Hutchinson High School (Minnesota)

Hutchinson High School
Location
1200 Roberts Road Hutchinson, MN 55350 United States
Coordinates	44.8845°N 94.3930°W / 44.8845; -94.3930
Information
Type	Public High School
Established	1877
Superintendent	Daron Vander Heiden
Principal	Patrick Walsh
Grades	9–12
Enrollment	920 (9-12)
Campus type	Rural
Color(s)	Black and Yellow
Mascot	Tigers
Feeder schools	Hutchinson Middle School, Park Elementary School, West Elementary School
Website	isd423.org

Hutchinson Senior High School was founded in the fall of 1877 in the city of Hutchinson, Minnesota. The school boasts over 12,000 graduates since its inception. The first graduating class included Agnes and H. H. Bonniwell, and W. E. and Martha Harrington.

Today, HHS graduates anywhere from 200-240 graduates per year. This rate has held fairly steady for the past 50 years. The first class over 100 was in 1942 (110) and the first class of 200 students occurred 23 years later in 1965. The last graduating class under 200 was in 1992. Over that time, Hutchinson HS has had a remarkably stable population of between 800-1100 students. Currently, the enrollment of Hutchinson HS is above 900 and expects to be there through the near future. A new remodeled high school will debut during the 2017-2018 school year.

History

• The first HHS graduates were in 1878. High school education generally was exclusive to private tutoring prior to this.
• In 1881, the Hutchinson school district became one of the first to receive state money to provide high school study.
• In 1890, the Hutchinson school district had 529 pupils, while only graduating 4 students. High school education did not gain popularity until the turn of the century.
• In 1913, a Normal School was started. The normal school took place in the summer after graduation and allowed many people to become certified teachers in a six-week program. 50% of the graduating class went to the Normal school in 1915-17. The Normal School continued to operate until 1947. During this period, the teacher training school graduated 10-15 students yearly.
• The first documented valedictorian was E. R. Dennis in the Class of 1912. The practice of naming a valedictorian and salutatorian was ended by Principal Scot Douglas in 2000.

Graduation classes

Year	Grad#	Year	Grad#	Year	Grad#	Year	Grad#	Year	Grad#	Year	Grad#	Year	Grad#	Year	Grad#	Year	Grad#	Year	Grad#
1878	4	1897	16	1911	36	1925	65	1939	82	1953	104	1967	185	1981	213	1995	200	2009	221
1881	1	1898	14	1912	41	1926	51	1940	82	1954	95	1968	194	1982	216	1996	205	2010	234
1884	6	1899	18	1913	49	1927	53	1941	95	1955	104	1969	204	1983	214	1997	212	2011	212
1885	8	1900	16	1914	32	1928	56	1942	110	1956	115	1970	223	1984	195	1998	214	2012	203
1886	1	1901	24	1915	48	1929	47	1943	95	1957	100	1971	208	1985	187	1999	220	2013	204
1887	12	1902	29	1916	39	1930	66	1944	77	1958	129	1972	170	1986	192	2000	219	2014	219
1888	1	1903	35	1917	32	1931	54	1945	76	1959	120	1973	195	1987	201	2001	227	2015	238
1890	4	1904	39	1918	47	1932	71	1946	96	1960	142	1974	204	1988	226	2002	221	2016	208
1891	9	1905	48	1919	52	1933	56	1947	76	1961	152	1975	187	1989	197	2003	239	2017	206
1892	2	1906	33	1920	39	1934	62	1948	114	1962	156	1976	184	1990	219	2004	230	2018
1893	3	1907	32	1921	50	1935	62	1949	88	1963	146	1977	211	1991	170	2005	236	2019
1894	2	1908	33	1922	41	1936	65	1950	78	1964	172	1978	215	1992	190	2006	231	2020
1895	10	1909	23	1923	52	1937	67	1951	98	1965	200	1979	228	1993	206	2007	244	2021
1896	4	1910	37	1924	58	1938	64	1952	82	1966	184	1980	217	1994	210	2008	229	2022

Notable alumni

• Harlow "Bonnie" Bonniwell, Minnesota Legislator (1915-1935). Part of the first graduating class in 1878.
• Carlos Avery (1868-1930), first Commissioner of the Minnesota Game and Fish Commission. Namesake of the Carlos Avery State Wildlife Management Area. Class of 1887.
• John Zeleny, Class of 1888, BS Cambridge, University of MN Physicist 1906-1951, invented Zeleny Electroscope, President, American Physical Society, 1940
• Harold Popp, Minnesota Legislator (1958-1969). Pharmacist. Married popular teacher Winnifred Ruth in 1941. Both were killed in a car accident in 1969. Class of 1921
• Les Kouba, 1957–58 and 1967-68 Federal Duck Stamp winner and celebrated wildlife artist. Les was in the Class of 1935, but left school during his jr year to attend art school in Minneapolis. Les Kouba Art
• Colleen Gray, (née Delores Jensen) big screen actress from the 1940s and 1950s. Class of 1939. Graduated #3 in her class of 82.
• John Bernhagen, Minnesota Legislator, (1969-1992). Class of 1952. Graduated #12 in his class of 82.
• Greg Murtha, Football player at the University of Minnesota, played in the NFL in 1982 NFL Page
• Nate Swift, Record-setting receiver at Nebraska from 2005-2008, NFL Practice Squad player, Denver and Jacksonville (2009)
• Lydon Murtha, Offensive Tackle at Nebraska from 2005-2008, NFL Player with the Miami Dolphins
• Mitch Erickson, Offensive Guard at South Dakota State from 2004-2007, Pro football player from 2008-2012 in the NFL (Practice Squad) and CFL
• Other Hutchinson resident legislators.

Feeder schools

• Hutchinson Middle School
• Park Elementary
• West Elementary

External links

• Hutchinson High School