Danville High School (Illinois)

Charlotte "Tracy" Cherry, the current principal of Danville High School, is the school's 33rd principal since 1870.

For the graduating class of 2016, DHS had an average composite ACT score of 17.6, and graduated 69.7% of its senior class.

In September 2009 the school hosted several education administrators from Taiwan who were visiting to not only see how the school functions, but to participate in a learning opportunity for the school's Global House.{{Cite news | last = Herkamp| first = Anna| title = Global learning: Taiwanese educational dignitaries tour schools| newspaper = The Commercial-News| location =Danville, IL, USA| date = 16 September 2009| url = http://www.commercial-news.com/archives/global-learning/article_a42e1665-7c3d-5860-8cee-819f85c119ee.html| access-date = 13 August 2017}}

The school offers approximately 30 clubs and activities ranging from service-oriented clubs to academic competition, to art appreciation.{{Cite web| title = Clubs and Organizations index| publisher = Danville High School| url = http://dhs.danville.k12.il.us/activities/clubs_and_organizations| access-date = 13 August 2017}} Among the clubs which are chapters for more national organizations are Key Club, and National Honor Society.

The choral music program supports a choir, show choir, and madrigal program.{{Cite web| title = Danville High School Choral Music| publisher = Danville High School| date = 8 October 2009| url = http://www.danville.k12.il.us/Schools/DHS_Site/academicdiv/dhschoirlindvahl/index.htm| access-date = 1 November 2009| url-status=dead| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110716152449/http://www.danville.k12.il.us/Schools/DHS_Site/academicdiv/dhschoirlindvahl/index.htm| archive-date = 16 July 2011}}

The instrumental music program supports two symphonic bands, a pep band (the Maroon Maniacs), percussion ensemble, jazz ensemble, madrigal brass band, marching band (Band of Vikings), a jazz combo (The Tenth Degree), madrigal strings, string orchestra and a symphony orchestra.{{Cite web| title = Danville High School Instrumental Music| publisher = Danville High School| date = 8 October 2009| url = http://www.danville.k12.il.us/Schools/DHS_Site/academicdiv/dhsbandleeb/index.htm| access-date = 1 November 2009| url-status=dead| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110716152457/http://www.danville.k12.il.us/Schools/DHS_Site/academicdiv/dhsbandleeb/index.htm| archive-date = 16 July 2011}}

In 2021 the school staged the musical Bye Bye Birdie, which (at its 1958 Broadway premier) had starred alum Dick Van Dyke in the role of Albert Peterson. For the 2004 production, Van Dyke returned to the school, and learned one of the numbers ("Put On a Happy Face") alongside the students, performing both nights of the show. Van Dyke, who joined the military before receiving his diploma, was also granted his high school diploma at a ceremony.{{Cite web| title = Danville High School Choral Music Historic Events| publisher = Danville High School| date = 8 October 2009| url = http://www.danville.k12.il.us/Schools/DHS_Site/academicdiv/dhschoirlindvahl/historic_events.html| access-date = 1 November 2009| url-status=dead| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110716152511/http://www.danville.k12.il.us/Schools/DHS_Site/academicdiv/dhschoirlindvahl/historic_events.html| archive-date = 16 July 2011}}{{Citation| title = Dick Van Dyke comes Home to Danville High School| journal = Maroon & White| volume = 2| issue = 2| pages = 2–3| date = June 2004| url = http://www.danville.k12.il.us/Schools/DHS_Site/aboutus/mwextrapdf/2004_june.pdf| quote = Choreographed by Michael Weaver and arranged by Robert Hills, the highlight of the production occurred when Mr. Van Dyke himself came out to perform “Put On a Happy Face” with the cast ... Since Dick Van Dyke left Danville High School before the end of his senior year to enter the army, Superintendent Gary Tucker, board members David Groves and Leon Parker, and DHS Registrar Nancy Van Vickle presented him with his Class of 1944 diploma.| url-status=dead| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110716152515/http://www.danville.k12.il.us/Schools/DHS_Site/aboutus/mwextrapdf/2004_june.pdf| archive-date = 2011-07-16}}

DHS competes in the Big Twelve conference and is a member of the Illinois High School Association (IHSA); the organization which organizes most interscholastic high school sports and competitive activities in the state of Illinois. Teams are stylized as the Vikings (or Lady Vikings for women's teams).

The school sponsors interscholastic teams for young men and women in basketball, cross country, soccer, swimming & diving, tennis, and track & field.{{Cite web| title = Danville High School Athletics| publisher = Danville High School| date = 8 October 2009| url = http://www.danville.k12.il.us/Schools/DHS_Site/activities/athletics/index.htm| access-date = 31 October 2009| url-status=dead| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20091113003005/http://www.danville.k12.il.us/Schools/Dhs_site/activities/athletics/index.htm| archive-date = 13 November 2009}} Young men may participate in baseball, football, golf, and wrestling, while young women may compete in cheerleading and softball. While not sponsored by the IHSA, the Athletic Department also sponsors a poms team (Pompettes).

The following teams finished in the top four of their respective IHSA sponsored state championship tournament or meet:{{Cite web| title = IHSA season summaries| publisher = Illinois High School Association (IHSA)| date = 6 October 2009| url = http://www.ihsa.org/school/records/sum0403.htm| access-date = 31 October 2009}}

• Basketball (boys): 3rd place (1970–71, 1992–93); 2nd place (1935–36, 1949–50)
• Football: 2nd place (1976–77); semifinals (1978-1979) (2009–10); semifinals (2010–2011)
• Golf (boys): 4th place (1938–39); State Champions (1981–82)
• Swimming & Diving (boys): 3rd place (1939–40, 1940–41)
• Tennis (boys): 4th place (1952–53, 1958–59, 1966–67); 3rd place (1946–47, 1947–48, 2002–03); 2nd place (1951–52, 1959–60); State Champions (1945–46, 1953–54)
• Track & field (boys): 3rd place (1983–84, 1989–90); State Champions (1924–25)
• JROTC drill (Chicago): 2nd place

The school has two songs: a fight song and a cheer song. The cheer song's lyrics were borrowed from the cheer song written for Illinois Wesleyan University, substituting "Danville High" for "Wesleyan" and "maroon" for "green".{{Cite web| last = Freese| first = Ralph S.| title = Illinois Wesleyan Cheer Song| work = lyrics| publisher = fightsonglyrics.com| date = 8 July 2006| url = http://www.fightsonglyrics.com/I/page_1/Illinois_Wesleyan.html| access-date = 1 November 2009}}

The school claims no knowledge as to why the school colors were chosen, though they date to at least 1906. The school's teams were originally stylized as the "Maroons". The school's teams briefly used the name "Silver Streaks" before adopting "Vikings" in 1960. While the Vikings name stuck, an attempt to change the school's primary color from maroon to light blue failed to catch on.

As of the 2017–2018 school year, Danville District 118 had revised its old dress code into a new dress code that lets students dress freely as long as it is not vulgar or explicit.{{cite web|url=http://www.danville.k12.il.us/schools/student_dress_code|title=Student Dress Code - Danville School District No. 118|access-date=2018-08-24}}

• Jason Anderson, former Major League Baseball relief pitcher (2003–05){{Cite news| last = Bleill| first = Tony| title = Danville's Chuck Robinson, 14, has big-league aspirations| newspaper = The News-Gazette| location = Champaign, Illinois, US| date = 10 July 2009| url = http://www.news-gazette.com/sports/prep-sports/baseball/2009-07-10/danvilles-chuck-robinson-14-has-big-league-aspirations.html| access-date = 13 August 2017| quote = And by the time he enrolls at Danville High in August for his freshman year, he'll be carrying a reputation as one of the best up-and-coming baseball players in central Illinois ... That's high praise, considering the talent that has made Danville a home. The list includes Jason Anderson, a former Illini and major league reliever now pitching in Class AA.| url-status=dead| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170814104059/http://www.news-gazette.com/sports/prep-sports/baseball/2009-07-10/danvilles-chuck-robinson-14-has-big-league-aspirations.html| archive-date = 14 August 2017}}{{Cite web| title = Jason Anderson| publisher = the baseball cube.com| url = http://www.thebaseballcube.com/Players/A/Jason-Anderson-1.shtml| access-date = 1 November 2009}}
• Irving Azoff, personal manager to several notable musical talents; former head of MCA Records; producer of several films (Fast Times at Ridgemont High); Chairman of Ticketmaster{{Cite web| title = Danville High School - Wall of Fame| publisher = Danville High School| url = http://dhs.danville118.org/about_us/wall_of_fame| access-date = 13 August 2017}}
• Kenneth D. Bailey, major in the United States Marine Corps; posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions at Matanikau River during the Battle of Guadalcanal in 1942; namesake of destroyer USS Kenneth D. Bailey
• William B. Black, member of the Illinois House of Representatives (1986–2010)
• Keon Clark, former NBA basketball player (1998–2004); selected in the first round of the 1998 NBA draft{{Cite web| title = Keon Clark| work = biographical sketch and statistics| publisher = basketballreference.com| url = https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/c/clarkke01.html| access-date = 13 August 2017}}
• Laurie Perry Cookingham (1896–1992), city manager of multiple cities, including Kansas City, Missouri and Fort Worth, Texas{{Cite web |url=https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/cookingham-laurie-perry |title=Cookingham, Laurie Perry |last=Lucas |first=Ray F. |date=2021-10-15 |website=Texas State Historical Association |access-date=2022-10-08 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221008170840/https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/cookingham-laurie-perry |archive-date=2022-10-08 |url-status=live}}
• Gene Hackman, Academy Award-winning actor, best known for his work in film (The French Connection, Unforgiven)
• Ned Luke, actor, Grand Theft Auto V
• Justin March-Lillard, NFL linebacker
• Greg Meidel, television producer
• John P. Meyer, Illinois state legislator and judge'Illinois Blue Book 1961-1962,' Biographical Sketch of John P. Meyer, pg. 204-205
• Donald O'Connor, Emmy Award-winning actor and dancer, perhaps best known for his role in the film Singin' in the Rain{{citation needed|date=November 2009}}
• Julian Pearl, college football offensive tackle for the Illinois Fighting Illini{{cite web |last1=Asmussen |first1=Bob |title=At every Illini game, Danville grad has his own cheering section |url=https://www.news-gazette.com/opinion/columns/bob-asmussen-at-every-illini-game-danville-grad-has-his-own-cheering-section/article_fa4bcf4a-7bca-5714-b1f4-f21a25a00bf7.html |website=The News-Gazette |date=10 October 2023 |access-date=19 February 2024}}
• Bill Putnam, audio engineer, songwriter, producer, studio designer and businessman, who has been described as "the father of modern recording"{{cite journal |url=https://www.uaudio.com/webzine/2007/november/index6.html |last=Blakey |first=Larry |title=Bill Putnam: In His Own Words |journal=Mix |publisher=NewBay Media |date=August 1983 |issn=1403-8927 |access-date=24 August 2021}}
• Scott Shaw, photojournalist; received the 1988 Pulitzer Prize for spot news photography
• Trent Sherfield, wide receiver for the Minnesota Vikings
• Bobby Short, singer and musician known for his interpretations of early 20th-century American music, and for promoting the compositions of African American composers
• Sterling Slaughter, former MLB player (Chicago Cubs)
• John W. Speakman, Illinois state legislator and lawyer'Illinois Blue Book 1941-1942,' Biographical Sketch of John W. Speakman, pg. 194-195
• Matthew Stover, science fiction and fantasy author of Heroes Die and novels set in the Star Wars universe, including Revenge of the Sith
• Joseph R. Tanner, former NASA astronaut; flew into space four times as a mission specialist where he performed work on the Hubble Space Telescope and International Space Station
• Edward R. Telling, Chairman and CEO of Sears, Roebuck and Company (1978–85)
• Dick Van Dyke, Emmy and Tony award-winning actor; was in the original Broadway cast of Bye Bye Birdie; worked in film (Mary Poppins) and television (The Dick Van Dyke Show, Diagnosis: Murder)
• Jerry Van Dyke, actor and musician best known for his work on television (My Mother the Car, Coach)
• Reg Weaver, former president of the National Education Association; vice president for Education International

File:Bailey KD USMC.jpg|Maj. Kenneth D. Bailey, USMC

File:GeneHackmanJun2108.jpg|Gene Hackman

File:Bobby Short.jpg|Bobby Short

File:Joseph Tanner, 2008.jpg|Joe Tanner

File:DickVanDykeDec07.jpg|Dick Van Dyke

File:Jerry Van Dyke 1990.jpg|Jerry Van Dyke

{{Reflist|2}}

• {{cite book| last = Jones| first = Lottie E.| title = History of Vermilion County, Illinois| url = https://archive.org/details/historyofvermiliv1jone| publisher = Pioneer Publishing Company| year = 1911| location = Chicago, Illinois| pages = [https://archive.org/details/historyofvermiliv1jone/page/255 255], 334–5}}

• [http://dhs.danville118.org/ Danville High School]

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Category:Public high schools in Illinois

Danville High School

Category:Buildings and structures in Danville, Illinois

Category:1870 establishments in Illinois

Category:Educational institutions established in 1870