. Their brand promise is to elevate the human experience through design. A self-described advocate for sustainable design, th ...

, the facility will feature a new performing arts center, academic building, and athletic facilities. New classroom spaces will provide Compton’s 2,500 students the opportunity to participate in programs such as Construction Manufacturing, Graphic Arts, A/V Technology, Communications, Robotics, and Culinary Arts. Additionally, there will be a new football/soccer stadium and outdoor swimming pool.

Dr. Dre donation

On June 15, 2017,

Dr. Dre Andre Romell Young (born February 18, 1965), known professionally as Dr. Dre, is an American rapper, record producer, record executive, and actor. He is the founder and CEO of Aftermath Entertainment and Beats Electronics, and co-founder of ...

pledged to donate $10 million to the school for a 1200-seat performing arts theater.

Mascot

's team nick-name is the Tartars, named after the Turkic

Tatars Tatars ( )Tatar
in the Collins English Dictionary are a group of Turkic peoples across Eas ...

, so the team nick-name for Compton High School became the "Tartar Babies". The mascot is "Baby Tartar", who wears a diaper and carries a big sword.

Notable alumni

* Rod Barksdale:

NFL The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The N ...

wide receiver with Las Vegas Raiders and

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 of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. T ...

Polly Bergen Polly Bergen (born Nellie Paulina Burgin; July 14, 1930 – September 20, 2014) was an American actress, singer, television host, writer, and entrepreneur. She won an Emmy Award in 1958 for her performance as Helen Morgan (singer), Helen ...

: movie, television and stage actress, singer, entrepreneur * Reynaldo Brown: 1968 Olympic High Jumper while still at Compton *

Joe Cain Joseph Stillwell Cain Jr. (October 10, 1832 – April 17, 1904) was an American Confederate States of America, Confederate military veteran largely credited with initiating the modern way of observing Mardi Gras and its celebrations in Mobil ...

: former NFL player * Ken Carpenter: 1936 Olympic discus throw gold medal winner *

James Coburn James Harrison Coburn III (August 31, 1928 – November 18, 2002) was an American film and television actor who was featured in more than 70 films, largely action roles, and made 100 television appearances during a 45-year career.AllmoviBi ...

: movie and television actor, Oscar winner * Robin Cole: former NFL player * Nadine Conner: opera star * Aaron Craver: former NFL player * David Croudip: former NFL player * Johnny Davis: MLB player *

DeMar DeRozan DeMar Darnell DeRozan (born August 7, 1989) is an American professional basketball player for the Sacramento Kings of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the USC Trojans and was selected ninth overall by th ...

: NBA player *

DJ Yella Antoine Carraby (born December 11, 1961), better known by his stage name DJ Yella, is an American DJ, record producer, and film director from Compton, California. DJ Yella began his career as a member of the World Class Wreckin' Cru along wit ...

: DJ from the group

N.W.A N.W.A (an abbreviation for Niggaz Wit Attitudes) was an American hip-hop group formed in Compton, California in 1987. Among the earliest and most significant figures of the gangsta rap subgenre, the group is widely considered one of the great ...

Eazy-E Eric Lynn Wright (September 7, 1964 – March 26, 1995), known professionally as Eazy-E, was an American rapper who propelled West Coast rap and gangsta rap by leading the group N.W.A and its label, Ruthless Records. Eazy-E is often re ...

: rapper from the group

Jamaa Fanaka Jamaa Fanaka (born Walter Gordon; September 6, 1942 – April 1, 2012) was an American filmmaker. He is best known for his 1979 film, ''Penitentiary'', and was one of the leading directors of the L.A. Rebellion film movement. Early life and ...

: independent filmmaker *

Marv Fleming Marvin Lawrence Fleming (born January 2, 1942) is an American former professional football player who was a tight end for 12 seasons in the National Football League (NFL), seven with the Green Bay Packers and five with the Miami Dolphins. He wa ...

: NFL tight end with

Green Bay Packers The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. They ar ...

and

Miami Dolphins The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. The Dolphins compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The team ...

* The Game: rapper *

Roddy Ricch Rodrick Wayne Moore Jr. (born October 22, 1998), known professionally as Roddy Ricch, is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter. Born and raised in Compton, California, Moore rose to fame in 2018 following the release of his song "Die Young ...

: rapper *

William Hanna William Denby Hanna (July 14, 1910 – March 22, 2001) was an American animator, voice actor, and musician who is best known for co-creating ''Tom and Jerry'' and providing the vocal effects for the series' title characters. Alongside Joseph B ...

: animator and co-founder of

Hanna-Barbera Hanna-Barbera Cartoons, Inc. ( ; formerly known as H-B Enterprises, Hanna-Barbera Productions, Inc. and H-B Production Co.), simply and commonly known as Hanna-Barbera, was an American animation studio and production company, which was acti ...

* Tim Harris: former NFL player *

Ed Hervey Edward Hervey (born May 4, 1973) is an American former professional football wide receiver who is the general manager for the Edmonton Elks of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He played in the CFL for the Edmonton Eskimos for eight years and ...

CFL The Canadian Football League (CFL; , LCF) is a professional Canadian football league in Canada. It comprises nine teams divided into two divisions, with four teams in the East Division and five in the West Division. The CFL is the highest pr ...

All-star and general manager *

Roy Jefferson Roy Lee Jefferson (born November 9, 1943) is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL) for 12 seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Baltimore Colts, and Washington Redskins. He ...

: NFL wide receiver with

Pittsburgh Steelers The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. Founded in 1933 P ...

Baltimore Colts The Baltimore Colts were a professional American football team that played in Baltimore from 1953 to 1983, when owner Robert Irsay moved the franchise to Indianapolis. The team was named for Baltimore's history of horse breeding and racing. It w ...

, and

Washington Redskins The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East ...

Dean Jeffries Edward Dean Jeffries (February 25, 1933 – May 5, 2013) was an American custom car designer and fabricator, as well as stuntman and stunt coordinator for motion pictures and television programs based in Los Angeles, California. Early life J ...

: car designer and builder, movie stuntman * Cornelius Johnson: 1936 Olympic high jump champion *

Datone Jones Datone Wayne Jones (born July 24, 1990) is an American former professional football player who was a defensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the UCLA Bruins from 2008 to 2012 as a defensive end and ...

: NFL defensive end with

* Freeman King: Comedian * Don Klosterman: professional football player, general manager of

LA Rams The Los Angeles Rams are a professional American football team based in the Greater Los Angeles area. The Rams compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) West division. The team plays its h ...

and other teams * Jim Marshall: athlete, coach and scout with over 60 years in professional baseball *

Keb' Mo' Kevin Roosevelt Moore (born October 3, 1951), known as Keb' Mo', is an American blues musician. He is a singer, guitarist and songwriter, living in Nashville, Tennessee. He has been described as "a living link to the seminal Delta blues that tra ...

: blues musician and songwriter * Louie Nelson: NBA player *

Violet Palmer Violet Renice Palmer (born July 20, 1964) is a retired American basketball referee in the NBA and WNBA and the first female official to reach the highest competitive tier in any major U.S. professional sports league. She also earned recognition ...

: NBA official * Walter Roberts: former NFL player *

Pete Rozelle Alvin Ray "Pete" Rozelle (; March 1, 1926 – December 6, 1996) was an American professional football executive. Rozelle served as the commissioner of the National Football League (NFL) for nearly thirty years, from January 1960 until his retire ...

: former NFL commissioner *

Troy Ruttman Troy Lynn Ruttman (March 11, 1930 – May 19, 1997) was an American racing driver. He is best known for winning the 1952 Indianapolis 500 - at the age of 22 years and 80 days, Ruttman remains the youngest ever winner of the event. Competing since ...

: racecar driver * Hugo Salcedo soccer player and coach *

Woody Sauldsberry Woodrow Sauldsberry Jr. (July 11, 1934 – September 3, 2007) was an American basketball player. He was the NBA's Rookie of the Year in 1958 and in 1966 he won the NBA championship as a member of the Boston Celtics. Early life Sauldsberry was b ...

: basketball player * Howard E. Scott: guitarist and co-founder of the funk band

War War is an armed conflict between the armed forces of states, or between governmental forces and armed groups that are organized under a certain command structure and have the capacity to sustain military operations, or between such organi ...

* Bobby Smith: former NFL player *

Duke Snider Edwin Donald "Duke" Snider (September 19, 1926 – February 27, 2011), nicknamed "the Duke of Flatbush", was an American professional baseball player. Primarily a center fielder, he spent most of his Major League Baseball (MLB) career playing f ...

: Hall of Fame baseball player * Walter R. Tucker, III: former mayor of Compton and congressman for the 37th District *

Iva Toguri Iva Ikuko Toguri D'Aquino (; July 4, 1916 – September 26, 2006) was an American citizen visiting Japan when World War II began. Unable to return to the United States, she risked her life smuggling food to American service men held in prisoner ...

: Second World War Japanese propaganda broadcaster *

William Cameron Townsend William Cameron Townsend (July 9, 1896 – April 23, 1982) was an American Christian missionary-linguist and the founder of Wycliffe Bible Translators and the Summer Institute of Linguistics (now SIL Global). Both organisations emphasized ...

: Bible translator *

John William Finn John William Finn (24 July 1909 – 27 May 2010) was a sailor in the United States Navy who, as a chief petty officer and aviation ordnanceman, received the United States military's highest decoration, the Medal of Honor, for his actions during ...

: Congressional

Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest Awards and decorations of the United States Armed Forces, military decoration and is awarded to recognize American United States Army, soldiers, United States Navy, sailors, Un ...

recipient

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. * Ulis Williams: 1964 Olympian in track, President of

References

External links

Compton High School

Compton High School Alumni Association

Compton High School profile
provided by greatschools.net

provided by schooltree.org {{Los Angeles County Gateway Cities Schools Compton Unified School District Public high schools in Los Angeles County, California Compton, California 1896 establishments in California Educational institutions established in 1896