Susan Miller Dorsey High School

History

The school opened in 1937 and enrolls an average of 2,400 students. It is located at 3537 Farmdale Avenue and Obama Boulevard in Baldwin Village, near the Farmdale station. The school colors are green and white; its mascots are the Dons (male) and Donnas (female). It was in the Los Angeles City High School District until 1961, when it merged into the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD).

The school was designed by architect Henry L. Gogerty. The school served as the filming location for the high school scenes in Steven Spielberg's 2022 semi-autobiographical film The Fabelmans.

Demographics

Dorsey High is one of the few predominantly African-American high schools in the LAUSD, with 55% of its students African American and 45% Latino.

Namesake

The school was named after Susan Miller Dorsey, the first female superintendent of the Los Angeles public school system. She was born in 1857 in Penn Yan, New York. She graduated from Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, New York in 1877. For a year she taught at Wilson College in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, returning to Vassar to teach Greek and Latin. In 1881, she married Baptist minister Patrick William Dorsey. Also in 1881, they moved to Los Angeles, where Patrick Dorsey became pastor of First Baptist Church at 6th Street and Broadway (then known as Fort Street).

In the early 1890s, her husband abandoned her, taking their son with him. Susan Dorsey taught at Los Angeles High School in 1896 eventually becoming the vice principal. By 1913, she was the assistant superintendent of schools and in 1920, she became superintendent, remaining in the position for nine years.

Athletics

The school has several athletic teams including wrestling, football, basketball, track & field, soccer, and tennis.

Football

Dorsey High School's football teams were Los Angeles City Football Champions in 1982, 1989, 1991, 1995, and 2001. Susan Miller Dorsey has the distinction of sending the fifth most football players to the National Football League (NFL) in the history of the NFL behind Long Beach Poly in Long Beach, California.

Basketball

In 1975, Dorsey's basketball team went undefeated until they lost in the Los Angeles city semi final game to Fremont (whom they had beaten in two regular season games). They rebounded in 1976 to win the city championship over Crenshaw High School in Los Angeles.

Notable alumni

Franklyn Ajaye (Class of 1967), stand-up comedian-actor

Billy Anderson, National Football League player

George "Sparky" Anderson (Class of Winter 1953), Major League Baseball Hall of Fame member, manager of the world champion Detroit Tigers and world champion Cincinnati Reds, second baseman with the Philadelphia Phillies and broadcaster for the Anaheim Angels

Sherman Augustus, actor, martial artist, and former NFL player

David Axelrod, composer, arranger, and producer

Ron Baxter, professional basketball player with the Continental Basketball Association

Jerome Boyd, NFL player

William Boyett, born in 1927, actor best known for appearing in TV law enforcement series including as Adam-12 and Highway Patrol

James "Jimmy" Bridges, actor, director, and producer

Leon Bridges, architect

Judge Joe Brown, judge and TV personality

Keith Browner Jr. (Class of 2006), NFL defensive end

Andrea Buchanan, professional tennis player

Beno Bryant, professional football player

Don Buford (Class of 1955), professional baseball player with the Chicago White Sox and Baltimore Orioles and on the coaching staff in the MLB