Alexander Hamilton High School, known colloquially as Hamilton High School, Hamilton, or Hami. is a public high school in the Castle Heights neighborhood within the Westside of Los Angeles, California, United States. It is in the Los Angeles Unified School District. It was established in 1931.
History Alexander Hamilton High School opened in Fall 1931, with Thomas Hughes Elson as the principal.The Citizen, June 12, 1931, p. 10, and November 20, 1931, p. 1 It was designed by architects John C. Austin and Frederic M. Ashley. The three-story administration building held the administration, library, and science departments and 24 classrooms. Other buildings were a manual training building, another for physical training, and a fourth for the cafeteria and "domestic science." The capacity would be 1000, with plans permitting increasing to 2500. Building costs were $125,000 for the land, $400,000 for the structure, and $200,000 for equipment.Los Angeles Times, August 3, 1930, page C2 Built in the Northern Italian Renaissance style, multicolored and patterned brickwork, elaborate cast stone decoration, and a bell tower clad in verdigris copper distinguish the building.Historic Schools of the Los Angeles Unified School District (March 2002)Historic Schools of the Los Angeles Unified School District
Austin and Ashley later designed Hamilton's $100,000 six-room auditorium, Waidelich HallLos Angeles Times, April 26, 1936, page D2 which opened on April 20, 1937.Los Angeles Times, April 21, 1937, page A5 The hall was named after Arthur George Waidelich, the second principal at the school. On February 21, 1989, the auditorium was renamed the Norman J. Pattiz Concert Hall. A brass plaque made by the industrial arts department to commemorate the 1937 dedication was removed during renovation.
In the present day, the common buildings that were built are Brown Hall. Brown Hall houses administrative offices, the library, and classrooms and is named in honor of Walker Brown, Principal (1940–1956). There are also the lab, tech, humanities building, the music/A buildings, among similar structures. Right next to the front entrance, there is a large theater hall, known Norman J. Pattiz Concert Hall. Alongside that, there are two gym buildings (boys' and girls'), and a workshop building. On the west part of the campus is Los Angeles Department of Water and Power Distribution Station 20 and Cheviot Hills High School, a continuation school. The athletic fields include Al Michaels Field (a football and track stadium named for sportscaster Al Michaels, Hamilton's famous alum) and a community garden, known as the Hami Garden. The Hami Garden was originally a joint project funded by the South Robertson Neighborhood Council, and the Hami High Environmental Club in 2009. It is maintained by community members and students.
Alexander Hamilton High School was part the Los Angeles City High School District until 1961, when it merged with LAUSD.
In 1932, its attendance boundaries extended as far north as Mulholland Highway.The Citizen, January 29, 1932, p. 11. In fall 2007, some neighborhoods that were originally bound to Hamilton High's attendance were rezoned to Venice High School.
Demographics
As of the 2025-2026 academic school year, there were approximately 2,025 students enrolled at Hamilton High School.
Extracurricular activities Academy of Music and Performing Arts Composer Marion Vree taught music and directed the chorus at Hamilton during the 1950s.
Notable people Alumni
Film and television Lizzy Caplan, actress David Cassidy, actor and musician (attended, didn't graduate)"David Cassidy", San Bernardino County Sun, April 16, 1972. Jackie Cruz, actress Kaitlin Doubleday, actress Dolores Faith, actress Brian Austin Green, actor Rita Hayworth, actress Emile Hirsch, actor Bruce Kimmel, actor, writer, director Shia LaBeouf, actor Michele Lee, actress Alex D. Linz, actor Tommy "Tiny" Lister, actor Darris Love, actor William Margold, adult film actor and director Bill Mumy, actor Marc Norman, screenwriter Randall Park, actor, comedian, and writer Paula Patton, actress"Paula Patton Is Pregnant Actress", celebrity.rightpundits.com, March 9, 2008 Michelle Phillips, actress, singer Kyla Pratt, actress Michael Preece, film and television director, script supervisor, producer, and actor Roger Pulvers, playwright, theatre director and translator in Japan and Australia Nikki Reed, actress Robert Ri'chard, actor Joni Robbins, voice-over actress Steven Robman, director and producer Will Rothhaar, actor Stu Segall, director and producer Carl Tart, actor Gwen Verdon, film and Broadway actress Ivy Wolk, actress, comedian, and writer
Law Evan Freed, attorney, photographer of Robert F. Kennedy presidential campaign, 1968 William Ginsburg, attorney who represented Monica Lewinsky during investigations into her relationship with President Clinton Robert Shapiro, one of the defense lawyers in the O. J. Simpson murder case
Literature Albert Boime, author and academic historian Sikivu Hutchinson, author and feminist educator Adam Kirsch, author, journalist, and critic Olympia LePoint, author and rocket scientist Walter Mosley, author Joel Siegel, author and critic on ABC television
Music Wil-Dog Abers, singer for Ozomatli Fiona Apple, singer-songwriter (sophomore year only)Robert Hilburn, "What a Drag It Is Being Young", Los Angeles Times, October 5, 1997. Kevin Bivona, musician and audio engineer Warryn Campbell, music producer Reeve Carney, singer-songwriter and actor Billy Childs, pianist and composer Julian Coryell, guitarist, singer-songwriter, and producer Eligh, rapper, producer Mike Elizondo, bassist and producer Joel Grey, singer and actor Murs, rapper Jordan Hill, singer Julia Holter, singer-songwriter Anna Homler, visual, performance and vocal artist Robert Hurwitz, former president of Nonesuch Records Nipsey Hussle, rapper Silvia Kohan, singer-songwriter Abe Laboriel, Jr., drummer Howard Leese, guitarist Jeff Long, bassist Mann, rapper Omarion, singer Mimi Page, recording artist, songwriter, producer, and composer Ariel Rechtshaid, music producer, composer, and musician Daniel Rossen, guitarist Scarub, rapper, producer"Through The Mic featuring Murs and 3MG" , The 5th Element, May 31, 2012 Jon Schwartz, drummer Stu Segall, producer and director Shade Sheist, recording artist, songwriter, producer, actorThe Official Web Site of Shade Sheist Stew, composer Houston Summers, singer Syd, singer and songwriter, member of Odd Future Elle Varner, singer Kamasi Washington, jazz saxophonist JHawk, record producer and songwriter
Sports Laila Ali, women's boxing champion Stephen Baker, wide receiver for the 1990 Super Bowl champion New York Giants Ronald Barak, Olympic gymnast Nick Bravin, Olympic fencer Alex Hannum, basketball player and coach Alex Hoffman-Ellis, football linebacker Gary Kirner, football offensive lineman Peanuts Lowrey, baseball player Rod Martin, football linebacker Al Michaels, sportscaster Warren Moon, football quarterback"Local Legends: Warren Moon and James Lofton", Los Angeles Sentinel, April 17, 2013. Armani Rogers, football player
Clancy Smyres, baseball player Leigh Steinberg, sports agent Sidney Wicks, basketball playerCrowe, Jerry. "In time of great change, Sidney Wicks helped UCLA stay the same", Los Angeles Times, March 2, 2009 John Wilbur, football player
Politics Karen Bass, 43rd Mayor of Los Angeles, former representative of California's 37th congressional district Howard Berman, former representative of California's 28th congressional district; chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee Paul Koretz, City of Los Angeles Council member Lynn Schenk, former representative of California's 49th congressional district
Other Arlene Klasky, co-creator of Rugrats Michael Elowitz, synthetic biologist Greg Johnson, creator of the ToeJam & Earl and Starflight games Larry Josephson, radio producer and host at WBAI and KPFA Susan B. Nelson, activist Norman J. Pattiz, founder of Westwood One Ben Rich, former director of the Lockheed Skunk Works Lilly Samuels Tartikoff, ballet dancer and philanthropist
Faculty Barry Smolin, singer-songwriter, radio host, and author; taught English Marion Vree, composer, arranger; taught music
References
External links
Hamilton High home page