Overbrook High School is a public, four-year secondary school in the Overbrook section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Overbrook High School is designated by the School District of Philadelphia as Location #402, in the West Region. The building was built in 1924 and designed by Irwin T. Catharine. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1986.
Enrollment for 2004–05 was 2,075 students in grades 9 through 12. African Americans make up 99% of the student population, with whites, Asians, and Latinos accounting for most of the rest of 2006. As of 2015, the school principal of Overbrook is Yvette Jackson.
Overbrook is perhaps best known for its famous alumni, who include Wilt Chamberlain and Will Smith. At least 11 Overbrook alumni have played in the NBA, and the school is ranked sixth in that respect.
Steve Baskerville, TV personality, presently TV weatherman for CBS2 Chicago, ILLen Barry, lead singer/songwriter, The DovellsJohn Blake, Jr., jazz violinist; minister Bill Bloom, songwriter/musicianGuion S. Bluford, Jr., space-shuttle astronaut; first African-American in spaceSolomon Burke, soul singer [Attended briefly, but graduated from John Bartram High SchoolBill Cash, Negro League star, Baseball Hall of FamerWilt Chamberlain, NBA basketball legendThe Delfonics, R&B groupJon Drummond, Olympic track gold-medalistTed Eisenberg, World record-holding breast surgeonMike Gale, NBA/ABA playerBobb Goldsteinn, songwriter/producer; coined term "multimedia"Bryshere Y. Gray, actor on TV series EmpireThe Last Emperor (Jamal Gray), rapperWalt Hazzard (Mahdi Abdul-Rahmad), NBA All-Star; UCLA All-American player and coachRosetta Hightower, lead singer, The OrlonsWayne Hightower, NBA player; ABA All-starWali Jones, NBA player; Miami Heat executiveJacob Landau, nationally recognized artist, teacherJames Lassiter, film producer; partner in Overbrook EntertainmentHal Lear, NBA playerJeffrey Leonard, Major League Baseball player Lewis Lloyd, NBA playerAndre McCarter, UCLA All -American basketball and 3-time NCAA Champion; NBA playerDeworski Odom, American sprinterFrank Piasecki, helicopter inventor; National Medal of Technology winnerMarion Ramsey, film actressMalik Rose, NBA playerJohnny Sample, American football playerDee Dee Sharp, singerWill Smith, Oscar-nominated actor; rapperPaul Wallace, professional basketball playerWillie L. Williams, former police commissioner, Philadelphia and Los Angeles
