Wichita North High School, known locally as North, is a public secondary school in

Wichita, Kansas Wichita ( ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kansas and the county seat of Sedgwick County. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 397,532. The Wichita metro area had a population of 647,610 in 2020. It is located in ...

, United States. It is operated by Wichita USD 259 school district and serves students in grades 9 to 12. The school was founded in 1929 on the site where the United States government previously sent Company 'A' of the 10th Division to the forks of the

Arkansas River The Arkansas River is a major tributary of the Mississippi River. It generally flows to the east and southeast as it traverses the U.S. states of Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas. The river's source basin lies in the western United Stat ...

to protect the incoming cattle drivers from the Indians during the 1800s. Wichita North 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 "Redskins".

History

Wichita North High School was the second high school in the city of Wichita, completed in 1929. Wichita East High School was the first high school.History of North High School; USD259.
/ref> In February 2021, the Wichita Board of Education voted unanimously to retire the school’s mascot. A committee created by Wichita Public Schools to study the mascot determined: “the term is offensive to Native Americans and the Native American Culture. The committee will not create a new mascot, but will adhere to BOE policy 1216, which states a school building principal is responsible for the development of school themes, songs, flags, etc. At this time, the North High administration has no plans to create a new mascot. The school will be referred to Wichita North High School and the school will continue to use their shield, drum and feather logo. The school will have a 2-year phase-in plan starting in the 21-22 school year to remove the mascot name on athletic and fine arts uniforms, school apparel and signs. In November, 2022, the Kansas Board of Education voted for schools kindergarten through 12th grade to “retire Indian-themed mascots and branding." Following the vote, Wichita North High School students were allowed to vote on a new mascot. They had the following four choices to vote for: Wolfpack, Redhawks, North Stars and Red Storm. On December 14, 2022, the school changed its mascot name to the Redhawks.

Academics

Bio-Med

The Bio-Med Program is a four-year program that offers a core science curriculum as well as Project Lead the Way Biomedical Sciences elective courses. Students in the program are able to receive health industry certifications in areas such as EMT, EKG tech, Phlebotomy tech, CNA, CMA, and HHA.

AVID

The AVID (

Advancement Via Individual Determination Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) is a non-profit organization that provides professional learning for educators to close opportunity gaps and improve college and career readiness for high school and middle school students, especi ...

) program has been at North High for over a decade, helping students gain college and career readiness skills. In 2017 North High earned National Demonstration/Site of Distinction status.

Extracurricular activities

Athletics

The Redskins compete in the ''Greater Wichita Athletic League'' and are classified as a 6A school, the largest classification in Kansas according to the

KSHSAA 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 level. It oversees both athletic and non-athletic competition, and sponsors ...

. Throughout its history, Wichita North has won 22 state championships in various sports. Many graduates have gone on to participate in Division I, Division II, and

Division III In sport, the Third Division, also called Division 3, Division Three, or Division III, is often the third-highest division of a league, and will often have promotion and relegation with divisions above and below. Association football *Belgian Thir ...

athletics.

State Championships

Track & Field, Boys 1970

Notable alumni

*Class of 2014:

Nico Hernandez Nico Hernández (born January 4, 1996) is an American boxing, boxer, from Wichita, Kansas. He is an Olympic medalist and pro boxer, noted for unusually fast and aggressive boxing. He competed at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazi ...

, 2016 Olympic boxing bronze medalist, men's light flyweight division *Class of 2004:

Elbert Mack Elbert Mack (born July 14, 1986) is an American football cornerback for the Qingdao Clipper of the China Arena Football League (CAFL). He was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He played college football at Troy. He has ...

, former

Tampa Bay Buccaneers The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football team based in Tampa, Florida. The Buccaneers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. The cl ...

cornerback *Class of 1995:

Tara Snyder Tara Snyder (born May 26, 1977) is a former tennis player from the United States, who started a professional career in May 1995. She reached her highest individual ranking in the WTA Tour on November 16, 1998, when she was ranked No. 33 in the w ...

, former Junior US Open tennis champion *Class of 1992:

Craig Dingman Craig Allen Dingman (born March 12, 1974) is a former relief pitcher in Major League Baseball. He batted and threw right-handed. College career Dingman attended Hutchinson Community College in Kansas. Professional career He was drafted by the Ne ...

, former Detroit Tigers pitcher *Class of 1991:

Wendell Davis Wendell Tyrone Davis (born January 3, 1966) is a former professional American football wide receiver who played for the Chicago Bears for six seasons from 1988 to 1993. He was selected by the Bears in the 1st round (27th overall) in the 1988 N ...

, former

Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East divi ...

cornerback *Class of 1989:

Rolf Potts Rolf Potts (born October 13, 1970) is an American travel writer, essayist, podcaster, and author. He has written five books, including ''Vagabonding'' (Random House, 2003), ''Marco Polo Didn't Go There'' (Travelers Tales, 2008), ''Souvenir'' (Bloo ...

, travel writer and author *Class of 1988:

Gaylon Nickerson Gaylon Harrel Nickerson (born February 5, 1969) is an American former professional basketball player who played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) and other leagues. Born in Osceola, Arkansas, he attended Wichita State University, Butle ...

, former professional basketball player *Class of 1987: Russ Campbell, former Pittsburgh Steelers tight end *Class of 1986:

Barry Sanders Barry Sanders (born July 16, 1968) is an American former professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL), from 1989 to 1998 for the Detroit Lions. Sanders led the league in rushing yards four times and ...

, former Detroit Lions running back, 1988 Heisman Trophy winner, 2004

Pro Football Hall of Fame The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame for professional American football, located in Canton, Ohio. Opened on September 7, , the Hall of Fame enshrines exceptional figures in the sport of professional football, including players, coa ...

inductee *Class of 1986: Brad Holman, former

Seattle Mariners The Seattle Mariners are an American professional baseball team based in Seattle. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. The team joined the American League as an expansion team ...

pitcher and current Texas Rangers bullpen coach *Class of 1983:

Brian Holman Brian Scott Holman (born January 25, 1965) is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. Holman's brother Brad Holman and stepfather Dick LeMay also were Major League pitchers. Amateur career Holman started his high school baseball career at Au ...

, former

pitcher *Class of 1977:

Lynette Woodard Lynette Woodard (born August 12, 1959) is a retired American basketball Hall of Fame player and former head women's basketball coach at Winthrop University. Woodard made history by becoming the first female member of the Harlem Globetrotters and ...

, 1984 Olympic basketball gold medalist, first female Globetrotter *Class of 1975: Carl Brewer, former mayor of Wichita *Class of 1975: Martha Davis, author and scholar of human rights and women's rights law *Class of 1970: Don Calhoun, former New England Patriots running back *Class of 1968:

Paul Stovall Paul L. Stovall (August 16, 1948 – January 9, 1978) was an American basketball small forward in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for the Phoenix Suns. He also was a member of the San Diego Conquistadors in the American Basketball ...

, former NBA player. He attended school briefly and earned his diploma through correspondence *Class of 1962:

Riney Lochmann Reinhold D. Lochmann (born May 26, 1944) is an American former professional basketball player from Wichita, Kansas. A 6'6" forward from the University of Kansas, Lochmann played three seasons (1967–1970) in the American Basketball Associatio ...

, former

Dallas Chaparrals The Dallas Chaparrals were a charter member of the American Basketball Association (ABA). The team moved to San Antonio, Texas for the 1973–74 season and were renamed the San Antonio Spurs. The Spurs joined the National Basketball Association ...

forward *Class of 1956:

Curtis McClinton Curtis Realious McClinton Jr. (born June 25, 1939) is a former collegiate and professional American football player. His father, Curtis McClinton Sr., served in the Kansas Senate. McClinton attended Wichita North High School in Wichita, Kansas ...

, former

Kansas City Chiefs The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The ...

running back, scored first AFL touchdown in

Super Bowl I The first AFL–NFL World Championship Game (known retroactively as Super BowlI and referred to in contemporaneous reports, including the game's radio broadcast, as the Super Bowl) was an American football game played on January 15, 1967, at the ...

*Class of 1956: Art Risser, naturalist and zoo scientist, former manager of the

San Diego Zoo The San Diego Zoo is a zoo in Balboa Park, San Diego, California, housing 4000 animals of more than 650 species and subspecies on of Balboa Park leased from the City of San Diego. Its parent organization, San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, is a p ...

*Class of 1954: Judy Bell, first female President of US Golf Association *Class of 1953: Phil Ruffin, businessman and self-made billionaire *Class of 1952:

John Dalley John Dalley (born 3 March 1935 in Madison, Wisconsin) is an American violinist. He was raised in a musical family. His father was an orchestra conductor, violinist, composer, instrumental teacher, and music educator. His mother, from Bloomington, ...

, violinist, Gaurneri Quartet between 1963 and 2009 *Class of 1950: Robert Stephan, Kansas Attorney General from 1979 to 1995 *Class of 1948:

Vera Miles Vera June Miles ( née Ralston, born August 23, 1929) is an American retired actress who worked closely with Alfred Hitchcock, most notably as Lila Crane in the classic 1960 film '' Psycho'', reprising the role in the 1983 sequel '' Psycho II ...

, actress who worked closely with Alfred Hitchcock; starred in movies like Psycho and

The Wrong Man ''The Wrong Man'' is a 1956 American docudrama film noir directed by Alfred Hitchcock and starring Henry Fonda and Vera Miles. The film was drawn from the true story of an innocent man charged with a crime, as described in the book ''The True St ...

*Class of 1947: Kent Frizzell, former Kansas politician and U.S. assistant Attorney General *Class of 1946:

Vern Miller Vern Miller (December 22, 1928 – June 11, 2021) was an American attorney, politician, and law enforcement officer who served as the Kansas attorney general from 1971 to 1975. Early life and education Miller was born in Wichita, Kansas in 19 ...

, former lawman and Attorney General *Class of 1946:

Ray Romero Ray Rene Romero (born December 31, 1927) is a former American football guard who played for the Philadelphia Eagles. He played college football at Kansas State University, having previously attended Wichita North High School Wichita North High S ...

, former

Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. The team play ...

guard *Class of 1946:

Barbara Sinatra Barbara Ann Blakeley Oliver Marx Sinatra (March 10, 1927 – July 25, 2017) was an American model, showgirl, socialite and the fourth wife of Frank Sinatra. Early life Barbara Ann Blakeley was born on March 10, 1927 in Bosworth, Missou ...

, philanthropist, former model and showgirl, 2nd wife of

Zeppo Marx Herbert Manfred "Zeppo" Marx (February 25, 1901 – November 30, 1979) was an American comedic actor, theatrical agent, and engineer. He was the youngest and last survivor of the five Marx Brothers. He appeared in the first five Marx Brothers f ...

, 4th wife of Frank Sinatra *Class of 1944: Vernon Smith, Nobel Memorial Prize winner in economics *Class of 1942:

James Jabara James "Jabby" Jabara (10 October 1923 – 17 November 1966) was the first American and United States Air Force jet ace. Born in Oklahoma, he lived in Kansas where he enlisted as an aviation cadet at Fort Riley after graduating from high school ...

, first American jet

ace An ace is a playing card, die or domino with a single pip. In the standard French deck, an ace has a single suit symbol (a heart, diamond, spade, or club) located in the middle of the card, sometimes large and decorated, especially in the c ...

*Class of 1940: Richard Cowan, recipient of the Medal of Honor during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

*Class of 1940: Les Layton, former New York Giants outfielder *Class of 1936: W. Eugene Smith, Life Magazine photojournalist *Class of 1935:

Bob Thurman Robert Burns Thurman (May 14, 1917 – October 31, 1998) was a professional baseball pitcher, outfielder and pinch-hitter. He played in the Negro leagues, the Puerto Rican winter league (where he was a star), and for a few years at the end o ...

, former

Kansas City Monarchs The Kansas City Monarchs were the longest-running franchise in the history of baseball's Negro leagues. Operating in Kansas City, Missouri, and owned by J. L. Wilkinson, they were charter members of the Negro National League from 1920 to 19 ...

and Cincinnati Reds outfielder *Class of 1933: Don Enoch, former mayor of Wichita 1969-1970

References

External links

Official school website
;Historical
Historic photos of Wichita North High School

Excerpts from ''A History of Wichita Public School Buildings''
USD 259

;Photos

;Map
Wichita School District - High School Boundary Map
valid starting fall 2012, USD 259
Wichita School District - Boundary Map and Directory of Buildings
USD 259 {{Authority control Public high schools in Kansas School buildings completed in 1929 Schools in Wichita, Kansas 1929 establishments in Kansas

History

Academics

Bio-Med

AVID

Extracurricular activities

Athletics

State Championships

Notable alumni

See also

References

External links