Welcome!
Over 25,000 page
views in under a year!
Thank you!
The HPHS Museum & Archive is a Unique Feature of the Renovated HPHS. It is the Only One of Its Kind in a Public High School. The Collections Include: Antique School Furniture, Paintings, Photographs, Statuary, and Historical Documents.
Contact: hphs55@aol.com for a Visit.
The End of an Era at
HPHS: Graduation, 2008.
Graduation Ceremonies were held at Welte Hall on the CCSU Campus on June
16, 2008. Read Principal Zandralyn Gordon's speech, followed by
R.J. Luke Williams's speech.
This
evening is a special one for all of us gathered here in Welte Hall. This
is a special time for our seniors and their families. This is also a
special time for me. And this is surely a special time for
Tonight
marks the final commencement exercise for the second oldest public
secondary school in the
As
we move toward this transition, it is well to remember where we’ve
been and where we come from.
- Our school opened 30 years after Galileo invented the first
telescope.
- Our school opened 15 years after William Shakespeare died.
- Our school opened in the same year that the colony of
- Our school opened five years before Louis XIV became the king of
- Our school opened 32 years before clocks had minute hands.
- Our school opened 66 years before the publication of the first
regularly published newspaper in the American colonies.
- Our school opened 110 years before Ben Franklin flew his kite in a
lightning storm.
- Our school opened 138 years before the signing of the Declaration
of Independence.
- Our school opened 200 years before the first blackboards were
introduced into classrooms.
- Our school opened 221 years before Louis Pasteur discovered that
bacteria cause some diseases.
- Our school opened 250 years before soft drinks like Coca-Cola and
Dr. Pepper went on sale.
- Our school opened 274 years before the Titanic hit an iceberg and
sank.
- Our school opened 300 years before cellophane tape went on sale.
- Our school opened 325 years before Martin Luther King, Jr., gave
his memorable “I have a dream…” speech.
- Our school opened 331 years before an Apollo rocket landed a man on
the moon.
As
you can see, Hartford Public has lived through enormous changes in the
world and witnessed historic events in the 370 years since it first
opened.
Tonight
is indeed a special night in the history of our school. Tonight
marks the final graduation of
Already,
some of these changes are in place.
I
would ask Ms. Tory Niles to stand. Ms. Niles is the principal of the
Next
year, the
As
we move toward a brave new future for our redesigned school, it is
appropriate that we remember the many successes of Hartford High’s
fabled past.
I’d
now like you to meet someone who knows our history well. A retired
social studies teacher, Mr. Williams has worked diligently to preserve
our school’s history. Through his volunteer efforts, we are fortunate
to have a museum, where our past is safely on view for future
generations of
-------------------------------------------------------------
What example can I
give that would show the honor and love that our alumni have for their
In its long and
proud transition from a Latin school for boys, to the Hartford Grammar
School, to a public high school in 1847, and thence to a comprehensive
high school in the 20th Century, Hartford Public High School
has played an outstanding role in the history of the City of Hartford
and has made its mark in the history of education in our state and in
our nation.
Notable and famous
graduates of the school are part of the historical record. This year’s
grads will soon name some of them. And, let it be known that “
The school has
prepared thousands of graduates for careers in teaching, in public and
private schools, and in universities such as Yale.
Scores of government workers in
We look to the
future as our school is divided into academies.
If our hopes are answered, the
I’d like to remind
all of you that we are fortunate to have a museum in our school, a room
set aside to preserve our past, making it available for future
generations of students and members of our community. Our past is also
on display in our school’s library and media center, and the
courtyards shelter artifacts from Hartford Public’s past buildings. I
hope that you will join with us to view the memorabilia from our
school’s fabled past, knowing that the exhibit reflects our school’s
past glories even as we look forward to an equally glorious future.
Please visit our school’s web site for more information about
the fascinating history of our school.
God Bless our 2008
graduates!
Go out, give back more than you have received, and bring honor to your school and to your city.
Please Note:
In July, 2008, as
a result of the “redesign” of
The school has
been divided into four academies, each with its own principal.
If you cannot reach the person or department that you need to
speak with, please call the office of the superintendent (695-8402) or
the main number for the Hartford Public Schools
(695-8000).
Snowline:
School Cancellation Hotline
695-7669
Last Updated:
07/17/2008
Comments? Contact the Webmaster at: hphsweb@yahoo.com
