William Cullen Bryant High School (WCBHS) is a secondary school in Queens, New York City, United States serving grades 9 through 12.
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Name
The school is named in honor of William Cullen Bryant, an American romantic poet, journalist, and long-time editor of the New York Evening Post. He is most known for his work as one of the creators of Central Park in Manhattan, New York.
Statistics
As of 2021, The school has 2,141 students enrolled; the ethnic make-up of the school is 54% Hispanic, 25% Asian, 14% white, and 7% black. The school has a four-year graduation rate of 87%. and an attendance rate of 84%. In 2017, New York City Department of Education gave it an in-general school rating of Proficient.
History
The school was founded in 1889. A new building was built between 1902 and 1904 in the Dutch Kills section of Long Island City on Wilbur Avenue (now called 41st Avenue). John T. Woodruff was awarded a $169,874 contract (equivalent to $6,320,000 in 2025) to build the school. It was a four-story brick building with a capacity of 1,455 students. The new building opened on September 12, 1904.
Bryant moved to its current site on 31st Ave in 1939, and the former building became Long Island City High School.
In popular culture
The School Song of William Cullen Bryant High School[1]
William Cullen Bryant was the school in the popular film A Bronx Tale. Robert De Niro visited the school.
Two episodes of the hit TV show Ugly Betty were shot in the school. One was shot in the lunch room. The episode featured Lindsay Lohan who visited the school. The episode was called "Granny Pants".
In episode 13 of season one of Archie Bunker's Place titled "Man of the Year" Archie Bunker says he graduated from the school in 1940.
Notable alumni
Herb Abrams (1955-1996), founder of the Universal Wrestling Federation
Susan Anspach (1942–2018), American stage and film actress
Panayiota Bertzikis (Class of 1999), executive director and founder of the Military Rape Crisis Center
Fernando Caldeiro (1958–2009), astronaut
Eugenie Clark (1922–2015), ichthyologist known for both her research on shark behavior and her study of fish in the order Tetraodontiformes.
Eleanor Clift (1940- ), journalist.
Florence Finney (1903–1994), first woman to serve as president pro tempore of the Connecticut State Senate.
Veronica Gedeon (1917–1937), Long Island City native, commercial model, 1937 New York City murder victim
Irv Gotti, (1970–2025), DJ, record executive, founder of Murder Inc. Records
David Horowitz, biographer and conservative intellectual.
Joel Klein (1946– ), New York City Department of Education chancellor from 2002 to 2011
Richard Kline (1944– ), played Larry Dallas on classic ABC-TV sitcom Three's Company. He also performed on Broadway in City of Angels and is a member of the Lincoln Center Repertory Company.
Winifred Lenihan (1898–1964), stage actress and director who played Joan of Arc in George Bernard Shaw's play Saint Joan on its debut in 1923