# Hutchinson High School (Minnesota)

Hutchinson Senior High School was founded in the fall of 1877 in Hutchinson, Minnesota, United States. The school has over 17,000 graduates since its inception. [17,095 through 2023] The first graduating class included H. H. Bonniwell.
Today, HHS graduates anywhere from 200-240 graduates per year. This rate has held fairly steady for the past 50 years. The first class over 100 was in 1942 (110) and the first class of 200 students occurred 23 years later in 1965. The last graduating class under 200 was in 1992. Over that time, Hutchinson HS has had a remarkably stable population of between 800-1100 students. Currently, the enrollment of Hutchinson HS is above 900 and expects to be there through the near future.

## History

* The first HHS graduates were in 1878. High school education generally was exclusive to private tutoring prior to this.
* In 1881, the Hutchinson school district became one of the first to receive state money to provide high school study.
* In 1890, the Hutchinson school district had 529 pupils, while only graduating 4 students. High school education did not gain popularity until the turn of the century.
* In 1913, a Normal School was started. The normal school took place in the summer after graduation and allowed many people to become certified teachers in a six-week program. 50% of the graduating class went to the Normal school in 1915-17. The Normal School continued to operate until 1947. During this period, the teacher training school graduated 10-15 students yearly.
* The first documented valedictorian was E. R. Dennis in the Class of 1912. The practice of naming a valedictorian and salutatorian was ended by Principal Scott Douglas in the year 2000.
* The Park building was commissioned in 1938 and served as the high school from 1938-1960. After that, it became the elementary school. Park was recently changed from a Grades 2-5 building to only a Grades 4-5 building in 2022.
* In the fall of 1961, Hutchinson Senior HS moved to the School St. location and continued operating as the Grades 7-12 building from 1961-1988, and the Grades 9-12 building from 1988–present. A new remodeled high school debuted during the 2017-2018 school year.

## Graduation classes

| Year | Grad# | Year | Grad# | Year | Grad# | Year | Grad# | Year | Grad# | Year | Grad# | Year | Grad# | Year | Grad# | Year | Grad# | Year | Grad# | Year | Grad# |
| 1878 | 4 | 1897 | 16 | 1911 | 36 | 1925 | 65 | 1939 | 82 | 1953 | 104 | 1967 | 185 | 1981 | 213 | 1995 | 200 | 2009 | 221 | 2023 | 220 |
| 1881 | 1 | 1898 | 14 | 1912 | 41 | 1926 | 51 | 1940 | 82 | 1954 | 95 | 1968 | 194 | 1982 | 216 | 1996 | 205 | 2010 | 234 | 2024 | |
| 1884 | 6 | 1899 | 18 | 1913 | 49 | 1927 | 53 | 1941 | 95 | 1955 | 104 | 1969 | 204 | 1983 | 214 | 1997 | 212 | 2011 | 212 | 2025 | |
| 1885 | 8 | 1900 | 16 | 1914 | 32 | 1928 | 56 | 1942 | 110 | 1956 | 115 | 1970 | 223 | 1984 | 195 | 1998 | 214 | 2012 | 203 | 2026 | |
| 1886 | 1 | 1901 | 24 | 1915 | 48 | 1929 | 47 | 1943 | 95 | 1957 | 100 | 1971 | 208 | 1985 | 187 | 1999 | 220 | 2013 | 204 | 2027 | |
| 1887 | 12 | 1902 | 29 | 1916 | 39 | 1930 | 66 | 1944 | 77 | 1958 | 129 | 1972 | 170 | 1986 | 192 | 2000 | 219 | 2014 | 219 | 2028 | |
| 1888 | 1 | 1903 | 35 | 1917 | 32 | 1931 | 54 | 1945 | 76 | 1959 | 120 | 1973 | 195 | 1987 | 201 | 2001 | 227 | 2015 | 238 | 2029 | |
| 1890 | 4 | 1904 | 39 | 1918 | 47 | 1932 | 71 | 1946 | 96 | 1960 | 142 | 1974 | 204 | 1988 | 226 | 2002 | 221 | 2016 | 208 | 2030 | |
| 1891 | 9 | 1905 | 48 | 1919 | 52 | 1933 | 56 | 1947 | 76 | 1961 | 152 | 1975 | 187 | 1989 | 197 | 2003 | 239 | 2017 | 206 | 2031 | |
| 1892 | 2 | 1906 | 33 | 1920 | 39 | 1934 | 62 | 1948 | 114 | 1962 | 156 | 1976 | 184 | 1990 | 219 | 2004 | 230 | 2018 | 212 | 2032 | |
| 1893 | 3 | 1907 | 32 | 1921 | 50 | 1935 | 62 | 1949 | 88 | 1963 | 146 | 1977 | 211 | 1991 | 170 | 2005 | 236 | 2019 | 205 | 2033 | |
| 1894 | 2 | 1908 | 33 | 1922 | 41 | 1936 | 65 | 1950 | 78 | 1964 | 172 | 1978 | 215 | 1992 | 190 | 2006 | 231 | 2020 | 197 | 2034 | |
| 1895 | 10 | 1909 | 23 | 1923 | 52 | 1937 | 67 | 1951 | 98 | 1965 | 200 | 1979 | 228 | 1993 | 206 | 2007 | 244 | 2021 | 221 | 2035 | |
| 1896 | 4 | 1910 | 37 | 1924 | 58 | 1938 | 64 | 1952 | 82 | 1966 | 184 | 1980 | 217 | 1994 | 210 | 2008 | 229 | 2022 | 219 | 2036 | |

## Notable alumni

* Carlos Avery (1868-1930), first Commissioner of the Minnesota Game and Fish Commission. Namesake of the Carlos Avery State Wildlife Management Area. Class of 1887.
* John Bernhagen, Minnesota Legislator, (1969-1992). Class of 1952. Graduated #12 in his class of 82.
* Harlow "Bonnie" Bonniwell, Minnesota Legislator (1915-1935). Part of the first graduating class in 1878.
* Mitch Erickson, Offensive Guard at South Dakota State from 2004-2007, Pro football player from 2008-2012 in the NFL (Practice Squad) and CFL
* Colleen Gray, (née Delores Jensen) big screen actress from the 1940s and 1950s. Class of 1939. Graduated #3 in her class of 82.
* Arthur A. Hahn, Minnesota state senator and businessman
* Les Kouba, 1957–58 and 1967-68 Federal Duck Stamp winner and celebrated wildlife artist. Les was in the Class of 1935, but left school during his junior year to attend art school in Minneapolis. Les Kouba Art
* Greg Murtha, Football player at the University of Minnesota, played in the NFL in 1982
* Lydon Murtha, Offensive Tackle at Nebraska from 2005-2008, NFL Player with the Miami Dolphins
* Harold Popp, Minnesota Legislator (1958-1969). Pharmacist. Married popular teacher Winnifred Ruth in 1941. Both were killed in a car accident in 1969. Class of 1921
* Nate Swift, Record-setting receiver at Nebraska from 2005-2008, NFL Practice Squad player, Denver and Jacksonville (2009)
* Lindsay Whalen, basketball player for the University of Minnesota, Connecticut Sun, and Minnesota Lynx. Two-time Olympic gold medalist in basketball (2012, 2016) and former head coach of the University of Minnesota's women's basketball team
* John Zeleny, Class of 1888, BS Cambridge, University of MN Physicist 1906-1951, invented Zeleny Electroscope, President, American Physical Society, 1940

## Feeder schools

* West Elementary
* Tiger Elementary
* Park Elementary
* Hutchinson Middle School