Fort Hunt High School

Fort Hunt High School
Cannon in front of Fort Hunt High School
Address
8428 Fort Hunt Road Alexandria , Virginia 22308
Coordinates	38°43′41.6″N 77°3′27.8″W
Information
School type	Public high school
Founded	1963
Status	now Carl Sandburg Middle School
Closed	1985
School district	Fairfax County Public Schools
Grades	9–12
Language	English
Campus	Suburban
Color(s)	Green and gold     originally green and white
Mascot	Federals
Feeder schools	Stephen Foster Intermediate School
Rival Schools	Groveton High School Mount Vernon High School

Fort Hunt High School was a public secondary school in Fairfax, Virginia from 1963 until 1985, when it was converted to a middle school.

Constructed at a cost of $2.5 million, Fort Hunt High opened its doors at 8428 Fort Hunt Road in 1963, toward the end of the post–World War II baby boom, as part of the Fairfax County Public Schools.[1]

The school suffered $4.5 million in fire damage as the result of arson on December 30, 1978, when two seniors at the school and a 1978 graduate[2] threw Molotov cocktails into the building.[3][4] The fire resulted in the forced relocation of 1,700 students[5] who were sent on a split shift to nearby Groveton and Mount Vernon High schools through the remainder of the 1978–79 school year.

In 1985, due to declining enrollment, and after contentious political and legal battles to keep the school open,[6][7] Fort Hunt was combined with Groveton High School to form West Potomac High School, located on Groveton's campus. The Fort Hunt campus was converted into Carl Sandburg Middle School, which replaced the older Stephen Foster and Bryant Intermediate Schools.

A large community of Fort Hunt High School alumni remains active online,[8] organizing regular all-school and all-year reunion gatherings,[9] and granting annual scholarships to graduating seniors of West Potomac High School.[10]

School institutions

The yearbook was called The Fortress. The school paper was called The Frontline. The athletic teams were called the Federals.

Notable alumni

• Robert C. Michelson, '69 — American engineer and academic[11][12] Recipient of the Pirelli Award for the diffusion of scientific culture,[13] and the first €25,000 Top Pirelli Prize[14]
• Rick Atkinson, '70 — Pulitzer Prize winning author[15]
• Carl C. Perkins, '72 — member of the United States House of Representatives from Kentucky's 7th congressional district, 1983–1993[16]
• Admiral James A. Winnefeld, Jr., "Sandy", '74 — Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Aug. 4, 2011 – July 31, 2015[17][18]
• Phoef Sutton, '76 — Emmy Award-winning TV writer/producer of Cheers[17]
• Wendy B. Lawrence, '77 — NASA astronaut[19]
• Rocky Belk, '79 — NFL player[20]
• Carolyn Cole, '79 — Pulitzer Prize winning photographer[21][22]
• Jacqueline Novogratz '79 — founder of Acumen[17]
• Robert Novogratz '81 — real estate investor, designer, and television host on HGTV and Bravo[23]
• Hoda Kotb, '82 — co-host of the NBC's Today[17][24]
• Michael Novogratz '84 — investor and CEO of Galaxy Investment Partners.[17]

References

1. Munsey, Everard (January 24, 1963). "Fairfax Gets Title to Site Of School". The Washington Post. ProQuest 141920467.
2. White, Ronald (August 4, 1979). "3rd Fort Hunt Defendant Given One-Year Sentence". Archived from the original on August 3, 2017. Retrieved August 3, 2017.
3. Mansfield, Stephanie (December 31, 1978). "$4.5 Million School Fire 'A Clear Case of Arson'". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on August 11, 2017. Retrieved August 2, 2017.
4. "Youth pleads guilty in school arson". The Free Lance-Star. Fredericksburg, Virginia. AP. May 30, 1979. p. 21. Archived from the original on February 19, 2023. Retrieved March 18, 2013.
5. Harden, Blaine (January 9, 1979). "Parents Warned To Control Three Arson Suspects". Archived from the original on August 3, 2017. Retrieved August 3, 2017.
6. Carton, Barbara (March 16, 1985). "Fort Hunt Grieves As Groveton Rejoices Over School Closing". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Archived from the original on July 6, 2020. Retrieved July 4, 2020.
7. Cohn, D'Vera; Carton, Barbara; Writers, Washington Post Staff (June 7, 1985). "An End, Beginning For 2 Va. Schools". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Archived from the original on July 6, 2020. Retrieved July 4, 2020.
8. "After Closing, Fort Hunt High School Memories Live Online". Greater Alexandria, VA Patch. June 26, 2011. Archived from the original on July 5, 2020. Retrieved July 4, 2020.
9. "Remembering Fort Hunt High School". www.connectionnewspapers.com. Archived from the original on July 4, 2020. Retrieved July 4, 2020.
10. "Awards Program". www.fhhs-alum.org. Archived from the original on July 5, 2020. Retrieved July 4, 2020.
11. Fort Hunt High School 1965-1970 Alumni site
12. Fort Hunt High School 1969 Yearbook - "The Fortress" vol. VI. Fairfax County, Virginia. 1969. p. 376. pg. 97, Graduating Senior class picture.
13. "2002 GTRI Annual Report, page 3 ref. to Michelson winning Pirelli Award" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on July 25, 2019. Retrieved December 27, 2020.
14. "Education Section and Pirelli Top Prize". May 10, 2002. Archived from the original on February 8, 2012. Retrieved June 25, 2014.
15. "2003 Pulitzer Prize Winner in History". Pulitzer Prize. Archived from the original on February 16, 2020. Retrieved July 4, 2020.
16. "Biographical Directory of the US Congress". Archived from the original on June 29, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2007.
17. "Alum Profiles". Fort Hunt High School Alumni Association. Archived from the original on June 18, 2014. Retrieved June 19, 2014.
18. "The Vice Chairmen of the Joint Chiefs of Staff". Joint Chiefs of Staff. Archived from the original on July 4, 2014. Retrieved June 19, 2014.
19. "NASA biographical information". Archived from the original on February 18, 2009. Retrieved April 23, 2007.
20. "Anthony Lovett 'Rocky' Belk". oldestlivingprofootball.com. Archived from the original on August 9, 2013. Retrieved December 2, 2014.
21. Cole, Carolyn. "Carolyn Cole Photographic Archive, 1975-2016". legacy.lib.utexas.edu. Archived from the original on July 6, 2020. Retrieved July 4, 2020.
22. "2004 Pulitzer Prize Winner in Feature Photography". Pulitzer Prize. Archived from the original on May 18, 2020. Retrieved July 4, 2020.
23. "Husband and Wife Team Cortney and Robert Novogratz are THE NOVOGRATZ". www.thenovogratz.com. Archived from the original on July 20, 2020. Retrieved July 4, 2020.
24. Barton, Mary Ann (October 8, 2011). "NBC's Hoda Kotb Returns to Northern Virginia, Talks Success, Survival". GreaterAlexandriaPatch. Archived from the original on February 19, 2023. Retrieved June 19, 2014. Award-winning broadcast journalist returns to her roots (she's an '82 grad of Fort Hunt High School) to wow crowd Friday night at Fairfax County Chamber of Commerce dinner.