Stephen F. Austin High School, or more commonly known as Austin High, is a public high school in Austin, Texas, and part of the Austin Independent School District (AISD). Founded in 1881, it 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 campus is located near Downtown Austin along the Colorado River (Lady Bird Lake). The school, originally known simply as Austin High School, was renamed in 1953 after Stephen F. Austin, locally revered 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. Austin High's official motto is Mens Agitat Molem (Latin: The Mind Moves the Masses) or, "Mind Over Matter". The official mascot is Mr. Maroo.
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History
Austin High School opened in September 1881, with classes held on the third floor of the West Austin School building at 11th Street and Rio Grande Street. Due to population growth, instruction was held at the First Baptist Church, the temporary State Capitol, and the Smith Opera House. The first Austin High School campus, located at 9th Street and Trinity Street, opened in 1900. In 1925, Austin High School moved to 1212 Rio Grande Street, the former building of John T. Allan Junior High School (est. 1916) which had relocated to 9th at Trinity.
In 1956, the first seven African-American students began attending Austin High School as part of desegregation; a total of 13 black students attended white high schools in AISD at that time.
In 1975, Austin High School moved to its current building, designed by Jay W. Barnes II. The first classes at the Cesar Chavez campus commenced on August 25, 1975.
The Mr. Maroo Mascot was officially adopted by the student council in the 1965-66 school year.
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Academics
As of the late 1970s the school was considered to be the best in its area, according to Wells. The school was known for having a university preparatory curriculum.
Austin High was called a National Blue Ribbon School in 1982-83.
Campus
The current campus is bounded by Lady Bird Lake (formerly Town Lake) on one side and a freeway on the other. Because of the school's relative isolation and the campus's relative newness, Amy Wells, author of Both Sides Now: The Story of School Desegregation's Graduates, wrote that the school "has a somewhat suburban feel".
Neighborhoods served
Downtown Austin, the Westcreek Neighborhood and the family apartment complexes of the University of Texas at Austin are zoned to Austin High School.
Austin High School historically had a reputation as an elite school as it was associated with wealthy westside Austin neighborhoods.
Student body
As of 2000 the school was 54% non-Hispanic White, 37% Hispanic and Latino, 8% black, and 2% Asian, reflecting the overall demographics of Austin. As of 1980 most of the White students originated from west Austin, including Tarrytown. There were also middle class and poor students. Some black students originated from Clarksville, an area housing servants' quarters that, until school desegregation, was served by segregated black schools. By 1980, the school also accepted low and middle class white students from south of Lady Bird Lake, known as "river rats", as well as transfer students from East Austin, a heavily Hispanic and Latino section of South Austin, and a black section of northeast Austin.
As of the late 1970s the school was 66% White, 19% Hispanic, and 15% African-American, making it one of the more racially balanced AISD schools; at the time there was less Hispanic representation and more White representation than the district average. In 1980 the federal court system forced AISD to begin desegregation busing.
Athletics
Austin High School offers many different athletic programs for students: football, basketball, tennis, golf, mountain biking, swimming, baseball, volleyball, soccer, track and field, cross country, lacrosse, and cheerleading. The Austin High football team won the 1942 state championship.
Notable alumni
- David M. Parsons - 2011 Texas State Poet Laureate
- Barbara Bush and Jenna Bush - daughters of U.S. President George W. Bush
- Amy Moffett Brown - co-host of the Bobby Bones Show
- Liz Carpenter - author, lecturer, presidential advisor
- Pat M. Baskin (class of 1944) - state court judge and city council member in Midland
- Don Baylor - professional baseball player and manager
- Kinky Friedman - comedian, politician
- Carole Keeton Strayhorn - politician, former Texas Comptroller
- Lloyd Doggett - United States House of Representatives
- Ben H. Procter - American historian at Texas Christian University from 1957 to 2000
- Richard 'Cactus' Pryor - Texas radio legend
- Isaiah 'Zay' Jones - Professional football player for the Buffalo Bills
- Bibb Falk - professional baseball player
- Edmund Kuempel - state representative from Seguin
- Al Matthews - professional football player for the Green Bay Packers
- Harvey Penick - professional golfer
- James Richard "Ricky" Thompson, Jr. - perpetrator of the murder of John Goosey and Stacy Barnett (West Campus murders) (did not graduate)
- Ben Crenshaw - professional golfer, two-time winner of the Masters
- Robert Schenkkan - award-winning playwright, screenwriter and actor
- Scott McClellan - former White House Press Secretary for President George W. Bush
- Eric McClellan - basketball player for Tulsa University/ Vanderbilt University/ Gonzaga University
- Mark McClellan - former Food and Drug Administration commissioner
- Verne Lundquist - sportscaster, CBS Sports
- Ray Lynch - musician and composer.
- Benjamin McKenzie - television actor, currently starring as James Gordon in the television series Gotham
- Scott Ruffcorn - former Major League Baseball pitcher for the Chicago White Sox and Philadelphia Phillies
- Django Walker - country music musician
- Azie Taylor Morton - Treasurer of the United States for President Jimmy Carter
- Xavier Silas - professional basketball player
- William Lee Bergstrom - high roller known for placing a single $777,000 bet on dice at the Horseshoe Casino in 1980
- Gary Clark Jr. - guitarist
- Shakey Graves (Alejandro Rose-Garcia) - musician
- Julie Powell - author of Julie & Julia
- Marshall Allman - Actor, notable for roles on Humans (TV series), True Blood, and Prison Break
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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