• History of Rock Hill High School

    1888

    • Rock Hill Graded School opens. The school, which is the first public, tax-supported school in Rock Hill, houses elementary and high school students.

    1907

    • The school board purchases the old Catawba Military Academy, now on the campus of Winthrop University, to relieve crowding at the graded school. The new high school is called Rock Hill High. 

    1908-1909: 

    • A dispute between the school system and Winthrop College, which wants the property for its training school, is sent to the courts. RHHS doesn't operate, and students go back to the graded school. 
    • Winthrop eventually wins the dispute and creates its training school.
    • The school board charter is amended so trustees have to be popularly elected.

    1913

    • Rock Hill High School is built at North Spruce and East White streets.

    1923

    • The football team starts calling themselves the Bearcats.

    1935

    • The first separate high school gymnasium is built, thanks to federal money.

    1964

    • Seven African American students are the first to integrate at Rock Hill High.

    1965

    • RHHS moves from White Street to the building originally built for Sullivan Junior High School. Sullivan students move to the old high school building.

    1970

    • The first African American student graduates from Rock Hill High.

    1971

    • Northwestern High School opens in Rock Hill. At least 1,500 students enroll at each high school.

    1972

    • Gold is added to garnet and black as a school color. Gold represented Emmett Scott, the African American high school that recently had closed.

    1977

    • Rock Hill High School opens at its current location on Springdale Road.

    1978

    • The original Rock Hill High on East White street is razed.

     

    Source: The Herald

    http://www.heraldonline.com/2007/09/10/116747/100-years-of-rock-hill-high-school.html