{{Short description|Public school in Tacoma, Washington, US}} {{Use American English|date=September 2025}} {{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}} {{Infobox school | name = Stadium High School | image = Tacoma - Stadium High School 03A.jpg | image_size = 270px | caption = Main entrance in 2008 | address = 111 North E Street | city = [[Tacoma, Washington|Tacoma]] | state = [[Washington (state)|Washington]] | county = <!--Pierce--> | zipcode = <!-- 98403 --> | country = [[United States]] | coordinates = {{Coord|47.26623|N|122.44816|W|source:placeopedia|display=inline_title}} | district = [[Tacoma Public Schools]] | principal = Shannon Marshall | ceeb = 481395 | us_nces_school_id = {{NCES School ID|530870001502|school_name=Stadium|access_date=May 12, 2025|ref_name=NCES}} | schooltype = [[Public school (government funded)|Public]] | grades = 9–12 | campus_type = Closed | mascot = [[Tiger]] | nickname = Tigers | enrollment = 1,804 (2025-2026)<ref name=NCES/> | teaching_staff = 70.80 (FTE)<ref name=NCES/> | ratio = 22.73<ref name=NCES/> | colors = Royal blue and gold<br>{{color box|royalblue}} {{color box|gold}} <ref name=colors>{{Cite web|title=Stadium High School|url=https://wiaa.finalforms.com/state_schools/114928|access-date=2024-04-30|website=Washington Interscholastic Athletic Association|language=en-US}}</ref> | yearbook = Tahoma | newspaper = No newspaper | established = {{Start date and age|1906|09|06|br=yes}} | status = open | website = {{URL|https://www.tacomaschools.org/stadium/Pages/default.aspx}} }} '''Stadium High School''' is a public [[high school]] located in the [[Stadium District, Tacoma, Washington|Stadium District]] near downtown [[Tacoma, Washington]]. A [[historic landmark]], the original building opened as a school in 1906 after conversion of an uncompleted [[Hotel#Railway hotels|railway hotel]] project. [[Stadium Bowl|The eponymous stadium]] was added in 1910 in the adjacent gulch.
Within the [[Tacoma Public Schools]] (No. 10) district, the school's [[catchment area|attendance boundary]] includes [[Browns Point, Washington|Browns Point]] and [[Dash Point, Washington|Dash Point]].<ref name=PierceCountyschools>{{cite map |author=U.S. Census Bureau Geography Division |date=December 23, 2009 |title=2020 Census – School District Reference Map: Pierce County, WA |page=2 |scale=1:80,000 |url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/DC2020/PL20/st53_wa/schooldistrict_maps/c53053_pierce/DC20SD_C53053.pdf |publisher=U.S. Census Bureau |accessdate=July 20, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://maulfoster.maps.arcgis.com/apps/Embed/index.html?webmap=8bbc76cd3fda4cbda9929d39f3bc1abd&extent=-122.6276,47.1652,-122.2232,47.3079&home=true&zoom=true&previewImage=false&scale=true&legend=true&basemap_gallery=true&disable_scroll=false&theme=dark|title=School Boundaries|publisher=[[Tacoma Public Schools]]|accessdate=2022-08-04}}</ref>
==History== ===Opening=== [[File:Tacoma - Stadium High School 11.jpg|thumb|Stadium High School, 2014]]
The main building was constructed by architects [[Hewitt and Hewitt]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.klippert.com/Stadium/History.html |title=History of Stadium |access-date=2005-09-16 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150102054624/http://www.klippert.com/Stadium/History.html |archive-date=2015-01-02 }}</ref> for the [[Northern Pacific Railway]] and the Tacoma Land Company at what was then known as Blackwell Point. Construction began in 1891 with the intention of building a luxury hotel in [[Châteauesque]] style. The [[Panic of 1893]], however, brought construction to an abrupt halt when the Northern Pacific was faced with financial disaster. The unfinished building became a storage facility, with much of the building materials still inside. On October 11, 1898, the building was gutted by a massive fire. The walls remained standing, and the Northern Pacific began to dismantle the structure, removing some 40,000 of the unique Roman bricks manufactured by [[Gladding, McBean]] that would be used to construct train stations in [[Missoula, Montana]] ([[Missoula station (Northern Pacific Railway)|still in use]]) and [[Wallace, Idaho]] (now a museum).
The Tacoma School District purchased the gutted building on February 19, 1904, with the intent of turning it into a high school. The redesign and later renovations were planned by the school's architect, [[Frederick Heath (architect)|Frederick Heath]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.metroparkstacoma.org/page.php?id=486|title=Metro Parks Tacoma|work=metroparkstacoma.org|access-date=4 August 2015}}</ref> It was repaired and renovated into a school.<ref name=plaque>Plaque outside the school, May 22, 1992. Consulted 16 August 2008.</ref> Despite its extraordinary locale and design, on the inside it looks, feels, and operates like a typical American high school.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tacoma.k12.wa.us/sites/schools/stadium/Pages/default.aspx|title=Stadium High School|work=Tacoma Schools|access-date=4 August 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140105234853/http://www.tacoma.k12.wa.us/sites/schools/stadium/Pages/default.aspx|archive-date=2014-01-05|url-status=dead}}</ref>
The reconstructed building opened on September 10, 1906, as '''Tacoma High School'''. After the 1913 opening of [[Lincoln High School (Tacoma, Washington)|Lincoln High School]], the second in the Tacoma School District, Tacoma High School's name was changed to reference [[#Stadium|the adjacent stadium]].
===Stadium=== {{main|Stadium Bowl}} The stadium, also designed by Frederick Heath, dates from 1910 and is in a location once known as Old Woman's Gulch. It was originally much grander than it is today, with a [[seating capacity]] of 32,000. Among those who spoke there were [[Theodore Roosevelt]], [[Woodrow Wilson]], [[Warren G. Harding]], [[William Jennings Bryan]], and [[Billy Sunday]].<ref name=stadium-plaque>Plaque outside the stadium, May 28, 1993. Consulted 16 August 2008.</ref>
The stadium was originally built in 1909–1910 using [[steam shovel]]s and [[sluice|sluicing]] to move more than {{convert|180000|cuyd|m3}} down the edges of the gulch to create a flat playing field of {{convert|2.5|acre|m2}}. Wooden molds were built to cast [[concrete]] for 31 rows of stadium seating surrounding the playfield.<ref name=stadium-plaque /> The original structure exceeded what the soil could support. A restoration project in the 1970s had to sacrifice roughly half of the [[seating capacity]] because of instability. In 1981 a burst [[storm drain]] washed away the [[scoreboard]] and the bayward [[end zone]] of the [[American football|football]] field. This was followed by a further restoration allowing the stadium to reopen in 1985.<ref name=stadium-plaque />
===Later history=== Later additions included a circular lunchroom, an underground swimming pool, a science and industrial arts complex,<ref name=plaque /> a gymnasium, and a multi-story parking lot structure with [[tennis]] courts on the roof.
The school was the filming location for many of the scenes of the 1999 movie, ''[[10 Things I Hate About You]]''.
In 2005–2006 the school underwent a major renovation, seismic upgrade, historical restoration, and expansion. [[Bassetti Architects]] were the design architects, and Merrit Pardini Architects (later Krei Architecture) were the architects of record for this work.<ref>[http://www.bassettiarch.com/projects/stadiumhs.html Bassetti Architects] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101206033330/http://www.bassettiarch.com/projects/stadiumhs.html |date=December 6, 2010 }}</ref> During the renovation, students were temporarily relocated to the old site of [[Mount Tahoma High School]] in the south end, just over {{convert|7|mi|km}} away.
The [[centennial]] celebration of Stadium High School was held on September 16, 2006. The celebration was attended by 3,299 alumni, setting a [[Guinness World Records|Guinness World Record]] for the largest recorded [[school reunion]].<ref>[http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/records-3000/largest-school-reunion/ Guinness World Records] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141107014947/http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/records-3000/largest-school-reunion/ |date=November 7, 2014 }}</ref>
{{wide image|Tacoma - Stadium High School pano 01.jpg|1000px|A panorama of the high school and the eponymous [[Stadium Bowl|stadium]], with [[Commencement Bay]] in the background (2008)}}
== Filmography == Stadium High School was used as a filming location for the popular 1999 teen film ''[[10 Things I Hate About You]]''.
*''[[10 Things I Hate About You]]'' (1999) *''[[I Love You to Death]]'' (1990)
== Notable alumni== [[File:Cantor Angela Warnick Buchdahl (8575188810) (cropped).jpg|thumb|180px|Rabbi [[Angela Warnick Buchdahl]]]] [[File:Ray Seales.jpg|thumb|180px|[[Sugar Ray Seales]]]] *[[Bill Baarsma]], 1960, Tacoma mayor<ref name="grads">{{cite news|url=http://www.thenewstribune.com/2006/09/09/368420/some-famous-and-notable-graduates.html|title=Some famous and notable graduates|publisher=[[The News Tribune]] (Tacoma, WA)|date=September 9, 2006}}</ref> *[[Sam Baker (kicker)|Sam Baker]], former [[National Football League|NFL]] [[Pro Bowl]] player; transferred after his junior year<ref>{{cite web|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1314&dat=19521022&id=3JspAAAAIBAJ&sjid=A-YDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4030,2060754&hl=en|title=The Spokesman-Review – Google News Archive Search|work=google.com|access-date=4 August 2015}}</ref> *[[Bruce Bennett]] (b. Herman Brix) 1924, Olympic shot-put medalist and Hollywood actor<ref name="grads"/> *[[Rosemarie Bowe]], 1950, actress, wife of [[Robert Stack]]<ref name="kct">{{cite news|title=Approve Starlet's Pact|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/8443911/the_kansas_city_times/|work=The Kansas City Times|agency=Associated Press|date=June 18, 1952|location=Missouri, Kansas City|page=28|via = [[Newspapers.com]]|access-date = January 18, 2017}} {{Open access}}</ref> * [[Angela Warnick Buchdahl]] (born 1972), rabbi *[[Cathryn Damon]], 1947, stage, TV and film actress<ref name="grads"/> *[[R. N. DeArmond]], author, historian{{Citation needed|date=March 2009}} *[[Jeff Durgan]], professional soccer player (retired){{Citation needed|date=March 2009}} *[[James Fuller (American football)|James Fuller]], former NFL player *[[Evan Hunziker]], man who spent three months in North Korean custody for illegally entering the country<ref name="ST19961219">{{Cite news|title=Former Captive's Life Troubled|date=1996-12-19|access-date=2009-06-08|periodical=Seattle Times|url=https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/19961219/2365863/former-captives-life-troubled|last=Eng|first=Lily<!--None-->}}</ref> *[[Josh Keyes]], artist *[[Edward LaChapelle]], [[avalanche]] researcher{{Citation needed|date=March 2009}} *[[Al Libke]], former [[MLB]] player ([[Cincinnati Reds]]) *[[Cliff Marker]], former [[NFL]] player<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.nfl.com/players/cliffmarker/profile?id=MAR205871|title=Cliff Marker|website=NFL.com|language=en|access-date=2019-11-10}}</ref> *[[Vicci Martinez]], acoustic-rock singer/songwriter{{Citation needed|date=March 2009}} *[[Marjie Millar]] (b. Marjie Miller), 1949, TV and movie actress<ref name="grads"/> *[[Murray Morgan]] *[[Gordon Naccarato]], 1972, restaurateur *[[Eric T. Olson]], 1969, admiral and commander of U.S. Special Operations Command <ref name="grads"/> *[[Janis Paige]] (b. Donna Mae Jaden), 1940, film and theater actress<ref name="grads"/> *[[Dixy Lee Ray]], 1933, chair of federal Atomic Energy Commission, [[Governor of Washington]]<ref name="grads"/> *[[Debbie Regala]], 1963, State Senator, District 27 – D<ref name="grads"/> *[[Irv Robbins]], 1935?, co-founder of [[Baskin-Robbins]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thenewstribune.com/261/story/354060.html|title=Ice cream pioneer Irvine Robbins got start in Tacoma|first=C.R.|last=Roberts|date=2008-05-07|access-date=2008-05-12|work=The News Tribune}} {{Dead link|date=October 2010|bot=H3llBot}}</ref> *[[Albert Rosellini]], 1927, attorney, civic leader, governor of Washington<ref name="grads"/> *[[James Sargent Russell]], 1918, admiral, commander of NATO forces in Europe<ref name="grads"/> *[[Robert McCawley Short]], 1925, aviator<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.thenewstribune.com/news/local/article211946024.html|last=Sailor|first=Craig|title=China's American hero pilot honored at Stadium High Memorial Day ceremony|newspaper=[[The News Tribune]]|date=2018-05-25|access-date=2019-01-02}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Stadium High School Filming Locations |url=https://www.imdb.com/search/title/?locations=Stadium%20high%20School%2C%20Tacoma%2C%20Washington%2C%20USA&ref_=ttloc_loc_1 |publisher=IMDb}}</ref> *[[Sugar Ray Seales]], 1971, boxer, 1972 Olympic gold medalist and professional prizefighter<ref name="grads"/> *[[Doug Sisk]], former MLB player ([[New York Mets]], [[Baltimore Orioles]], [[Atlanta Braves]]) *[[Jeff Stock]], professional soccer player{{Citation needed|date=March 2009}} *[[Jack Tuell]], 1940, author and bishop in the United Methodist Church
==References== {{Reflist}}
== External links == {{Commons category}} * [https://web.archive.org/web/20121005031657/http://www.tacoma.k12.wa.us/sites/schools/stadium/Pages/default.aspx Stadium High School official site]
{{WIAA West Central District 3|A|4A}}
{{authority control}}
[[Category:North Tacoma, Washington]] [[Category:High schools in Pierce County, Washington]] [[Category:Schools in Tacoma, Washington]] [[Category:Frederick Heath buildings]] [[Category:Public high schools in Washington (state)]] [[Category:Educational institutions established in 1906]] [[Category:1906 establishments in Washington (state)]]