H. D. Woodson High School
Howard Dilworth Woodson High School (known as H. D. Woodson High School, Howard D. Woodson High School, or Woodson High School) is a secondary school in Washington, D.C. that serves grades 9 through 12. It is located in the Northeast Boundary neighborhood, at the intersection of 55th and Eads Streets NE. It is a part of the District of Columbia Public Schools and primarily serves students in Ward 7.[1]
| Howard D. Woodson High School | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Location | |
| |
| Information | |
| School type | Public high school |
| Motto | The Woodson Way (In days to come, it will please us to remember this) |
| Established | 1972 |
| School district | District of Columbia Public Schools |
| Principal | Mr. William E. Massey |
| Grades | 9 to 12 |
| Enrollment | 660 (2016) |
| Campus size | 6 acres (2.4 ha) |
| Campus type | Urban |
| Color(s) | Red Black Green |
| Mascot | African Warriors |
In addition to offering a variety of extracurricular activities, including a National Honor Society, NJROTC, Drill Team and Future Business Leaders of America. Woodson also provides STEM, AP and accelerated courses.[2]
History
The school is named after Howard Dilworth Woodson (1877-1962). Woodson graduated from the university, which is now the University of Pittsburgh in 1899. He worked for the federal government as a civil/structural engineer for many years. He became a civic leader in the Far Northeast/Deanwood neighborhood. Woodson was instrumental in urbanizing that neighborhood by advocating more resources for education, redevelopment, and utility services for the area. During that time, the District of Columbia did not have elective government. Woodson testified frequently before the (federal) congressional committees for D.C. oversight.[3] Woodson was also a supervising architect for the Universal Development and Loan Company, Inc.
Woodson advocated for a high school to be built in the Deanwood area in response to parents' demands for children to be able to attend school in their own area. Since the Deanwood area had no neighborhood high school, students had to travel to Eastern, Spingarn and/or Anacostia high schools.
Described as the first high-rise high school in the country,[4] consisting of a seven-floor tower sitting atop a plaza and a ground floor with a greenhouse on the rooftop (technically a tenth floor), and elevators and escalators that took students and faculty up and down the tower, the new school which opened in 1972 at 55th and Eads streets NE. was named Howard Dilworth Woodson Senior High School.
Initially, the size and shape for Woodson ran into obstacles with the planning boards, but H.D. Woodson's son, Granville Woodson, who was the chief of the DCPS buildings department at the time, made convincing arguments that the size and shape of the new school was exactly the point. It was his desire to make the school the focus of the community by making the building look as significant as possible.[5]
When Woodson finally opened, it was praised as being a state-of-the-art campus that had a new look, new equipment, and specially recruited new teachers.[6] As the years went by, due to building deterioration and lack of funds, it was demolished in 2009 and replaced by a new three story state-of-the-art building in 2011.
Early years – 55th & Eads Streets, NE
In 1972, H.D. Woodson was considered the gem of D.C.’s public high schools. Between 1975-1979 it averaged 1,800 students per year during the day, and 380 students per year at the evening community school. Student from all quadrants of the city attended Woodson. Woodson was designed to be and was an "academic powerhouse". Set up as a “comprehensive” high school, it offered both traditional academic and vocational programs, including wood and machine shops, a drafting program, an electrical trade program, a “power mechanics” lab to study jet and rocket engines, extensive home-ec facilities, and a greenhouse. Between 1975 and 1979, Woodson enjoyed an impressive 95% graduation rate.[5]
For over 15 years, Woodson was well staffed and maintained. The pride DCPS took to care for Woodson inside and out resonated deeply in the hearts and minds of the student body who kept the entire building's physical plant immaculate. The ground floor lobby was filled with trophy cases full to capacity with awards earned by students. Stand alone cases were strategically displayed throughout the building to house the overflow of awards. The ground floor mirrored a museum that was superbly kept with the floors being buffed every night. Upon entering the six-lane pool area, hanging throughout, were more championship banners from the award-winning swim teams. Hallway bulletin boards throughout the building were maintained beautifully and themes were changed frequently. During Woodson's heyday, students also participated in seventy-eight clubs and organizations that further enriched and enhanced their academic successes. By 1979, the school's iconic faculty totalled 185 teachers, inclusive of faculty at the evening community school. There were seven experienced, well-regarded school administrators: Principal Curry and Assistant Principals Breckenridge, Christian, Jenkins, Queen, Turner and Whitfield.
1990–2008 Persevering through deterioration
By the 1990s, Woodson's tower "loomed over the Deanwood neighborhood became an outsized symbol of the District government’s dysfunction."[7] Instead of the custodial staff being tied to the size of the building, DCPS tied the staff to student enrollment. As the student body declined, so did the number of custodial staff members. Preventive maintenance essentially came to a halt.
With a shortage of money for maintenance, broken pipes dripped throughout the building, and the escalators which once carried students up and down the tower were simply used as stairs. Administration implemented a system for students to go up the escalators and down the stairwells, located at every corner of the building, as classes changed.[7] Woodson's pool once opened its doors to the community, but by the mid-’90s, the Department of Parks & Recreation ceased contributing to the pool’s maintenance. Soon after, the six-lane pool was simply neglected.
Despite building deterioration, Woodson's athletics continued to persevere. The closing of the school's pool did not stop the Warrior Sharks from winning the DCIAA Championship during the 1994 swim season. In a technique they called "dry-land swimming". The team swam on tables, while utilizing stopwatches. Coach Bruce Bradford developed breathing and kicking techniques that proved victorious.
The girls' basketball and the varsity football teams managed to continue the winning tradition through adversity. The girls brought home 11 DCIAA Championships and 3 state titles during that time period. The varsity football team appeared in the annual DCIAA Turkey Bowl each year, capturing 4 City Championship titles.
2008–2011 Relocation period - Ronald H Brown/Fletcher
As Woodson was being demolished in 2009, ninth-graders were being settled in at Ron Brown Middle School on Meade Street Northeast as the upperclassmen settled in at a former middle school in Southeast, once named Fletcher-Johnson Education Center on Benning Road.
With a gym smaller than a high school's and a field with no goal post, the girls' basketball and the varsity football teams did what was expected to continue the winning tradition. During the relocation period from 2008–2011, the girls basketball and the varsity football teams brought home DCIAA Championships each year, with the girls taking home 2 state titles.
Tower of Power
When originally built, Woodson was the strongest and tallest building in its area. Its first principal, Napoleon Bonapart Lewis, approved the school's enduring sobriquet: Given the buildings unusual appearance (it resembled a modern office building similar to those seen in downtown Washington, DC), he empowered Woodson's students to create a slogan for their new high school building in a contest. The winning name was "The Tower of Power.” The entire student body embraced this name with great pride because it was in "The Tower of Power" that they received knowledge, skills, development of character through discipline and accountability, understanding, and motivation; the power necessary to develop and attain their goals.”[5]
The Woodson Way
Despite some setbacks and regrets, many of Woodson's youth showed a resilience that Woodson's second and longest serving principal, James W. Curry, liked to call "The Woodson Way." He described it as a spirit of hope and dedication in the face of the overwhelming odds that black teenagers faced in the world outside the high school classroom. "This positive spirit of Woodson," he said, "is rarely understood by outsiders who stereotype black schools as breeding grounds of defeat."[5]
School Song
When Woodson first opened on September 13, 1972 (for grades 10 and 11), the school was a beautiful nine (9) story air conditioned high rise building with escalators and elevators and four (4) stairwells. There were eighty-two (82) classrooms throughout the building which housed academic and elective courses, vocational education, homemaking/lifestyles education, business education, foreign language education/laboratories, science education/laboratories, drivers education, and music and visual arts education programs. An olympic-sized swimming pool with spectator seating, a large gymnasium, health suite, dance studio, auditorium/theater, military armory with ROTC classroom, catering education laboratory, student activities room with school store, vast cafeteria with commercial kitchen, vocational education classrooms and "power mechanics" laboratory and music classrooms/studios were on the ground floor. The main office, inclusive of the principal's office, a full-scale bank, conference rooms and administrative support areas were located on the plaza floor. Assistant principal offices were located on the ground and plaza floors---and on floors 2, 5 and 7. Guidance counselors were located on floors 2–7. A college-sized library/media center inclusive of a college and career center encompassed the entire first floor. The rooftop greenhouse was technically located on a tenth (10th) floor adjacent to various building mechanical areas). The vast majority of academic and elective course classrooms were located in the tower on floors 2–7. Student lockers were located on the ground floor and on floors 2–7.
The entire Woodson physical plant resembled an impressive modern office building with a large outside pedestrian plaza, a surface parking lot for 200 vehicles, and a vast stadium with track, athletic fields and tennis courts.
No one ever considered the school to resemble a jail until the beginning of the 21st century, when 1970's architecture was being considered outdated and brutalist. At Woodson's inception through its first 15 years, student pride for the building and school spirit was extraordinary. Hence an excerpt from the school song, “I ain’t never seen a school... Equipped with such a swimming pool....Elevators, escalators, things I’ve been wishing .. Electric pianos and air conditioning.” Woodson My Woodson was one of the most exciting school songs of all times. Former students, after decades, are able to continue to sing every word.[8]
The song also reminded students that it was their primary goal to graduate from Woodson. "I just can't wait... To graduate.. To walk that aisle to get my paper.. From Woodson... Wow!! My Woodson..."
Winning tradition
"Woodson was a source of pride for its high standards, exceptional academics and vocational classes, it's profound music and art departments, and legendary sports dominance."[4] Words commonly used by alumni when congratulating current students, "Way to continue the winning tradition." Woodson students have been dominating DCIAA sports for over two decades. When DC powerhouses are mentioned, the conversation does not continue without mentioning the name H.D. Woodson High School. When other DCPS schools become victorious over Woodson, in any sport, they celebrate as if they won a city title.
This tradition is primarily due to administration promoting from within to maintain Woodson loyalty, school spirit, decorum and traditions. Upon retirement or departure, coaches would recommend their own replacement to the school's athletics director. This hiring technique proved most effective in the case of coach Bob Headen. Being the athletics director before his retirement from DCPS, he hired his own predecessors, Gregory Fuller & Frank Oliver, Jr. who, both, were able to continue the winning tradition.
Alumni would also return as assistant coaches, band directors and volunteers. As a result of this in-house hiring and recommending, Woodson continued to dominate DCIAA and was able to maintain student pride due to alumni loyalty and the longevity of faculty and staff reinstalling and re-enforcing the Woodson Way.[9]
Mascot
The "African Warrior" was originally displayed backwards showing the buttock of the Warrior. In the mid 1990s, DCPS turned the warrior to face front.
Colors
Woodson was the first school within the DC Public Schools (DCPS) and the Washington, DC metropolitan region to be represented by three colors: red, black, and green. DCPS's Duke Ellington School of the Arts was the second: black, brown and beige.
Symbolization
- Red – represents the blood black people shed
- Black – represents the skin of black people
- Green – represents the land of black people
Class Queens
The colors also represented grade levels. Beginning in fall, 1981 during homecoming week, female students raised funds to represent their class during homecoming week.
- Miss. Senior – Miss Red
- Miss. Junior – Miss Black
- Miss. Sophomore – Miss Green
- Miss. Freshmen – Miss White
(Historic note: In the fall of 1978, DCPS began the 9th grade at Woodson (58 students) due to Merit and Burville Elementary Schools being reclassified as Educational Centers in summer 1976, during which time they began to house kindergarten thru 8th grade.
Miss Woodson
Miss Woodson – White (Selected by a panel of judges during the Spring of the previous year in a beauty/talent pageant.)
Cap and gowns
The colors of the graduating class alternated year after year. The class of 1975 was outfitted in red. The next year black, then green. Every 10 year anniversary, the graduating class wore white.
Class gift
As a parting gift, each graduating class held fundraisers to leave a parting class gift to Woodson, embroidered with the class year. Gifts ranged from trophy cases, plaques that were hung inside or outside on the school building, to needed equipment. Every class left a gift.
John P. Davis Gymnasium
H.D. Woodson High School held a special dedication ceremony to name its gymnasium after former coach and teacher John P. Davis. Davis, the school's first boys basketball coach (1972–82), died in 1984. He spent much of his life working with kids in gymnasiums.[10]
Bob Headen Stadium
During halftime at a Roosevelt v. H.D. Woodson game, H.D. Woodson honored legendary coach Robert Headen by dedicating the school's new stadium to him. As head coach he had a record of 268 wins with only 87 losses. He won six city titles during his coaching career and is considered one of the Deans of DC Public School football.[11] Coach Headen was the 1st high school coach from DC indicted into the National High School Coaches Association Hall of Fame and in the Washington, D.C. Hall of Fame for sports.
Student to alumni to faculty and staff
Woodson administration prided itself on hiring former students. At any given year, Woodson alumni filled the school as teachers, coaches and volunteers. It was a tradition and unwritten rule that alumni was to be the first choice, after staff members, if qualified. As they settled in, more alumni would return.
Hoop Dreams Scholarship Fund (HDSF)
Susie Kay founded HDSF in 1996 while working as an American Government teacher at Woodson. Kay decided to hold a one-day basketball tournament to raise scholarship money to assist some of students with their college expenses. Recognizing a need to ensure students, who have worked hard amidst social, economic, and racial disparities, get the opportunity to excel in college and in the workforce, Kay enlisted the help of friends, colleagues, and community and corporate leaders and students and organized a charity basketball tournament in 1996 that raised $3,000 for academic college scholarships. HDSF scholarships were part of the solution but they were not the sole reason behind the organization sending 920 students to college and into the workforce. Mentorship between the students and DC-area professionals from diverse backgrounds and cultures, college and career preparation played an equally important role in the development of HDSF students.
In order to get Hoop Dreams on its feet, Key searched for corporate sponsors and volunteers. For the first three years, it was a grassroots effort taking place from her living room, with Woodson students and friends helping to build the organization. As her operation grew, DCPS soon asked her to raise funds for all DC Public School students.[12]
HDSF brought together more than 1,000 students and mentors; facilitated more than 250 internships; engaged over 1,000 volunteers in community cleanup projects; and helped more than 900 students attend college through scholarships totaling more than $3 million. Hoop Dreams shut down operations because scholarships beyond the 2009–10 academic year could not be guaranteed.[13]
Current school
Principal
Dr. Darrin Slade is a seasoned administrator who has spent his entire career working in urban schools. He has led four successful school turn around efforts. Under his leadership, within two years Woodson was had the:
- Most improved high school graduation rate in the DC metro area 2 years in a row. 46% to 71% in two years (Washington Post, 2015)
- Most reduced secondary suspension rate of DCPS high schools during the 2014–2015 school year
- Most improved high school enrollment 2015-2016
Dr. Slade was recognized on Harris' Heroes for his commitment to great results for his students![14] Under his leadership, Woodson met its identified goals in every area measured by the District; met or exceeded the identified goals for math, reading, attendance, graduation, 9th grade promotion and student satisfaction; and its suspension rate was reduced more than any other secondary school in the city.
Dr. Slade's primary goal is to educate students and to prepare them for life after high school. "We have the responsibility of not only instilling the academic, but in some cases the social skills that our students will need to survive and prosper in an increasingly competitive global market."[15] Slade contributes much of his success to Dr. Mark E. King.
Students
- 98.9% – Black, non-Hispanic
- 0.6% – Hispanic / Latino
- 0.2% – Native American / Alaska Native
- 0.2% – Native Hawaiian / Other Pacific Islander
- 0.3% – Multiracial
Attendance boundary
- Attendance Zone Changes: The H.D. Woodson HS attendance zone is made up of the attendance zone of the middle school that is designated to geographically feed into H.D. Woodson - Kelly Miller MS.
- Geographic Feeder Pathway: Anyone living in the new attendance zone for Kelly Miller MS is zoned for and has a right to attend H.D. Woodson High School. Any student attending a feeder middle school out-of-boundary has the right to continue in the feeder pathway to H.D. Woodson. Feeder pathway changes were made to better align school building capacity with population and with boundary participation rates, and to support racial/ethnic and socioeconomic diversity, where possible.
- Programmatic Feeder Pathway: McKinley MS is a STEM middle school. Eighth grade students at McKinley MS will have a right to attend Woodson HS in order to continue in a STEM pathway.
Feeder schools
- Elementary Schools
- Nalle Elementary School
- Smothers Elementary School
- Aiton Elementary School
- Drew Elementary School
- C.W. Harris Elementary School
- Middle Schools
- Kelly Miller Middle School feeds into Woodson [17]
Curriculum and student performance
Students who attend H.D. Woodson have the opportunity to participate in the NAF program (Information Technology / Computer Science) and also the city renowned STEM Academy. The school also offers a myriad of AP courses. H.D. Woodson had the most improved graduation rate in the District for the last two years (70%) and also increased promotion rates at every grade level. The school's sports program continued to be the most dominant in the DC metro area winning multiple varsity boys football championships back to back continuously and varsity boys and girls basketball championship repeats. The boys varsity basketball ball team also made history by finishing the 2015–16 season undefeated and winning the state championship. They finished the 2015–16 season ranked 8th in the nation.[18]
Academic Enrichment
- Advanced Placement (AP) Courses
- SAT preparation
- Read 180
- National Honor Society
- Science, Engineering, Technology, Mathematics
- Dual Enrollment
Wellness and fitness
- Men of Strength Club
- Wii Fitness
Arts and Culture
- Modeling Club
- ACE Mentoring
- Art Club
- Music
Athletics
The District of Columbia Interscholastic Athletic Association (DCIAA) is the public high school athletic league in Washington, D.C. The league was founded in 1958. The original high school conference for D.C. schools was the Inter-High School Athletic Association, formed around 1896. That organization was segregated, and black schools in the District formed their own athletic association. The Inter-High League was renamed the DCIAA in 1989 to bring the District of Columbia in line with other states with interscholastic athletic programs. In 2011 Stephanie Evans took over as Athletic Director and has turned what was once a struggling high school sports organization into a success story.
The DCIAA sponsors varsity championships in basketball, baseball, bowling, cross country, football, Flag football -girls, soccer, softball, swimming and diving, tennis, skiing, and track and field.
The District of Columbia State Athletic Association (DCSAA) was created in 2012 by D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray to expand interscholastic competition and enhance student-athlete achievement in public schools, public charter schools and independent private and parochial schools.[19] Prior to its creation, the DC City Title was a post season game between DCIAA & WCAC championship winners.
Boys' basketball
The head coach of the H.D. Woodson Warriors boys basketball team is coach Trey Mines (2013–present). Upon accepting the position, the Warriors had never won a DCIAA Basketball Championship. They finally reigned supreme in 2014. Thereafter, they became the first DC Public School to finish a season undefeated since Spingarn Senior High School in 1985[20] during the 2015–16 season. After winning the DCIAA championship with a 30–0 record, the Woodson Warriors went on to beat WCAC Powerhouse Gonzaga in a 105-102 double overtime thriller semi-final on March 3, 2016 at the Verizon Center.[21] They went on to win the D.C. State Athletic Association championship against Friendship Collegiate 60-47[22] on March 6, 2016.
H.D. Woodson went from being unranked to No. 8 in the country after winning their second consecutive DCIAA title and first DCSAA title. Though the team said, "yes" to playing at the national level, Woodson administration said "no." The invitation was declined to play in the Dick's National Tournament which ended their season #1 in the Washington Post[23] with a record of 33–0.
The H.D. Woodson Boys' Basketball team has been sponsored by Nike Elite, since the 2016–17 season.
Boys' basketball DCIAA championships
| Year | Champion | Runner-up | Score | Coach |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Theodore Roosevelt | H.D. Woodson | 77-50 | Lawrence "Trey" Mines |
| 2014 | H.D. Woodson | Coolidge | 42-36 | Lawrence "Trey" Mines |
| 2015 | H.D. Woodson | Theodore Roosevelt | 68-57 | Lawrence "Trey" Mines |
Boys' basketball DCIAA championship total
| School | Championships | Runners-up | Total
Appearances |
|---|---|---|---|
| H.D. Woodson | 2 | 1 | 3 |
Boys' basketball city title/DCSAA
| Year | Champion | Runner-up | Score | Coach |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | St. John's | H.D. Woodson | 71-45 | Lawrence "Trey" Mines |
| 2015 | H.D. Woodson | Friendship Collegiate | 60-47 | Lawrence "Trey" Mines |
Boys' basketball city title/DCSAA championship total
| School | Championships | Runners-up | Total
Appearances |
|---|---|---|---|
| H.D. Woodson | 1 | 1 | 2 |
Girls' basketball
Coach Robert Headen enjoyed success coaching Woodson's girls basketball team. He has a career record of 543–59 with 14 DCIAA titles and two City Title championships. The girls team had a seven-year run under Frank Oliver Jr. The eight victory came under Associate head coach Mike Gray once coach Henry Anglin was placed on administrative leave.[24]
Girls' basketball DCIAA championship total
| School | Championships | Runners-up | Total
Appearances |
|---|---|---|---|
| H.D. Woodson | 23 | 23 |
Girls basketball city citle/DCSAA
Woodson Boys' Basketball Team had never made it to the City-Title game prior to the 2014–15 season. However, here's a list of City Title Games: Year-by-year results with Woodson's Girls.
Girls' basketball city title/DCSAA championships
| Year | Champion | Runner-up | Score | Coach |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | H.D. Woodson | O'Connell | 70-53 | Robert "Bob" Headen |
| 1992 | H.D. Woodson | O'Connell | 46-29 | Robert "Bob" Headen |
| 1994 | O'Connell | H.D. Woodson | 47-35 | Robert "Bob" Headen |
| 1997 | Elizabeth Seton | H.D. Woodson | 64-51 | Robert "Bob" Headen |
| 1998 | St. John's | H.D. Woodson | 73-35 | Robert "Bob" Headen |
| 1999 | St. John's | H.D. Woodson | 54-47 | Robert "Bob" Headen |
| 2001 | Elizabeth Seton | H.D. Woodson | 47-43 | Robert "Bob" Headen |
| 2003 | McNamara | H.D. Woodson | 91-49 | Robert "Bob" Headen |
| 2006 | Good Counsel | H.D. Woodson | 62-34 | Frank Oliver Jr. |
| 2007 | Holy Cross | H.D. Woodson | 61-54 | Frank Oliver Jr. |
| 2008 | H.D. Woodson | McNamara | 61-55 | Frank Oliver Jr. |
| 2009 | H.D. Woodson | Good Counsel | 61-43 | Frank Oliver Jr. |
| 2010 | Elizabeth Seton | H.D. Woodson | 51-30 | Frank Oliver Jr. |
| 2011 | St. John's | H.D. Woodson | 59-44 | Frank Oliver Jr. |
| 2012 | H.D. Woodson | Good Counsel | 64-54 | Frank Oliver Jr. |
| 2013 | H.D. Woodson | Georgetown Day | 60-42 | Henry Anglin & Mike Gray |
Girls' basketball city title/DCSAA championships total
| School | Title | Runners-up | Total
Appearances |
|---|---|---|---|
| H.D. Woodson | 6 | 10 | 16 |
Softball
Girls' softball team won two City Championships in 1986 and 2002 under coach Robert Headen.
Swimming city title/DCSAA championships
| Year | Champion | Coach |
| 1994 | H.D. Woodson | Bruce Bradford |
Track and field
1978 - Lady Warriors won the 1978 Penn Relay 400-meter girls relay.[25]
Varsity football DCIAA championship
Coach Headen officially retired from football in 1999 after 27 years as head coach at H.D. Woodson High and after winning an unprecedented seven DCIAA Championship. At the end of his career, 12 of 18 players drafted into the NFL were Woodson alums. As Woodson's Athletic Director, he replaced himself with coach Gregory Fuller, who has been able to continue the winning tradition at Woodson with eight DCIAA Championships of his own as of 2016.
| Year | Champion | Runner-up | Score | Coach |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1975 | H.D. Woodson | Dunbar | 14-0 | Robert "Bob" Headen |
| 1981 | H.D. Woodson | Theodore Roosevelt | 7-6 | Robert "Bob" Headen |
| 1982 | H.D. Woodson | Coolidge | 33-0 | Robert "Bob" Headen |
| 1985 | Coolidge | H.D. Woodson | 35-6 | Robert "Bob" Headen |
| 1986 | Coolidge | H.D. Woodson | 32-13 | Robert "Bob" Headen |
| 1987 | H.D. Woodson | Coolidge | 21-6 | Robert "Bob" Headen |
| 1993 | H.D. Woodson | Anacostia | 14-12 | Robert "Bob" Headen |
| 1994 | H.D. Woodson | Anacostia | 6-0 | Robert "Bob" Headen |
| 1997 | H.D. Woodson | Anacostia | 26-22 | Robert "Bob" Headen |
| 2001 | Dunbar | H.D. Woodson | 16-14 | Greg Fuller |
| 2002 | H.D. Woodson | Dunbar | 19-3 | Greg Fuller |
| 2004 | Dunbar | H.D. Woodson[26] | 33-0 | Greg Fuller |
| 2007 | Dunbar | HD Woodson | 20-9 | Greg Fuller |
| 2008 | H.D. Woodson | Dunbar | 24-6 | Greg Fuller |
| 2009 | H.D. Woodson | Ballou | 30-26 | Greg Fuller |
| 2010 | H.D. Woodson | Dunbar | 44-12 | Greg Fuller |
| 2013 | H.D. Woodson | Wilson | 25-13 | Steve Scott |
| 2014 | H.D. Woodson | Ballou | 16-12 | Steve Scott |
| 2015 | H.D. Woodson | Wilson | 40-24 | Greg Fuller |
| 2016 | H.D. Woodson | Wilson | 22-20 | Greg Fuller |
| 2017 | Ballou | H.D. Woodson | 17-14 | Greg Fuller |
| 2018 | H.D. Woodson | Ballou | 18-12 | Greg Fuller |
Varsity football DCIAA championship total
| School | Championships | Runners-up | Total
Appearances |
|---|---|---|---|
| H.D. Woodson | 16 | 6 | 22 |
Notable teachers
| Teachers | Subject | Accomplishment |
| Alice Rier, Dr.[27] | Science | Counselor: US Naval Observatory, Naval Medical Research Institute, Uniformed Services university of Health Sciences, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research |
| Angela Winbush | Music | National Recording Artist |
| Barbara Parks-Lee | English | One of the first teachers in the nation to achieve National Board Certification in Early Adolescence/English Language Arts. |
| Estelle Feeling | Math | 1991 Christa McAuliffe Fellows Recipient: Harmony in Art, Music, and Philosophy: The Mathematics Effect |
| Katie Walker | Science | 1983: Received the first Presidential Awards for Excellence in Science and Mathematics Teaching in DC |
| Robert Headen | PE | First African-American and the first Washington DC inductee into the National High School Coaches Association. |
Notable alumni
- Greg Brown, American football player[28]
- Orlando Brown, American football player[29][30]
- Ken Crawley, American football player[31]
- Jamelle Elliott 2016 USA Olympic Gold Medal women's basketball coach[32]
- Dominique Harris, American football player[33]
- Byron Leftwich, American football player[34]
- Josh Morgan, American football player[35]
- Austin Robbins, American football player[30]
- Alonzo Russell, American football player[36]
- Damien Russell, American football player[37]
- Marcus Spriggs, American football player[38]
- Jose White, American football player[39][30]
- Tavon Wilson, American football player[40]
References
- "Woodson High School | My School DC". www.myschooldc.org. Retrieved 2018-01-20.
- "School Lottery Profile". profiles.dcps.dc.gov. Retrieved 2017-01-11.
- "Howard D. Woodson Residence, African American Heritage Trail - www.culturaltourism.org". www.culturaltourismdc.org. Retrieved 2017-02-27.
- "A hopeful moment as new H.D. Woodson High School opens its doors". Washington Post. Retrieved 2017-02-27.
- "End of an Error". Washington City Paper. Retrieved 2017-02-27.
- Perl, Peter; Perl, Peter (1981-12-26). "Woodson's Class of 1980: Defeats, Victories in Real World". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2017-02-27.
- "A hopeful moment as new H.D. Woodson High School opens its doors". Washington Post. Retrieved 2017-03-03.
- Trish T (2011-11-05), HD Woodson School Song, retrieved 2017-02-27
- "Long-Serving H.D. Woodson Teacher Celebrates Success with Seniors | Capital Community News". www.capitalcommunitynews.com. Retrieved 2017-03-06.
- Huff, Donald; Huff, Donald (1986-04-17). "Notebook". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2017-02-08.
- "H.D. Woodson dedicates stadium to DC coach Bob Headen". USA Today High School Sports. 2014-09-06. Retrieved 2017-02-08.
- "Susie Kay "Hoop Dreams" | No Strings Attached - ENews". No Strings Attached - ENews. 2016-09-18. Retrieved 2017-02-21.
- Wilson, Timothy (2009-10-08). "Hundreds Gather to Say Goodbye to Hoop Dreams Scholarship Fund". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2017-02-21.
- Harris, Leon. "Harris' Heroes: Darrin Slade, a high school principal making a big difference". WJLA. Retrieved 2017-02-14.
- "Principal's Message – About Us – H.D. Woodson High School". www.hdwoodsonwarriors.org. Retrieved 2017-02-14.
- "Woodson High School | My School DC". www.myschooldc.org. Retrieved 2016-11-30.
- "H.D. Woodson High School Boundary and Feeder Pathway" (PDF). August 2014.
- "School Profiles Home". profiles.dcps.dc.gov. Retrieved 2016-11-25.
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- "Howard University Mourns Loss of Fallen Bison, Jose White". Howard University Athletics. October 29, 2019.
- Barr, Josh (27 April 2012). "Patriots draft former H.D. Woodson star Tavon Wilson in second round". Washington Post.
