FJ Reitz High School

Not to be confused with Reitz Memorial High School.

High school in Evansville, IN

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|

Francis Joseph Reitz High School

Address

350 Dreier Boulevard

Evansville

Indiana

47712

United States

Coordinates| 37°58′24″N 87°36′21″W﻿ / ﻿37.9732°N 87.605904°W﻿ / 37.9732; -87.605904
Information
Other names|

* Evansville Reitz High School
* Reitz High School

Type| Public
Established| September 1918; 105 years ago (1918-09)
School district| Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation
CEEB code| 150960
Principal| Jeff Dierlam
Teaching staff| 136.37 (FTE)[1]
Grades| 9-12
Enrollment| 1,249 (2019-20)[1]
Student to teacher ratio| 9.16[1]
Campus type| Urban
Color(s)| Navy and Gray
Athletics conference| Southern Indiana Athletic Conference
Nickname| Panthers
Rival| Mater Dei High School
Newspaper| The Mirror[2]
Yearbook| Reflections[3]
Website| www.evscschools.com/reitz

Francis Joseph Reitz High School (FJ Reitz High School, FJ Reitz, or simply Reitz) is a public high school on the west side of Evansville, Indiana. It was founded in 1918 following a donation from local philanthropist and banker Francis Joseph Reitz, for whom the school is named. It is the second-oldest high school in the city after Evansville Central High School and is run by the Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation.

It is known as Evansville Reitz by the Indiana High School Athletic Association to distinguish it from Reitz Memorial High School, also named in FJ Reitz's honor. Memorial is a private Roman Catholic school operated by the Diocese of Evansville.

## History[edit]

### Early history and namesake[edit]

In the early 1900s, the only high school in the city was Evansville High School, which was located downtown. This was problematic for the city's west side residents, as it was too far away to be financially practical.[4] The school board agreed to purchase land on the west side on Forest Hill, then also known as Coal Mine Hill and today known as Reitz Hill. However, economic issues stemming from World War I made the project impractical. Before the project was abandoned, local banker Francis Joseph Reitz generously agreed to fund the entire issue through the sale of bonds.[4]

Francis Joseph Reitz c.1920s, the school's namesake. The school after its completion.

### Beginnings[edit]

The cornerstone was laid on November 3, 1917, with the ceremony being presided over by mayor Benjamin Bosse. The original two-story and basement building was opened in September 1918.[4] Evansville High School was renamed Evansville Central to reflect the opening of the new school. Reitz graduated its first senior class in 1921. That same year, the 10,000-seat (now 12,000-seat) Reitz Football Stadium (locally known as the Reitz Bowl) was completed on the side of a natural slope next to the school.[5]

### Expansions[edit]

In 1926 the school was expanded for the first time, with a four-story classroom building and gymnasium being added in the style of the original building to its west end.[4] In 1956 a new section containing many new specialty rooms was added which destroyed its original entrance, and in 1957 a five-story classroom wing and a larger gymnasium were added. Also in 1957, an auditorium was added that connected to the Reitz Bowl press box, creating a tunnel (known simply as "the tunnel" by students) where concessions are sold during home athletic events.[4] In 1973 a greenhouse was added, as well as an electric scoreboard for the Reitz Bowl that was donated by the West Side Nut Club.[5] In 1977 an automobile driving range was added off-campus at the nearby Barker Avenue Sports Complex to accommodate the Indiana Driver's Education Department; the driving range is now the practice lot for the school's marching band. In 1988 a fieldhouse was added along with weight training facilities.[5] In 1998 another building (the "new building" as it is called by the students) was added to the school; it is connected to the old building via an elevated passageway known as "the link" that now serves as the school's main entrance. At the same time, the school received a $26 million renovation.[4] In 2009 the football field was replaced with AstroTurf and dedicated the Herman Byers field, Reitz's head football coach from 1942–1962 who accumulated a 189–51–15 record and 6 state championships.[5]

### School colors[edit]

The school's original colors were purple and gold. They were changed to navy and gray in 1926 when the school's football jerseys were received in navy and gray. Following a student vote they become the official colors.[6] It is often incorrectly assumed that the colors were given to Lincoln High School (an African-American school at the time, which was later merged into Bosse High School) and changed to navy and gray as the school sits on the Mason–Dixon line, the traditional boundary between slave states and free states.[6]

## Academics[edit]

13 AP courses are offered at Reitz.[7]

## Demographics[edit]

The demographic breakdown of the 1,299 students enrolled in 2015–2016 was:

* Male - 49.7%
* Female - 50.3%
* Native American/Alaskan - >0.1%
* Asian/Pacific islanders - 1.3%
* Black - 4.2%
* Hispanic - 1.5%
* White - 87.3%
* Multiracial - 5.7%

40.3% of the students were eligible for free or reduced-cost lunch. FJ Reitz was a Title I school in 2015–2016.[8]

## Sports[edit]

See also: Sports in Evansville

Reitz Panthers compete in the Southern Indiana Athletic Conference. The school colors are navy and gray. The school's fight song, RHS Boys/Girls, is sung to the tune of On, Wisconsin! "Mighty Panthers" is another popular school song and is played following RHS Boys/Girls by the band. The following IHSAA sanctioned sports are offered:[9]

* Baseball (boys')
* Basketball (boys' and girls')
* Girls' state champion - 1981[10]
* Cross country (boys' and girls')
* Football (boys')
* State champions - 2007, 2009[10]
* Golf (boys' and girls')
* Soccer (boys & girls)
* Softball (girls)
* Swimming (boys' and girls')
* Tennis (boys' and girls')
* Track (boys' and girls')
* Volleyball (girls')
* Wrestling (boys' and girls')

## Feeder schools[edit]

* Perry Heights Middle School
* Daniel Wertz Elementary School
* West Terrace Elementary School
* Helfrich Park STEM Academy
* Cynthia Heights Elementary School
* Tekoppel Elementary School

## Notable alumni and faculty[edit]

* Matthew Alan, actor
* Jay Buente, baseball player, pitched for the Purdue University Boilermakers, the Florida Marlins and the Tampa Bay Rays
* Rudy Charles, Total Nonstop Action Wrestling senior referee
* Brian Claybourn, former American football punter and placekicker at Western Kentucky University, and later a player with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the Canadian Football League
* Elijah Dunham, baseball player
* Bob Hamilton, professional golfer; 1944 PGA Championship winner
* Don Hansen, played football at Illinois and for 11 seasons in the NFL
* Lilly King, swimmer, gold medalist at 2016 Summer Olympics
* Khristian Lander, Indiana Hoosiers men's basketball and Western Kentucky Hilltoppers men's basketball player
* Paul Musgrave, expert in American foreign policy matters
* Dru Smith, former Evansville Purple Aces men's basketball and Missouri Tigers men's basketball player, current Miami Heat player.
* Matt Williams, producer of The Cosby Show, Home Improvement, and Roseanne

## See also[edit]

* List of high schools in Indiana

## References[edit]

1. ^ a b c "Francis Joseph Reitz High School". National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved August 5, 2021.
2. ^ Francis Joseph Reitz High School (Evansville, Ind.). "The F.J. Reitz High School mirror". The F.J. Reitz High School Mirror. OCLC 69341417.
3. ^ "Indiana Memory: Reitz 2004 High School Yearbook". digital.library.in.gov. Retrieved 2018-07-20.
4. ^ a b c d e f "History". reitz.evscschools.com. Retrieved 2023-03-07.
5. ^ a b c d "Reitz Bowl". 2013-03-23. Retrieved 2023-03-07.
6. ^ a b "F.J. Reitz High School History Blog: The True Story of Reitz's School Colors". F.J. Reitz High School History Blog. Retrieved 2023-03-07.
7. ^ "F.J. Reitz High School: Advanced Placement (AP) Course Listings". edlinesites.net. Retrieved 12 June 2016.
8. ^ "Search for Public Schools - School Detail for Francis Joseph Reitz High Sch". ed.gov. Retrieved 2 November 2017.
9. ^ "IHSAA 2014-2015 School directory" (pdf). ihsaa.org. IHSAA. p. 51. Retrieved 29 August 2015.
10. ^ a b "IHSAA State Championships by School". ihsaa.org. Archived from the original on 13 September 2016. Retrieved 2 November 2017.

## External links[edit]

* Official website

* v
* t
* e

Vanderburgh County High Schools

Evansville Vanderburgh
School Corporation (EVSC)|

* Benjamin Bosse High School
* Central High School
* William Henry Harrison High School
* North High School
* Francis Joseph Reitz High School

Roman Catholic
Diocese of Evansville|

* Mater Dei High School
* Francis Joseph Reitz Memorial High School

Private High Schools|

* Evansville Christian School
* Evansville Day School

Charter Schools|

* Signature School
* Southern Indiana Career & Technical Center

Closed Schools|

* Evansville Lincoln
* Evansville Rex Mundi

* v
* t
* e

Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation (EVSC)

High Schools|

* Benjamin Bosse High School
* Central High School
* William Henry Harrison High School
* North High School
* Francis Joseph Reitz High School

Middle Schools|

* Evans Middle School
* Glenwood Middle School
* Harwood Middle School
* Helfrich Park Middle School
* McGary Middle School
* Oak Hill Middle School
* Perry Heights Middle School
* Plaza Park Middle School
* Thompkins Middle School
* Washington Middle School

Elementary Schools|

* Caze Elementary School
* Cedar Hall Elementary School
* Culver Elementary School
* Cynthia Heights Elementary School
* Daniel Wertz Elementary School
* Delaware Elementary School
* Dexter Elementary School
* Fairlawn Elementary School
* Harper Elementary School
* Hebron Elementary School
* Highland Elementary School
* Howard Roosa Elementary School
* Lincoln Elementary School
* Lodge Elementary School
* Scott Elementary School
* Stockwell Elementary School
* Stringtown Elementary School
* Tekoppel Elementary School
* Vogel Elementary School
* West Terrace Elementary School

Charter Schools|

* Signature School
* Southern Indiana Career & Technical Center

* v
* t
* e

Education in Southwestern Indiana

Daviess County (14) (4)|

| School Districts:|

* Barr-Reeve Community Schools
* North Daviess Community Schools
* Washington Community Schools

|

Public High Schools:|

* Barr-Reeve (Vikings)
* North Daviess (Cougars)
* Washington (Hatchets)

Private High Schools:|

* Washington Catholic (Cardinals)

Dubois County (19) (4)|

| School Districts:|

* Greater Jasper Consolidated Schools
* Northeast Dubois School Corporation
* Southeast Dubois School Corporation
* Southwest Dubois School Corporation

|

High Schools:|

* Forest Park (Rangers)
* Jasper (Wildcats)
* Northeast Dubois (Jeeps)
* Southridge (Raiders)

Closed:|

* Jasper John Paul (Ravens)

Gibson County (26) (3)|

| School Districts:|

* East Gibson School Corporation
* North Gibson School Corporation
* South Gibson School Corporation

|

High Schools:|

* Gibson Southern (Titans)
* Princeton Community (Tigers)
* Wood Memorial (Trojans)

Knox County (42) (4)|

| School Districts:|

* North Knox School Corporation
* South Knox School Corporation
* Vincennes Community School Corporation

|

Public High Schools:|

* North Knox (Warriors)
* South Knox (Spartans)
* Vincennes Lincoln (Alices)

Private High Schools:|

* Vincennes Rivet (Patriots)

Martin County (51) (2)|

| School Districts:|

* Loogootee Community School Corporation
* Shoals Community School Corporation

|

High schools:|

* Loogootee (Lions)
* Shoals (Jug Rox)

Perry County (62) (3)|

| School Districts:|

* Cannelton City Schools
* Perry Central School Corporation
* Tell City-Troy Twp. School Corporation

|

High Schools:|

* Cannelton (Bulldogs)
* Perry Central (Commodores)
* Tell City (Marksmen)

Pike County (63) (1)|

| School District:|

* Pike County School Corporation

|

High School:|

* Pike Central (Chargers)

Posey County (65) (2)|

| School Districts:|

* M.S.D. Mt. Vernon & South Posey
* M.S.D. North Posey

|

High Schools:|

* Mt. Vernon (Wildcats)
* North Posey (Vikings)

Closed:|

* New Harmony (Rappites)

Spencer County (74) (2)|

| School Districts:|

* North Spencer School Corporation
* South Spencer School Corporation

|

High Schools:|

* Heritage Hills (Patriots)
* South Spencer (Rebels)

Closed:|

* Chrisney (Wildcats)

Vanderburgh County (82) (10)|

| School Districts:|

* Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation
* Roman Catholic Diocese of Evansville

|

Public High Schools|

* AIS (Phoenix)
* Bosse (Bulldogs)
* Evansville Central (Bears)
* Harrison (Warriors)
* Evansville North (Huskies)
* F.J. Reitz (Panthers)

Charter and
Vocational Schools|

* New Tech (Thunderbolts)
* Evansville Signature (Penguins)
* Southern Indiana Career & Technical Center (None)

Private High Schools|

* Evansville Christian (Eagles)
* Evansville Day (Eagles)
* Mater Dei (Wildcats)
* Reitz Memorial (Tigers)

Closed High Schools|

* Rex Mundi (Monarchs)

Warrick County (87) (3)|

| School District:|

* Warrick County School Corporation

|

High Schools:|

* Boonville (Pioneers)
* Castle (Knights)
* Tecumseh (Braves)

Special Resources|

* Gibson-Pike-Warrick Special Education Cooperative

Athletic Conferences|

* Big Eight
* Blue Chip
* Patoka Lake
* Pocket Ahletic
* Southern Indiana Athletic
* Southwestern Indiana
* Southwest Seven Football
* Independent

* v
* t
* e

City of Evansville

Annual festivals

* Evansville Freedom Festival
* Frog Follies
* Germania Männerchor Volksfest
* Jazz & Wine Festival
* ShrinersFest
* West Side Nut Club Fall Festival
* Vanderburgh County 4H Fair

Arenas and venues

* Alhambra Theatorium
* Bosse Field
* EVSC Fields
* Ford Center
* Goebel Soccer Complex
* Mesker Amphitheatre
* Metro Sports Center
* Old National Events Plaza
* Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Coliseum
* Swonder Ice Arena
* Victory Theatre

Corporate headquarters and major employers

* Accuride
* Atlas Van Lines
* Berry Plastics
* CenterPoint Energy
* Cleveland-Cliffs
* Mead Johnson
* Old National Bank
* OneMain Financial
* Shoe Carnival
* T.J. Maxx
* Toyota

Education

* Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation
* Roman Catholic Diocese of Evansville
* Evansville Vanderburgh Public Library
* Indiana University School of Medicine
* Ivy Tech Community College
* University of Evansville
* University of Southern Indiana
* ITT Technical Institute
* Harrison College
* Oakland City University
* Willard Library

Neighborhoods / Districts

* Bayard Park
* Culver
* Downtown
* Haynies Corner
* Jacobsville
* Lamasco
* Lincolnshire Historic District
* Riverside Historic District
* Washington Avenue Historic District

Attractions

* Angel Mounds
* Bally's Casino
* Burdette Park
* Children's Museum of Evansville
* Evansville Museum
* Evansville Philharmonic Orchestra
* Ford Center
* LST 325 Museum
* Mesker Park Zoo and Botanic Garden
* Reitz Home Museum
* Old National Events Plaza
* Old Vanderburgh County Courthouse
* Wesselman Woods

Malls & other commerce

* Downtown
* Eastland Mall
* Washington Square Mall

Sports

* Evansville Purple Aces
* USI Screaming Eagles
* Evansville Otters
* Evansville Thunderbolts
* Evansville Legends FC
* Demolition City Roller Derby
* Southern Indiana Athletic Conference
* Refrigerator Bowl
* Hoosier Nationals
* Thunder on the Ohio

Transportation

* CSX Transportation
* Evansville Regional Airport
* Metropolitan Evansville Transit System
* I-64
* I-69
* US 41
* Lloyd Expressway
* SR 57
* SR 62
* SR 65
* SR 66
* SR 662

Healthcare & emergency

* Ascension St. Vincent Evansville
* Deaconess Midtown Hospital
* Deaconess Gateway and Women's Hospital
* Southwestern Indiana Mental Health System
* IU Evansville Medical Center

Regional

* Center Township
* German Township
* Knight Township
* Perry Township
* Pigeon Township
* Vanderburgh County
* Evansville Metropolitan Area
* Southwestern Indiana
* Illinois-Indiana-Kentucky tri-state area
* Area codes 812 and 930

* v
* t
* e

Southern Indiana Athletic Conference (SIAC)

Current members|

* Castle
* Evansville Bosse
* Evansville Central
* Evansville Harrison
* Evansville Mater Dei
* Evansville North
* Evansville Reitz
* Evansville Reitz Memorial

Former members|

* Bedford (Bedford North Lawrence)
* Bicknell (North Knox)
* Bloomington (Bloomington South)
* Boonville
* Evansville Rex Mundi
* Huntingburg (Southridge)
* Jasper
* Linton (Linton-Stockton)
* Mount Vernon
* New Albany
* Princeton (Princeton Community)
* Sullivan
* Tell City
* Terre Haute North
* Terre Haute South
* Vincennes Lincoln
* Washington

Effected/created conferences|

* Big Eight
* Blue Chip
* Conference Indiana
* Hoosier Hills
* Pocket
* Tri-River
* Western Indiana

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