Susan Miller Dorsey High School


Susan Miller Dorsey High School is a high school located in Los Angeles, California. It is a part of the Los Angeles Unified School District. The school serves Baldwin Hills, Baldwin Village, Jefferson Park, Leimert Park, and portions of Crenshaw and West Adams.

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 near Baldwin Village. The school colors are green and white, and its mascots are the Dons and Donnas.

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 1989, 1991, 1995, and 2001. Susan Miller Dorsey has the distinction of sending the second 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 championship game to Fremont. They rebounded in 1976 to win the city championship over Crenshaw High School.

Notable alumni