Bel Air High School (Bel Air, Maryland)

History

Bel Air High School began as the Harford County Academy when it was formed by an act of the Maryland General Assembly in 1811. The first school building was a stuccoed stone building built at 24 E. Pennsylvania Avenue, and the name was soon changed to the Bel Air Academy in 1815.

In 1867, while the Bel Air Academy was operating independently, a one-room wooden schoolhouse was constructed on Main Street, serving as the county's primary public school.

In 1882, a brick public school was built at 45 East Gordon Street. The school was renamed the Bel Air Academy and Graded School as the old academy merged with the public school system. This building housed classes for all students above the third grade. Additions to the building were made in 1897 and 1910. This building became solely a grade school in 1924 and headquartered the Harford County Board of Education after 1951.

Bel Air High School, named thus for the first time, was established in 1907, and classes were initially held at the Gordon Street building and the Pennsylvania Avenue building.

The past facility at 100 Heighe Street was opened in 1950, with additional renovations made in 1954, 1968, and 1983. The building had a design capacity of 1,423 students; as a result, 11 "portables" were in use to provide additional classroom space.

The current Bel Air High School building was constructed in 2009, adjacent to the old high school on Heighe Street, which was subsequently demolished. Some new features of the school are its auditorium/stage, cafeteria, library, and multiple sports facilities, including Bobcat Stadium, part of which is on the site of the previous high school.

Students

The student body over time:

::Year**Students ::2022–1,489 ::2018–1,544 ::2017–1,564 ::2012–1,647 ::2011–1,574 ::2010–1,431 ::2009–1,380 ::2008–1,403 ::2007–1,683 ::2005–1,636 ::2004–1,647 ::2003–1,573 ::2002–1,573 ::2001–1,587 ::2000–1,555 ::1999–1,524 ::1998–1,440 ::1997–1,383 ::1996–1,312 ::1995–1,295 ::1994–1,272 ::1993–1,238

Notable alumni

• Andrew Berry, General Manager of the Cleveland Browns
• John Wilkes Booth, Actor, assassinated President Abraham Lincoln
• James H. Broumel (died 1948), Maryland delegate
• Richard Cassilly, Metropolitan Opera NYC
• William A. Clark, former Maryland Delegate (1983–1990)
• Joseph H. Deckman, elected to National Lacrosse Hall of Fame in 1965.
• Donald C. Fry, former Maryland Senator and Delegate.
• William C. Greer (died 2001), Maryland delegate
• James M. Harkins, former Maryland Delegate (1990-1998), Harford County Executive (1998-2005), & leader of Maryland Environmental Services (2005–present).
• W. Dale Hess (1930–2016), Maryland delegate
• J. Robert Hooper, Maryland State Senator (1936 - 2008)
• Julienne Irwin Finalist on the NBC show America's Got Talent
• Walter R. McComas (1879–1922), Maryland delegate and state's attorney
• Winton B. Osborne (died 1998), Maryland delegate and businessman
• Donna Stifler, Delegate for District 35A
• Robert Shek, former college and professional lacrosse player elected to the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame in 2016
• Brandon Scott Jones, class of 2002, actor, writer, comedian

Controversy

Scrabble Day

In early October 2017, a group of Bel Air High School students posed and spelled out a racial slur across their chests. The incident led to serious criticism of the school's policies from parents and organizations, including the Harford County chapter of the NAACP. After the incident, a Change.org petition was formed calling for "Zero Tolerance for Racism in the School."

References

References

1. (2024-06-01). "Bel Air High School".
2. ["Harford County Public Schools]"](http://www.hcps.org/schools/High/BelAir.aspx).
3. https://www.usnews.com/education/best-high-schools/maryland/districts/harford-county-public-schools/bel-air-high-school-9114
4. (June 1, 2019). "Bel Air High School celebrating 200 years of history through the end of 2016". The Baltimore Sun.
5. (February 8, 2023). "A Brief History of BAHS". The Bellairion.
6. (February 2005). "County Buildings "Next-Door" to the Headquarters of The Historical Society of Harford County, Inc.". Historical Society of Harford County.
7. "1993 to 2017 Enrollment for All Grades, All Students".
8. (2022-07-01). "Bel Air High School".
9. [http://www.harfordhistory.net/boothtour.htm Booth Family Historic Sites] {{webarchive. link. (2005-04-14 , Historical Society of Harford County (Md.), March, 2002)
10. (1932-01-09). "Harford Legislator Reveals Elopement". The Evening Sun.
11. (2001-02-27). "William A. Clark".
12. "Lacrosse Hall of Fame".
13. (2001-08-11). "William Greer, 77, Businessman". Lancaster New Era.
14. Kelly, Jacques. (2016-10-24). "W. Dale Hess, Harford County businessman and politician, dies". [[The Baltimore Sun]].
15. (1922-04-21). "States Attorney McComas Passes Away". [[The Aegis (newspaper).
16. Rasmussen, Fred. (1998-05-31). "Winton B. Osborne, 68, Harford legislator, company founder". [[The Baltimore Sun]].
17. "Robert Shek".
18. "2019 Inductees".
19. (May 5, 2022). "The Fresh Prince of Bel Air, Maryland: Brandon Scott Jones goes from tennis to TV star as a sassy captain in the hit series ‘Ghosts’". AwardsWatch.
20. (October 13, 2017). "Bel Air H.S. students disciplined for photo of racial slur". FOX45.
21. (October 12, 2017). "7 Bel Air High School students disciplined over photo". WBAL.