On February 5, 1939, John Bartram High School, located at the intersection of 67th Street and Elmwood Avenue in Southwest Philadelphia, opened for the first time to 1,700 students. The school was named after Philadelphian botanist John Bartram. It was built to relieve overcrowding at West Philadelphia High School due to population increases in the southwest part of the city. According to a history of the school published on its 50th anniversary, the school was originally planned to be built at 74th Street and Dicks Avenue, but the site was changed before construction started.
It was one of the first Philadelphia high schools named for a prominent individual rather than a geographic region of the city.
The school is home to PA-20032 Unit of the Air Force JROTC.[3]
School and site structure
Structure
The building is one city block long and the capacity of the school is about 3000 students. The blueprint of the school shows that there are approximately 103 classrooms and 12 staircases. The school has a boys' and a girls' gymnasium for different sporting events. The auditorium can hold about 1077 people. The art-deco building was designed for 2,750 students but frequently held 3,200 or more.
Curriculum
John Bartram students must take four English classes to graduate. English classes are to help students improve their reading, grammar, writing skills, and vocabulary. Optional English classes include SAT English, AP English, Theater, Public Speaking, and AP English Literature.
^Cady, Steve. "Earl Monroe: A Spectacular Shooter and a Master Showman", The New York Times, November 14, 1971. Accessed February 22, 2021. "At John Bartram High School, Monroe played center. After graduation, he spent one semester at Temple Prep before dropping out to take a $60‐a‐week job as a shipping clerk."
^Manual of the Legislature of New Jersey, p. 238. J.A. Fitzgerald, 1991. Accessed February 22, 2021. "Ann A. Mullen, Dem., Gloucester Township: Assemblywoman Mullen was born on Oct. 24, 1935, in Philadelphia, Pa., and attended John Bartram High School in that city."
