The oldest public high school west of the Mississippi has a complex legacy

Countries & Cities · Published 3 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Founded in 1856, San Francisco's Lowell High School is a powerhouse of academic achievement. Yet, behind its prestigious rankings and massive Advanced Placement program lies a turbulent history of shifting names, gender separation, and intense debates over its namesake's controversial views.

The origins of Lowell High School were fraught with legal and structural hurdles. In 1853, Superintendent Thomas J. Nevins proposed a dual institution consisting of a secondary school for boys and a seminary for girls. Although a resolution was passed on July 10, 1856, it was rescinded just six days later because a high school could not legally exist within the city's common school system. The institution eventually opened on August 25, 1856, as the Union Grammar School, operating out of the Wesleyan Methodist Church.

The school's identity has undergone several transformations. For a period following 1864, the boys and girls attended separate campuses. It was not until 1894 that the school was renamed to honor the poet James Russell Lowell, a change driven by board member Pelham W. Ames to reflect the increasing number of female students in college-preparative classes. More recently, the school faced scrutiny in 2020 when a committee considered renaming it due to the poet's documented racist views, though some supporters pointed to his abolitionist legacy.

Today, Lowell remains a high-performing pillar of the San Francisco Unified School District. It is recognized for its massive scale, offering 32 athletic teams across 27 sports and 100 active clubs. The school is a leader in rigorous academics, consistently ranking first in the Western Region for the volume of Advanced Placement exams administered. Its curriculum is designed for university readiness, meeting A-G requirements for UC and CSU admissions.

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