Our History

The original Edison High School building was opened in 1903 as the all-male Northeast Manual Training High School located at 8th Street & Lehigh Avenue. Eventually the school became Northeast High School. The auditorium was added in 1916 and in 1936 vocational education shops and many regular classrooms were added to the original building. Northeast High School was a fine school and men from all parts of Philadelphia attended there. In January 1957, a new Northeast High School was opened at Cottman and Algon Avenues. All of the trophies, most of the teaching staff and memorabilia were transferred to the new building.

At the same time, a new school, Thomas Alva Edison High, was opened at the site. Because of our facilities, our school remained all male until September1979. Edison is now a fully co-educational high school. Finally, in 1988, the original school was replaced by a new co-educational Edison/Fareira High School, named in part for its late principal, John C. Fareira. The new Edison/Fareira is a combined academic high school and vocational skills center. It is located at Front & Luzerne Streets with an outdoor athletic facility on the same site. Since our beginning, in 1957, we have had many outstanding graduates, we have won public titles, and our students have won numerous scholarships.

Edison has a sad point of uniqueness in that sixty-four (64) former Edison students died in service to their country during the Vietnam War between 1965 and 1971 – more than any school in the nation.

Every year we have a memorial service for the 64 Edison students who died for our country.

We Proudly Salute These Soldiers for Making the Ultimate Sacrifice During the Vietnam War

John E. Addison	Wayne T. Dillman Sgt, Army	Joseph Mieczowski Cpl, Marines	Henry Thomas Sp/4, Army
James J. Allen, Jr. Pfc, Marines	Harold Doman Pfc, Army	John Miller Pfc, Army	John J. Thomas Sp/4, Army
Charles J. Antonelly Cpl, Marines	Antonio Garcia	William Miller Pfc, Army	Robert Torres Sgt, Army
William B. Blackmon, Jr. SP/4 Army	Charles J. Glenn Cpl, Marines	William J. Moore	Samuel F. Walker, Jr.
Stephen P. Blanchett	Roscoe Glover, Jr. Pfc, Army	John G. Orsino	Gerald J. Whalen Sp/4, Army
Laurel L. Blevins Pfc, Army	Irvin Hopkins Pfc, Army	Leroy Peagler Sgt, Army	Nathaniel Washington Pvt, Army
Zacharia Brookins Pfc, Army	Rocco Isaac Pfc, Army	Kenneth Pettus Pfc, Marines	Joseph A. Weber Pfc, Marines
Hector Bryant Pfc, Marines	Randolph Jefferson Pfc, Marines	Alfred Purvis Pfc, Marines	Lewis B. Welsh
Samuel Burton Pfc, Marines	Joe Thomas Johnson, Jr. Pfc, Army	Lawrence J. Reichert, Jr. Sp/4, Army	Roosevelt Whitaker Pfc, Army
Robert J. Campbell Sgt, Army	Joseph Johnson Pfc, Army	Angelo C. Santiago Sgt, Army	General White Pfc, Army
Glenn Carter Pfc, Marines	Dennis Kuzer Pfc, Army	Harry B. Seedes Pfc, Army	James B. White
Richard A. Carter Cpl, Marines	Kenneth Lassiter Pfc, Army	George F. Seiger Pfc, Army	Michael M. White Pfc, Marines
William Chapman Pvt, Marines	Joseph Lodice Pfc, Army	Neely J. Singletary Pfc, Marines	Duane G. Williams Pfc, Army
Louis A. Cobarrubio Pfc, Army	Gerald Maguire Cpl, Marines	Mark Smith, Jr.	Bernard R. Woehlcke Pfc, Marines
Milton G. Claybornre Pfc, Army	Richard McNichols Pfc, Army	James T. Swift, Jr. Cpl, Army	Francis Zerggen Pfc, Army
Deighton A. Danielles Pfc, Marines	Aldolfo Martinez Pfc, Marines	Aaron L. Thomas Sp/4, Army	George Martin

May we never forget.