Lawrence High School (Kansas) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Lawrence High School |
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| Address | |
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1901 Louisiana Street
66046
United States
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| Coordinates | 38°56′57″N 95°14′34″W / 38.949085°N 95.242871°W |
| Information | |
| School type | Public, High School |
| Established | 1857, 1954 (current building) |
| School district | Lawrence USD 497 |
| CEEB code | 171690 |
| Principal | Jessica Bassett |
| Teaching staff | 97.36 (FTE) |
| Grades | 9 to 12 |
| Gender | coed |
| Enrollment | 1,575 (2020–21) |
| Student to teacher ratio | 16.18 |
| Campus type | Urban |
| Color(s) | Red and Black |
| Song | We Hail Thee Lawrence High School |
| Fight song | Stand Up and Cheer |
| Athletics | Class 6A |
| Mascot | Chesty the Lion |
| Rival | Free State, Topeka |
| Newspaper | The Budget |
| Yearbook | The Red and Black |
Lawrence High School (LHS) is a public secondary school in Lawrence, Kansas, United States. It is run by the Lawrence USD 497 school district. Students from 9th to 12th grade attend this school. It is one of two public high schools in the city. In the 2020–2021 school year, Lawrence High had 1,575 students. The school colors are red and black. Its mascot is the "Chesty Lion".
Lawrence High School started in 1857 to educate the growing number of people in Lawrence. The very first classes were held in the basement of a Unitarian Church. Three years later, the school moved to 9th and Kentucky Streets. In 1923, a new high school building was built at 14th and Massachusetts Streets. It was called Liberty Memorial High School. The old building at 9th and Kentucky Street became Lawrence Junior High School.
In 1930, the Lion became the school's symbol. By 1946, it was officially the school mascot. Lawrence High moved to its current spot on Louisiana Street in 1954. The Junior High then moved into the 14th and Massachusetts Street building. That building is now Liberty Memorial Central Middle School. Lawrence High has been updated and expanded over the years. A big renovation finished in 2021. This made the 1950s building ready for the 21st century.
Lawrence High is part of the Kansas State High School Activities Association. It offers many different sports programs. Its sports teams compete in Class 6A. They are known as the "Chesty Lions". Students can also join other activities like performing arts, school newspapers, and clubs. Lawrence High has won more state championships in sports than any other high school in Kansas.
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School History
The school began in 1857 and was first called "Quincy School". Classes were held in the basement of a Unitarian church. This church was located at 906 Kentucky Street. Three years later, the city of Lawrence started a public school system. This system was at 15th and Massachusetts. Today, that spot is where Liberty Memorial Central Middle School stands. The first building for the school was finished in 1865.
In 1946, Paul Coker designed the "Chesty Lion" logo. He later became a famous cartoonist. His work appeared in Mad Magazine and on Hallmark Cards products. He also created the "Frosty the Snowman" character.
Lawrence High School used several buildings over time. The current campus opened in 1954. It is located at 19th and Louisiana Streets. The building was made bigger many times over 40 years. This was because the school district needed to keep up with Lawrence's growing population. Finally, in 1997, a second public high school opened. This was Lawrence Free State High School. This ended the time when all high school students in the city went to just one school. In 2009, the school finished building a new football stadium on its campus.
Student Activities
The Chesty Lions compete in the Sunflower League. They are a 6A school. This is the largest school size in Kansas, according to the Kansas State High School Activities Association. Lawrence High has won more state championships than any other high school in the state. Many graduates have gone on to play sports in college and professionally. These include former KU All-Americans like Danny Manning and John Hadl.
Sports Achievements
Lawrence High currently has over 110 state championships in various sports. This is one of the highest totals in the country. The first state championship was won in 1914 in boys basketball. The next basketball title was in 1948. The Lions beat Newton 39–36 in the state final. This started many years of sports success for the Chesty Lions.
From 1954 to 2009, the Lions added 104 more state titles. This brought their total to 105. In 2008, Sports Illustrated magazine named Lawrence High School the best high school sports program in Kansas. Also, because of the success of Lawrence High and the University of Kansas, Lawrence was considered for "Titletown" by ESPN.
Football Success
The Lawrence High School Chesty Lions football team has had 31 undefeated seasons. This is the most in the United States. Also, the Chesty Lions won a High School Football National Championship in 1960. The Chesty Lions won five state championships in a row. These were in Class 6A, the state's largest division. They won from 1989 through 1993. This record was later broken by Hutchinson High School in 2009. From 1930 to 2008, games were played at Haskell Memorial Stadium. The football team started playing games at the new stadium on the Lawrence High campus in 2009.
State Championships List
Lawrence High has won many state championships. Here is a list of their wins:
| State Championships | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Sport | Number of Championships | Year |
| Fall | Football | 28 | 1914^, 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 | 16 | 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1994, 1995, 2018 | |
| 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 | 8 | 1986, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 2018 | |
| Track and Field, Boys | 5 | 1989, 1990, 1991, 1997, 2006 | |
| Track and Field, Girls | 5 | 1978, 1979, 2015, 2018, 2019 | |
| Total | 111 | ||
- ^ predates KSHSAA playoffs and AP poll
- +predates KSHSAA playoffs; ranked #1 in final AP poll
Famous Alumni
Many successful people have graduated from Lawrence High School. Here are some of them:
- David Booth, a successful business leader. A stadium at the University of Kansas is named after him.
- Corinne Brinkerhoff, a television producer and writer.
- Erin Brockovich, known for helping a town win a big lawsuit. This was because a company had polluted their water. A movie was made about her story.
- Sara Buxton, a singer and songwriter.
- Paul Coker, an animator who created the Chesty Lion mascot.
- Robert Docking, who was the 38th Governor of Kansas.
- Paul Endacott, who led the Kansas Jayhawks to two national basketball championships.
- John Hadl, a former professional American football player. He was also an All-American running back at KU.
- Ralph Houk, a 1938 graduate. He was a former Major League baseball player, manager, and general manager. He worked with teams like the New York Yankees.
- Steve Jeltz, a Major League Baseball player.
- Patty Jenkins, a film director.
- Christopher Karpowitz, someone who studies politics.
- Larry Kwak, a cancer researcher. Time Magazine named him one of the Most Influential People in the world in 2010.
- Danny Manning, who led the University of Kansas basketball team to a championship in 1988.
- Brian McClendon, the creator of Google Earth.
- Bryce Montes de Oca, a professional baseball player.
- Alan Mulally, a former CEO of Ford Motors.
- John B. Nalbandian, a Judge for the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit.
- Devin Neal, a college football running back for the Kansas Jayhawks.
- Sara Paretsky, an author.
- Ned Ryun, a founder and CEO of American Majority.
- Bucky Scribner, a former NFL punter for the Minnesota Vikings.
- Kannon Shanmugam, a lawyer who argues cases in the Supreme Court.
- Caleb Stegall, a Justice on the Kansas Supreme Court.
- Sri Srinivasan, a Judge for the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.
- Robby Steinhardt, a former member of the band Kansas.
- Jeff Yagher, an American actor.
