John Marshall High School: Where Hollywood Comes to Study and Stars Come to Film

In the Los Feliz neighborhood of Los Angeles, there is a section of Tracy Street where you are stopped by a particular type of building. John Marshall High School’s main building features Collegiate Gothic architecture, which is typically associated with historic universities in rural England. It features pointed arches and stone details. When it first opened in 1931, George Lindsey’s design gave it a somber appearance. It continues to do so. It’s difficult not to feel the weight of everything that building has seen when you walk by it today.

Locals refer to it as Marshall. It is a part of the Los Angeles Unified School District and serves about 2,000 students in grades nine through twelve. The Barrister is its mascot. Veritas Vincit, or Truth Conquers, was selected as the school’s motto by the faculty and students during the first semester. That decision makes a statement. The fourth Chief Justice of the United States, John Marshall, whose bust is still displayed in the Senior Court, inspired the motto. Most organizations would discreetly overlook this kind of fundamental information. It appears that Marshall kept it close.

The alumni list reads more like a dispute than a roster. From these halls, Leonardo DiCaprio received his diploma. Barry Barish, who was awarded the 2017 Nobel Prize in Physics, did the same. The same campus was visited by Andy Reid, one of the most renowned coaches in NFL history today. The Black Eyed Peas’ Will.i.am and apl.de.ap were present. Alumni include Lyor Cohen, who oversaw Warner Music Group for many years. The O.J. Simpson trial was presided over by Judge Lance Ito. Catwoman was portrayed by Julie Newmar. The list is endless and branches out in ways that are nearly unthinkable for a single public school. Certain institutions might just draw a particular type of person. Marshall may also have shaped them.

The school has persevered through its share of challenges. For a while, it appeared as though the Gothic main building might collapse along with the other buildings condemned by the 1971 Sylmar earthquake. It was saved by a group of community activists, including Joanne Gabrielson, Alberta Burke, Sherril Boller, and Nina Mohi. The structure reopened in 1980 after being closed for structural reinforcement in 1975. The neighborhood’s understanding of Marshall’s significance can be inferred from the fact that the community fought for a school building in the same manner as others fight for landmarks.

In some circles, the building’s other life is probably just as well-known. Throughout decades of Hollywood production, Marshall’s Collegiate Gothic exterior has served as a stand-in for numerous fictional schools, including Grease, La Bamba, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Boy Meets World, The Wonder Years, School of Rock, and Space Jam. The “Hot for Teacher” music video was shot there by Van Halen. “Runnin'” was shot on campus by the Pharcyde. Parts of “1-800-273-8255” were shot on the football field by Logic. The idea of a school, the visual shorthand for American adolescence, is used so frequently that it seems a little odd. Marshall has been in that role for so long that he is practically a part of it.

In the meantime, schools with the same name are located all over the nation, including in Milwaukee, Rochester, Minnesota; Glen Dale, West Virginia; and Richmond, Virginia. Each has a unique narrative and graduating class. John Marshall College in Rochester recently released its Class of 2026, which will attend Stanford, the University of Minnesota, engineering, medical, and artistic programs. The same general wager on youth, but in a different city. Whether the name itself has any special luck is still unknown. However, the trend of students advancing and taking their studies seriously appears to be consistent.