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*[[Indy Jones]] - Professional downhill ski coach with the eastern division of the PSIA (Professional Ski Instructors of America). Also an accomplished club promoter in the central Vermont bar and nightclub scene. (broken link)
*[[Indy Jones]] - Professional downhill ski coach with the eastern division of the PSIA (Professional Ski Instructors of America). Also an accomplished club promoter in the central Vermont bar and nightclub scene. (broken link)
*[[Carter Watkins]] - Artist, Musician, Graphic Designer, Creator of Sherpa Design.
*[[Carter Watkins]] - Artist, Musician, Graphic Designer, Creator of Sherpa Design.
*[[Dan Brodnax]] - Class of 2011 Bro


== References ==
== References ==

Revision as of 18:56, 7 September 2011

Stephen F. Austin High School
Location
Map
1715 West Cesar Chavez Street, Austin, Texas
Information
TypePublic
MottoMens Agitat Molem
(The Mind Moves the Masses / Mind Over Matter)
Established1881
School districtAustin Independent School District
PrincipalDr. Lucio Calzada
Grades9-12
Color(s)Maroon and White
Athletics conferenceUIL 25-AAAAA
MascotMaroons / Mr. Maroo
Information512-414-2505
WebsiteSchool website
Austin Community College Rio Grande Campus, formerly Austin High School and John T. Allan Junior High School (est. 1916.)[1]

Stephen F. Austin High School, or more commonly Austin High, founded in 1881, is one of the oldest public high schools west of the Mississippi River, and was the first public high school in the state of Texas.

The current campus is located near downtown Austin along the Colorado River. The school, originally known simply as Austin High School, was renamed in 1953 after Stephen F. Austin, known as the "Father of Texas." Austin High School is one of eleven high schools in the Austin Independent School District.

Roughly 2,500 students attend the school in grades nine through twelve. The school's current building is the third built to house the school, following four 19th century locations in other buildings.[1] Austin High's official motto is Mens Agitat Molem (Latin: The Mind Moves the Masses) or, "Mind Over Matter."

History

Austin High School opened in September 1881. Classes were held on the third floor of the West Austin School building at 11th Street and Rio Grande Street. Due to growth of the student population instruction was held at the First Baptist Church, the temporary State Capitol, and the Smith Opera House.[1] The first Austin High School campus, located at 9th Street and Trinity Street, opened in 1900. In 1925 John Allan Junior High School (est. 1916) moved from 1212 Rio Grande Street to 9th at Trinity, and Austin High School moved to 1212 Rio Grande Street. In 1975 Austin High School moved to its current location. The first day of classes at the Cesar Chavez campus occurred on August 25, 1975.[2]

Academics

Austin High was named a National Blue Ribbon School in 1982-83.[3]

Athletics

Austin High School offers many different athletic programs for students: Football, Basketball, Tennis, Golf, Swimming, Baseball, Volleyball,[4] Soccer, Track and Field, Cross Country, and Lacrosse. The Austin High Football team has won three state championships, most recently in 1947.

Fine arts

Austin High School also offers a wide array of Fine Arts to its students. The school's band is the largest group in the school, with over 200 students. The marching band performs at the football games during the autumn semester, while the four separate concert bands have performances throughout the spring semester. The Austin High Jazz Ensemble was one of 15 Jazz bands in the nation featured in the 2008 Essentially Ellington High School Jazz Band Competition and Festival competition, hosted by Jazz at Lincoln Center in New York City.[5] In 2009, Austin High scored better than the previous year yet didn't make the Essentially Ellington due to a returning finalist rule, establishing itself as one of the premier Jazz schools in the country. The school offers an Orchestra class and Choir program which performs throughout the year. Also, students can participate in the Red Dragon Theater company at Austin high, that performs regularly throughout the year as well. The Red Dragon Players' production of Over the River and Through the Woods won the 2009 UIL One-Act State Championship, and their production of Over the Tavern won the 2011 UIL One-Act State Championship. The Austin High drill team, also known as the Red Jackets, performs at school football games, competes in dance contests, and puts on a show in the spring. The Red Jackets have received various awards for state and national competitions. Austin high also has three women's choirs (varsity, non-varsity, and freshmen choirs) and one of the areas largest men's choir.

Hall of Honor

Located next to the second floor administrative offices, the 'Hall of Honor' is a special room dedicated to honoring both the history of Austin High and alumni who have made significant contributions to society. Originally a rarely used dead-end hallway, the space was enclosed with glass and a pair of ornate wooden doors. The floor is covered with a deep maroon carpet and contains numerous plaques and display cases. The hall is off-limits to the general student population and can only be accessed by school administration and officers of the Hall of Honor Society. Once a year, Austin High holds 'Dedication Day', a day in which alumni and current students celebrate the dedication of the lakeside campus. On Dedication Day, alumni and faculty are inducted into the Hall of Honor. The inductees are selected by the Hall of Honor Steering Committee. In addition to honored alumni and faculty, 1% of the graduating class is inducted into Maroon Society. All students in the top 25% of the graduating class are automatically declared Maroon Society Semi-Finalists, although teachers can nominate deserving students. Ballots are sent to the faculty, asking them to rank Semi-Finalists in different categories. The Semi-Finalists with the top 5% rankings are declared Maroon Society Finalists. Another ballot is sent out to the faculty asking them to rate the Finalists. The identity of the students to be inducted is kept secret until Dedication Day.

Notable alumni

References

  1. ^ a b c "Austin High School Historical Marker Text". Texas Historical Commission. Retrieved 2007-07-05.
  2. ^ "History". Austin High School. Retrieved January 12, 2009. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  3. ^ "Blue Ribbon Schools Program, Schools Recognized 1982-1983 Through 1999-2002 (PDF)" (PDF).
  4. ^ http://www.austinhighvolleyball.com
  5. ^ Moses, Drew (2008-03-24). "Austin High jazz band to compete nationally". News 8 Austin. Retrieved 2008-10-26.
  6. ^ Associated Press (2000-04-04). "Bush used private school option". Retrieved 2006-08-22.
  7. ^ "The Life and Legacy of Liz Carpenter". lbjlibrary.org. Retrieved March 22, 2010. [dead link]
  8. ^ Messer, Kate X (2005-11-04). "Ben McKenzie on Uncle Robert". The Austin Chronicle. Retrieved 2008-10-22.
  9. ^ "Sewanee Tigers Roster".
  10. ^ http://gofrogs.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/dungey_mychal00.html
  11. ^ http://111th.illumen.org/leg.jsf?legMemId=31850
  12. ^ a b c http://ladymaroons.com/wherearetheynow.htm
  13. ^ http://riceowls.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/marchbanks_casey00.html
  14. ^ http://www.soonersports.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/mceachern_hays00.html
  15. ^ http://www.mackbrown-texasfootball.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/buchanan_mark00.html
  16. ^ http://www.texassports.com/sports/m-basebl/mtt/shinaberry_keith00.html

30°16′26″N 97°45′59″W / 30.27389°N 97.76639°W / 30.27389; -97.76639

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