Milestones in Newport Harbor High School History

 

September 21, 1929            Newport Union High School district created by 894-23 vote of citizenry

December 29, 1929     Irvine Company offers 20 acres to district at 15th and Irvine for $15,000

February 8, 1930     Bond election to raise $410,000 to build NHHS succeeds

1930                             Harbor Area Boy Scouts raise flag at Ground Breaking Ceremony

1930                             Ralph Reed is first teacher hired at NHHS

September 22, 1930     12 faculty and 178 9th, 10th and 11th grade students open school

1931                             First school play: “The Jade Necklace”

1931                             First school musical: “Belle of Barcelona”

1931                             GAA formed under direction of Miss West

June 1932                     54 students become first graduating class

March 10, 1933             School and tower withstand Long Beach earthquake

1934                             First school dance held in cafeteria in afternoon

1935                             Senior Class buys first piece of art, Thomas Hunt’s “Snow Scene”, as class gift

1937                             Federal Art Project’s mosaic murals, “The Girls” by Jean Goodwin and “The Boys” by Arthur Ames, are installed in Inner Quad

1940                             Math wing (5 classrooms) added to main building, cost of $44,470

1940                             Bell added to tower

1941                             First Homecoming Dance held at Santa Ana Country Club

1942                             Football wins first league (Sunset) championship; plays in CIF title game

1942                             Student Victory Corps established (one job: prepare school for possible air raids and fires)

1942-1945                    NHHS students raise $50,000 for War Bonds

1943                             Galleon dedicated to 33 “former Harbor men” who had become “a part of our armed forces” in World War II

1946                             First of 21 annual Newport Harbor Art Exhibits takes place in the library; 46 oil and watercolor paintings are added to the Newport Harbor art collection

1948                             Metal and machine shops constructed

1949                             Girls Gym and A.H. Fitzpatrick Pool (Old Pool) built

1949                             Bob Hope broadcasts from NHHS auditorium with Les Brown and his orchestra featuring Doris Day

1949                             Teen Canteen opened

1950                             Dodge Hall dedicated

1950                             NHHS adopts Chonju Senior Boys’ and Senior Girls’ High Schools in Korea

1955                             Domestic Home Arts building completed

1957                             Beek Hall completed

1957                             Clock added to tower (gift from classes of 1952 through 1956)

1958                             First CIF Championship: C Swimming

1962                             Ralph Reed, first NHHS Athletic Director, retires after 32 years at NHHS

1963                             Female students vote to keep dress/uniform code and add “civie day”

1963                             Davidson Field dedicated

1966                             NHHS becomes part of Newport-Mesa Unified School District

1966                             Girls’ dress code is eliminated

1966                             First Advanced Placement Test (English) is taken by NHHS students

1967                             Boys’ Water Polo wins first of 12 CIF Division 1 Championships

(67, 68, 70, 75, 77, 78, 79, 80, 83, 84, 2000)

1967                             Boys’ Tennis wins first of 3 CIF Championships (67, 70, 71)

1969                             Governor Ronald Reagan addresses NHHS student body at assembly

1971                             East Hall (renamed Sims Hall around 1974) completed

1972                             Band marches in Rose Parade

1972                             Environmental Nature Center created by NHHS teachers Robert House and John Echtenach

1975                             NHHS enrollment tops 3,000 students

1975                             Environmental Nature Center wins Disneyland Community Award (environmental ecology)

1978                             Band marches in Disneyland Parade celebrating Mickey Mouse’s 50th birthday

1979                             Major renovation of auditorium completed

1979                             Girls’ Volleyball wins first of 7 CIF Championships (79, 87, 94, 97, 98, 99, 03)

1980                             Over 1,000 alumni attend 50th Anniversary Celebration

1980                             NHHS ASB begins Adopt-a-Family tradition

1984                             Girls’ Cross Country wins AAAA CIF championship

1984                             PTA holds first Grad Night on campus

1984                             Heritage Hall opens

1985                             “Changing Times/Changing Styles: The Ruth Stoever Fleming Collections of Southern California Art” is published in conjunction with retrospective exhibit

1986                             NHHS library earns John Cotton Dana International Library Public Relations Award for school and community activities

1986                             NHHS earns the first California Distinguished School Award

1987                             Girls’ Cross Country wins Division II State Championship

1988                             Girls’ Cross Country wins Division II State Championship

1991                             Boys’ Soccer wins CIF Championship

1991                             Girls’ Cross Country wins Division III State Championship

1992                             Girls’ Volleyball wins first of 4 state championships (92, 94, 98, 99)

1993                             Girls’ Track wins first CIF Championship

1993                             Navigators parents’ group is founded

1994                             Football team wins first ever CIF championship game

1994                             Implementation of the academy program begins (smaller learning community)

1995                             Newport Harbor Educational Foundation is founded

1995                             Girls’ Tennis defeats Peninsula, unbeaten in prior 122 matches

1996                             Tie in ASB election results in historic co-ASB Presidency (Michael Hoevel and Reagan Roney)

1999                             NHHS earns California Distinguished School Award

1999                             Girls’ Volleyball wins CIF and State Division I championships

1999                             Boys’ Golf wins first CIF championship

1999                             Girls’ Water Polo wins first CIF championship

1999                             Football wins CIF championship

2000/01                        Boys’ Water Polo wins CIF championship

2000/01                        Girls’ Field Hockey wins league championship and 2nd in Tournament of Champions

2000                             Plaque dedicated to honor students killed while serving in armed forces in 20th century

2000                             NHHS earns National Blue Ribbon Award from U.S. Dept. of Education

2000                             NHHS receives Digital High School grant

2001                             First Evening of the Arts showcases performing, visual and culinary student art

2001/02                        Boys’ Swimming wins CIF championship

2002                             NHHS’ first website, www.NewportHarborHigh.com, is inaugurated

2003/04                        Girls’ Volleyball wins CIF championship

2003/04                        Girls’ Field Hockey wins league championship

2003/04                        Girls’ Water Polo wins CIF championship

2004                             Beek Hall is renovated

2004                             NHHS Culinary Arts team wins 1st Place in the California Restaurant Association statewide culinary competition and 4th Place in the National Competition.