Lawrence High School (Kansas)
| Lawrence High School | |
|---|---|
| File:Chesty Lion.png | |
| Address | |
 | |
1901 Louisiana St. , | |
| Information | |
| School type | Public high school |
| Established | 1857 |
| School district | Unified School District No. 497 |
| Grades | 10-12 |
| Enrollment | 1,260 approx. |
| Campus | Urban |
| Color(s) | Red and Black |
| Athletics conference | Sunflower League |
| Mascot | Lions |
| Rival | Lawrence Free State |
| Information | 785-832-5050 |
| Website | School Website |
Lawrence High School is a fully accredited public high school located in Lawrence, Kansas, serving students in grades 10-12. The school is one of the two public high schools located in the city. Lawrence High enrolled 1,260 students in the 2007-2008 school year. The school colors are red and black and the mascot is the "Chesty Lion".
Lawrence High School was established in 1857 in order to help educate the growing population of Lawrence. The first classes were held in the basement of a Unitarian Church. Three years later, the school was relocated to the current site of Central Junior High School. In 1930, the Lion was introduced as the school symbol and in 1946, it made its official debut as the school mascot. Lawrence High moved to its current location in 1954.
Lawrence is a member of the Kansas State High School Activities Association and offers a variety of sports programs. Athletic teams compete in the 6A division and are known as the "Chesty Lions". Extracurricular activities are also offered in the form of performing arts, school publications, and clubs. Throughout its history, Lawrence High has won more state championships in athletics than any other high school in the state of Kansas.
History
The school originated in 1857 and was referred to as "Quincy School". The first classes were held in the basement of a Unitarian church. Three years later the city of Lawrence chartered a public school system, which was located at 15th and Massachusetts, presently the site of Central Junior High School. Construction of the original building for the school was completed in 1865. The high school occupied a succession of buildings until the opening of the present campus, at 19th and Louisiana Streets, in 1954.
The building was expanded repeatedly over the ensuing forty years, as the school district struggled to keep pace with the growth of Lawrence's population. Finally, in 1997, a second public high school, Lawrence Free State High School, was opened, ending the city's long record of all young people being educated in a single high school.
Extracurricular activities
The Chesty Lions compete in the Sunflower League and are classified as a 6A school, the largest classification in Kansas according to the Kansas State High School Activities Association. Throughout its history, Lawrence has won more state championships than any other high school in the state. Many graduates have gone on to participate in Division I, Division II, and Division III athletics including former KU All-Americans Danny Manning and Paul Endacott.
Athletics
Currently Lawrence High has more than 100 state championships in various sports, one of the highest totals in the nation. The first state championship was won in 1914 in boys basketball. The next title, however, wouldn't be until 1954 in boys basketball. This started a half century of athletic achievements by the Chesty Lions. From 1954 to 2009 the Lions added 104 more state titles, bringing their total to 105. In 2008, Sports Illustrated listed Lawrence High School as the top high school athletics program in Kansas. Additionally, due to the success of Lawrence High and the University of Kansas, Lawrence was featured as a candidate for Titletown, USA by ESPN.
Football
The Lawrence High School Chesty Lions have 31 undefeated seasons in football, the most in the United States.[1] Additionally, the Chesty Lions won a High School Football National Championship in 1960. The Chesty Lions won five consecutive Kansas State High School Activities Association state championships in Class 6A, the state's largest, from 1989 through 1993. The record was broken by Hutchinson High School in 2009. From 1930-2008, games were played at Haskell Memorial Stadium.[2] Following completion of the new football stadium on the Lawrence High campus, the football team began playing games on the new stadium in 2009.
State Championships
 |
Lawrence High has won the following state championships:[3][4]
| State Championships[5] | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Sport | Number of Championships | Year |
| Fall | Football | 27 | 1919^, 1927^, 1928^, 1945^, 1946^, 1947+, 1952+, 1956+, 1957+, 1958+, 1959+, 1960+, 1962+, 1963+, 1964+, 1966+, 1968+, 1979, 1984, 1986, 1987, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1995 |
| Cross Country, Boys | 2 | 2008, 2009 | |
| Cross Country, Girls | 3 | 1985, 1986, 1987 | |
| Volleyball | 15 | 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1994, 1995 | |
| Gymnastics, Girls | 3 | 2004, 2005, 2006 | |
| Gymnastics, Boys | 21 | 1960, 1961, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1983, 1984, 1986, 1988 | |
| Winter | Basketball, Boys | 4 | 1914, 1948, 1983, 1995 |
| Basketball, Girls | 3 | 1984, 1992, 2008 | |
| Swimming, Boys | 1 | 1997 | |
| Indoor Track, Girls | 2 | 1977, 1978 | |
| Spring | Golf, Boys | 1 | 1983 |
| Golf, Girls | 4 | 1975, 1977, 1982, 1984 | |
| Tennis, Boys | 2 | 1981, 1995 | |
| Tennis, Girls | 1 | 1989 | |
| Baseball | 3 | 1996, 2000, 2009 | |
| Softball | 1 | 1977 | |
| Swimming, Girls | 7 | 1986, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994 | |
| Track and Field, Boys | 5 | 1989, 1990, 1991, 1997, 2006 | |
| Track and Field, Girls | 2 | 1978, 1979 | |
| Total | 106 | ||
- ^ predates KSHSAA playoffs and AP poll
- +predates KSHSAA playoffs; ranked #1 in final AP poll
Notable alumni
- Erin Brockovich, had a movie made about her when she helped a town win a $333 million lawsuit because Pacific Gas and Electric Company had contaminated their water supply
- David G. Booth, American CEO of Dimensional Fund Advisors
- Robert Docking, 38th Governor of Kansas
- Paul Endacott, led the Kansas Jayhawks to consecutive Helms Foundation national championships in 1922 and 1923
- John Hadl, former professional American football player and All-American running back at KU
- Larry Kwak, cancer researcher, named one of the Most Influential People in the world by Time Magazine in 2010
- Danny Manning, led the University of Kansas basketball team to the 1988 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament championship
- Brian McClendon, Google Earth creator
- Alan Mulally, Ford Motors CEO
- Robby Steinhardt, former member of Kansas
- Jeff Yagher, American actor
References
- ^ "NFLHS.com" (English). Retrieved 2008-11-09.
- ^ Smith, Benton (August 31, 2007). "Haskell Stadium a house of history". Lawrence Journal-World. Retrieved March 25, 2011.
- ^ "KSHSAA Athletics". Archived from the original (English) on 2006-08-18. Retrieved 2006-09-26.
- ^ "Kansas High School Football Champions" (English). Retrieved 2009-06-02.
- ^ "State Records & State Champions" (English). Retrieved 2010-02-05.
External links
