Lawrence High School (Kansas)
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Lawrence High School (LHS) is a
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secondary school A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' secondary education, lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) ...
in
Lawrence, Kansas Lawrence is the county seat of Douglas County, Kansas, Douglas County, Kansas, United States, and the sixth-largest city in the state. It is in the northeastern sector of the state, astride Interstate 70, between the Kansas River, Kansas and Waka ...
, United States, operated by
Lawrence USD 497 Lawrence USD 497 is a public unified school district headquartered in Lawrence, Kansas, United States. The district includes the communities of Lawrence, Clinton, Pleasant Grove, and nearby rural areas. It was organized in 1965 and currently ...
school district, and serves students of grades 9 to 12. The school is one of the two
public high school State schools (in England, Wales, Australia and New Zealand) or public schools (Scottish English and North American English) are generally primary or secondary schools that educate all students without charge. They are funded in whole or in pa ...
s located in the city. Lawrence High enrolled 1,575 students in the 2020–2021 school year. The school colors are
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and
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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 9th and Kentucky Streets. In 1923, a new high school was built at 14th and Massachusetts Streets and named Liberty Memorial High School while the 9th and Kentucky Street became Lawrence 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 on Louisiana Street in 1954, and the Junior High moved in to 14th and Massachusetts Street, now Liberty Memorial Central Middle School. Lawrence High has been added on to and remodeled over the years, including a major bond issue remodel completed in 2021, bringing the 1950s building up to 21st century standards. Lawrence is a member of the
Kansas State High School Activities Association The Kansas State High School Activities Association (KSHSAA) is the organization which oversees interscholastic competition in the U.S. state of Kansas at the high school, high-school level. It oversees both athletic and non-athletic competition, ...
and offers a variety of sports programs. Athletic teams compete in Class 6A 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 located at 906 Kentucky Street. Three years later the city of Lawrence chartered a public school system, which was located at 15th and Massachusetts, currently the site of Liberty Memorial Central Middle School. Construction of the original building for the school was completed in 1865. In 1946,
Paul Coker Paul Coker Jr. (March 5, 1929 – July 23, 2022) was an American illustrator. He worked in many media, including '' Mad'', character design for Rankin-Bass TV specials, greeting cards, and advertising. Career Coker was born in Lawrence, Kansa ...
designed the "Chesty Lion" logo. He would go on to become a famous cartoonist with works appearing in
Mad Magazine Mad, mad, or MAD may refer to: Geography * Mad (village), a village in the Dunajská Streda District of Slovakia * Mád, a village in Hungary * Adolfo Suárez Madrid–Barajas Airport, by IATA airport code * Mad River (disambiguation), several r ...
, and on
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products, and is also the original author of the "Frosty the Snowman" character. 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 Lawrence Free State High School (FSHS or LFS) is a public secondary school in Lawrence, Kansas, operated by Lawrence USD 497 school district, and serves students of grades 9 to 12. It is one of two public high schools within the city limits of ...
, was opened, ending the city's long record of all students being educated in a single high school. In 2009, the school finished construction of a new football stadium on the school campus.


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 The Kansas State High School Activities Association (KSHSAA) is the organization which oversees interscholastic competition in the U.S. state of Kansas at the high school, high-school level. It oversees both athletic and non-athletic competition, ...
. 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 collegiate and professional athletics including former KU All-Americans
Danny Manning Daniel Ricardo Manning (born May 17, 1966) is an American college basketball coach and former professional player who is the Associate Head Mens Basketball Coach at the University of Louisville. Manning played high school basketball at Walter Hin ...
,
John Hadl John Willard Hadl (February 15, 1940 – November 30, 2022) was an American football quarterback who played in the American Football League (AFL) and National Football League (NFL) for 16 years. He won an AFL championship with the San Diego Cha ...
and
Paul Endacott Paul Endacott (July 3, 1902 – January 8, 1997) was a collegiate basketball player in the 1920s. The Lawrence, Kansas native attended the University of Kansas from 1919 to 1923. Playing under Hall of Fame coach Phog Allen, Endacott led the 192 ...
.


Athletics

Currently Lawrence High has more than 110 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 in basketball was 1948, when the Lions defeated Newton 39–36 in the state final. 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,
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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 The University of Kansas (KU) is a public research university with its main campus in Lawrence, Kansas, United States, and several satellite campuses, research and educational centers, medical centers, and classes across the state of Kansas. Tw ...
, Lawrence was featured as a candidate for Titletown, United States by
ESPN ESPN (originally an initialism for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by ESPN Inc., owned jointly by The Walt Disney Company (80%) and Hearst Communications (20%). The ...
.


Football

The Lawrence High School Chesty Lions have 31 undefeated seasons in football, the most in the United States. Additionally, the Chesty Lions won a
High School Football National Championship The High School Football National Championship is a national championship honor awarded to the best high school football team(s) in the United States of America based on rankings from prep experts and analysts in the media, such as ''USA Today,'' an ...
in 1960. The Chesty Lions won five consecutive
Kansas State High School Activities Association The Kansas State High School Activities Association (KSHSAA) is the organization which oversees interscholastic competition in the U.S. state of Kansas at the high school, high-school level. It oversees both athletic and non-athletic competition, ...
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 to 2008, games were played at
Haskell Memorial Stadium Haskell Memorial Stadium is a sport stadium in Lawrence, Kansas. The facility is primarily used by Haskell Indian Nations University Haskell Indian Nations University is a public tribal land-grant university in Lawrence, Kansas, United States. ...
. 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: :''^ predates KSHSAA playoffs and AP poll'' :''+predates KSHSAA playoffs; ranked #1 in final AP poll''


Notable alumni

* David Booth, CEO of
Dimensional Fund Advisors Dimensional Fund Advisors, L.P. (branded Dimensional abbreviated DFA) is a private investment firm headquartered in Austin, Texas. Dimensional was founded in Chicago in 1981 by David Booth, Rex Sinquefield and Larry Klotz. The company has affili ...
, namesake for
David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium is a football stadium located in Lawrence, Kansas, on the campus of the University of Kansas. The stadium was opened in 1921, and is the seventh oldest college football stadium in the country, and is widely rec ...
, the home stadium for the
University of Kansas The University of Kansas (KU) is a public research university with its main campus in Lawrence, Kansas, United States, and several satellite campuses, research and educational centers, medical centers, and classes across the state of Kansas. Tw ...
football team A football team is a group of players selected to play together in the various team sports known as football. Such teams could be selected to play in a match against an opposing team, to represent a football club, group, state or nation, an All-st ...
*
Corinne Brinkerhoff Corinne Noel Brinkerhoff (born 1979) is an American television writer and producer. She has worked on the series ''The Good Wife'' and '' Boston Legal''. She was nominated for a Writers Guild of America Award for best new series in 2010. Backgr ...
, television producer and writer *
Erin Brockovich Erin Brockovich (née Pattee; born June 22, 1960) is an American legal clerk, consumer advocate, and environmental activist who, despite her lack of education in the law, was instrumental in building a case against Pacific Gas & Electric Compan ...
, had a movie made about her when she helped a town win a $333 million lawsuit because
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had contaminated their water supply * Sara Buxton, singer/songwriter *
Paul Coker Paul Coker Jr. (March 5, 1929 – July 23, 2022) was an American illustrator. He worked in many media, including '' Mad'', character design for Rankin-Bass TV specials, greeting cards, and advertising. Career Coker was born in Lawrence, Kansa ...
, animator, creator of the Chesty Lion mascot *
Robert Docking Robert Blackwell Docking (October 9, 1925October 8, 1983) was an American politician who served as the 38th governor of Kansas from 1967 until 1975. Early life Born in Kansas City, Missouri, Docking attended public school in Lawrence, K ...
, 38th Governor of
Kansas Kansas () is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its capital is Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the ...
*
Paul Endacott Paul Endacott (July 3, 1902 – January 8, 1997) was a collegiate basketball player in the 1920s. The Lawrence, Kansas native attended the University of Kansas from 1919 to 1923. Playing under Hall of Fame coach Phog Allen, Endacott led the 192 ...
, led the
Kansas Jayhawks The Kansas Jayhawks, commonly referred to as simply KU or Kansas, are the athletic teams that represent the University of Kansas. KU is one of three schools in the state of Kansas that participate in NCAA Division I. The Jayhawks are also a mem ...
to consecutive Helms Foundation national championships in 1922 and 1923 *
John Hadl John Willard Hadl (February 15, 1940 – November 30, 2022) was an American football quarterback who played in the American Football League (AFL) and National Football League (NFL) for 16 years. He won an AFL championship with the San Diego Cha ...
, former professional
American football American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team with ...
player and All-American running back at KU *
Ralph Houk Ralph George Houk (; August 9, 1919 – July 21, 2010), nicknamed The Major, was an American catcher, coach, manager, and front office executive in Major League Baseball. He is best known as the successor of Casey Stengel as manager of the New Yor ...
, 1938 Graduate, former
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player, manager and general manager. Associated with
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,
Detroit Tigers The Detroit Tigers are an American professional baseball team based in Detroit. The Tigers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the American League (AL) Central division. One of the AL's eight charter franchises, the club was f ...
,
Boston Red Sox The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight ...
. *
Steve Jeltz Larry Steven Jeltz (born May 28, 1959) is a French-born American former professional baseball player. He played in parts of eight seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) with the Philadelphia Phillies and Kansas City Royals. Jeltz primarily played ...
,
Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...
player *
Patty Jenkins Patricia Lea Jenkins (born July 24, 1971) is an American film director, screenwriter, and producer. She has directed the feature films ''Monster'' (2003), ''Wonder Woman'' (2017), and ''Wonder Woman 1984'' (2020). For the film ''Monster'', she w ...
, film director * Christopher Karpowitz, political scientist *
Larry Kwak Larry Kwak is an Americans, American cancer researcher who works at City of Hope National Medical Center, City of Hope in Duarte, California, Duarte, California and is the Director of the Toni Stephenson Lymphoma Center at City of Hope. Dr. Kwak ...
, cancer researcher, named one of the Most Influential People in the world by
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in 2010 *
Danny Manning Daniel Ricardo Manning (born May 17, 1966) is an American college basketball coach and former professional player who is the Associate Head Mens Basketball Coach at the University of Louisville. Manning played high school basketball at Walter Hin ...
, led the
University of Kansas The University of Kansas (KU) is a public research university with its main campus in Lawrence, Kansas, United States, and several satellite campuses, research and educational centers, medical centers, and classes across the state of Kansas. Tw ...
basketball team to the 1988 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament championship * Brian McClendon,
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creator, and Democratic Nominee for Secretary of State of Kansas in 2018 * Bryce Montes de Oca, professional baseball player *
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, former
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CEO A chief executive officer (CEO), also known as a central executive officer (CEO), chief administrator officer (CAO) or just chief executive (CE), is one of a number of corporate executives charged with the management of an organization especially ...
*
John B. Nalbandian John Baylor Nalbandian (born March 15, 1969) is a United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. He was previously a partner in the Cincinnati office of Taft Stettinius & Hollister. Biography Nalba ...
, Judge,
United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit The United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit (in case citations, 6th Cir.) is a federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the district courts in the following districts: * Eastern District of Kentucky * Western District of ...
*
Sara Paretsky Sara Paretsky (born June 8, 1947) is an American author of detective fiction, best known for her novels focused on the protagonist V. I. Warshawski. Life and career Paretsky was born in Ames, Iowa. Her father was a microbiologist and moved the ...
, author * Ned Ryun (co-valedictorian) * Bucky Scribner, former NFL punter for the
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*
Kannon Shanmugam Kannon Kumar Shanmugam (born November 15, 1972) is an American lawyer known for his litigation at the U.S. Supreme Court. He has been a partner at the law firm of Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison since 2019, and is the managing partner ...
, Supreme Court litigator *
Caleb Stegall Caleb Stegall (born September 20, 1971) is an American attorney and writer who resides in Perry, Kansas. He has served as the district attorney for Jefferson County, Kansas, and Chief Counsel to Kansas Governor Sam Brownback before he was appoi ...
, Justice,
Kansas Supreme Court The Kansas Supreme Court is the highest judicial authority in the state of Kansas. Composed of seven justices, led by Chief Justice Marla Luckert, the court supervises the legal profession, administers the judicial branch, and serves as the st ...
*
Sri Srinivasan Padmanabhan Srikanth "Sri" Srinivasan (; born February 23, 1967) is an Indian-born American lawyer and jurist serving as the chief judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. Before he was a circuit judge, Srinivas ...
, Judge,
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*
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, former member of the band
Kansas Kansas () is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its capital is Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the ...
* Jeff Yagher,
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References


External links

* {{authority control Public high schools in Kansas Schools in Lawrence, Kansas Lawrence, Kansas 1857 establishments in Kansas Territory Educational institutions established in 1857