Walt Whitman High School (Maryland)
Public high school in Bethesda, Maryland, United States
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Walt Whitman High School is a public high school located in Bethesda, Maryland, United States. It is named after the 19th-century American poet Walt Whitman. The school serves grades 9-12 for the Montgomery County Public Schools system.
| Walt Whitman High School | |
|---|---|
| |
 | |
| Location | |
 | |
7100 Whittier Boulevard , Maryland 20817 United States 38°58′54″N 77°7′39″W | |
| Information | |
| Type | Public high school |
| Established | 1962 |
School district | Montgomery County Public Schools |
NCES District ID | 2400480[1] |
| CEEB code | 210271 |
NCES School ID | 240048000941[2] |
Principal | Gregory Miller |
Teaching staff | 116.80 FTE (2021-22)[2] |
| Grades | 9–12[2] |
| Gender | Co-educational |
| Enrollment | 2,018 (2022-23)[2] |
Student to teacher ratio | 17.28 (2022-23)[2] |
Campus type | Small city[2] |
| Colors | Black, white, and Columbia blue |
| Mascot | Vikings |
USNWR ranking | 104 (2021)[3] |
| Newspaper | The Black & White |
| Yearbook | Saga |
| Website | www |
History
The school opened in the fall of 1962 with 1,418 students. Designed by local architectural firm McLeod, Ferrara & Ensign, it was built on 17 levels, with a central courtyard and a geodesic dome for its gymnasium. A Ford Foundation grant underwrote the design and construction of the dome.[4][5]
In 1981, the school added a 1,176-seat auditorium. In 1992, the school demolished the geodesic dome and all other buildings except the auditorium, and constructed a new school building, which opened in the fall of 1993.[6][7]
In 2021, the school completed a 75,000 sq ft (7,000 m2) addition, including 18 new classrooms, which opened with the start of the 2021-22 school year.[8]
Academics
Whitman students average a score of 1312 on the SAT, averaging 654 on the verbal section and 659 on the math section.[9]
As of 2024, Whitman is the 2nd-ranked high school in Maryland and the 139th-ranked nationwide, according to U.S News and World Report.[10]
Extracurricular activities
The school has an active FIRST Robotics Competition team.[11]
Publications
The Black & White is the school's student-run newspaper. The National Scholastic Press Association Hall of Fame inducted the paper in 1991.[12] Whitman is also notable for having the country's only student-run psychology journal. The journal circulates to over 1,000 psych teachers around the country.[13]
Athletics
Whitman fields sports teams in the fall, winter, and spring. The school competes as the Vikings and is part of Montgomery County Public School sports.[14] The football field is named after long-time principal Jerome Marco.[15]
The school has won 11 soccer state championships, including two back-to-back titles in 2018-2019.[16] In 2021, the girls' soccer team won the state championship.[17]
In 2024, the girls' soccer team won their fourth-straight state championship.[18]
In 2026, the boys' wrestling team won their fourth state title. They won their first in 2005, followed by a three consecutive titles in 2024, 2025, and 2026.
In 2006, the boys' basketball team defeated Eleanor Roosevelt 39-38 to win the school's only state title.[19] That season, Whitman leading scorer Michael Gruner was named co-gazette player of the year alongside NBA superstar Kevin Durant.[20]
The boys' tennis team has also won state titles in 2009, 2014, and 2019.[21]
The girls' basketball team won the state title in 2026, 2016, and 1995.[22][23]
The school also has a rowing crew team that has made honorable wins in Regattas.
Rivalries
Whitman maintains rivalries with many of its neighboring schools. Its fiercest rival is Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School,[24] but Whitman is also rivals with Churchill and Walter Johnson.[25][26]
Areas Served
Notable alumni
- Yasmeen Abutaleb, journalist and New York Times best-selling author[28]
- Chris Anderson, journalist[citation needed]
- Charles L. Bennett, astrophysicist/cosmologist [citation needed]
- Chris Bliss, juggler/comedian[29]
- Andrea Carroll, operatic soprano[30]
- Alex Chappell, journalist[31]
- Kahane Cooperman, filmmaker[32]
- Anthony Dilweg, NFL quarterback[33]
- David Dobkin, director[34]
- Michael Dunn, NFL offensive lineman[35]
- Susan Dynner, filmmaker[citation needed]
- Michael Eisen, biologist[36]
- Andrew Feinberg, journalist[37]
- Debra Granik, filmmaker[citation needed]
- Mark Halperin, journalist[38]
- Pamela Harris, federal judge[39]
- Spike Jonze, filmmaker[40]
- Orde Kittrie, law professor[41]
- Ryan Kuehl, NFL defensive tackle[42]
- Brooke Lierman, Maryland Comptroller[43]
- Abby Meyers, WNBA player[44]
- Jon Miller, television executive[45]
- Melika Mohammadi, soccer player[46]
- David Moon, Maryland House of Delegates[47]
- Mark Moores, member of the New Mexico Senate[citation needed]
- David Nevins, television producer[48]
- Ashley Parker, journalist[49]
- Mi-Ai Parrish, journalist/publisher, media executive [citation needed]
- Eric Pierpoint, actor[50]
- Mark Pryor, U.S. Senator, Arkansas[51]
- Mitchell Rales, billionaire businessman[52]
- Steven Rales, billionaire businessman[53]
- Giuliana Rancic, television personality[54]
- Alexandra Robbins, author[55]
- Kate Seelye, reporter[citation needed]
- Dan Shanoff, sports journalist[56]
- Eric Steinberg, actor[57]
- Jeff Tremaine, filmmaker[58]
