Manuel Dominguez High School is a four-year public high school located in Compton, California. It is part of the Compton Unified School District. The school's current principal of instruction is Stephen Franklin, Ed.D., principal of operations is Alma Castro.
Name
Dominguez High School is named after Don Manuel Dominguez, a California rancher. Dominguez inherited from his father Jose Cristobal Dominguez over 75,000 acres which was originally granted to his father's uncle Juan Jose Dominguez by the King of Spain in 1784. The land holding covered an area that ran from Redondo Beach into the west, to Compton in the east and the harbor in the south. The rancho spread across a territory that comprises neighborhoods that are now Compton, Gardena, Carson, Redondo Beach, Torrance, Palos Verdes Estates, Lomita, Rolling Hills Estates, Rancho Palos Verdes, San Pedro, Wilmington, Harbor City, and part of Long Beach.
Extracurricular activities
Athletics
Dominguez is known for having one of the most outstanding football teams in Southern California. Their main rival is Lynwood High School. The football team was led by coach Willie Donerson and his son Keith Donerson for over thirty years. They are a part of the CIF Southern Section, and San Gabriel Valley League. The Dominguez Football team has produced many NCAA, and NFL football players such as Greg Townsend, Richard Sherman, Jeron Johnson, Bruce Walker and Chilo Rachal. The Dominguez basketball team is also among the best having produced NBA players such as Tyson Chandler, Dennis Johnson, Brandon Jennings, Cedric Ceballos and Tayshaun Prince.
Marching Band History
The Dominguez High School Red & Gold Soul Marching Band is described as "The Best Band in the Land!!!" They had performed at the Nickelodeon Kid's Choice Awards, Home Depot Battle of the Bands, Nike ads, Boost Mobile basketball tournaments, Major League Baseball Urban Youth Academy games and L.A. Sparks Season Openers.
Theatre
In 2000, educators Catherine Borek, Karen Greene and an all-student cast produced the first theatrical production to take place at Dominguez in over two decades. Their process of mounting the production of Thornton Wilder's Our Town is the subject of a 2002 documentary by Scott Hamilton Kennedy entitled OT: Our Town..
Notable alumni
- Hubie Brooks, Jr., former Major League Baseball player
- Kevin Burnett, former National Football League player
- Cedric Ceballos, former NBA basketball player
- Tyson Chandler, professional basketball player for the NBA's Phoenix Suns, NBA Champion for the 2010-11 Dallas Mavericks
- Travon Free, comedian, actor, writer, and former college basketball player
- Daren Gilbert, former NFL Player
- Jordan Hamilton, professional basketball player for the NBA's Houston Rockets
- Ray Holt, computer designer of the world's first microprocessor chip set for the US Navy F-14, the CADC
- Dr. Lynne A. Isbell, primatologist and professor, University of California, Davis. Author of the 2009 Harvard University Press book, "The Fruit, the Tree, and the Serpent: Why We See So Well"
- Brandon Jennings, professional basketball player for the NBA's Washington Wizards (transferred to Oak Hill Academy before graduating)
- Dennis Johnson former professional basketball player (Hall of Famer)
- Jeron Johnson, NFL player Washington Redskins, Super Bowl XLVIII champion for the Seattle Seahawks
- Rick Kiel, former Major League Baseball player
- Lyndie Kurt, former Major League Baseball player
- Ken Landreaux, former Major League Baseball player
- Lionel Larry USA Gold Medal 2009 IAAF World Championships 4x400 relay
- MC Ren (Lorenzo Patterson), member of the rap-group N.W.A
- Tim Mixon, professional football player
- Tayshaun Prince, professional basketball Last played for the NBA's Minnesota Timberwolves
- Chilo Rachal, professional NFL American Football Former player of the Chicago Bears
- Paul Rodriguez, stand-up comedian and actor
- Carl Johnson Jr, professional basketball player for the NBA's Los Angeles Lakers
- Richard Sherman, Super Bowl XLVIII champion for the Seattle Seahawks
- Greg Townsend, former NFL player
- Tweedy Bird Loc, rapper and Hus'la College alumni
- Bruce Walker, former NFL Player
- Lil Eazy-E, rapper and son of Eazy-E
References
External links
- Dominguez High School Library - http://sites.google.com/site/dominguezhslibrary/
- IMDB. OT: Our Town - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0334029/
- PBS. OT: Our Town - Our Town's Timeless Cross-Cultural Appeal - http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/masterpiece/americancollection/ourtown/ei_ot.html