Townsend Harris High School at Queens College (THHS) is a public magnet high school for the humanities in the New York City borough of Queens. It is located on the campus of Queens College, City University of New York. Townsend Harris consistently ranks as among the top 100 high schools in the United States. Since 2019, U.S. News & World Report has ranked THHS top 10 in New York State; THHS ranked #78 nationally in 2024 and #9 in state. The school was named in honor of Townsend Harris, the 19th-century American merchant, politician, and diplomat who served as the first American Consul to Japan. Students and alumni often refer to themselves as "Harrisites."

Ira Gershwin was an American lyricist who collaborated with his younger brother, composer George Gershwin, to create some of the most memorable songs in the English language of the 20th century. With George, he wrote more than a dozen Broadway shows, featuring songs such as "I Got Rhythm", "Embraceable You", "The Man I Love" and "Someone to Watch Over Me". He was also responsible, along with DuBose Heyward, for the libretto to George's opera Porgy and Bess.