Great Falls High School

Founding and first high school building Great Falls was founded in 1883. Businessman Paris Gibson surveyed the city in 1883 and platted a permanent settlement the south side of the river. It was incorporated on November 28, 1888. By 1890, Black Eagle Dam had been built within the city limits on the Great Falls of the Missouri River, a meat packing industry (the largest between St. Paul, Minnesota, and Spokane, Washington) had arisen, a railway had come to town, and a copper smelter had been built. Great Falls High School was founded in the fall of 1890 by the city of Great Falls after four teenage girls (newly arrived in the city) asked to receive a high school public education. The four young women constituted the first class, which met in a corner of a classroom in the Whittier Building (which, by that time, featured instruction in the sixth, seventh, and eighth grades). A design by local architect William White was chosen over three other proposals. The walls, which were thick at the bottom of the building but only thick at the roof, were sunk into the earth and stood on shale bedrock. The clock tower was removed in 1916 after its massive weight began to compromise the building. In 1975, the building became the home of the Paris Gibson Square Museum of Art. Current building In 1927, the Great Falls public school system sought voter approval to issue bonds to build a new high school, but this initiative was defeated. The bond issue was brought before voters again in 1928, and it passed. Construction on the $1 million building began in 1928 and continued through 1929. The new building was designed by architects George W. Bird, Ernest B. Croft, and Johannes Van Teylingen. (Van Teylingen was one of the most prominent architects in Montana at the time. He also designed the Masonic Temple in Great Falls, the Great Falls Civic Center, and Turner Hall on the campus of the University of Montana.) The new high school was located at 1900 2nd Avenue South, and occupied four city blocks (between 2nd and 4th Avenues South, and 18th and 20th Streets South). However, some school board trustees wanted local bricks to be used, but these were much lighter in color. Since the manhole itself had been dug only two months earlier and no mining or construction company in the area reported any explosives missing, the discovery was even more mysterious. Great Falls High School included a gymnasium and a large football stadium west of the main entrance (which was on the west side of the long main north–south structure). The gym (known as Old Gym today) contained two underground lockerrooms and a hardwood basketball court surrounded by mezzanine seating that could accommodate 1,200 people. The stadium was named Memorial Stadium to honor those who fought and served in World War I. It featured concrete bleachers on the east side, clad in dark brick on their western face. A two-story brick building (which contained a meeting room for the home team during pre-game and half-time on the ground floor, and concessions and public restrooms on the second) occupied the northeast corner of the field (connected to the Old Gym by a tunnel), while an identical brick building (with no tunnel) occupied the southeast corner. Other tunnels ran beneath the building and then 1963 T-wing, providing maintenance staff with access to the electrical and steam heating system and capable of acting as nuclear fallout shelters. Four coal-fired boilers were installed in the basement. Although the school only needed two, the idea was that two would be used one year, and two the next—extending the life of the boilers much longer. The construction of the new Great Falls High School building proved fortuitous. The lack of a gymnasium and athletic facilities at the old Great Falls High School led to a student lawsuit against the school district. In McNair v. School District No. 1 of Cascade County (Mont.), the Montana Supreme Court held in 1930 that a gymnasium was a "necessary and essential part of a school plant". Had the new high school with its gymnasium and stadium not been built, the school district would have been forced to construct them. There have been a number of changes and additions to Great Falls High School since its initial construction. In 1954, the school district built an addition to the southern end of the high school, expanding facilities for choir, orchestra, and band. A 25 yard swimming pool, complete with warmup pool, classrooms, weight-training room, boys and girls lockerrooms, offices, sports training and conditioning rooms, and parking lot. In 1980, an all-weather, latex, six-lane running track was built around the football field inside Memorial Stadium. The study recommended building an addition to house classrooms and the construction of an elevator in the main building to give students access to science laboratory space on the structure's second and third floors. With the construction of Charles M. Russell High School in 1963, Memorial Stadium began to be shared by the two high schools. The stadium underwent significant renovations from 1999 to 2002. The fieldhouse pool underwent reconstruction in 1994 to replace its fiberglass lining. Cracks in the lining were discovered in February 1999 and patched. The school district appealed the decision on technical grounds, arguing that not all administrative remedies had been pursued. On June 7, 2001, the Montana State Supreme Court held against the school district and upheld the Human Rights Commission's decision. In 2003, Bison Fieldhouse was renamed R.W. "Bill" Swarthout Fieldhouse. Swarthout was a successful football coach at GFHS from 1948 to 1956, winning four state championships. He caught polio, recovered, and returned to GFHS as men's basketball coach (again winning several state titles). He was appointed principal at GFHS in 1957, and held that position until his retirement in 1983. Removable bleachers were also added to the east and west ends of the fieldhouse, expanding the capacity of the court. 2000s administrative turnover R.W. "Bill" Swarthout was principal at Great Falls High from 1957 to 1983, providing a remarkable 26 years of stability at the school. In 2004, the Great Falls Tribune called him "one of the most influential coaches and educators in the city's history." His successor was assistant principal William Salonen, who led the school from 1983 to 1988. Karol K. Johnson, former dean of students at C.M. Russell High, held the principal position from 1988 to 1990. Johnson's successor was former boys' basketball coach and assistant principal Gary Davis, who held the top job from 1990 to 1999. Davis' successor was assistant principal Tracy Clark. But Clark retired after just a year as principal, citing health reasons and the retirement of his wife (also a city public school teacher). C.M. Russell High School assistant principal Steve Henneberg was chosen to replace Clark in 2000. But Henneberg resigned in July 2001 after he and another man (who had accused Henneberg of having an affair with his wife) engaged in a public fistfight in a local bank parking lot. With just a month to go before the opening of school, the Great Falls Public Schools asked retired principal Gary Davis to take over as "interim principal" for a year while a national search for a new principal was made. Davis agreed. The rapid succession of principals was "destabilizing" the high school, the local press said. In 2002, Dr. Fred Anderson was appointed principal at Great Falls High School. Anderson, who has PhD in education administration, was principal for Custer County District High School in Miles City for 20 years. He remained principal as of the 2010–2011 school year. However, in May 2012, Great Falls Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Cheryl Crawley announced that Dr. Anderson would be transferred to take over as principal of North Middle School. North Middle School principal Jane Gregoire took over at GFHS. Also assigned to GFHS was associate principal Julie Tramelli. Gregoire retired at the end of the 2014–2015 school year, and assistant principal Heather Hoyer was named as her successor. ==Campus==

Campus description Great Falls High School is a modified Renaissance Revival structure, and the building and its campus were designed to imitate an Ivy League college. The west-side exit and staircase to the north of the main exit (adjacent to the Old Gym) is traditionally used only by juniors (the "Junior Stairs"). Bison logo, "GF" logo and "Rolling Thunder" Beginning in 1968, Great Falls High School began using a logo with the word "Bison" in the form of a bison. The logo was designed by then-student Daniel Clasby. In the fall of 1968, Clasby was lying in bed when the idea for a logo came to him. He spent several hours that night working on it, and then showed it to art teacher Don Walters. Walters heartily approved of it, and so did many of the school's athletes. A silk screen was made, and Clasby and his friends began making posters and T-shirts with the logo on it. The Bison Logo (seen in the infobox) was an immediate hit. In time, the logo was added to the front of the press box in Memorial Stadium, where it still existed as of 2015. Students from GFHS maintain a giant "GF" logo on the side of Hill 57 (near the intersection of Valley View Drive and 11th Street NW), which overlooks the city of Great Falls. The logo is composed of whitewashed stones, which GFHS students regularly repaint and keep in place. (The hill is named for city backer James J. Hill, and in the first three decades of the 20th century had the numbers "57" on it—an advertising gimmick for Heinz 57 food products.) In December 2009, First Interstate Bancorp donated a life-size, iron buffalo sculpture (titled "Rolling Thunder") to Great Falls High School. The sculpture had previously been on display at the bank's downtown Great Falls branch, but the bank donated the sculpture when the old branch closed and a new one (which could not accommodate the artwork) opened. The sculpture was installed in the main classroom building in the center of the hallway near the old main west entrance. Renovations In February 2010, Dr. Cheryl K. Crawley, Great Falls Public Schools Superintendent, established a task force to study the physical plant at GFHS. The task force's charge is to recommend improvements and changes to the buildings, grounds, and physical plant of the high school so that the school can continue to provide a high-quality education while remaining at near-capacity in terms of enrollment. requires students, faculty, staff, and the public to walk outdoors during winter weather to move between buildings (a safety hazard); does not integrate the South Campus with the Upper Campus; lacks an adequate HVAC system (particularly in moving fresh air into the interior, as well as moving air around inside the building); cannot accommodate high-bandwidth computer or phone lines; and has poor cell phone, television, and radio reception. School officials also say the Old Gym HVAC system is not functioning well, there are aging light fixtures throughout the building, and the hallways on the second and third floors are dark. GFPS officials proposed a $98 million bond levy to improve GFHS, C.M. Russell High School, and 20 of the city's elementary and middle schools. The proposal included $20.76 million in infrastructure improvements at GFHS, including construction of a "Hub" building containing career and technical education (CTE) classrooms; eight science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) classrooms; a modern and expanded cafeteria and dining space; an informal social and gathering space for students; two new main entrances to the school (replacing the existing main building and fieldhouse entrances). The Voters approved the high school levy on October 4, 2016, by 60.9 percent (11,341 to 7,187). The bond levy required GFPS to seek matching funds to replace 16 of the school's windows. In order to preserve the school's NRHP-protected status, architects had to design special window frames, making the cost of each window $5,000. On December 20, 2016, the GFHS Class of 1965 donated one window and the Student Council of 2015 and 2016 donated two windows. Additional funds were raised by the GFHS Class of 1995 and GFHS Class of 2015. Memorial Stadium By the late 1990s, Memorial Stadium was in serious disrepair. The stadium's seating and restroom facilities were not ADA-compliant, the sidewalk on the eastern side of the stadium and the concrete steps in the east side bleachers were crumbling from over-use, poor drainage had damaged the foundation of the east side bleachers so much that their structural integrity was at risk, concession areas were too small, and the meeting rooms for home and visitor football teams were plagued by small size as well as humidity, mold, and general disrepair from overuse. Following the study committee's report, the school board agreed to use a one-time refund on insurance premiums to pay for $575,000 in repairs at Memorial Stadium. These included east bleacher drainage improvements, east bleacher foundation and stairway improvements, and adding handicapped-accessible areas to both the east and west grandstands. Costs had actually decreased because an engineer's assessment came in lower than expected and an accounting error was discovered that removed double-counting of expenses. The track work contract came in 16 percent low, which enabled the school district to add improvements to the long-jump paths and pits as well. The contract for replacing the east bleachers, however, came in $95,000 high after contractors discovered that the existing drainage system was far more damaged than previously suspected. Work on the east bleachers was completed around November 2000, slightly behind schedule. These costs included replacement of the wood and fiberglass seating with aluminum chairs, and the addition of an aisle to the front of the lower bleachers. District officials approved the expenditure of $360,000 from the contract revenues to pay for west bleacher improvements. The building was officially listed as a national historic place on March 20, 2013. Architectural Digest magazine called Great Falls High School the most beautiful public school in Montana in 2017. Notable events at GFHS Several notable events have occurred at Great Falls High School. In 1943, famed jazz trumpet player Louis Armstrong and his band performed for the GFHS Senior Prom (held at the Great Falls Civic Center). On September 26, 1963, more than 20,000 people crowded into Memorial Stadium to listen to a speech about conservation by President John F. Kennedy. ==Curriculum==

School district policy and Great Falls High School require that students complete 23 credits for coursework to graduate. This includes four credits of English, three credits of social studies, three credits of mathematics, three credits of science, two credits of "health enhancement" (physical education and general health education), one credit of career or technical education, one credit of fine arts, a half-credit of computer literacy, and one credit of "sequential concentration" (e.g., an additional credit of either career/technical studies or fine arts, or two years of the same foreign language). GFHS also offers Advanced Placement courses, special college-level courses approved by the College Board which take a full year to complete but which supply the advanced student with a more challenging and high-quality education. The courses offered include Advanced Placement Biology, Advanced Placement Calculus, Advanced Placement English Literature and Composition, Advanced Placement Studio Art Drawing, Advanced Placement United States Government and Politics, and Advanced Placement United States History. Great Falls High also offers 12 "dual credit" courses, in which a student is granted college credit for courses taken at the high school. at Great Falls High School is slightly lower than the county average but above the state average. In 2005, GFHS's graduation and completion rate was 87.2 percent, while the same rate for all high schools in Cascade County (public and private) was 88.9 percent that year. For all high schools statewide in Montana in the same year, the graduation and completion rate was 84.8 percent. In 2010, GFHS had a dropout rate of 9.5 percent. But stronger efforts to keep students in school led to a significant improvement in 2011, when the dropout rate was just 5.2 percent (no longer the highest in the state). More recently, GFHS has had trouble meeting the "adequate yearly progress" (AYP) standards established by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB). Schools that miss AYP are put on a watch list. If a school misses AYP for a second consecutive year, the school is publicly labeled as being "in need of improvement." The school is then required to develop a two-year improvement plan for the subject(s) that the school is not teaching well. GFHS was forced to develop this plan for implementation in the 2007–2008 school year. Missing AYP in the third year forces the school to offer free tutoring and other supplemental education services to struggling students. GFHS was forced to offer these services in the 2009–2010 school year. If a school misses AYP for a fourth consecutive year, the school is publicly labeled as requiring "corrective action." Corrective actions could include wholesale replacement of staff, introduction of a new curriculum, or extending the amount of time students spend in class. GFHS was forced to implement corrective action in the 2010–2011 school year. If a school misses AYP for a fifth year, planning for restructuring is required. Common restructuring options include closing the school, turning the school into a charter school, hiring a private company to run the school, or asking the state office of education to directly run the school. If GFHS missed AYP in the 2011–2012 school year, the restructuring plan was supposed to be implemented in the 2012–2013 school year. The Montana Office of Public Instruction said on August 4 that the school missed AYP for the 2010–2011 school year. This did not affect Great Falls High school, however. The school had until September 13, 2011, to appeal its AYP test scores and meet AYP. ==Extracurricular activities==

Great Falls High School offers a wide variety of extracurricular opportunities for students. The Iniwa (a Piegan Blackfeet word meaning "bison") was the Great Falls High School student newspaper. It was founded in 1921, and originally named Hi-Life (because of Great Falls' proximity to the "Hi-Line" region across northern Montana). Over the years, the Hi-Life and Iniwa have won numerous journalism awards. In 2006 Iniwa editor Roman Stubbs was named Montana High School Journalist of the Year by the Montana Journalism Education Association. In 2009, the CSPA awarded the Iniwa second-place honors in the "general or humor commentary" category, third-place honors in the "entertainment reviews" category, and certificates of merit in the "single sports photograph color" and "sports page design: tabloid format color" categories. Also in 2009, Iniwa editor-in-chief Megan Gretch was named Montana High School Journalist of the year by the Montana Journalism Education Association. Additionally, Gretch was selected to represent the state of Montana at the 2009 Free Spirit Conference. This annual event started in 1999 and is funded by the Newseum Institute to honor Al Neuharth, the founder of USA Today, the Newseum, and the Freedom Forum. In 2010, Iniwa reporter Mary Koppy was named Montana High School Journalist of the Year, the newspaper given first place in the "Pacesetter" (given for all-around excellence) and "Newspaper Design" categories, and Iniwa staff honored in the categories of news writing and editorial cartooning. Group activities are common at GFHS. The Roundup, the annual yearbook jointly edited by students at GFHS, has been published since 1907. In 2001, it won a National Pacemaker Award (the "Pulitzer Prize of student journalism") from the National Scholastic Press Association. In addition to for-credit choirs, orchestra, symphonic band, concert band, and the Blue Notes jazz band, the high school offers students the opportunity to play in the Pep Band and the Bison Marching Band; play in the Chamber Orchestra; or sing in one of several choirs, including the Delphian Choir, Rhapsody Choir, Aeolian Choir, or Lyric Choir. In 2014, the Delphian Choir received second place in the prestigious American Prize in Choral Performance (high school/youth choir division). The school's theme song is Anchors Aweigh. It is not clear why this theme song was chosen by the school, but it was in use as early as 1924. Some speculate that the theme might have been chosen to honor a graduate who served in the United States Navy during World War I, or because the school colors are Navy blue and white. • State Champions: Class A - 1938, 1944, 1965; Class AA - 1956, 1962, 1976,1994, 1995, 2006 • State Runners-Up: Class A - 1935, 1939, 1947, 1951; Class AA - 1957, 1963, 1975,1977, 1984, 1998, 2021 Girls’ Basketball • State Champions: Class A - 1974; Class AA - 1980, 1981, 1982 • State Runners-Up: Class AA - 1979, 1984, 2016 Boys’ Cross Country • State Champions: Class AA - 1975, 1979, 2023 Girls’ Cross Country • State Champions: Class AA - 1975, 1977, 1985, 2000 Football • State Champions: No Classes - 1905, 1906*, 1925*; Class A - 1936; Class AA - 1948, 1949, 1954, 1965, 1966*, 1969, 1971, 1973, 1974, 1983, 1988 (* co-champion) • State Runners Up: No Classes - 1904, 1910, 1915, 1916, 1921, 1922; Class A - 1935, 1938; Class AA - 1939, 1946, 1967, 1968, 1972, 1985, 1989, 1990 Girls’ Tennis • Team Champions: 2009 (AA) • Individual Champions: 2009 (AA), 2010 (AA), 2013 (AA) Boys' Track and Field • Team Champions: No Classes - 1922, 1923, 1929; Class AA - 1962, 1965, 1967, 1968, 1970, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1989, 1990 Girls' Track and Field • Team Champions: Class AA - 1983, 1985 Boys' Wrestling • Team State Champions: Class AA - 1959, 1970, 1972, 1999, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2020* (* co-champion) • Individual State Champions: 46 ==Notable faculty and administrators==

Among the notable administrators, teachers, and staff who have worked at Great Falls High School are: • Fred Anderson, Principal, 2006 Journalism Education Association Administrator of the Year; AA 2012 Principal of the Year, member of the Montana House of Representatives ==Notable alumni==

• Dorothy Josephine Baker, also known as Big Dorothy, was an American madam in Helena, Montana, in the mid-20th century • Walt Coburn, Western author and "King of the Western Pulps" in the 1930s • Lin Sue Cooney, former reporter at KPNX-TV in Phoenix, Arizona • Garrison Courtney, former Chief of Public Affairs for the Drug Enforcement Administration • Monte Dolack, noted Montana artist • Richard Ford, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Independence Day • Jack Gillespie, professional basketball forward who led GFHS to a Montana high school basketball championship in 1964 • Reed Harris, college football wide receiver for the Boston College Eagles • Paul Hatfield, former United States Senator and U.S. District Court Judge • Kris Heppner, football placekicker for the Seattle Seahawks and Washington Redskins. • Joseph Kinsey Howard, author of the landmark study Montana: High, Wide, and Handsome • Ryan Lance, CEO of ConocoPhillips • Stump Mitchell, running back for the Phoenix Cardinals • Hal Moe, running back for the Chicago Cardinals • George Montgomery, actor • Dallas Neil, former punter and tight end for the Atlanta Falcons and the New York Jets • Kerry Porter, former running back for the Buffalo Bills, the Oakland Raiders and the Denver Broncos • Brian Salonen, tight end for the Dallas Cowboys • Dirk Sandefur, Associate Justice, Montana Supreme Court • Casey Schreiner, former State Representative, House Minority Leader 66th Montana Legislature, youngest House Democratic Leader in MT History. • Jaymee Sire, former ESPN sportscaster and current Food Network host • Corey Stapleton, Secretary of State of Montana • Ron Warzeka, defensive tackle for the Oakland Raiders. • Reggie Watts, comedian and musician. • Bruce Williamson, former President and chief executive officer, Dynegy energy company. • Bill Zadick, four-time state wrestling champion and NCAA national wrestling champion. • Mike Zadick, four-time state wrestling champion and Olympic wrestler. ==Educational foundation==

Great Falls High School is supported in part by the Bison Alumni Academic Foundation. The private foundation, which is not formally associated with the school, was founded in 2007 by GFHS alumni. Its mission is to raise funds for the school to enhance its academic excellence. ==Footnotes==