Abraham Lincoln High School

Opened in 1878, Abraham Lincoln High School stands as a testament to time. It witnessed the birth of Los Angeles’s public education system. Abraham Lincoln High School wasn’t always the grand institution you see today. It began humbly as Avenue 21 Grammar School. By 1913, it evolved into an intermediate school, bursting at the seams with students. The school relocated to its current location. It expanded its curriculum to include high school grades, marking the true birth of Abraham Lincoln High School. The school’s early days were a mix of traditional classrooms and open-air learning. Students even studied under the trees on the hillside, now the school’s athletic field. Imagine learning algebra with the California sun on your face. The 1933 Long Beach earthquake brought devastation. The gymnasium, auditorium, music building, library, and English building all suffered damage. But from the rubble rose a renewed Abraham Lincoln High School, thanks to President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Works Progress Administration. The school we see today, with its distinctive 1940s architecture, is a product of that rebuilding effort. Abraham Lincoln High School isn’t just about bricks and mortar. It’s a crucible of social change. In the late 1960s, it became a focal point for the Chicano civil rights movement. Students, led by activist Sal Castro, organized walkouts to protest unequal educational opportunities. These protests were part of the East L.A. Blowouts, a pivotal moment in the fight for educational equality. Abraham Lincoln High School also boasts a rich legacy in academics and sports. Its Science Bowl team consistently ranks among the top contenders. The Academic Decathlon team pushes students to excel in diverse subjects. And in 2015, the baseball team made history by winning the CIF Los Angeles City Section Division II championship at Dodger Stadium. This was their second championship, the first dating back to 1935. Abraham Lincoln High School has educated generations of students, many of whom have achieved remarkable things. From actors like Rodolfo Acosta and Robert Young to writer Eldridge Cleaver and California Supreme Court Justice Carlos R. Moreno, its alumni have left their mark on the world. As you stand before Abraham Lincoln High School, you’re not just looking at a building. You’re looking at a living testament to history, resilience, and the pursuit of knowledge. It’s a place where young minds have been shaped for over a century. A place where the fight for equality echoed through the halls. And a place where the spirit of Abraham Lincoln, the school’s namesake, lives on.