A. N. McCallum High School is a public high school in
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of Texas, as well as the seat and largest city of Travis County, with portions extending into Hays and Williamson counties. Incorporated on December 27, 1839, it is the 11th-most-populous city ...
, United States.
McCallum, the second oldest high school in the
Austin Independent School District
Austin Independent School District (AISD) is a school district based in the city of Austin, Texas, United States. Established in 1881, the district serves most of the City of Austin and surrounding towns, the City of Sunset Valley, the Village ...
(formerly known as Austin Public Schools prior to desegregation in 1971), opened in 1953 to relieve growth in north and northwest Austin. Named after AISD's first high school superintendent, A.N. McCallum, the school strives to reflect the initiatives and achievements of its namesake.
In 1994, McCallum motioned to make its campus the home of AISD'
Fine Arts Academy Currently, the Fine Arts Academy is open to all students in AISD who wish to attend, given that they are accepted following an admissions process. Current fine arts strands include visual arts, dance, theatre (acting/performance and technical), cinematic arts, voice, and instrumental music (band, orchestra, classical guitar, and collaborative piano). The Fine Arts Academy was recently named the 2015 Grammy Foundation's National Signature School, the lone recipient out of thousands of fine arts high schools in the country. McCallum had previously ranked as a Signature School Finalist in 2005, a decade before winning the highest award possible.
Topping the list of thirteen high schools in the country, McCallum's recognition as the National Signature School earned the music program $5,000 from the Grammy Foundation and th
Grammy In The Schoolsprogram. As recipient of the Foundation's Gold Award, McCallum High School earned the title of best music program in a public U.S. high school through making outstanding commitments to arts education throughout an academic school year. Student ensembles benefitting directly from this award included concert band, choral ensemble, orchestra, classical guitar ensemble, jazz band, and steel pan ensemble.
History
In 1956 the first African-American student began attending McCallum as part of desegregation; a total of 13 black students attended white high schools in AISD at that time. In 1994, the Fine Arts Academy enrolled 17 students, and now has over 500 students. The Academy gained visibility as its own entity within the high school with a professionally designed logo, creation and maintenance of th
Academy website and increased social media coverage.
In 2004, McCallum High School band performed at ceremony which Mayor Will Wynn proclaimed Oct. 25 Mangiasaurus Day.
In 2009, portions of the film
Bandslam
''Bandslam'' is a 2009 American musical romantic comedy drama film directed by Todd Graff who co-wrote the screenplay with Josh A. Cagan. The film stars Aly Michalka, Vanessa Hudgens, Gaelan Connell, Lisa Kudrow, Scott Porter, Ryan Donowho, an ...
featuring
Vanessa Hudgens
Vanessa Anne Hudgens (; born December 14, 1988) is an American actress and singer. After making her feature film debut in '' Thirteen'' (2003), Hudgens rose to fame portraying Gabriella Montez in the ''High School Musical'' film series (2006 ...
and
Lisa Kudrow
Lisa Valerie Kudrow ( ; born July 30, 1963) is an American actress, producer, and screenwriter. She rose to fame for her role as Phoebe Buffay in the sitcom ''Friends'' (1994–2004), which has since been named one of the greatest television cha ...
were filmed on the McCallum campus.
In 2011, the high school campus welcomed a new building to the campus, the "MAC" or McCallum Arts Center. This facility houses three new art classrooms and a 500-seat theatre and technical theater shop space. This was the venue used for the 20th anniversary of the Fine Arts Academy in 2014.
On May 7, 2015, nine-time Grammy award-winner Ray Benson of
Asleep At The Wheel, performed at the evening reception for students, families, school administrators, and local press.
Feeder patterns
McCallum's feeder schools include Kealing, Lamar, and Webb Middle Schools.
Notable alumni
*
Jay Arnette
Jay Hoyland Arnette (born December 19, 1938) is an American former professional basketball player. He played college basketball for the Texas Longhorns. Arnette played professionally for the Cincinnati Royals of the NBA from 1963–1965.
A 6'2" ...
, basketball player (1963-1966)
*
Robbie Beckett
Robbie Beckett (born July 16, 1972) is a former Major League Baseball pitcher.
Career
In 1990, he was draft (sports), drafted in the first round (25th) by the San Diego Padres in the amateur draft out of McCallum High School in Austin, Texas. St ...
, baseball player
*
Matt Belisle
Matthew Thomas Belisle (beh-LYLE; born June 6, 1980) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Cincinnati Reds, Colorado Rockies, St. Louis Cardinals, Washington Nationals, Minnesota T ...
, baseball player (1998)
*
Andy Brown, attorney and politician (1990)
*
Tom Kite
Thomas Oliver Kite Jr. (born December 9, 1949) is an American professional golfer and golf course architect. He won the U.S. Open in 1992 and spent 175 weeks in the top-10 of the Official World Golf Ranking between 1989 and 1994.
Career
Kite w ...
, professional golfer
*
Timothy Kopra
Timothy Lennart "Tim" Kopra (born April 9, 1963) is an engineer, a Colonel in the United States Army and a retired NASA astronaut. He served aboard the International Space Station as a flight engineer for Expedition 20, returning to Earth aboar ...
, engineer, colonel, and astronaut (1981)
*
Austin Nichols, actor and director
*
Wiley Wiggins, game designer and film actor
*
Bill Zapalac
Willie Frank Zapalac, Jr. (Bill) (born September 1, 1948) is a former American football linebacker and defensive end in the National Football League (NFL).
College football
Zapalac attended the University of Texas and played college football f ...
, football player (1971-1973)
References
External links
McCallum High SchoolMcCallum Fine Arts Academy
Class Reunion pages
60th Anniversary Alumni Celebration Page1985 Reunion Page1988 Reunion Page
{{DEFAULTSORT:McCallum, A.N. High School
High schools in Austin, Texas
Educational institutions established in 1953
Austin Independent School District high schools
1953 establishments in Texas