{{Use American English|date=September 2025}} {{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}} {{Infobox school | name = Archie Williams High School | logo = Archie Williams High School Logo Cropped 548x300.png | image = Archie Williams High School in 2024.jpg | other_name = High School 1327 | former_name = Sir Francis Drake High School | caption = | motto = | motto_translation = | address = 1327 Sir Francis Drake Boulevard | city = San Anselmo | state = California | zipcode = 94960 | coordinates = {{Coord|37|59|01|N|122|34|19|W|type:edu_region:US-CA_source:gnis|display=inline,title|notes=<ref>{{gnis|233178}}</ref>}} | website = {{official website|https://archiewilliams.tamdistrict.org/}} | school_number = CEEB Code: 052770 | school_board = | district = Tamalpais Union High School District | oversight = Western Association of Schools and Colleges,<br> Accrediting Commission for School | affiliation = | superintendent = Tara Taupier | trustee = | principal = Jacob Gran | principal_label = Principal | administrator = | fundingtype = Public | schooltype = comprehensive high school | grades = 9-12 | language = English | area = Upper Ross Valley and San Geronimo Valley, Marin County | communities = Fairfax, Forest Knolls, Lagunitas, Nicasio, San Anselmo, San Geronimo, and Woodacre | feeder_schools = Lagunitas School District<br> Nicasio School District<br>Ross Valley School District | campus = Suburban | mascot = Peregrine falcon | team_name = Falcons | colors = Green and White and Black<br>{{color box|green}}{{color box|white}}{{color box|black}} | established = | founded = 1951 | enrollment = 1,181 (2023–2024)<ref name=NCES>{{cite web|url=https://nces.ed.gov/ccd/schoolsearch/school_detail.asp?Search=1&DistrictID=0638790&ID=063879006525|title=Archie Williams High|publisher=National Center for Education Statistics|access-date=April 27, 2025}}</ref> | ratio = 18.52<ref name=NCES/> | teaching_staff = 63.78 (FTE)<ref name=NCES/> | grade9 = | grade10 = | grade11 = | grade12 = | grade13 = | other_grade_label = | other_grade_enrollment = | footnotes = }}

'''Archie Williams High School''' is a public secondary school located in San Anselmo, California. It is named after a former math and computing teacher Archie Williams, who was also a gold medalist in the 1936 Summer Olympics, a flight instructor with the Tuskegee Airmen, and one of the first African-American meteorologists.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://blog.ametsoc.org/news/a-meteorologist-who-changed-the-world/|title=A Meteorologist Who Changed the World|author=<!--Not stated--> |date=2015-02-06|website=The Front Page|publisher=American Meteorological Society|access-date=2021-05-09}}</ref> The school was originally named '''Sir Francis Drake High School''', after Francis Drake. However, it changed its name in 2021, after the George Floyd protests spurred a worldwide reexamination of place names and monuments connected to racism.

The school was established in 1951 as the second high school in the Tamalpais Union High School District. It is located at 1327 Sir Francis Drake Boulevard, situated on a 21-acre (85,000 m<sup>2</sup>) campus bordered by two creeks. The site was formerly known as Cordone Gardens.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web|title = History of Drake - DHS Handbook / History of Drake - DHS Handbook|url = http://www.tamdistrict.org/Domain/1112|website = www.tamdistrict.org|access-date = 2015-08-25|archive-date = September 24, 2015|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150924113027/http://www.tamdistrict.org/Domain/1112|url-status = dead}}</ref>

The graduation rate in 2015 was approximately 99%.<ref>{{cite web|title = Sir Francis Drake High School - San Anselmo, California - CA - School quality|url = http://www.greatschools.org/california/san-anselmo/3491-Sir-Francis-Drake-High-School/quality/#Footnotes|website = www.greatschools.org|access-date = 2015-06-27}}</ref>

== History == thumb|The school in 2011 with its former name Archie Williams High School was founded as Sir Francis Drake High School (aka '''Drake High School''') in 1951 to serve students in grades 9–12 from Corte Madera, Larkspur, Kentfield, Greenbrae, Ross, San Anselmo, Fairfax, Woodacre, Lagunitas, Forest Knolls, San Geronimo, and Nicasio. This was the second high school to be introduced into the Tamalpais Union High School District, the first being Tamalpais High School.<ref name=":3" /> In 1958, Redwood High School opened to accommodate students from Corte Madera, Larkspur, Kentfield, Ross, and Greenbrae.<ref name=":3" />

From 1971 until 1984, Drake High School operated a separate "School Within A School" (SWAS) within the pre-1950 Devonshire Hall, for students who wanted to explore alternative community-building, interactive, and experiential pedagogy. SWAS was a pioneer in developing such an alternative school within a public school system.<ref name=SWAS>{{cite book |last1=Allen |first1=Martha|author2=& the Students of SWAS |title=The Alternative: School Within A School |date=2016 |publisher=Balboa Press |isbn=978-1504361859 |pages=142 |url=https://www.balboapress.com/en/bookstore/bookdetails/741408-The-Alternative |access-date=11 April 2021}}</ref>

Between 1992 and 1995, Drake High School started a new program of small learning communities due to the poor performance of students, which was affecting the perception of the school.<ref name="SLCVideo">{{Citation | url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q9qQbOITb7M&t=1m54s |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211212/q9qQbOITb7M| archive-date=2021-12-12 |url-status=live| title=Small Learning Communities: A Documentary | date=December 15, 2014 | publisher=DHS Trek | access-date=2015-06-27}}{{cbignore}}</ref> Drake has received two state grants for these programs; one in 1996–1997 and the other being in 2000.<ref name=":3" /> There are now six Freshman-Sophomore Small Learning Communities (English and Social Studies pairings) and two Junior-Senior Academies (Team and SEA-DISC) after the closure of COMACAD.<ref>{{cite web|title = Academies / Academies Homepage|url = http://www.tamdistrict.org/domain/739|website = www.tamdistrict.org|access-date = 2015-06-27|archive-date = June 30, 2015|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150630103647/http://www.tamdistrict.org/domain/739|url-status = dead}}</ref>

During the protests against police brutality and racism that followed the murder of George Floyd, school officials initiated a process to consider changing the name of Sir Francis Drake High School, citing "the racist and violent acts of Francis Drake, a slave trader, slave owner, and colonizer, and the legacy of white supremacy he represents," and noting that "honoring such a person is counter to the values held by our community and counter to the lessons and values we wish our students and colleagues to learn."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://docs.google.com/document/d/1UA5SePs-8axEYJC89FugJb8z7XUZGXMeXChQpI0Or1g|title=Communication to Community|website=Google Docs|access-date=2021-05-09}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Marin School Board Votes To Rename Drake High After Beloved, Former Teacher Archie Williams |url=https://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2021/05/11/marin-school-board-votes-to-rename-drake-high-after-beloved-former-teacher-archie-williams/ |access-date=29 June 2021 |work=KPIX-TV |date=11 May 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1= Loades|first1= David|author-link1= David Loades|date= 2007|chapter= Drake, Francis (1540–1595) English seaman and circumnavigator|chapter-url=https://www.oxfordreference.com/view/10.1093/acref/9780195130751.001.0001/acref-9780195130751-e-0245|editor1-last= Hattendorf|editor1-first= John J.|editor1-link= John B. Hattendorf|title= The Oxford Encyclopedia of Maritime History|chapter-url-access= subscription|language= en-GB|location= Oxford|publisher= Oxford University Press|publication-date= 2007|isbn= 9780195307405}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1= Lane|first1= Kris E.|author-link1= Kris Lane|date= 1998|chapter= Smugglers, Pirates, and Privateers: The Elizabethans|chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/trent_0116405270582/page/32/|title= Pillaging the empire: piracy in the Americas, 1500-1750|language= en|location= Armonk, N.Y.|publisher= M.E. Sharpe|publication-date= 1998|isbn= 0-7656-0256-3}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1= Thrower|first1= Norman J. W.|date= 2007|chapter= Drake, Francis|chapter-url=https://www.oxfordreference.com/view/view/10.1093/acref/9780195149227.001.0001/acref-9780195149227-e-0201|editor1-last= Buisseret|editor1-first= David|title= The Oxford Companion to World Exploration|chapter-url-access= subscription|language= en-GB|location= Oxford|publisher= Oxford University Press|publication-date= 2007|isbn= 9780195307412}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=White|first=Richard|author-link=Richard White (historian)|date=2020|title=California Exposures|location=New York, N.Y.|publisher=W. W. Norton & Company|pages=1–31|isbn=978-0-393-24306-2|oclc=1102467481}}</ref> During the renaming process, the school adopted the temporary name "High School 1327", a reference to its address.<ref>{{cite news|last=Brenner|first=Keri|date=2020-09-23|title=Tam Union board: 'High School 1327' is temporary|url=https://www.marinij.com/2020/09/23/tam-union-board-high-school-1327-is-temporary/|access-date=2021-05-09|url-status=live|work=Marin Independent Journal|location=San Rafael, CA|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200925024330/https://www.marinij.com/2020/09/23/tam-union-board-high-school-1327-is-temporary/|archive-date=2020-09-25|language=en-US}}</ref> On May 6, 2021, an elected school committee composed of students, parents and staff voted to rename the school after former teacher and Olympic athlete Archie Williams.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Brenner |first1=Keri |title=Marin panel taps Olympic gold medalist, Tuskegee Airman Archie Williams for new high school name |url=https://www.mercurynews.com/2021/05/09/drake-panel-taps-archie-williams-for-new-high-school-name |access-date=29 June 2021 |work=The Mercury News |date=9 May 2021}}</ref> The Tamalpais United School District Board of Trustees unanimously approved the new name five days later.<ref>{{cite news |last=Brenner|first=Keri|date=2021-05-12|title=Tam Union board renames Drake school for Archie Williams|url=https://www.marinij.com/2021/05/12/tam-board-oks-archie-williams-for-new-drake-high-school-name/|url-status=live|work=Marin Independent Journal|location=San Rafael, CA|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210513054000/https://www.marinij.com/2021/05/12/tam-board-oks-archie-williams-for-new-drake-high-school-name/|archive-date=2021-05-13|access-date=2021-05-12}}</ref>

== School awards == In 1990, Archie Williams High School was designated as a Next Century School by RJR Nabisco Foundation for its "entrepreneurship in education."<ref name=":3" /><ref>{{Cite news|title = Nabisco Awards $9.7 Million in Grants to 15 Schools|url = https://www.nytimes.com/1991/04/17/education/nabisco-awards-9.7-million-in-grants-to-15-schools.html|newspaper = The New York Times|date = 1991-04-17|access-date = 2015-08-25|issn = 0362-4331}}</ref> It was one of 30 schools to receive this award.

In 1999, Archie Williams High School was designated as a California Distinguished School.<ref name=":3" /><ref>{{Cite web|title = 2009 Distinguished Middle and High Schools - California Distinguished Schools Program (CA Dept of Education)|url = http://www.cde.ca.gov/ta/sr/cs/disting2009.asp|website = www.cde.ca.gov|access-date = 2015-08-25|archive-date = 2015-09-01|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150901033748/http://www.cde.ca.gov/ta/sr/cs/disting2009.asp|url-status = dead}}</ref>

In 2003, Archie Williams was the first high school to be recognized has a Bay Area Green Business School for its environmental awareness around campus.<ref name=":3" /><ref>{{Cite web|title = ABAG Green Business Program|url = http://www.greenbiz.ca.gov/GreenGovAgencies.html|website = www.greenbiz.ca.gov|access-date = 2015-08-25|archive-date = 2015-09-24|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150924023606/http://www.greenbiz.ca.gov/GreenGovAgencies.html|url-status = dead}}</ref>

==Extracurricular activities==

=== Basketball === In 1982, both the boys' and girls' basketball teams took the state division II title. The boys' team returned to the states championship in 2014 but lost.<ref name=":3" />

=== ''The Pitch'' === The school newspaper, originally named the ''Jolly Roger'', is published almost every month. The 1986-87 edition was a winner of Columbia University’s Silver Crown Award for high school newspapers in 1988.<ref>[http://www.columbia.edu/cu/cspa/docs/contests-and-critiques/crown-awards/recipients/1988-scholastic-crown.html Columbia Scholastic Press Association, 1988 Scholastic Crown Recipients], accessed March 14, 2007 {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071213060034/http://www.columbia.edu/cu/cspa/docs/contests-and-critiques/crown-awards/recipients/1988-scholastic-crown.html |date=December 13, 2007 }}</ref> The ''Jolly Roger'' has been a regular recipient of the Medalist rating, given to the top 5% among high school newspapers in its class in United States.

Following the school's name change in 2021, the newspaper also changed its name from ''Jolly Roger'' to ''The Pitch''.<ref>{{citation |title=The Pitch|url=https://awhspitch.com/ |access-date=October 13, 2021 }}</ref>

=== Mountain biking club === The school's NICA NorCal League mountain bike team is notable for being one of the first in the nation and has won numerous regional and statewide competitions.<ref>{{cite web|title = About Drake MTB « Drake MTB Online|url = http://www.drakemtb.org/category/about-drake-mtb/|website = www.drakemtb.org|access-date = 2015-06-27|archive-date = 2015-06-25|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150625194040/http://www.drakemtb.org/category/about-drake-mtb/|url-status = dead}}</ref> The team is 11-time NorCal League champions (2004, 2006, 2009–2017) and eight-time California State champions (2009–2012, 2015–2018).<ref>{{cite web|title = Drake MTB Online|url = http://www.drakemtb.org/|website = www.drakemtb.org|access-date = 2021-10-13|archive-date = February 18, 2013|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130218082421/http://www.drakemtb.org/|url-status = dead}}</ref>

==Notable alumni== <!--Michael J. Whelan Emmy Award Producer HBO SPORTS & GOLF CHANNEL --> *Lance Acord, ('82) cinematographer *Lee Altenberg, ('75) theoretical biologist *Arj Barker, comedian *Garm Beall, ('76) film composer<ref>{{cite web |last1=Beall |first1=Garm |title=Garm Beall — IMDb |url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0063613/ |website=IMDb |publisher=Internet Movie Database |access-date=12 April 2021}}</ref> *Alex Bennett, radio broadcaster for Sirius XM Left *Joel Blum, Broadway actor and dancer, nominated for two Tony Awards<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/joel-blum-71254|title=Joel Blum – Broadway Cast & Staff &#124; IBDB|website=www.ibdb.com}}</ref> *Terry Bozzio, musician (Frank Zappa, Missing Persons, U.K.) *Scott Capurro, actor, comedian, author *Reggie Carolan, professional football player *Konrad Dryden, author *John Farey, ('73) musician<ref>{{cite web |last1=Farey |first1=John |title=The Pulsators Biographies |url=http://www.pulsators.com/pulsbio.htm |website=The Pulsators |access-date=12 April 2021}}</ref> *David Fierro, TV and film actor *Linda Gregg, ('61),<ref>{{cite news |title=Drake Junior Selected For Swedish Trip |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/30181808/drake_junior_selected_for_swedish_trip/ |access-date=2 April 2019 |work=Daily Independent Journal |date=23 Jan 1960}}</ref> poet<ref>{{cite news |last1=Genzlinger |first1=Neil |title=Linda Gregg, Poet of Taut, Vivid Verse, Is Dead at 76 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/27/obituaries/linda-gregg-dead.html |access-date=2 April 2019 |work=The New York Times |date=March 27, 2019}}</ref> *Erinn Hayes, actress known for ''Children's Hospital'' *Tessa Hulls, 2025 Pulitzer Prize winning graphic novelist and polymath *Steve Lavin, college basketball head coach and ESPN broadcaster *Jane Levy, ('07) actress from ABC comedy ''Suburgatory'' and NBC comedy Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist *Edward Neumeier, ('75) screenwriter of ''RoboCop'' and ''Starship Troopers'' *Alex Pribble, college basketball coach *Carole Real, ('75) playwright<ref>{{cite web |last1=Real |first1=Carole |title=Carole Real: Playwright/Screenwriter/Actor |url=https://carolereal.com/ |website=Carole Real |access-date=13 April 2021}}</ref> *Douglas Rosenberg, ('75) dance performance art and professor at the University of Wisconsin<ref>{{cite web |title=Faculty - UW ART |url=https://art.wisc.edu/people/faculty/# |website=University of Wisconsin |access-date=12 April 2021}}</ref> *Michael Rossmann, FSM activist and teacher<ref>[http://www.sfchroniclemarketplace.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/05/17/BASB10O523.DTL Michael Taylor, ''San Francisco Chronicle,'' May 17, 2008, "'60s activist Michael Rossman dies in Berkeley"], accessed May 24, 2008. {{webarchive |url=https://archive.today/20120128195020/http://www.sfchroniclemarketplace.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/05/17/BASB10O523.DTL |date=January 28, 2012 }}</ref> *Joe Ryan, pitcher for the Minnesota Twins<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.mlb.com/player/joe-ryan-657746 |title=Joe Ryan |author=<!--Not stated--> |website=MLB.com |publisher=MLB |access-date=3 September 2021 }}</ref> *Fiona O'Sullivan, professional soccer player *Jim Saia, college basketball head coach *Kirk R. Smith, ('63) climatologist, Nobel Prize recipient<ref>{{cite web |last1=Smith |first1=Kirk R. |title=Kirk R. Smith, Nobel Prize recipient and environmental health giant, dies at 73 |url=https://publichealth.berkeley.edu/news-media/school-news/kirk-r-smith-nobel-prize-recipient-and-environmental-health-giant-dies-at-73/ |website=Berkeley Public Health |date=18 June 2020 |publisher=University of California, Berkeley |access-date=12 April 2021}}</ref> *Scott Thunes, ('76) musician (Frank Zappa) *Margaret Torn, ('78) carbon geochemist at Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory<ref>{{cite web |last1=Torn |first1=Margaret |title=Earth & Environmental Sciences |url=https://eesa.lbl.gov/profiles/margaret-s-torn/ |website=Margaret S. Torn |publisher=Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory |access-date=12 April 2021}}</ref>{{citation needed|reason=the existing citation does not establish that Torn went to Archie Williams HS (though it would have been called Sir Francis Drake HS at the time of her enrollment|date=July 2021}} *Eric L. Weiss, ('76) emergency medicine professor at Stanford University<ref>{{cite web |last1=Weiss |first1=Eric |title=Eric Weiss Clinical Associate Professor, Emergency Medicine |url=https://profiles.stanford.edu/eric-leonard-weiss |website=Stanford Profiles |publisher=Stanford University |access-date=13 April 2021}}</ref> *Dylan ('16) and Quinn ('18) Woodhead, Olympic water polo players<sup>[https://usawaterpolo.org/sports/mens-water-polo/roster/dylan-woodhead/821 <nowiki>[35]</nowiki>] [https://usawaterpolo.org/sports/mens-water-polo/roster/quinn-woodhead/822 <nowiki>[36]</nowiki>]</sup> *Alex Zettl, ('74) physicist at Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nanotech-now.com/news.cgi?story_id=14842 |title=Thinking really small |date=2006-04-17 |publisher=Nanotechnology Now |access-date=July 11, 2009}}</ref>

== Notable faculty ==

* Archie Williams (May 1, 1915 – June 24, 1993), Math & Computers Teacher and Track Coach, 1936 Berlin Olympics 400-meter gold medalist, Fighter Pilot and Trainer in World War II

==References== {{Reflist}}

{{Portal bar|San Francisco Bay Area|Schools}}

{{Marin County, California Schools}}

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Category:High schools in Marin County, California Category:Public high schools in California Category:San Anselmo, California Category:1951 establishments in California Category:Educational institutions in the United States established in 1951 Category:Name changes due to the George Floyd protests