Riverside University High School: A Legacy of Education in Milwaukee

Riverside University High School (RUHS), located on the East Side of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, stands as a testament to the city's commitment to public education. With a college preparatory curriculum, Riverside has evolved from Milwaukee's first public high school in 1868 to a leading institution known for its Advanced Placement program. This article explores the rich history of RUHS, its architectural evolution, curriculum advancements, and the enduring legacy of its alumni and community.

The Genesis of Public Education in Milwaukee

The story of Riverside University High School begins in the mid-1850s when the newly established city of Milwaukee initiated discussions about creating a public high school. As early as 1860, a high school program operated in the attic of an elementary school in the Brady Street area. In 1867, the Wisconsin legislature approved an act "to establish a high school in the City of Milwaukee." Milwaukee opened its first permanent high school Downtown in 1868. MPS Superintendent Francis Pomeroy then established the first high school, which opened inside the Seventh Ward School house on the west side of Jefferson Street between State and Juneau the following January.

That high school slowly worked its way northeast and these days it continues on as Riverside University High School, 1615 E. Locust St. The school was at a Jefferson St. location in its founding year of 1868. The high school opened in January 1868 in an upper floor of a primary school with 100 boys and girls. The allocated budget of $6,000 covered the Principal and two teachers ($3,500), janitor ($400), furniture ($1,000), fuel ($100), supplies ($250) and contingency ($750). The school year consisted of two sessions from May 1st to November 1st and November 1st until May 1st with 2.5 hours of instruction in both the morning and afternoon. The 3 year High School consisted of Classical (Greek, Latin, Classics, Caesar, Virgil, and History of Antiquities) and General /English (5 semesters of math, English, German or French, science, history/ civics) programs. In 1870, a standardized, higher quality training of teachers resulted when a Normal program was added to the Milwaukee HS curriculum. During this early period in education, teaching at the elementary school level was primarily done by high school trained graduates.

Early Challenges and Growth

Not unexpectedly there were some difficulties in the growth of the school. The large influx of immigrants from various countries created a demand for evening programs, a shift toward “Americanization”, an active discussion on the need to continue teaching German as a language for everyone and stressed budgets due to the need for new school buildings and for more teachers. A “Committee on Teacher Salaries Report” in 1871 compared male and female teacher salaries in Milwaukee and also noted the disparity in male and female teacher salaries to teachers in Cleveland, Chicago and St. Louis. The development, excellence and confidence in education provided to Milwaukee youth were demonstrated through its award winning exhibit at the International Centennial Exhibit at Philadelphia in 1876. One focus of that World’s Fair was to share information on the workings of educational systems. The Milwaukee educators felt it was important that the “world should know what the western states, with their new and unsolved problems of civilization are doing in the field of education”. Much energy and time was spent in preparing the history of the school system, courses of instruction, and a complete representation of the work done by students. One can almost feel the energy, excitement, pride and commitment of all who built Milwaukee’s first high school.

From East Division to Riverside: Architectural Transformations

After several fires and increasing enrollment, East Division High School, also known as East Side High School, opened in the late 1880s. In 1866, Henry C. Koch was tapped to design a new, modern high school on the site. By 1906 ground was broken for a state-of-the-art building at 1615 E. Locust St. (East Locust Street was known at the time as Folsom Place.) Using then modern technology, the architect increased the window size by using a steel frame designed to bear the weight of the building. This also allowed for less restrictive and cheaper construction. This new design attracted local residents as well as residents in surrounding areas. The design was that of a four-story U-shaped building with a three-story square building inside. The buildings were connected via five skywalks on the second, "main", floor for access to the auditorium and two stairwells to access either basement level gym, nicknamed "the dungeon." The dungeon is now home to the liberal arts and theater department. This room is used for rehearsal purposes as well as final dress rehearsals. The new building, dubbed Riverside High School, opened for classes in the fall of 1915.

The school was also known as East Division High School until the mid-1980s. East Division was a typical early 20th century high school with a mostly Caucasian student population. The population was segregated at the time because many local residents on the east side of Milwaukee only attended. Until 1941 Riverside did not have a school cafeteria and lacked a full library.

Subsequent Renovations and Additions

Riverside then received a renovation and a three-story addition that added a third gym and a full cafeteria to the rear of the building, turning the U shape of the school into a square on all but the fourth floor. By the 1970s Riverside High school, like many older urban schools, was in a state of rapid decay. The windows leaked water and snow, and the building's heating system was unable to keep the staff and students warm. Nearly all aspects of the building were in disrepair. It was decided that a second addition and a renovation were in order. After a careful review, the building was retrofitted with new Plexiglass windows.

In 1978 a new building was added next to Riverside that included a six-lane 25-yard pool, a gym larger than both the original gyms combined, two auto shops, a foundry room, two metal shops, a drivers' education room, a fitness center, and more general classroom space. This extra space allowed the third floor cafeteria to be converted into a large library with three special media centers, while the basement level gym was turned into a cafeteria.

The new addition created several dead spaces rarely seen, including the old gym seating behind a wall on the first floor near the rear hallway, and the staircases. The staircases run from the first floor to the fourth floor and are located between the old building and the new building elevator. The new building made Riverside compatible with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 by adding street level and basement level ramps, as well as adding a second elevator; the original elevator is now used primarily as a service elevator. It was one of the first schools in Milwaukee to do so.

Architectural Style and Significance

Designed by Milwaukee architects Henry J. Van Ryn and Gerrit J. DeGelleke in the Jacobethan style, the school was to have the flavor of an English college or an Elizabethan manor house. Remember When… Milwaukee: Milwaukee Journal. November 24, 1913. New construction techniques of the day allowed for large windows and therefore bright classrooms. Gothic and Tudor ornamentation completed the elegant building. Additions were made in 1941 and 1978, with remodeling in 1980-'85. An excellent example of English Renaissance school building design, Riverside High School is constructed of red scratch-faced brick and Bedford limestone.

Academic Transformation and University Partnership

Along with several other schools in Milwaukee, the 1980s saw major curriculum changes for Riverside. Advanced Placement classes were added and the school was rededicated as Riverside University High School. The nicknames "East Division" and "East Side" were dropped from the daily lexicon. With its new partnership with the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Riverside had transformed itself from a decaying urban school into one of the best AP based high schools in the nation. Along with Rufus King International School - High School Campus, Milwaukee High School of the Arts, and Milwaukee School of Languages, Riverside is considered one of the best high schools in the city. In recent years Riverside has made Newsweek's list of the best high schools in America.

Curriculum and Extracurricular Evolution

In 1997 the single sheet "Tiger Times" was revamped as a full sized school paper, "Word on the River." During the 2000s the curriculum was altered to add more focus on technology. Several rooms were converted to computer labs and the Anzivino Computer Lab was added. In 2021, Riverside adopted a controversial phone policy, which requires that students' phones be collected in the morning, and only be given back to them at the end of the day. This sparked outrage amongst the student population and angered some parents and led to a petition and a protest.

The Riverside University High School Foundation

The Riverside University High School Foundation was founded in 1997 by several school alumni. They were concerned that a lack of money for public schools was beginning to reach a crisis stage and was slowly eroding the extraordinary high quality of education at Riverside, which had always been a hallmark of the school since its founding in 1868 as Milwaukee’s very first public high school. The Foundation’s primary source of funds is individual contributions from Riverside alumni, retired staff and friends.

Scholarships Offered Through the Foundation

The Foundation and other benefactors offer a variety of scholarships to graduating Riverside students:

Brin Family Scholarship: Established by the Brin Family, this $3000 scholarship requires recipients to plan on attending a Wisconsin school.
Mike Drew Memorial Scholarship: Inspired by Mike Drew, a local retired journalist who mentored the school newspaper students, this scholarship awards two individual scholarships at $2500 to students with a 2.5 GPA planning to attend a Wisconsin college, university, or 2-year college. Students should also have a plan for funding their education. Cathy Washabaugh, a retired RUHS journalism teacher, revitalized the school newspaper in the early 1990’s.
Foundation General Scholarship: Amounts vary for this scholarship, which requires a student with a 2.5 GPA, financial need, participation in school activities, and community service.
Jim Gibson Memorial Scholarship: Established in memory of Jim Gibson, who wrote "RUHS: Milwaukee’s Oldest Public School," this $2000 scholarship requires a student with a 2.5 GPA who held a leadership role in the school and/or the community. Financial need, participation in school activities and community service will be considered.
Pat & Joan Kerns Scholarship: This $1500 scholarship, established by Pat and Joan Kerns in memory of their fathers, Milton Kerns and Allan Polacheck, is awarded to a senior who lettered in basketball. Both Pat and Joan and their fathers are graduates of Riverside.
Mike Nowicki Memorial Scholarship: This $1500 scholarship requires that the recipient has been a member of the Swim team for two years and active in extra-curriculars. It was established to honor long-time swim coach and RUHS educator, Mike Nowicki.
Sade Robinson Memorial Scholarship: A new scholarship to honor RUHS graduate Sade Robinson who was tragically killed in 2024. Requires that the recipient plans on attending a technical school. Amount: $1000.
Scholar Athlete Scholarship: Established by Mary Fowlkes, retired Physical Education teacher and Riverside alumnus, this $1000 scholarship requires participation in a RUHS athletic team, a minimum 2.5 GPA, demonstrated financial need, and community service.
Tabak Family Scholarship: Established by alumnus Fred Tabak, this $1000 scholarship requires that the recipient be from a single-parent household.
Thornburg Scholarship: For students with a 2.5 GPA who plan to pursue a career in education. Dr. Mary Lou Thornburg is a 1954 graduate of Riverside. She went on to receive a bachelor’s degree from UW-LaCrosse, a master’s from UNC-Greensboro, and a Ph.D. from the University of Iowa, all in the field of physical education. For 35 years she was a professor at Bridgewater State University in Massachusetts and served as Dean of the School of Education. The Thornburg Fitness Center at Bridgewater is named after her.
Thornburg Scholarship: For students who have immigrated to the United States, have English as a second language and are the first-generation family member to attend college.
Waldner-Cornell Family Scholarship: This $2000 scholarship requires that the recipient be planning a career in public service, have a 3.0 GPA and good attendance. Extra value placed on volunteer community service work during high school. Sue and Don Cornell’s four children graduated from Riverside during the 90’s. Sue was a teacher at Riverside for 20 years. Public service work such as, firefighting, teaching and police work are highly valued by this family.
Washabaugh Family & Friends Scholarship: Established by the Washabaugh family, this scholarship requires that the recipient plans on attending UWM. $3000 for first year, $2000 for second.
Werner Family Scholarship: This $2500 scholarship is renewable for four years and requires a 3.0 GPA with involvement in school activities and the community who demonstrates a financial need. The Werner family has been a part of the Riverside community for many years. Gwen and Bill’s two sons attended Riverside. Gwen also serves on the Foundation’s board. The Werner Family members are long time supporters of public education and equal opportunity. The family makes donations every year so that this scholarship can benefit a deserving senior.
Tom Wild Legacy Scholarship: For students with a high academic achievement, student activity participation, community service and financial need. The student should be able to articulate the legacy they have passed on to RUHS. After his retirement in 2019, Mr. Wild established a scholarship. Mr. Wild taught Advanced Placement courses and advised the student council. He ran the ACT Testing Center at Riverside and chaperoned numerous college tours of historically black colleges. He did an excellent job of utilizing community organizations and nonprofit groups as resources for his students so they could see the importance of agency and active citizen participation. Mr. Wild’s Box City each year had students erecting cardboard shelters and spending the night outdoors in the school parking lot to raise money for Habitat for Humanity. Eventually they raised enough money to build two homes. He implemented voter education and registration drives which became the blueprint for all MPS high schools. When he retired, Mr. Wild was honored by the Milwaukee Common Council, four members of which had been his students.

Read also: Riverside Preparatory Overview

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