United States historic place
Overbrook High School is a public , four-year high school in Philadelphia , Pennsylvania .
School
Overbrook High School is designated by the School District of Philadelphia as Location #402, in the West Region. The building was built in 1926 and designed by Irwin T. Catharine . It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1986.[1]
Enrollment for 2020-2021 was 411 students in grades 9 through 12. African Americans make up 94% of the student population.[2] As of 2015, the school principal of Overbrook is Dr. Kahlila Johnson; Dr. Johnson graduated from Overbrook in 1989.[3]
Notable alumni
Overbook HS sign Overbrook is perhaps best known for its famous alumni, who include Wilt Chamberlain [4] and Will Smith .[5] [6] At least 11 Overbrook alumni have played in the NBA , and the school is ranked sixth in that respect.[6]
Len Barry , lead singer/songwriter, The Dovells [7]
Steve Baskerville , TV personality, former on-air weatherman for CBS station WBBM-TV in Chicago
John Blake Jr. , jazz violinist; minister [8]
Bill Bloom , songwriter/musician; Interfaith Minister
Guion Bluford , space-shuttle astronaut; first African-American in space[9]
Solomon Burke , soul singer [Attended briefly, but graduated from John Bartram High School ][citation needed ]
Bill Cash , Negro league stars, Baseball Hall of Famer
Wilt Chamberlain , former NBA player, ranked No. 5 All-Time by ESPN[10]
Tony Costner , former NBA player, European career
The Delfonics , R&B group[11]
Colman Domingo , Emmy and Tony award-winning stage, screen and TV actor[12]
Jon Drummond , Olympic track gold-medalist[13]
Ted Eisenberg , world record-holding breast surgeon[14]
Chaka Fattah , former U.S. Congressman (D-PA) and convicted felon[15]
Mike Gale , NBA/ABA player[16]
Bobb Goldsteinn , songwriter/producer; coined term "multimedia"[17]
Bryshere Y. Gray , actor on TV series Empire
The Last Emperor (Jamal Gray), rapper
Walt Hazzard (Mahdi Abdul-Rahmad) , NBA All-Star; UCLA All-American player and coach[18]
Rosetta Hightower , lead singer, The Orlons [7]
Wayne Hightower , NBA player; ABA All-star[19]
Wali Jones , NBA player
Jacob Landau , nationally recognized artist, teacher[20]
James Lassiter , film producer; partner in Overbrook Entertainment [21]
Rich Laurel , NBA player, European career
Hal Lear , NBA player[22]
Jeffrey Leonard , Major League Baseball player [23]
Lewis Lloyd , NBA player[24]
Andre McCarter , UCLA All -American basketball and 3-time NCAA champion; NBA player[25]
John H. Murphy III , publisher; head of the Afro-American newspaper
Deworski Odom , sprinter
Frank Piasecki , helicopter inventor; National Medal of Technology winner[26]
Catherine Pugh , former Mayor of Baltimore, forced to resign under pressure due to scandal [27] [28]
Marion Ramsey , film actress
Malik Rose , NBA player[6]
Merrill Reese , voice of NFL's Philadelphia Eagles
Johnny Sample , football player[29]
Dee Dee Sharp , singer[7]
Will Smith , Oscar-winning actor;[30] Grammy-winning rapper[5]
Willie L. Williams , former police commissioner, Philadelphia and Los Angeles[31]
Waverly B. Woodson Jr. (1922–2005), United States Army soldier[32]
Richard Yankowitz, record-setting high school basketball coach