From the pioneering classrooms of 1885 to Architect Francis J. Kennard’s soaring 1928 Collegiate Gothic fortress at 5000 Central Avenue, the Hillsborough High School Alumni Association, Inc. unites thousands of “Big Red” graduates worldwide. Together, we endow graduating senior college scholarships, conserve the historic Memorial Clock Tower and “The Sacred H,” and safeguard the living archives of Central Florida’s flagship alma mater.
Rising above Seminole Heights on Central Avenue since October 1928, the Gothic Clock Tower chimes have marked every change of class and generation of Terriers.
Inspect Archival Epoch on the Chronometer:
Founding Charter
Founded 1885
Over 140 continuous years as Hillsborough County’s senior flagship institution.
Master Landmark
Gothic Campus Built 1928
Designed by Architect Francis J. Kennard at 5000 Central Ave, Tampa, FL 33603.
Global Terrier Reach
Thousands of Alumni
Terriers leading medicine, jurisprudence, arts, science, and public service worldwide.
Centennial Covenant
Over 40 Classes United
Organized at the 1985 Centennial & chartered May 1986 in unbroken brotherhood.
In the autumn of 1985, as Hillsborough High School celebrated the grand 100th Anniversary of its 1885 founding, hundreds of devoted graduates returned to the vaulted red-brick corridors of 5000 Central Avenue. Moved by the realization that a century of irreplaceable yearbooks, athletic trophies, stained-glass windows, and shared memories required a permanent institutional guardian, alumni leaders from across the decades resolved to form an enduring society.
Out of that historic 1985 Centennial convocation emerged the Hillsborough High School Alumni Association, Inc. (HHSAA)—formally chartered as a Florida Non-Profit Corporation in May 1986 (Florida Department of State Sunbiz Document #N14816) and recognized by the Internal Revenue Service as a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) Public Charity (EIN: 59-2758906).
For four decades since our founding, HHSAA has stood as the custodian of “The Red and Black.” Whether funding annual college scholarships for graduating Terrier seniors, restoring the 1928 Memorial Clock Tower chimes, or curating the on-campus HHS Alumni Museum under Vice President & Historian Rex Gordon (Class of 1984) and President Joseph Abene (Class of 1967), we ensure that every student who walks beneath our Gothic arches inherits a living legacy.
Central Courtyard Monument • Hallowed Ground of the Big Red
At the heart of the 1928 campus quadrangle rests “The Sacred H”—the revered monument bearing Hillsborough’s historic letter. By decades-old Terrier code, underclassmen and visitors never tread upon The Sacred H; to stand beside it at commencement or homecoming is an honor earned through loyalty, scholarship, and character. The Alumni Association actively funds the masonry conservation and ceremonial illumination of this landmark.
Collegiate Gothic Red-Brick Facade & Limestone Buttresses
Our Alumni Museum preserves original leather-bound editions of the Hilsborean yearbook (dating back over a century) alongside historic issues of the Red & Black student newspaper and varsity lettermen sweaters.
“Hillsborough High School Alumni Association, Inc. is a Tampa, Florida 501(c)(3) nonprofit educational organization dedicated to serving Terriers past, present, and future. Founded during the school’s 1985 centennial, we preserve the rich historical heritage, traditions, and iconic 1928 Gothic campus of Tampa's oldest high school. Through endowed collegiate scholarships, campus restoration initiatives, and alumni fellowship reunions, we empower generations of students to lead with pride, honor, and loyalty.”
Guided by more than a century of academic rigor and community stewardship, every initiative of the Association rests upon five enduring tenets.
Upholding the fiercely loyal spirit of “Big Red” across athletic fields, academic halls, and lifelong alumni assemblies from generation to generation.
Safeguarding our 1928 Collegiate Gothic red-brick sanctuary, the Memorial Clock Tower, “The Sacred H,” and 140+ years of historical artifacts.
Awarding annual merit and need-based college scholarships to graduating Hillsborough High seniors pursuing higher education and vocational mastery.
Continuing Hillsborough High’s historic role in shaping governors, jurists, educators, entrepreneurs, and civic pioneers across Central Florida.
Forging an unbreakable bridge of kinship that unites classes from the 1940s and 1950s through the 2020s in lifelong mutual respect.
Every $25 Lifetime Membership and tax-deductible contribution directly sustains our four cornerstone initiatives at 5000 Central Avenue.
Each spring at Hillsborough High’s Senior Awards Convocation, HHSAA presents direct merit- and need-based collegiate scholarships to graduating Terriers (both traditional and IB/magnet pathways) demonstrating academic distinction, school spirit, and service to the Tampa community.
Working closely with school administration and architectural preservationists, HHSAA supports ongoing restoration of the 1928 campus brickwork, stained-glass auditorium lancets, courtyard monuments, and the recently restored Memorial Clock Tower & Chimes.
Curated by Vice President & Association Historian Rex Gordon (Class of 1984), our museum safeguards over a century of Hilsborean yearbooks, varsity memorabilia, band uniforms, composite class portraits, and oral histories from Tampa’s oldest high school.
Connecting graduating classes from the 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, and beyond through annual Homecoming tailgates, All-Class Picnics, Hall of Fame induction banquets, and milestone 10th- through 70th-year class reunions.
Filter our archival register by historical era to inspect milestone moments, traditions, and Hall of Fame heritage.
Witness the historic conservation of Hillsborough High School’s 1928 Memorial Clock Tower and explore visual chronicles of Tampa’s Gothic Revival landmark.
Archival Engineering Notes
Guided by all-volunteer Terrier graduates spanning the Classes of 1967 through 1984, ensuring faithful stewardship of every scholarship dollar and historical artifact.
Presides over the Board of Directors, executive governance, annual senior scholarship convocation grants, and institutional relations with Hillsborough High School administration.
Serves as Association Vice President and official Historian, curating the on-campus HHS Alumni Museum, conserving century-old Hilsborean yearbooks, and leading historical campus tours.
Oversees 501(c)(3) financial accounting, Lifetime Membership endowment funds, IRS Form 990 compliance, and scholarship grant disbursements for graduating seniors.
Maintains official corporate minutes, Florida Department of State statutory Registered Agent compliance, membership rolls, and multi-decade class reunion coordination.
Your one-time $25 Lifetime Membership inscribes your name and graduating class year permanently in the Association Roster while funding our annual scholarships and campus preservation.
Prefer to remit by postal check? Make checks payable to Hillsborough High School Alumni Association, Inc. (include your Class Year and Maiden Name if applicable) and mail to:
Hillsborough High School Alumni Association, Inc.
P.O. Box 8319 • Tampa, FL 33674-8319