Grant High School (Portland, Oregon)

History

Ulysses S. Grant High School opened in September 1924, with 1,191 students. Many of the schools in the Portland Public School district that were built between 1908 and 1932 were designed by architects Floyd Naramore and George Jones. During the early 1920s, so many schools were being built simultaneously in Portland, the district had to hire another architectural firm to design Grant High School, which is in the Classical Revival style by architects Knighton and Howell. In November 1923, the bricklayers working on Grant went on strike after the district tried to cut costs by using a maintenance worker to lay bricks.

After the Vanport flood in May 1948, Grant was home to the Vanport Extension Center (now Portland State University) through the summer of that year. Three motion pictures have been filmed at Grant High School: The made-for-TV movie Reunion (1980), Mr. Holland's Opus (1995), and Nearing Grace (2005).

Funded by a $482 million bond measure approved in 2012, a two-year modernization and expansion project of Grant High School began in June 2017 and was completed in the summer of 2019. The entire interior of the building was gutted and has been completely rebuilt. The project includes a new two-story common area, a new gymnasium, seismic retrofitting, and additional classroom space.

Student profile

In the 2022–2023 school year, Grant's student population was 67.9% White, 7.2% Hispanic, 5.5% Black, 3.2% Asian, 0.2% Native American or Alaskan Native, 0.1% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, and 14.2% mixed race.

Extracurricular activities

Grant's Constitution Team has been the state champion thirteen times (2002, 2004–2009, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2018 and 2022), and has won the national competition four times (2013, 2015, 2018, 2024).

In 2011, Grant's student newspaper, The Grantonian, was replaced by the 36-page full-color monthly Grant Magazine. In its first year, the magazine won Best In Show at the Oregon Fall Press day. It has also won the Columbia University Scholastic Press Association's Gold Crown award three years in a row, from 2014 through 2016.

Athletics

GHS's mascot is the Grant General, in honor of its namesake General and 18th US President, Ulysses S. Grant.

State championships

• Men's football: 1943, 1945, 1946, 1949, 1950, 1963 (tie with North Salem)
• Men's gymnastics: 1982
• Men's baseball: 1951, 1958
• Men's basketball: 1969, 1986, 1988, 2008, 2018
• Men's golf: 1945, 1946, 1947, 1949
• Men's soccer team: 2008
• Men's tennis: 1949, 2005
• Men's swimming: 2010
• Men's cross country: 1957, 1958, 1963, 1964
• Women’s soccer: 2021, 2023
• Women's swimming: 1949
• Women's tennis: 1949
• Men's track and field: 1930, 1931, 1939, 1961, 1965, 1966, 1968, 1970, 1988
• Women's cross country: 1974, 2012
• Jazz band: 2022, 2024, 2025

Notable alumni

• Kenneth Acker, pro football player
• Gert Boyle, president and CEO of Columbia Sportswear
• Terrell Brandon, former NBA player
• Matt Braunger, comedian, MADtv, IKEA Heights
• Beverly Cleary, children's author, National Book Award and Newbery Medal recipient
• Charles Crookham, former Oregon Attorney General
• Ian Doescher, author of the William Shakespeare's Star Wars series
• Sarah Donaldson, pediatric radiation oncologist
• Linda Douglas, actress and model
• C. Gordon Fullerton, astronaut
• Tom Grant, musician
• Marcus Harris, NFL cornerback for the Tennessee Titans
• Donald P. Hodel, former United States Secretary of the Interior and United States Secretary of Energy, former president of Focus on the Family
• Mike James, professional basketball player
• June Jones, NFL player, college and pro football head coach
• Thomas Lauderdale, pianist of band Pink Martini
• Lorry I. Lokey, founder of Business Wire, philanthropist
• Riley Mattson, former NFL offensive tackle
• Connie McCready, former mayor of Portland
• Jinkx Monsoon, actor and drag queen
• Mike Moser, basketball player
• Darryl Motley, MLB Kansas City Royals outfielder
• Janee Munroe, violist
• Bob Packwood, lawyer, former U.S. Senator
• Donald Pearlman, lawyer and oil industry lobbyist
• Philip Quinton, MLS defender
• Pieter Quinton, Olympic Bronze Medalist in rowing
• Mark Radford, former NBA player
• Harry Wayland Randall, former member of International Brigades that fought in Spanish Civil War
• George Shaw, NFL quarterback
• Al Siebert, author and educator
• Jefferson Smith, founder of Bus Project, former member of Oregon House of Representatives
• Sally Struthers, film and Emmy Award-winning actress of All in the Family
• Ndamukong Suh, NFL player, Miami Dolphins, Detroit Lions, Los Angeles Rams
• Robina Suwol, children's health advocate
• Caroline Walker, set world record in marathon while attending GHS
• Dominic Waters (born 1986), basketball player in the Israel Basketball Premier League
• Edward Curtis Wells, businessman
• Dan Wieden, CEO of Wieden+Kennedy

References

References

1. "Grant High School". [[Oregon School Activities Association]].
2. (March 6, 2024). "Roosevelt stuns rival Grant at buzzer in Oregon 6A boys basketball state tournament quarterfinal".
3. "Grant High School". National Center for Education Statistics.
4. Polich, Edward L.. (1950). "A history of Portland's secondary school system with emphasis on the superintendents and the curriculum (Thesis/dissertation)". [[University of Portland]].
5. (November 22, 1923). "Director Attacks School Architect". The Morning Oregonian.
6. "Grant High School (Portland, Oregon)". University of Oregon.
7. Polich, Edward L.. (1950). "A history of Portland's secondary school system with emphasis on the superintendents and the curriculum (Thesis/dissertation)". [[University of Portland]].
8. "Grant Modernization". Portland Public Schools.
9. [http://www.classroomlaw.org/programs/we-the-people/ "We The People: The Citizen and The Constitution"]. ''Classroom Law Project''. [https://web.archive.org/web/20180123012705/http://www.classroomlaw.org/programs/we-the-people/ Archived] from the original on January 23, 2018.
10. (June 7, 2018). "Grant Constitution Team comes home as national champs". Hollywood Star News.
11. (January 22, 2018). "Grant's Constitution Team wins state, earns trip to nationals". Portland Public Schools.
12. "We the People High School Constitutional Competition". Civics Learning Project.
13. NWSP. (October 26, 2011). "Fall Press Day 2011 Best of Show Winners". Northwest Scholastic Press.
14. Jaquiss, Nigel. (March 23, 2015). "Grant High School Magazine Wins Regional and National Honors". [[Willamette Week]].
15. Nick Daschel. (March 10, 2018). "Grant ends two years of misery against Jefferson, beats Democrats 63-62 to win Class 6A boys state title". OregonLive.
16. [http://www.osaa.org/tennis/records/2005b.pdf Oregon School Activities Association - Tennis 2005]
17. http://www.osaa.org/crosscountry/history/boysxcteamchampions.pdf {{Bare URL PDF. (March 2022)
18. [http://www.osaa.org/archive/ Oregon School Activities Association - Championship Archive]
19. http://www.osaa.org/docs/bxc/records/1974g.pdf {{Bare URL PDF. (March 2022)
20. "2012 Cross Country Results". [[Oregon School Activities Association]].
21. Hallett, Alison. "Happening This Weekend: EVERYTHING". October 13, 2011.
22. Bancud, Michaela. (15 July 2019). "Book Report: 'Mean Girls' meets the Bard". Portland Tribune.
23. (September 28, 2008). "Sarah Donaldson, MD, FASTRO". [[American Society for Radiation Oncology]].
24. (October 13, 1951). "Former Salem Boy, Victor Jory, Leads Film Names in Visit Here". [[Statesman Journal]].
25. Bailey Jr., Everton. (August 21, 2013). "Astronaut C. Gordon Fullerton dies; former Portland resident". [[OregonLive]]/The Oregonian.
26. "Marcus Harris NFL Draft 2025: Scouting Report for Cal CB".
27. Cheng, Gracye. (June 1, 2007). "Donald P. Hodel '57". [[The Harvard Crimson]].
28. [http://www.pinkmartini.com/band/pm_band.html Pink Martini. The Band] {{webarchive. link. (July 18, 2012)
29. Wagner, Brent C.. (April 17, 2010). "Ndamukong Suh to donate $2.6 million to NU". Husker Extra.
30. [http://www.volvoforlifeawards.com/cgi-bin/iowa/english/heros/hero2004/5428.html Volvo for life Awards: Robina Suwol]
31. Watt, Ryan. (September 10, 2004). "Many miles behind her: Record setter is one of state's least-known athletes". [[Portland Tribune]].