Rayen High School
The Rayen School | |
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Address | |
Cordova & Benita Aves. , Ohio 44504 United States | |
Information | |
School district | Youngstown City School District |
Grades | 9–12 |
Campus type | Urban |
Color(s) | Orange, Black |
Athletics conference | Youngstown City Series Steel Valley Conference |
Mascot | Tigers |
Website | Youngstown City Schools |
The Rayen School (also known as Rayen High School and colloquially as simply Rayen) was a public
Rayen closed permanently in June 2007, to make way for the opening of a consolidated East High School. The former Rayen building was scheduled for demolition, and the municipal school board announced that a middle school would be erected on the site.[1] The 87-year-old school building was razed, and although plans were made to build a middle school on the site, the plans were later abandoned because of declining enrollment.[3]
In the wake of this development, trustees of the Judge William Rayen Foundation publicly expressed concern that the Youngstown Board of Education would dispose of the 19th century structure that housed the original Rayen School. The board, however, denied that it had any plans to sell the building or move the school board to new offices.[3] In a February 2009 meeting, school board president Anthony Catale stated, "The Rayen building isn't going anywhere".[3]
History
A long-time fixture in the Youngstown City School District system, The Rayen School opened its doors to 40 students in September 1866.[2] Provisions for the school were made through a legacy of Colonel William Rayen, a judge and former military officer who fought in the War of 1812.[2] Rayen, who died in 1854, left a residual estate of $31,000, which he set aside for the establishment and maintenance of a secondary school. Rayen specified that the school should be free and open to students of all backgrounds.[1]
The original school building, which still stands at 120 W Wood Street, was built in the
The Rayen School, following its relocation, continued to operate on funds generated by the Rayen estate, which was managed by a board of trustees.[2] Rayen was widely admired for its rigorous academic standards and drew students from throughout Northeastern Ohio.[4] In the 1940s, the institution became popularly known as "The Rayen School".
During its lengthy history, Rayen was led by 19 principals and graduated more than 50,000 students.[2] Much of Rayen's colorful past was commemorated in a 65-foot (20 m)-long mural painted by Rayen art instructor John Benninger in the late 1950s.[5] The Rayen mural was removed from the former high school building for cleaning and restoration in 2007.[1] The restored mural was supposed to be installed at Rayen Middle School, a facility scheduled to be built on the site of the former high school.[6]
Although Rayen continued to maintain high academic standards, the school was adversely affected by trends that disrupted many other urban institutions. Beginning in the post-World War II era, urban depopulation and the decline of Youngstown's manufacturing sector contributed to challenges such as falling enrollment and reduced funding.[4]
Sports
Rayen's sports team competed as the Tigers. The school holds one
In addition, Rayen Stadium was the site of a significant development in
The stadium fell into disuse after 1982, with the completion of Youngstown State University's
In 2005, the Tigers went 7–3 to win their first Youngstown City Title since 1989 — when the Youngstown City Series still had five high schools. On September 30, 2006 Rayen hosted Akron East High School for the first game at Rayen Stadium in 24 years. The game also allowed alumni to have one last public tour of the school before it closed at the end of the 2006–2007 school year.
After much fundraising, the football stadium at Rayen was repaired and the field was named for Rayen alum Jack Antonucci, all prior to the 2012 football stadium.[9] The stadium had originally been built in 1924.
Notable alumni
- Doc Elliott, former NFL player[10]
- Billy Evans (1884 – 1956) – Hall of Fame umpire[11]
- Joe Flynn (1924 – 1974) – comedic actor[12]
- Eisenhower administration[13]
- major league baseball player and manager[14]
- Nick Nardacci, former NFL player[15]
- Craig Powell, former NFL player[16]
- Sebron Spivey, former NFL player[17]
- William R. Stewart (1864 – 1958) – 19th-century Ohio lawmaker[18]
- Omarosa Manigault Newman (1974 – ) – celebrated TV personality and Trump White House official
- Terry Taylor, former NFL player[19]
- Albert Warner, co-founder of Warner Bros. studio.[20]
References
- ^ a b c d e Gwin, Harold (January 12, 2007). "Mural removed for cleaning; restoration". The Vindicator. Retrieved July 12, 2019.
- ^ a b c d e f "Rayen School History". Rayen55.org. Retrieved 2007-03-06.
- ^ a b c Gwin, Harold (February 26, 2009). "Rayen building will stay, Youngstown board says". The Vindicator. p. B-1. Retrieved July 12, 2019.
- ^ a b Gatta, John Patrick (May 2007). "The Enduring Legacy of the Rayen School". The Metro Monthly. p. 8.
- ^ "Rayen's History Portrayed in School Mural". The Youngstown Vindicator. June 14, 1959.
- ^ Davidson, Christine (May 2007). "Group works to preserve historic Rayen mural for future generations". The Metro Monthly. p. 11.
- ^ Yappi. "Yappi Sports Basketball AA". Retrieved 2007-02-12.
- ^ Penalty Flag Accessed 2007-03-06 Archived February 8, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
- . Retrieved 2015-03-10.
- ^ "Doc Elliott". Retrieved January 30, 2019.
- The Youngstown Vindicator. January 24, 1956.
- The Youngstown Vindicator. July 20, 1974. p. 1.
- ^ "Roger Kyes, Ex‐Deputy Defense Secretary, Dies". The New York Times. Columbus, Ohio. February 15, 1971. p. 26. Retrieved January 3, 2019.
- ^
"McAleer Credited For Aiding Baseball". The Youngstown Vindicator. July 13, 1986. p. D-11.
- ^ "Nick Nardacci". Retrieved January 30, 2019.
- ^ "Craig Powell". Retrieved January 30, 2019.
- ^ "Sebron Spivey". Retrieved January 30, 2019.
- ^
"Birthday". The Youngstown Daily Vindicator. October 29, 1939. p. A-12.
- ^ "Terry Taylor". Retrieved January 30, 2019.
- JSTOR 1212951.