Austin High School (Austin, Texas)

Infobox School
name=Stephen F. Austin High School
type=Public
location=1715 West Cesar Chavez Street, Austin, Texas
motto=Mens agitat molem
established=1881
district=Austin Independent School District
grades=9 through 12
colors=Maroon and White
conference=UIL 25-AAAAA
principal=Dr. Lucio Calzada
mascot=Maroons / Mr. Maroo
website=http://www.austinisd.org/schools/website.phtml?id=014
information=512-414-2505

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.

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 2,100 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. [cite web | url = http://atlas.thc.state.tx.us/common/viewform.asp?atlas_num=5453006449 | title = Austin High School Historical Marker Text | publisher = Texas Historical Commission | accessdate = 2007-07-05 ] Austin High's official motto is "Mens Agitat Molem" ( _la. The Mind Moves the Masses) or, literally, "Mind Over Matter."

Academics

Austin High was named a National Blue Ribbon School in 1982-83. [ [http://www.ed.gov/programs/nclbbrs/list-1982.pdf Blue Ribbon Schools Program, Schools Recognized 1982-1983 Through 1999-2002 (PDF) ] ]

Athletics

Austin High School offers many different athletic programs for students:Football ,Basketball, Baseball, Volleyball, Soccer, and Lacrosse. =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 recently picked as one of the top 15 Jazz bands in the nation to be featured in the 2008 Essentially Ellington High School Jazz band competition, hosted by Jazz at Lincoln Center in New York.Fact|date=September 2008 The school offers an Orchestra class 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.

Culture

Many students at Austin high participate in extracurricular activities and clubs. Every year two major bacchanals, Hodown and Toga, are thrown. Hodown, which takes place during the first semester is typically thrown by the Junior Class; whereas Toga is thrown at the end of the school year by the Senior class. Fact|date=June 2008

Media

There is also credible speculation that Richard Linklater's 1993 film "Dazed and Confused" is based on the first Toga party thrown by the Stephen F. Austin High School seniors in the 1970s.Fact|date=April 2008

Part of the 1998 Robert Rodriguez film "The Faculty" was filmed in the boys' locker room at Austin High, and many AHS students served as extras in the film.

Notable alumni

* Marshall Allman - Actor best known for his work on the television drama, "Prison Break."
* Keith Shinaberry - Pitcher for UT Longhorns Baseball.
* Will Taylor - Austin Musician, composer, and producer with Strings Attached
* Benjamin McKenzie - Actor best known for starring in the hit television drama, "The O.C."
* Bruce Barnes — Outstanding tennis player of the 1930s and 1940s
* Don Baylor - Former Major League Baseball player and manager.
* Capt. John August Earl Bergstrom - Bombardier during World War II. Bergstrom Army Airfield, which eventually became Bergstrom Air Force Base and decommissioned in 1993 to become Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, was renamed in his honor.
* Lance Berkman - Major League Baseball player (9th and 10th grade)
* Barbara Bush - Daughter of U.S. President George W. Bush.
* Jenna Bush - Daughter of U.S. President George W. Bush.
* Liz Carpenter - writer, feminist, former reporter, media adviser, speech writer, political humorist, and public relations expert.
* Ben Crenshaw - Two-time Masters Champion, 1999 Ryder Cup Captain.
* Lloyd Doggett - U.S. representative.
* Bob Eckhardt - former U.S. representative for Texas's 8th congressional district.
* Bibb Falk - former Major League outfielder and University of Texas head coach
* Kinky Friedman - singer, songwriter, novelist, humorist, politician and former columnist for "Texas Monthly".
* Gunnar Hansen - Actor best known for playing Leatherface in "The Texas Chain Saw Massacre" (1974).
* Verne Lundquist - Accomplished sports broadcaster, currently with CBS.
* Ray Lynch - Composer, musician, writer and mathematician
* Mark McClellan - Former Commissioner of the FDA.
* Scott McClellan - former White House Press Secretary under President George W. Bush
* Ian Moore - Blues/Rock musician of national fame.
* Azie Taylor Morton - Former Treasurer of the United States
* Harvey Penick - Legendary golf instructor
* Cactus Pryor - Radio personality of great renown.
* Sam Sparks - federal judge.
* Carole Keeton Strayhorn - politician.

Notes

External links

* [http://www.austinisd.org/schools/website.phtml?id=014 Austin High School]
* [http://www.austinhighschoolptsa.com Austin High School PTSA]
* [http://www.austinhigh.org/ AustinHigh.org - Online community for Austin High School alumni]
* [http://www.ahs125.com/ Austin High's 125th Anniversary]
* [http://austinhighfootball.com/ Maroons Football]
* [http://www.austinhighbaseball.com/ Maroons Baseball]
* [http://www.austinhighband.org/ Austin High Band]
* [http://www.jalc.org/jazzED/ee/ Jazz at the Lincoln Center: Essentially Ellington]