Mt. Lebanon High School
| Mt. Lebanon High School | |
|---|---|
| Location | |
155 Cochran Rd, Pittsburgh, PA 15228 | |
| Coordinates | 40°22′33″N 80°03′04″W / 40.3759027°N 80.0511651°W[1] |
| Information | |
| Type | Public high school |
| Motto | Home Of The Blue Devils |
| Established | 1927 |
| School district | Mt. Lebanon School District |
| NCES School ID | 421611000254[2] |
| Principal | Joel Thompson |
| Staff | 119.80 (FTE)[3] |
| Grades | 9–12 |
| Enrollment | 1,789 (2023–2024)[3] |
| Student to teacher ratio | 14.93[3] |
| Colors | Blue and Gold |
| Mascot | Blue Devil |
| Nickname | Lebo, Mt. Lebo |
| Newspaper | The Devil's Advocate |
| Website | https://hs.mtlsd.org/ |
Mt. Lebanon High School is a four-year, comprehensive high school located in Mt. Lebanon, Pennsylvania, a suburb of Pittsburgh. It serves as the only high school in the Mt. Lebanon School District and has an enrollment of 1,789 students in grades 9–12 for the 2023–2024 school year. Its mascot is the Blue Devil.[4]
History
The school was originally built in 1927, and was described after being built as one of the most advanced schools in the state.[5] The school had two additions added in 1956 and 1957. Ground was broken in 1970 for an addition, which was completed in 1972. This addition added another six-story building connected to the original building, an arts wing connected to the auditorium, and a new gymnasium.[6] Ninth grade students were later added to the school due to overcrowding at the junior high schools.
In 2012, construction started for the Science Wing and a new Athletic Building that included a new pool, a main gym, two smaller gyms, and an exercise center. Remaining portions of the school that were renovated include the 1930 wing on Cochran Road, the Auditorium, and Fine Arts Wing. These were completed in 2017. In addition, the old South Gym was renovated into the Center Court, which functions as the cafeteria, and is located to be accessible from all main courses.[5]
Athletics
The sports teams compete in the Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League - District 7 of the PIAA. The teams go by the name "Blue Devils" and the school mascot is the Blue Devil. The student section is known as the Devil's Den.[7]
The high school has a sports rivalry with Upper St. Clair High School.[8] The schools are neighboring communities, with Upper St. Clair High School around 3 miles (5 km) south of Mt. Lebanon High School.[9]
In 2021, Mt. Lebanon football coach Bob Palko was awarded the Don Shula NFL High School Coach of the Year Award, following an undefeated season, winning the WPIAL 6A title, and the PIAA 6A state title.[10] Palko led Mt. Lebanon to a spot in the national rankings.[11]
PIAA State Championships
- Football
- 1 PIAA state championship (2021)[12]
- Baseball (Boys)
- 1 PIAA state championship (1998)[13]
- Basketball
- Cross Country
- Boys: 12 PIAA state titles (1941, 1943, 1944, 1945, 1950, 1952, 1953, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1998)[15]
- Football
- 1 PIAA state championship (2021)[16]
- Hockey
- Soccer
- Swimming
- Girls: 1 PIAA state championship (2002)[20]
- Volleyball
- Girls: 2 PIAA state titles (1997 and 2000)[21]
Academics
As of 2025, the school's average ACT score for students is a 30, and the school's average SAT score is a 1290.[22]
The school offers 24 AP courses.[23]
Facilities
Mt. Lebanon High School is located on 26 acres in the western Pennsylvania hills.[24] The indoor athletic facilities are connected to the Mt. Lebanon High School Center Court and academic buildings via a glass skybridge, recently named McFeeley Way, after the late high school principal Brian McFeeley.[25]
Arts and extracurricular activities
In the 2002–03 school year, the high school received one of six Outstanding School Awards from the Educational Theatre Association.[26] The school's theater program began in 1930 and has produced a number of notable actors.[27]
In 2006, the fine arts department was rated one of eight finest nationwide by the U.S. Department of Education.[26]
In 2007, the American Music Conference listed Mt. Lebanon High school as one of the "Best 100 Communities for Music Education".[28] Mount Lebanon Percussion ensemble were invited by the NHL to perform at the 2011 NHL Winter Classic on live TV for the country.[29] The Mt. Lebanon Forensic Team won the Western Pennsylvania District Forensic Championship four years in a row, beginning in 2001. In 2004, the team won the state championship in dramatic interpretation and extemporaneous speaking and then earned a second-place title in extemporaneous speaking at the national competition in Salt Lake City.[30] In 2006, the team captured the Pennsylvania High School Speech League championship.[31]
The Devil's Advocate is Mt. Lebanon High School's monthly student newspaper.
Awards and rankings
In 2019, Mt. Lebanon High School received the U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon School award for its leadership in sustainability and environmental education while promoting health and wellness.[32]
In 2025, the U.S. News & World Report ranked Mt. Lebanon High School the number one high school in the Pittsburgh region, and 7th in Pennsylvania.[4]
In popular culture
Filmography
Mt. Lebanon High School has been used as a filming location for multiple films or television programs, including the following:
Gung Ho (1986) - starring Pittsburgh native Michael Keaton[33]
Bob Roberts (1992) - starring Jack Black, Alan Rickman, and John Cusack[34]
Mt. Lebanon High School was the subject of an episode of CBS 60 Minutes, following a MRSA outbreak on the school's football team.[35]
Notable alumni
Mt. Lebanon is noted for having an extensive alumni network. This includes prominent figures in business, politics, entertainment, education, and athletics.[36]
Athletics
- Eric Angle (born 1967) - professional wrestler
- Kurt Angle (born 1968) - Olympic gold medalist in freestyle wrestling and former professional wrestler
- Troy Apke (born 1995) - NFL cornerback and special teamer
- Matt Bartkowski (born 1988) - ice hockey defenseman
- Mia Bhuta (born 2005) - soccer player[37]
- Ave Daniell (1914-1999) - football tackle
- Jim Daniell (1918-1983) - NFL football player
- John Fitsioris - professional basketball player
- John E. Frank (born 1962) - surgeon and former footballer
- Ian Happ (born 1994) - MLB player
- Tom Jelley (1926-2014) NFL football player
- Don T. Kelly (born 1980) - MLB player and coach
- Rich Lackner (born 1956) - football coach
- John O'Hara (born 1959) - professional soccer player
- Rick Peterson (born 1954) - baseball coach and former pitcher
- Colby Sorsdal (born 2000) - NFL offensive lineman
- Brian S. Williams (born 1966) - NFL football center
- Josh Wilson (born 1981) - MLB player
- Matt Kennedy Gould (born 1975) - former television personality and basketball coach
Business
- Mark Cuban (born 1958) - billionaire entrepreneur
- Brian Cuban (born 1961) - attorney and author
- Andrew Mason (born 1981) - founder and CEO of Groupon[38]
- Rich Skrenta (born 1967) - computer programmer and tech entrepreneur, creator of Elk Cloner virus
- John P. Surma (born 1954) - businessman, former CEO of US Steel, minority owner of Pittsburgh Penguins
- Greg Fenves (born 1957) - 21st President of Emory University and 28th President of the University of Texas[39]
Entertainment & Media
- Carl Betz (1921-1978) - actor
- Patti Burns (1952-2001) - journalist and TV news anchor
- Frank Capelli (1952-2018) - actor and singer[40]
- Twink Caplan (born 1947) - actress
- Christina Cindrich (born 1981 or 1982) - actress and television host
- Daya (born 1998) - Grammy award winning pop artist
- Jon Delano - journalist [41]
- Scott Ferrall (born 1965) - radio personality [42]
- Dave Filoni (born 1974) - director, Chief Creative Officer of Lucasfilm
- Bob Hoag - record producer and recording artist [43]
- David Hollander (born 1968) - actor and film producer [44]
- Gillian Jacobs (born 1982) - actress [45]
- Vince Lascheid (1923-2009) - Pittsburgh Pirates and Penguins organist
- Daniel London (born 1973) - actor
- Joe Manganiello (born 1976) - actor
- Matt McConnell (born 1963) - NHL play-by-play broadcaster, Utah Mammoth
- Terri Minsky (born 1957) - television writer, producer
- Judith O'Dea (born 1945) – actress
- Bill Roth (born 1964 or 1965) - Virginia Tech University play-by-play television announcer
- Bob Ufer (1920-1981) - University of Michigan play-by-play announcer [39]
- Ming-Na Wen (born 1963) - actress [46]
Government
- Kenyen Brown (born 1969 or 1970) - United States attorney[39]
- Ruth Colker (born 1956) - scholar, lawyer, and distinguished professor[39]
- Susan J. Crawford (born 1947) - lawyer[47]
- Q. Todd Dickinson (1952-2020) - USC(IP) and USPTO director[48]
- Timothy Hauser (1948–2005) - economist with the United States Department of Commerce and the Bureau of Labor Statistics; two time winner of the Presidential Rank Award of Distinguished Executive winner
- Dick Lamm (1935-2021) - former governor of Colorado and Presidential candidate
- Lynn Scarlett (born 1948 or 1949) - government official, environmental policy executive and analyst who served as United States Deputy Secretary of the Interior[39]
- Carole Beebe Tarantelli (born 1942) - Italian parliament member; first American citizen to be elected to the Italian Chamber of Duties[39]
- Gerald Bard Tjoflat (born 1929) - lawyer and jurist serving as Senior United States circuit judge and in the US Court of Appeals in the eleventh circuit
Education
- Gwyn Cready (born 1962) - author
- Todd DePastino - author and history professor
- Sandra Moore Faber (born 1944) - world renowned astrophysicist, National Medal of Science recipient[39]
- Terry Hart (born 1946) - former NASA astronaut and engineer
- Stuart A. Herrington (born 1972 or 1971) - author and retired counterintelligence officer
- Paige Kassalen (born 1993) – Electrical engineer who was the only American, female engineer, and youngest member of the ground crew for the Solar Impulse 2 project
- Dan Klein (born c.1976) - computer science professor[49]
- Caroline Klivans (born 1977) - mathematician
- Linn F. Mollenauer (1937–2021) - physicist and author[39]
- Ann M. Valentine (born 1971 or 1972) - Yale University bioinorganic chemist and researcher[39]
Other
- Richard Baumhammers (born 1965) - spree killer and former immigration lawyer[50]
- Newt Heisley - commercial artist and designer of the POW/MIA flag[39]
- William D. Morgan (1947-1969) - U.S. Marine and Medal of Honor recipient
- Michael Turian - Professional Magic: The Gathering player
Notable staff
- Orlando Antigua (born 1973) - basketballer
- Armen Gilliam (1964-2011) - basketballer [51]
- George Savarese (born 1965) - radio personality and educator
- Paul Tortorella (born 1963) - football coach
References
- ^ "Mount Lebanon High School". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. August 2, 1979. Retrieved May 4, 2021.
- ^ "Search for Public Schools - Mt Lebanon SHS (421611000254)". National Center for Education Statistics. Institute of Education Sciences. Retrieved December 10, 2024.
- ^ a b c "Mt Lebanon SHS". National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved December 10, 2024.
- ^ a b "Mt. Lebanon High School Ranks #1 in Pittsburgh Metro Area High Schools". www.mtlsd.org. August 19, 2025. Retrieved August 20, 2025.
- ^ a b "History". mtlalumni.org. Retrieved April 30, 2021.
- ^ Gwyn Cready (May 22, 2017). "Mt. Lebanon in the '70s". lebomag.com. Retrieved April 30, 2021.
- ^ admin (November 20, 2024). "2024 PENNSYLVANIA FINAL TOP 40 FOOTBALL STUDENT SECTION RANKINGS". www.studentsectionreport.org. Retrieved August 10, 2025.
- ^ Pace, Laura (January 25, 2007). "Rivalry in the bleachers". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved February 4, 2007.
- ^ "Mt Lebanon Sr. High School vs. Upper Saint Clair High School - Compare Rankings, Test Scores and Reviews". www.publicschoolreview.com. Retrieved August 10, 2025.
- ^ "Palko wins NFL H.S. Coach of the Year". www.steelers.com. Retrieved August 10, 2025.
- ^ "Schedule - Mt. Lebanon Blue Devils (Pittsburgh, PA) Varsity Football 21-22". www.maxpreps.com. Retrieved August 10, 2025.
- ^ "PIAA FOOTBALL CHAMPIONS". Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association. Retrieved February 23, 2023.
- ^ "PIAA BASEBALL CHAMPIONS" (PDF). Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association. Retrieved December 15, 2019.
- ^ a b "BASKETBALL PIAA CHAMPIONS" (PDF). Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association. Retrieved December 15, 2019.
- ^ "PIAA CROSS COUNTRY CHAMPIONS" (PDF). Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association. Retrieved December 15, 2019.
- ^ "FOOTBALL PIAA CHAMPIONS" (PDF). Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association. Retrieved December 15, 2022.
- ^ "WPIHL State Champions". eteamz. Archived from the original on February 24, 2015. Retrieved March 19, 2013.
- ^ "Mt. Lebanon Wins State Hockey Title..." Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. April 13, 2006. Archived from the original on November 20, 2016. Retrieved March 19, 2013.
- ^ a b "PIAA CHAMPIONS" (PDF). Fall Soccer Results. Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association. Retrieved December 15, 2019.
- ^ "Past Team Championships" (PDF). Swimming and Diving Results. Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association. Retrieved December 15, 2019.
- ^ "GIRLS' VOLLEYBALL PIAA CHAMPIONS" (PDF). Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association. Retrieved December 15, 2019.
- ^ "Mt. Lebanon Senior High School in Mount Lebanon Township, PA".
- ^ "High School Profile - Mt. Lebanon High School".
- ^ "Athletic Venues - Mt. Lebanon High School Athletics". athletics.mtlsd.org. Retrieved February 11, 2025.
- ^ "Mt. Lebanon School District to honor late principal Brian McFeeley with skywalk, signage". The Almanac. Retrieved August 6, 2025.
- ^ a b "2006 profile, Mt. Lebanon School District" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on July 17, 2011. Retrieved November 11, 2007.
- ^ Mary Niederberger (November 17, 2005). "Mt. Lebanon High School marks 75 years of theater". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved February 4, 2007.
- ^ The 2007 "Best 100 Communities for Music Education" Roster Archived June 3, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "History". Mtlpercussion.com. Retrieved January 22, 2013.
- ^ "2003–2004 Report Card, page 11" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on February 15, 2006. Retrieved July 11, 2006.
- ^ "Microsoft Word – 06May.doc" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on September 27, 2007. Retrieved June 8, 2006.
- ^ "District Awards - Mt. Lebanon School District". www.mtlsd.org. Retrieved November 2, 2024.
- ^ "Filmed in Pittsburgh: The Burgh at Work | CMU Libraries". www.library.cmu.edu. Retrieved August 18, 2025.
- ^ Bob Roberts (1992) - Filming & production - IMDb. Retrieved August 18, 2025 – via m.imdb.com.
- ^ www.tribliveoffers.com https://www.tribliveoffers.com/welcome. Retrieved August 18, 2025.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ^ "Mount Lebanon High School packs a star-studded class of alumni | Sports | Pittsburgh | Pittsburgh City Paper". www.pghcitypaper.com. July 12, 2017. Retrieved August 6, 2025.
- ^ "Mia Bhuta - Women's Soccer 2024". Stanford Cardinal - Official Athletics Website.
- ^ Chicago Magazine "On Groupon and its founder, Andrew Mason" July 14, 2010
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Great Alumni - Mt. Lebanon School District". www.mtlsd.org. Retrieved August 6, 2025.
- ^ "Obituary: Frank E. Cappelli / Delighted kids with studio audience TV variety show". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved July 25, 2025.
- ^ "KDKA-TV's Jon Delano receives Great Alumni Award from Mt. Lebanon High School Alumni Association - CBS Pittsburgh". www.cbsnews.com. October 6, 2023. Retrieved August 18, 2025.
- ^ Finder, Chuck (June 21, 1999). "Penguins Voice Changing His Tune". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. p. Sports D-1.
- ^ Menconi, Lilia (July 20, 2010). "Bob Hoag, What Are You Wearing?". Phoenix New Times. Retrieved August 6, 2025.
- ^ Owen, Rob (July 20, 2017). "Showtime Brothers: A Tale of Two Hollanders". Pittsburgh Magazine. Retrieved August 18, 2025.
- ^ Randall, Reese (April 2010). "Gillian Jacobs". Pittsburgh Magazine. Archived from the original on April 16, 2016. Retrieved July 5, 2013.
- ^ Polke, Clarece (April 3, 2014). "Admired theater teacher retiring after 33 years at Mt. Lebanon". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Archived from the original on April 6, 2014. Retrieved October 17, 2017.
- ^ "Nominations Before the Senate Armed Services Committee, First Session, 101st Congress: Hearings Before the Committee on Armed Services, United States Senate". Vol. 101, no. 537. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office. 1990. p. 998.
- ^ Cook, Bonnie L. (May 18, 2020). "Q. Todd Dickinson, lawyer who led U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, dies at 67". The Philadelphia Inquirer.
- ^ Manning, Christopher. "Christopher Manning and Ph.D. Students' Dissertations". The Stanford Natural Language Processing Group. Retrieved May 24, 2022.
- ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on August 31, 2007. Retrieved October 28, 2007.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ "Xplosion re-sign Armon Gilliam". Our Sports Central. September 5, 2006. Retrieved November 27, 2020.