Susan Miller Dorsey High School

Susan Miller Dorsey High School, commonly referred to as Dorsey High School, is a secondary public school located in the Baldwin Hills area of Los Angeles, California. It is a part of the Los Angeles Unified School District.

History

The school opened in 1937 and currently enrolls an average of 2,400 students. Dorsey High is now one of the few predominantly African-American high schools in the Los Angeles Unified School District, with 55% of its students African American and 45% Latino. It is located at 3537 Farmdale Avenue and Obama Boulevard in Baldwin Village. The school colors are green and white, and its mascots are the Dons and Donnas.
It was in the Los Angeles City High School District until 1961, when it merged into LAUSD.
The building was designed by architect Henry L. Gogerty.
The school also served as the filming location for the high school scenes in Steven Spielberg's 2022 semi-autobiographical film The Fabelmans.

Namesake

The school was named after Susan Miller Dorsey, the first female superintendent of the Los Angeles public school system. Dorsey was born in 1857 in Penn Yan, New York. She graduated from Vassar College in 1877 and spent a year teaching at Wilson College in Pennsylvania, returning to Vassar to teach Greek and Latin. In 1881, she married Baptist minister Patrick William Dorsey. The same year, the couple came to Los Angeles, where he became pastor of First Baptist Church at 6th Street and Broadway.
In the early 1890s, her husband abandoned her, taking their son with him. Dorsey returned to teaching in 1896 at Los Angeles High School, where she rose to vice principal. By 1913, she was assistant superintendent of schools. In 1920, she became superintendent. Dorsey remained superintendent for 9 years.

Extracurricular activities

The school has several athletic teams, such as wrestling, football, basketball, track & field, soccer, and Tennis 2007–2010.

Rivals

Dorsey's main rival is Crenshaw High School.
Dorsey's football games are played in Jackie Robinson Stadium at the nearby Rancho Cienega Sports Complex. In 2006, Dorsey was the 2nd leading high school in the nation with sending student athletes to the NFL. Dillard High School in Fort Lauderdale, FL was 1st. Dorsey is also a 4-A champ in its conference, the most wins ever made in the Los Angeles history.
Dorsey High School California Academic Decathlon teams won Los Angeles City Super Quiz championships in 1981, 1982, 1984, and 1985.
Additionally, Dorsey High School has a Math Science Magnet Program, a Los Angeles Police Academy Magnet Program and a Law and Public Service Magnet Program. In 1989, the Dorsey High School Mock Trial Team earned 2nd Place in Los Angeles County and was the best team in the City of Los Angeles in the Constitutional Rights Foundation's Annual Mock Trial Competition. In 1990, the Dorsey High School Mock Trial Team won the Los Angeles County Championship and later competed in the State Mock Trial competition in Sacramento.

Football

Dorsey High School's football teams were Los Angeles City Football Champions in 1982, 1989, 1991, 1995, and 2001. Susan Miller Dorsey has the distinction of sending the fifth most football players to the NFL in its entire history behind Long Beach Poly.

Basketball

In 1975, Dorsey's basketball team went undefeated until losing the Los Angeles city semi final game to Fremont. They rebounded in 1976 to win the city championship over Crenshaw High School.

Notable alumni

Franklin Ajaye, stand-up comedian-actor
Billy Anderson, NFL player
George "Sparky" Anderson, Major League Baseball Hall of Fame member, manager of World Champion Detroit Tigers and World Champion Cincinnati Reds, second baseman with the Philadelphia Phillies and broadcaster of the Anaheim Angels
Sherman Augustus, American actor, martial artist and former NFL player
David Axelrod, American composer, arranger, and producer
Ron Baxter, professional basketball player
Jerome Boyd, NFL safety
William Boyett, born in 1927, actor best known for TV law enforcement series such as Adam-12 and Highway Patrol
James "Jimmy" Bridges, actor, director, producer
Leon Bridges, architect
Judge Joe Brown, judge and TV personality
Keith Browner Jr., NFL defensive end
Andrea Buchanan, professional tennis player
Beno Bryant, football player
Don Buford, professional baseball player and coach
Charles Bukowski, author
Frank Buncom, AFL linebacker, San Diego Chargers
John Casado, graphic designer
Roslyn Chasan, lawyer
Antonio Chatman, NFL wide receiver
Breanna Clark, Paralympic athlete
Billy Consolo, professional baseball player and Detroit Tigers bench coach
Ron Copeland, hurdler, sprinter, and NFL wide receiver
Aaron Cox, American football wide receiver
Chili Davis, professional baseball player and Oakland Athletics
Willie Deckard, track and field star
Na'il Diggs, NFL linebacker
Julian Dixon, member of United States Congress
Eric Dolphy, jazz musician who influenced John Coltrane and many others
Carl E. Douglas, lawyer
Johnny Echols, guitarist and co-founder, with Dorsey schoolmate Arthur Lee, of the band Love
Vic Edelbrock Jr., president of Edelbrock, LLC, manufacturer of specialty automotive and motorcycle parts
Richard Elfman, actor, musician, director, producer, screenwriter, journalist, author and magazine publisher
Johnathan Franklin, NFL running back
Keith Franklin, NFL linebacker
Charles García, professional basketball player
Siedah Garrett, vocalist and songwriter
Herb Geller, jazz saxophonist, composer and arranger
David Gettis, NFL wide receiver
Kyle Gibson, basketball player for Hapoel Galil Elyon of the Israeli Basketball Premier League
Chris Green, professional baseball player
Marvin Hall, NFL wide receiver for Detroit Lions and Atlanta Falcons
Jordan Hamilton, basketball player in the Israel Basketball Premier League
Michael S. Harper, poet and English professor
Jeremy Harris, NFL cornerback
Robert Herron, NFL wide receiver
Earl Ofari Hutchinson, journalist, author and activist
Robert Irwin, installation artist
Abdul-Karim al-Jabbar, NFL running back
Bernard Jackson, NFL defensive back
Hue Jackson, head coach of the Cleveland Browns in 2016 and the Oakland Raiders in 2011, offensive coordinator of Cincinnati Bengals
Greg Jein, modelmaker nominated for the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects and Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Special Visual Effects
Jeremiah Johnson, NFL running back
Jerome Johnson, NFL fullback; city champs 2001-2002
Keyshawn Johnson, USC wide receiver, Rose Bowl Hall of Fame, NFL Super Bowl Champion 1996-2007
Michael "Butch" McColly Johnson, wide receiver for the Dallas Cowboys and Denver Broncos
Omari Johnson, professional basketball player
Stafon Johnson, NFL running back
Kendall Jones, lead guitarist, founding member of rock band Fishbone
Robert Kardashian, O.J. Simpson attorney, father of Robert, Khloe, Kourtney and Kim Kardashian
Jack Kirby, NFL halfback / defensive back
David Kirkwood, Olympic silver medalist, modern pentathlon
Hamilton Gary Kotera, professional basketball player
Jackie Lacey, District Attorney of Los Angeles County
Bill Lachemann, professional baseball player, coach
Marcel Lachemann, professional baseball player and former MLB manager
Rene Lachemann, professional baseball player, former MLB manager
Eric Laneuville, television director, producer and actor.
Arthur Lee, lead singer, co-founder and principal songwriter of the band Love
Ron Lewis, NFL offensive lineman
Mike Love, lead singer and founding member of The Beach Boys
Chris Matthews, 2012 Canadian Football League's Most Outstanding Rookie, Seattle Seahawks wide receiver
Art Mazmanian, baseball head coach and manager
Marilyn McCoo, singer and founding member of The Fifth Dimension
Clarence McDonald, pianist, composer, arranger, and producer
Jaydon Mickens, NFL wide receiver for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Oakland Raiders and Jacksonville Jaguars
Chris Mims, NFL player
Charles Mincy, NFL safety
Rahim Moore, NFL safety
Jacqueline Morreau, artist
DJ Mustard, record producer, songwriter, DJ
Patrick Nagatani, photographer
Senga Nengudi, visual artist and curator
Jack Nix, NFL and CFL end
Dennis Northcutt, NFL wide receiver
Paul Olden, New York Yankees public address announcer
Chris "Peanut" Owens, NFL cornerback
Judy Pace, 1970s actress
Ed Palmquist, professional baseball player
Mike Patterson, professional baseball player
Troy Payne, professional basketball player
Carole Doyle Peel, artist
Jerry Peters, songwriter, record producer, multi-instrumentalist, conductor and arranger
Makai Polk, NFL wide receiver
Billy Preston, musician, singer, songwriter
Frederick K. C. Price, televangelist, founder and pastor of Crenshaw Christian Center
Googie René, musician, bandleader, and songwriter.
"Freeway" Rick Ross, drug trafficker in the 1980s, played for the Dorsey men's tennis team
Stella Rush, LGBT rights activist and journalist
Michael Brian Schiffer, co-founder of behavioral archaeology, long-time anthropology professor at the University of Arizona, author of 15 books
Sharrieff Shah, football coach
Edell Shepherd, NFL wide receiver, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Louil Silas Jr., record executive who started an MCA Records imprint, Silas Records
Jordan Simmons, NFL offensive tackle, Seattle Seahawks
John Smith, actor, Laramie
Brenda Sykes, actress
Dick Teague, industrial designer in automotive industry, executive at American Motors Corporation.
Kayvon Thibodeaux, American football player
Derrel Thomas, professional baseball player
Lamont Warren, NFL running back
Jody Watley, singer, with Shalamar, solo artist
Diane Watson, member of United States Congress
James Wilkes, UCLA and Chicago Bulls basketball player
Kirby Wilson, NFL running backs coach, 2-time Super Bowl champion with Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Pittsburgh Steelers