Long Beach Polytechnic High School: Home of Scholars and Champions
At the corner of Atlantic Avenue and 16th Street in Long Beach, California, stands an institution whose very name evokes excellence across multiple domains. Long Beach Polytechnic High School—known simply as “Poly” to generations of students and fans—has spent more than 125 years building a legacy that few educational institutions can match. With its official motto, “Home of Scholars and Champions,” Poly has earned distinction not merely in one arena but across the full spectrum of academic, athletic, and artistic achievement .
The school’s story begins in 1895, when Long Beach High School first opened its doors in a Methodist Tabernacle Chapel to serve the region’s growing population . The first graduating class of 1897 consisted of a single student, a humble beginning for what would become a powerhouse institution . By 1911, the school had relocated to its current site at 1600 Atlantic Avenue, financed by a $240,000 city bond passed the previous year . The name changed to Long Beach Polytechnic High School as the curriculum expanded to include practical and technical education alongside traditional academics. Buy fake USA diploma online.
Poly’s physical campus tells a story of resilience. When the devastating Long Beach Earthquake struck in 1933, it severely damaged the original buildings . Rather than abandon their school, the community rebuilt. Under architect Hugh Davies, five major buildings—including the distinctive auditorium—were reconstructed in the WPA Moderne style with funding from New Deal programs . The renovation transformed the Mediterranean Revival auditorium into an austere yet elegant structure, its simplified geometry and stylized copper lettering standing as a monument to Depression-era perseverance . This period also added remarkable Works Progress Administration artwork to the campus, including a mosaic titled “Speed is the Greatest Factor in Modern Life” and tile relief panels depicting great historical figures .
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Academically, Poly has long set the standard for public education in California. The Program of Accelerated Curricular Experiences (PACE), founded in 1975, and the Center for International Curriculum (CIC) represent two of the most prestigious magnet programs in the state . These rigorous academic tracks consistently produce more University of California admissions than any other high school in California . In 2008 alone, Poly administered 1,573 Advanced Placement exams, with over 75 percent of test-takers earning passing scores of three or higher—significantly exceeding the national average . The school maintains the highest Academic Performance Index among traditional high schools in Long Beach and has consistently ranked in the top decile when compared to demographically similar schools since 2007 .
Yet for all its academic distinction, Poly’s athletic legacy approaches the legendary. In 2005, *Sports Illustrated* magazine named Polytechnic the “Sports School of the Century,” recognizing the extraordinary breadth and depth of its athletic programs spanning badminton, baseball, basketball, football, track, cross country, swimming, water polo, wrestling, tennis, golf, and softball . The Jackrabbits—a nickname born in 1918 when rabbits began invading the playing fields and inspired the track team to adopt the name—have become synonymous with athletic excellence .
Nowhere is this legacy more evident than on the football field. Long Beach Poly has sent more players to the National Football League than any high school in the United States, with over 60 alumni progressing to professional careers . The list reads like an NFL honor roll: Willie Brown, DeSean Jackson, Marcedes Lewis, Winston Justice, Antonio Pierce, and Mark Carrier, among countless others . The program’s success attracted national attention in 2011 when Current TV launched “4th and Forever,” a reality series chronicling the 2010 football team’s season . While compared to “Friday Night Lights,” the show captured the authentic drama of a program where winning is not merely hoped for but expected . As alum Winston Justice explained, “At Poly, you kind of expected to win” .
The 1959 and 1960 teams, led by quarterback Bud Hollowell, posted a remarkable 22-0-1 record and captured two CIF titles with the famed “ICBM” backfield . More recently, the Jackrabbits have continued their dominance with CIF championships in 1997, 1999, 2000, 2004, 2007, 2008, and 2012 . The 2004 team featured DeSean Jackson, whose electrifying play symbolized Poly’s continued production of elite talent .
But Poly’s athletic excellence extends far beyond football. Baseball Hall of Famer Tony Gwynn graduated from Poly, as did tennis icon Billie Jean King, whose impact on sports and society transcends athletics . The school’s music program has earned six Grammy awards, including two “Golden Signature” honors recognizing it among the nation’s top ten music programs .
The list of distinguished alumni spans every field of human endeavor. Entertainment figures include actress Cameron Diaz, who cheered on Poly’s sidelines before achieving Hollywood stardom, and rapper Snoop Dogg (born Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr.), who fondly recalls his time at the school . Band leader Spike Jones and soprano Marilyn Horne represent earlier generations of artistic achievement . John Wayne himself attended for a year before transferring . Mexican-American singer Jenni Rivera, who graduated with honors despite becoming a mother at fifteen, returned to Poly for induction into the school’s Walk of Fame, inspiring current students with her journey from teenage pregnancy to becoming the “Queen of Banda” .
Poly’s journey has not been without challenges. Racial tensions erupted in 1969 when a racist leaflet prompted fighting between white and African-American students, leaving 24 injured . The school responded by ending traditional Homecoming King and Queen titles in 1971 . In 1992, police arrested members of a secretive club called the Ace of Spades for the murder of a 16-year-old student who had reported auto burglaries . Yet through each crisis, the school has persevered, emerging stronger and more united.
The community’s devotion to Poly was on full display during the 1995 centennial celebration, when thousands of alumni from as far back as 1918 converged on campus . Frank Reagan, then 98 years old and president of the Class of 1918—the same man who had helped choose the Jackrabbit mascot decades earlier—received visitors alongside a squad of Junior ROTC cadets . His daughters, both Poly graduates themselves, stood nearby as generations of Jackrabbits celebrated their shared heritage .
Today, Poly continues to serve approximately 4,000 students from Long Beach, Signal Hill, and Lakewood . The school’s mission remains unchanged: producing scholars and champions equipped for success in college and beyond. The Poly Walk of Fame, established along Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue, honors distinguished alumni including Willie Brown, Billie Jean King, and former Long Beach Mayor Beverly O’Neill . Each plaque tells a story of achievement rooted in the education and values instilled at 1600 Atlantic Avenue.
For 125 years, Long Beach Polytechnic High School has embodied its founding purpose: preparing young people to excel in every arena of life. From its single graduate in 1897 to the thousands who walk its halls today, from the classrooms where PACE scholars tackle advanced curriculum to the fields where future NFL stars perfect their craft, Poly remains what it has always been—a place where excellence is expected, where resilience is required, and where generations of Jackrabbits learn to enter, to learn, and to go forth to serve.