Townsend Harris Hall
| Townsend Harris High School | |
|---|---|
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| Address | |
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149-11 Melbourne Ave. Flushing, Queens, New York 11367 United States |
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| Coordinates | 40°44′06″N 73°49′17″W / 40.735°N 73.8215°WCoordinates: 40°44′06″N 73°49′17″W / 40.735°N 73.8215°W |
| Information | |
| Type | Public (magnet) secondary |
| Established | 1904, refounded 1984 |
| Grades | 9–12 |
| Enrollment | 1108 |
| Color(s) | Crimson and gold |
| Mascot | Hawks/Turtles |
| Newspaper | The Classic The Phoenix |
| Yearbook | The Crimson and Gold |
| Website | www.thhs.qc.edu |
Townsend Harris High School is a public magnet high school for the humanities in the borough of Queens in New York City. Students and alumni often refer to themselves as "Harrisites." Townsend Harris consistently ranks as among the top 100 High Schools in the United States. Its most recent U.S. News and World Report ranking is #40 in the nation, and it was named #1 high school in New York City by the New York Post in 2010.
The school is named for Townsend Harris, who besides his many diplomatic accomplishments, had helped found the Free Academy of the City of New York, later to become City College, and was a strong proponent of free education. The Free Academy's introductory year gradually evolved and in 1904 became a full-fledged, 3-year high school, housed on three floors of what is now Baruch College This original incarnation, known as Townsend Harris Hall, survived until 1942 when it was closed by mayor Fiorello La Guardia. La Guardia's officially stated reason was budgetary concerns, but it has been suggested that he had ulterior motives.
Townsend Harris High School was refounded in 1984 thanks largely to the efforts of alumni of the original school, who had begun the process in 1980. The first principal was Malcolm Largmann, a former high school English teacher with a strong belief in a classically styled education who also handpicked the school's original faculty. The new school began life in a small building on Parsons Boulevard, originally intended as a temporary home until a permanent facility could be realized. In early 1995, the school moved into a new building located on the campus of Queens College.
Today, well over 10,000 students compete for approximately 270 seats in the freshman class each year based on their middle school grades, standardized test scores and even attendance records. Admission is available to all New York City residents in 8th grade. A minimum grade point average of 90 is required of all applicants to be considered for admission. Minimum standardized reading and math scores at the 90th percentile are also required (682 for reading and 713 for math).
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