Central High School, or Davenport Central High School, is a public four-year comprehensive high school located in Davenport, Iowa, United States. The building opened in 1907 as "Davenport High School," and is now one of three public high schools in the Davenport Community School District. The school, whose western side is located along U.S. Highway 61, draws students primarily from the southern, eastern, and central portions of the city.

The school has an enrollment of approximately 1,582 students in grades 9 through 12, and offers over 200 courses in a four-block schedule. Central has a variety of extracurricular activities, clubs, and teams. The school also houses the Davenport School District's high school autism program.

The school complex is part of the College Square Historic District, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

History

Early years

High schools had operated in various buildings and Davenport since 1861, the longest-lived of those sites being in roughly the area where Seventh, Eighth, and Iowa streets are today. An early history of Davenport and Scott County stated that the building was opened in 1875, and "grew from year to year until the building was too small to accommodate the numbers."

In 1900, a site for a future high school was secured at the old Griswold College property, roughly where 12th and Main streets are today. The school board agreed to purchase the property from the Episcopal Diocese of Iowa for $53,000, and voters agreed to move forward with the purchase. The site was described as "an ideal one for the high school of this city. The ground covers a block in the central part of Davenport; it is beautifully situated, centrally located and readily accessible." Many former Blue Devil players won all-state honors, and several went on to illustrious careers in professional football, including Roger Craig of the San Francisco 49ers.

From 1941 through 1970, Central − and Davenport High before that − won seven state titles and two runner-up trophies in boys' basketball. Since then, Central teams have appeared in three state tournaments, winning two state runner-up trophies (in 1979 and 2008).

  • Baseball (11-time State Champions - 1940, 1941, 1944, 1947, 1949, 1950, 1960, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1979)
  • Boys' basketball (12-time State Champions - 1913, 1920, 1921, 1929, 1930, 1941, 1947, 1950, 1951, 1952, 1958, 1970)
  • Boys' cross country (2-time State Champions - 1951, 1971)
  • Football (6-time State Champions - 1955, 1957, 1962, 1973, 1976, 1983)
  • Boys' tennis - 2007 Class 2A State Champions
  • Boys' track and field (14-time State Champions - 1915, 1931, 1935, 1942, 1947, 1952, 1973, 1974, 1976, 1978, 1982, 1983, 1984, 2005)
  • Girls' Track and Field (2-time Class 3A State Champions - 1982, 1984)
  • Volleyball - 1981 Class 2A State Champions
  • Wrestling (2-time State Champions - 1954, 1956)

Performing arts

Choir

The Vocal Music Program at Davenport Central travels and competes extensively, especially Central's two show choirs, "Blue Vibrations" (JV mixed) and "Central Singers, Inc." (varsity mixed). Along with West High School, Central hosts the Great River Show Choir Competition at the historic Adler Theater each February.

Band

Central's award-winning Band Program is under the direction of Alexander Wilga and David Nicholson, and consists of a Wind Ensemble, Symphonic Band, Freshman Concert Band, Jazz Band, Pep Band, and the Marching Blue Devils. The Marching Blue Devils appear regularly in Bands of America's Grand National Championships.

Orchestra

The Davenport Central Orchestra is under the direction of Kendra Elledge. It has two orchestras consisting of the 9th grade "Freshman Orchestra" and the 10-12 grade "Concert Orchestra". Additionally, there is an extracurricular "Chamber Orchestra" that features students wishing for more difficult music and meets twice a week before school. The Chamber Orchestra competes in the "Solo and Ensemble Fest" during April, while the Concert Orchestra competes in the State Orchestras Contest. Both groups have historically placed at the top of their division for the past 10 years.

Notable alumni

  • Robert Arnould, state politician
  • Gene Baker (class of 1943), former MLB player (Chicago Cubs, Pittsburgh Pirates)
  • Patricia Barry (class of 1940), stage, film, and television actress. Central Davenport Schools Hall of Honor
  • Bix Beiderbecke (attended 1919–21), one of the most influential jazz soloists of the 1920s
  • Roger Craig (class of 1979), former NFL running back with the San Francisco 49ers
  • Jack Fleck, professional golfer known for winning the U.S. Open in 1955 in a playoff over Ben Hogan
  • Karl R. Free, artist and museum curator, best known for his New Deal-era post office murals
  • Jim Hester (class of 1963), NFL football player with the New Orleans Saints and Chicago Bears (class of 1969); Davenport Public School Board vice president (1994–2000) and president (2000–2002)
  • Austin Howard (class of 2005), former NFL offensive lineman for the Philadelphia Eagles, Baltimore Ravens, New York Jets, Oakland Raiders, Indianapolis Colts, and Washington Redskins
  • Jim Jensen (class of 1972), NFL running back with the Dallas Cowboys and the Denver Broncos
  • Catfish Keith, born Keith Daniel Kozacik. Musician known as an exponent of the resonator guitar.
  • Perry Lafferty (class of 1935), television producer, network television executive, mystery writer
  • Elmer Layden (class of 1921), football player, one of the "Four Horsemen" of the Notre Dame backfield in the 1920s, and NFL commissioner
  • Jim Leach (class of 1960), United States congressman (1977–2006), chair of the National Endowment for the Humanities and professor at Princeton University and the University of Iowa
  • Cecil Murphey (class of 1951), author known for his biography, caregiving, memoir, fiction, and inspirational books
  • Michael Nunn, holder of the IBF middleweight title from 1988 to 1991, and the WBA super middleweight title from 1992 to 1994
  • John E. Osborn (class of 1975), corporate lawyer with Hogan Lovells, Fortune 1000 general counsel, U.S. Department of State in George H. W. Bush administration, commissioner with the U.S. Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy, law professor at University of Washington, Seattle
  • William Robert Rivkin (class of 1937), corporate lawyer in Chicago, U.S. Ambassador to Luxembourg appointed by John F. Kennedy, US Ambassador to Dakar and Senegal appointed by Lyndon B. Johnson
  • Vic Siegel, professional basketball player
  • Herb Sies, professional football player played five seasons in the National Football League (NFL) and its predecessor, the American Professional Football Association
  • Hilmer Swanson, radio engineer who developed several leading, patented techniques for broadcast radio Amplitude Modulation (AM)
  • Julian Vandervelde (class of 2006), NFL offensive lineman. Philadelphia Eagles (), Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-), Philadelphia Eagles (-)
  • Kay Kopl Vesole (class of 1932), member of DCHS Hall of Honor, attorney, Navy Cross Recipient, Killed in Action 1943 at Bari, Italy, US Navy destroyer USS Vesole named in his honor and memory
  • Randy Wayne White (class of 1968), author known for his crime novels featuring the retired NSA agent Doc Ford, a marine biologist living on the Gulf Coast of southern Florida
  • Jamie Williams (class of 1977), former NFL tight end with the Houston Oilers, San Francisco 49ers, and Los Angeles Raiders, academic and athletic administrator at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln
  • Jim Zabel (class of 1939), radio and television broadcaster and former play-by-play announcer for Iowa Hawkeye football and basketball games
  • Paul Ziffren (class of 1931), lawyer and sports administrator

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See also

  • List of high schools in Iowa

References

  • Davenport Central High School website
  • Blackhawk newspaper