Hillsborough High School (Tampa, Florida) - History and Traditions

History and Traditions

Hillsborough High School is one of the South's oldest high schools. Although the school probably dates closer to 1880, a room over a Franklin Street livery stable in 1885 is recognized as the first location of the school. The first new HHS building was funded out of the savings from the general school fund. After the freeze of 1895, by careful management, money was saved and the first county high school was erected. At a contract price of $5,100 dollars, a well-planned, two-story wooden building with science laboratories, a library and an auditorium was built large enough to accommodate as many as 250 high school students. Once the first free standing HHS school location was out grown, a new home was sought, which is now referred to as the Old Hillsborough High School, to replace it, and was built in 1911 on a design by Wilson Potter of New York. It was expanded in 1923 according to designs by M. Leo Elliott. Hillsborough High School moved into its present day home, a gothic architectural design by Francis J. Kennard, which was completed and has been the school's home since 1928.

B.C. Graham, one of the first teachers was also the third principal, and the first graduating class of four students was in 1885, under Principal Graham. One of the oldest traditions is the wearing of red and black, the school's colors, every Friday to show spirit and unity. Hillsborough has many illustrious alumni, some of whom have served as State Attorney, senators, judges, state representatives, mayors, professional athletes, educators, scholars, and other professions. Among the many illustrious alumni is a Medal of Honor recipient, 1st Lt. Baldomero Lopez USMC, the first casualty of the Korean War.

Hillsborough produced the first high school newspaper in Florida in 1889, The Red & Black, and the first yearbook in Florida, "The Hillsborean", in 1911. In 1913 and 1914, Hillsborough's basketball and baseball teams defeated teams from the University of Florida and Southern College. In 1929, Hillsborough won the high school national football championship.

The alma mater, "The Red and Black", was written in 1923. In 1931, Hillsborough High became the first home of the University of Tampa, established by Frederic Spaulding in 1931 as Tampa Junior College. In 1933, University Of Tampa moved to its current home in the old Tampa Bay Hotel, now named Plant Hall. In 1949, HHS students purchased the clock for the clock tower, in honor of Hillsborough's veteran casualties in World War II. The names of Hillsborough alumni, who were killed in action during the war were placed on a plaque under the tower. The Terrier Creed was written by the Class of 1957; it received much publicity as the only one of its kind in the South. The bronze terrier that guards the trophy case was originally placed in the courtyard by the Class of 1958. The sacred "H" on the patio was dedicated in 1964 in honor of Mr. Hamilton, an assistant principal. HHS students from different graduating classes raised the funds, providing the stained glass windows in the auditorium in 1963.

Over the years, Hillsborough High School, garnered some nicknames. "Harvard on the Hill" stems partly from the fact that Hillsborough High School was built on one of the highest geographical elevations in Tampa, had graduated many illustrious people, and emulated many of Harvard's traditions with regard to its alma mater and school color scheme, a crimson shade of red and black, and the big letter H. Historically, the colors red and black represent heart and soul. Later, Hillsborough High also picked up the nickname "Peyton Place," probably sometime in the late 1960s or early 1970s, because the opening scene of the tower in the popular Peyton Place television soap opera somehow reminded some individuals of Hillsborough High's clock tower, and also because as one teacher put it, "it seemed there was always some sort of soap opera going on at the school."

On September 5, 1996, during a campaign for re-election, the 42nd U.S. President, Bill Clinton, spoke at Hillsborough High School about national education policy and "other" family issues, addressing students. President Clinton was originally scheduled to visit during the summer sessions, but had to cancel because of hurricane warnings. Student Council President Erica Allen, warmly greeted President Clinton, the two shook hands, and Erica received a hug from the President, just before Clinton's speech to the student body. HHS received national attention because of President Clinton's visit.

On Friday, August 31, 2007, the Hillsborough High School football team celebrated its 100th-anniversary season opener with a 43–20 victory over Jefferson High School at Chelo Huerta Field. The Hillsborough High football team began competing interscholastically in 1907. Football was the first competitive high school sport played in Florida. The five schools in the initial football league were Duval (Jacksonville), Hillsboro (Tampa), Ocala, Orlando and Summerlin Institute (Bartow). Of those five schools, only Hillsboro - now spelled Hillsborough - still exists today. The FHSAA -Florida High School Athletic Association was not formed until 1920.

Hillsborough High School was the first high school in the county to establish an Alumni Association. In 1985, during the 100th Anniversary of the school, HHS alumni came together and decided to form The Hillsborough High School Alumni Association. The HHSAA has created the Terrier Hall of Fame, which includes and recognizes prominent HHS alumni in all walks of life. Today, the HHS Alumni Association publishes the Terrier Talk newsletter four times per year, and has launched an HHSAA website. The HHSAA helps fund school improvement projects.

The rich history of Hillsborough High School has caused alumnus Lewis Rex Gordon, Class of 1984, who majored in history at the University of South Florida and who has been recognized as the "Hilsborean Historian", to write the first definitive History of Hillsborough High School, copyright 2011, ISBN 978-0-578-9450-2, published 2011, and sold through the Hillsborough High School Alumni Association, for the benefit of the HHSAA.