Lamar High School (Houston)
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, motto_translation = Reach for the Stars , newspaper = Lamar Life , yearbook = Orenda , feeder_schools = *
Baker Montessori School Ella J. Baker Montessori School, formerly Woodrow Wilson Montessori School and Woodrow Wilson Elementary School, is a public K-8 Montessori school in the Cherryhurst Addition subdivision in the Neartown area of Houston, Texas. A part of the Hous ...
(K-8) * Gregory-Lincoln Education Center (K-8) * Wharton Dual Language Academy (K-8) * Lanier Middle School * Pershing Middle School * Poe Elementary School * River Oaks Elementary School * Others listed below , image = , website
Lamar's Home Page
Lamar High School is a comprehensive public secondary school located in
Houston Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 i ...
,
Texas Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2020, it is the second-largest U.S. state by ...
, United States. It is a part of the
Houston Independent School District The Houston Independent School District (HISD) is the largest public school system in Texas, and the eighth-largest in the United States. Houston ISD serves as a community school district for most of the city of Houston and several nearby and ...
(HISD). Lamar High School, was established in 1936 in memory of
Mirabeau B. Lamar Mirabeau Buonaparte Lamar (August 16, 1798 – December 25, 1859) was an Lawyer, attorney born in Georgia, who became a Texas politician, poet, diplomat, and soldier. He was a leading Texas political figure during the Republic of Texas, Texas ...
(1798–1859), a leader in the Texas Revolution and the second President of the Republic of Texas. Lamar has a four-year program, serving grades 9 through 12. The school is located in the
Upper Kirby Upper Kirby is a commercial district in Houston, Texas, United States. It is named after Kirby Drive, so indirectly takes its name from John Henry Kirby. Upper Kirby contains many businesses, including restaurants. Upper Kirby is east of the Gre ...
district,Harris County Improvement District #3
." ''Upper Kirby''. Retrieved on December 10, 2008.
serving the Houston neighborhoods of
River Oaks River Oaks is a residential community located in the center of Houston, Texas, United States. Located within the 610 Loop and between Downtown and Uptown, the community spans .Archive Established in the 1920s by brothers Will Hogg and Michael H ...
and Montrose, the incorporated city of West University Place, a portion of the city of Southside Place, and other Houston subdivisions. Lamar offers neighborhood, Advanced Placement, and IB Diploma (
International Baccalaureate The International Baccalaureate (IB), formerly known as the International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO), is a nonprofit foundation headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, and founded in 1968. It offers four educational programmes: the IB D ...
) programs. It also hosts a business magnet program offering business management courses that works in conjuncture with the Houston business community to provide internships and university scholarships. Lamar's
IB Diploma The International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP) is a two-year educational programme primarily aimed at 16-to-19-year-olds in 140 countries around the world. The programme provides an internationally accepted qualification for entry into ...
programs is one of six in HISD, and consistently graduates the largest number of IB Diploma diploma candidates in Texas.


History


Founding and early history

In the 19th century Michael Louis Westheimer, a German immigrant who arrived in Houston in 1859, bought a farm at an auction for $2.50 per acre. On his property Westheimer established a school for local children, including some of his relatives from Germany. The path to the school became "Westheimer's Road," now called
Westheimer Road Westheimer Road () is an arterial east–west road in Houston, Texas, United States. It runs from Bagby Street in Downtown and terminates at the Westpark Tollway on the southern edge of George Bush Park, stretching about long. The street was ...
.Robertson, Dale.
Westheimer was a place for learning
(). ''
Houston Chronicle The ''Houston Chronicle'' is the largest daily newspaper in Houston, Texas, United States. , it is the third-largest newspaper by Sunday circulation in the United States, behind only ''The New York Times'' and the ''Los Angeles Times''. With i ...
''. Friday January 11, 2008. Sports 9. Retrieved on December 4, 2010. "Paying $1,600 - or $2.50 an acre, at an auction - he bought a 640-acre farm west of town where Lamar High School and St. John's School now sit. "
The
Houston Independent School District The Houston Independent School District (HISD) is the largest public school system in Texas, and the eighth-largest in the United States. Houston ISD serves as a community school district for most of the city of Houston and several nearby and ...
built and established Lamar on the former site of Westheimer's farm. Earlier the
Southampton Southampton () is a port city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. It is located approximately south-west of London and west of Portsmouth. The city forms part of the South Hampshire built-up area, which also covers Po ...
Civic Club attempted to persuade Houston ISD to build Lamar at a lot along Kirby and West Alabama; the attempt failed and Lamar was built across from River Oaks. Lamar officially opened in 1937 as "Southwest High School" along Westheimer Road before changing its name soon after.Verniaud, Marshall.
A Brief History of the Southampton Civic Club
() ''Southampton Civic Club Inc.'' Accessed November 7, 2008. "A painful disappointment was the club's inability to persuade the school board to build a new highschool on a tract at Kirby and West Alabama instead of on Westheimer across from River Oaks. The board chose the Westheimer site for its Mirabeau B. Lamar High School."
School Histories: the Stories Behind the Names
." ''
Houston Independent School District The Houston Independent School District (HISD) is the largest public school system in Texas, and the eighth-largest in the United States. Houston ISD serves as a community school district for most of the city of Houston and several nearby and ...
''. Accessed September 24, 2008.
The opening relieved pressure on San Jacinto High School in what is now Midtown. When the school opened it had 1,310 students, mostly from Bellaire, West University Place, Montrose,
Southampton Southampton () is a port city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. It is located approximately south-west of London and west of Portsmouth. The city forms part of the South Hampshire built-up area, which also covers Po ...
, and Southgate. In 1938 10% of the students resided in River Oaks. William Broyles of the ''
Texas Monthly ''Texas Monthly'' (stylized as ''TexasMonthly'') is a monthly American magazine headquartered in Downtown Austin, Texas. ''Texas Monthly'' was founded in 1973 by Michael R. Levy and has been published by Emmis Publishing, L.P. since 1998 and is ...
'' wrote that in its pre-desegregation history Lamar was the public equivalent of an exclusive prep school and Houston's "society school".Broyles, William. "Behind the Lines." ''
Texas Monthly ''Texas Monthly'' (stylized as ''TexasMonthly'') is a monthly American magazine headquartered in Downtown Austin, Texas. ''Texas Monthly'' was founded in 1973 by Michael R. Levy and has been published by Emmis Publishing, L.P. since 1998 and is ...
''. Vol. 3, No. 3.
Emmis Communications Emmis Communications is an American media conglomerate based in Indianapolis, Indiana. Emmis, based on the Hebrew word for Truth (Emet) was founded by Jeff Smulyan in 1980. Emmis has owned many radio stations, including KPWR and WQHT, which h ...
, March 1975. ISSN 0148-7736. p
5
In that period Lamar was the designation of children of Houston's most prominent families who attended public high schools.Curtis, Gregory.
Pomp and Circumstance

Archive
. ''
Texas Monthly ''Texas Monthly'' (stylized as ''TexasMonthly'') is a monthly American magazine headquartered in Downtown Austin, Texas. ''Texas Monthly'' was founded in 1973 by Michael R. Levy and has been published by Emmis Publishing, L.P. since 1998 and is ...
''. Vol. 3, No. 3.
Emmis Communications Emmis Communications is an American media conglomerate based in Indianapolis, Indiana. Emmis, based on the Hebrew word for Truth (Emet) was founded by Jeff Smulyan in 1980. Emmis has owned many radio stations, including KPWR and WQHT, which h ...
, March 1975. ISSN 0148-7736. p
59
Many students in the 1950s had referred to River Oaks Boulevard as the only street with a country club at both ends: one being the
River Oaks Country Club River Oaks Country Club is a country club in the River Oaks neighborhood in Houston, Texas. The club has hosted the River Oaks International Tennis Tournament since 1931. It is located at 1600 River Oaks Boulevard, Houston TX 77019. History Rive ...
, and the "other" was Lamar High School. Gregory Curtis of the ''
Texas Monthly ''Texas Monthly'' (stylized as ''TexasMonthly'') is a monthly American magazine headquartered in Downtown Austin, Texas. ''Texas Monthly'' was founded in 1973 by Michael R. Levy and has been published by Emmis Publishing, L.P. since 1998 and is ...
'' wrote that "Lamar has always had a reputation as a school of snobs" within Houston's public school system. Lamar grew rapidly to the point where Robert E. Lee High School (now Margaret Long Wisdom High School) was built in 1962 to relieve Lamar.Grossman, Wendy. "Tee Time." ''
Houston Press The ''Houston Press'' is an online newspaper published in Houston, Texas, United States. It is headquartered in the Midtown area. It was also a weekly print newspaper until November 2017. The publication is supported entirely by advertising ...
''. November 13, 2003
1
After its opening, Lee became Lamar's primary athletic rival.Curtis, Gregory.
Pomp and Circumstance

Archive
. ''
Texas Monthly ''Texas Monthly'' (stylized as ''TexasMonthly'') is a monthly American magazine headquartered in Downtown Austin, Texas. ''Texas Monthly'' was founded in 1973 by Michael R. Levy and has been published by Emmis Publishing, L.P. since 1998 and is ...
''. Vol. 3, No. 3.
Emmis Communications Emmis Communications is an American media conglomerate based in Indianapolis, Indiana. Emmis, based on the Hebrew word for Truth (Emet) was founded by Jeff Smulyan in 1980. Emmis has owned many radio stations, including KPWR and WQHT, which h ...
, March 1975. ISSN 0148-7736. p
54


Integration and IB era

Lamar racially integrated in the 1970s. Broyles wrote that Lamar integrated quietly and "not so much as an experiment in integration but simply as a school, a place where adolescents learn many things, some of them in the classroom." Due to integration many of the wealthier families instead sent their children to private schools. Lamar became an IB school in 1982 and this program would later be complemented by the Business Administration Magnet Program established in 1989.Archived home page
''Lamar High School''. February 7, 2004.
In 1987 the school had held its 50th anniversary. It had sent invitations to
Tommy Tune Thomas James Tune (born February 28, 1939) is an American actor, dancer, singer, theatre director, producer, and choreographer. Over the course of his career, he has won ten Tony Awards, the National Medal of Arts, and a star on the Hollywood Wal ...
, Robert Foxworth, Jaclyn Smith, Tommy Sands, Carlin Glynn,
Paula Prentiss Paula Prentiss (née Ragusa; born March 4, 1938) is an American actress. She is best known for her film roles in '' Where the Boys Are'' (1960), ''What's New Pussycat?'' (1965), ''Catch-22'' (1970), '' The Parallax View'' (1974), and '' The Stepf ...
, and Candy Tovar. The festivities included appearances from
Mayor of Houston The following is a list of people who have served as mayor of the city of Houston in the U.S. state of Texas. Until 2015, the term of the mayor was two years. Beginning with the tenure of Bob Lanier, the city charter imposed term limits on offi ...
Kathy Whitmire Kathryn Jean Whitmire (née Niederhofer; born August 15, 1946) is an American politician, businesswoman, and accountant best known as the first woman to serve as Mayor of Houston, serving for five consecutive two-year terms from 1982 to 1991. Fro ...
, former
Governor of Texas The governor of Texas heads the state government of Texas. The governor is the leader of the executive and legislative branch of the state government and is the commander in chief of the Texas Military. The current governor is Greg Abbott, who ...
Mark White, former Mayor of Houston
Fred Hofheinz James Fred Hofheinz (born March 15, 1938) is an American lawyer and politician who served as mayor of Houston, Texas, from 1974 to 1978. Hofheinz's father, Roy, was mayor of the city in the 1950s. Hofheinz graduated from Lamar High School in ...
, Superintendent of HISD Joan Raymond, and others were scheduled to give special presentations. - Available from the
Houston Public Library Houston Public Library is the public library system serving Houston, Texas, United States. History Houston Lyceum and the Carnegie Library The Houston Public Library system traces its founding to the creation of the second Houston Lyceum in 18 ...
website newspaper section (''Houston Chronice'' archive), accessible with an HPL library card
In September 1991 Lamar was one of 32 HISD schools that had capped enrollments: The school was at capacity and excess students had to attend other schools.Markley, Melanie.
32 schools hit enrollment cap
" ''
Houston Chronicle The ''Houston Chronicle'' is the largest daily newspaper in Houston, Texas, United States. , it is the third-largest newspaper by Sunday circulation in the United States, behind only ''The New York Times'' and the ''Los Angeles Times''. With i ...
''. Thursday, September 26, 1991. A17. Retrieved on April 24, 2009.
Fran Callahan, a resident of the Old Braeswood neighborhood of Houston, founded the Lamar Alumni Association in 1998 and became its executive director. She decided to create an alumni association after she inquired about making a large-scale fundraising campaign and learned that Lamar, which had many famous individuals as alumni, had no alumni association.Viator, Lisa.
Area resident leader sets $3 million goals for Lamar / Fran Callahan founded the school's alumni association
" ''
Houston Chronicle The ''Houston Chronicle'' is the largest daily newspaper in Houston, Texas, United States. , it is the third-largest newspaper by Sunday circulation in the United States, behind only ''The New York Times'' and the ''Los Angeles Times''. With i ...
''. Thursday, May 11, 2006. ThisWeek 2. Retrieved on October 22, 2012.
In 2003 the class of 1953, which included business owners, a film producer, a Nobel prize winner, a nominee for
U.S. Secretary of State The United States secretary of state is a member of the executive branch of the federal government of the United States and the head of the U.S. Department of State. The office holder is one of the highest ranking members of the president's Ca ...
and a former assistant of the
U.S. Secretary of Defense The United States secretary of defense (SecDef) is the head of the United States Department of Defense, the executive department of the U.S. Armed Forces, and is a high ranking member of the federal cabinet. DoDD 5100.1: Enclosure 2: a The se ...
, lawyers, engineers, and an architect, held its 50th reunion. A tour of the Lamar campus and a formal buffet and dance at the Houston Country Club was scheduled for Saturday, November 8, 2003. A brunch was scheduled at the University Club in the morning of Sunday, November 9, 2003.Martin, Betty L.
THE LUCKY ONES / Lamar class of '53 to come together
" ''
Houston Chronicle The ''Houston Chronicle'' is the largest daily newspaper in Houston, Texas, United States. , it is the third-largest newspaper by Sunday circulation in the United States, behind only ''The New York Times'' and the ''Los Angeles Times''. With i ...
''. Thursday, November 6, 2003. ThisWeek 1. Retrieved on October 14, 2012.
In 2004, Tune performed at Lamar. Foxworth and Jaclyn Smith attended the performance.


Expansion of facilities and renovation

The 2000s would bring speculation about Lamar's overcrowding and new attention to the school's need for new facilities. In 2007, 22% of high-school-age children zoned to Lamar chose to attend a different Houston ISD school. In 2010 Lamar, which has a capacity of 2,525, was 740 students over capacity.Mellon, Ericka.
Closing schools going to be tough
" ''
Houston Chronicle The ''Houston Chronicle'' is the largest daily newspaper in Houston, Texas, United States. , it is the third-largest newspaper by Sunday circulation in the United States, behind only ''The New York Times'' and the ''Los Angeles Times''. With i ...
''. December 20, 2010. Retrieved on December 21, 2010.
In 2010 Magnet Schools of America, a nonprofit, released a report recommending that Lamar's magnet program be abolished, due to overcrowding. In 2014
Terry Grier Terence Wyly (Terry) Grier (born 12 August 1936) is a former Canadian politician, lecturer and university administrator. Grier graduated from the University of Trinity College in the University of Toronto in 1958. He served as the New Democ ...
stated that Lamar should reduce its enrollment to around 3,000 students. Rita Graves, previously principal at Roberts Elementary and
Pin Oak Middle School A pin is a device used for fastening objects or material together. Pin or PIN may also refer to: Computers and technology * Personal identification number (PIN), to access a secured system ** PIN pad, a PIN entry device * PIN, a former Dutch ...
, became the principal of Lamar in August 2018 arriving as the transition to the construction of the new building began. In 2018, the HISD Bond project announced a $108 million construction and renovation plan for the building. The plan includes major renovations to the existing historically significant portions of the north building and an entirely new classroom and instructional facility. As of 2019 the construction is near completion.


Campus

The campus is located on the southern end of River Oaks Boulevard.Mod, Anna. ''Building Modern Houston'' (Images of America).
Arcadia Publishing Arcadia Publishing is an American publisher of neighborhood, local, and regional history of the United States in pictorial form.(analysis of the successful ''Images of America'' series). Arcadia Publishing also runs the History Press, which publi ...
, 2012. , 9780738585246. p
13
The Lamar High School campus consists of four buildings, a baseball field, a football field, and tennis courts. The North Building is a four-story building (including the basement level) which was the original building built in 1936. It consists of many
classrooms A classroom or schoolroom is a learning space in which both children and adults learn. Classrooms are found in educational institutions of all kinds, ranging from preschools to universities, and may also be found in other places where education ...
, the main office, attendance office, magnet office,
International Baccalaureate The International Baccalaureate (IB), formerly known as the International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO), is a nonprofit foundation headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, and founded in 1968. It offers four educational programmes: the IB D ...
office,
special education Special education (known as special-needs education, aided education, exceptional education, alternative provision, exceptional student education, special ed., SDC, or SPED) is the practice of educating students in a way that accommodates th ...
office, auditorium,
band Band or BAND may refer to: Places *Bánd, a village in Hungary *Band, Iran, a village in Urmia County, West Azerbaijan Province, Iran * Band, Mureș, a commune in Romania *Band-e Majid Khan, a village in Bukan County, West Azerbaijan Province, I ...
room,
cooking Cooking, cookery, or culinary arts is the art, science and craft of using heat to Outline of food preparation, prepare food for consumption. Cooking techniques and ingredients vary widely, from grilling food over an open fire to using electric ...
room, and the
choir A choir ( ; also known as a chorale or chorus) is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform. Choirs may perform music from the classical music repertoire, which ...
room. It was built in a distinctive
Art Deco Art Deco, short for the French ''Arts Décoratifs'', and sometimes just called Deco, is a style of visual arts, architecture, and product design, that first appeared in France in the 1910s (just before World War I), and flourished in the Unite ...
style. The building was made of Texas limestone and the windows are the steel ribbon style. It consists of a single central block with the Ned S. Holmes Auditorium at the western end. The entrance to the theater is decorated by a relief map of Texas that indicates the state's mountain ranges and escarpment
John F. Staub John Fanz Staub (September 12, 1892 – April 13, 1981) was a residential architect who designed numerous traditionally-styled homes and mansions, mostly in Houston, Texas, from the 1920s to 1960s. Early life John F. Staub was born on September ...
and
Kenneth Franzheim Kenneth Franzheim was an architect in Chicago and Boston in the early 1920s with C. Howard Crane. He started an independent practice in New York in 1925 and specialized in the design of large commercial buildings and airports. Franzheim becam ...
designed it, while Lamar Q. Cato, Louis A. Glover, and Harry D. Payne assisted. An
Italian American Italian Americans ( it, italoamericani or ''italo-americani'', ) are Americans who have full or partial Italian ancestry. The largest concentrations of Italian Americans are in the urban Northeast and industrial Midwestern metropolitan areas, ...
,Meeks, Flori.
Lamar High work won't hinder classes

Archive
. ''
Houston Chronicle The ''Houston Chronicle'' is the largest daily newspaper in Houston, Texas, United States. , it is the third-largest newspaper by Sunday circulation in the United States, behind only ''The New York Times'' and the ''Los Angeles Times''. With i ...
''. August 21, 2012. Retrieved on February 27, 2015.
Eraclito "Nino" Lenarduzzi, designed the map on the auditorium. Anna Mod, author of ''Building Modern Houston'', wrote that the theater entrance uses "a more monumental and severe Moderne style". The current addition began construction in 2017 and opened in 2020, with classrooms divided into eight "neighborhoods" a.k.a. "cohorts" and a snack bar which students may use at any time. This is in lieu of a central cafeteria. The addition has an atmosphere of a corporate work environment. In 2012 Greg Groogan of '' KRIV'' noted that the campus, prior to the late 2010s renovation, had experienced disrepair.Groogan, Greg.
Should taxpayers rebuild Lamar HS?
" '' KRIV''. September 19, 2012. Updated October 7, 2012. Retrieved on October 18, 2012.
The school at the time had insufficient facilities for its now larger student body. The 2019 renovation brought the destruction of the West and East buildings that served Lamar since the 1980s. The new instructional building on Babel Street include completely redone educational facilities and premier sports facilitie

The school has a large map of Texas on the wall of the performance hall. In 2012 Richard Connelly of the ''
Houston Press The ''Houston Press'' is an online newspaper published in Houston, Texas, United States. It is headquartered in the Midtown area. It was also a weekly print newspaper until November 2017. The publication is supported entirely by advertising ...
'' ranked Lamar as the seventh most architecturally beautiful high school campus in
Greater Houston Greater Houston, designated by the United States Office of Management and Budget as Houston–The Woodlands–Sugar Land, is the fifth-most populous metropolitan statistical area in the United States, encompassing nine counties along the Gulf Co ...
, saying that it is " finitely one of the most distinctive schools in town."Connelly, Richard. "The 7 Best-Looking High Schools in Houston." ''
Houston Press The ''Houston Press'' is an online newspaper published in Houston, Texas, United States. It is headquartered in the Midtown area. It was also a weekly print newspaper until November 2017. The publication is supported entirely by advertising ...
''. Tuesday, May 22, 2012
1
Retrieved on May 27, 2012.


Architectural style

John F. Staub John Fanz Staub (September 12, 1892 – April 13, 1981) was a residential architect who designed numerous traditionally-styled homes and mansions, mostly in Houston, Texas, from the 1920s to 1960s. Early life John F. Staub was born on September ...
and
Kenneth Franzheim Kenneth Franzheim was an architect in Chicago and Boston in the early 1920s with C. Howard Crane. He started an independent practice in New York in 1925 and specialized in the design of large commercial buildings and airports. Franzheim becam ...
, two architects, designed Lamar's original buildings with Louis A. Glover, Lamar Q. Cato, and Harry D. Payne. The design uses a "Z-plan" which has the auditorium and shop wings on opposite ends of the academic block. Jay C. Henry, the author of ''Architecture in Texas: 1895-1945'', write that the construction had "a more
avant-garde The avant-garde (; In 'advance guard' or ' vanguard', literally 'fore-guard') is a person or work that is experimental, radical, or unorthodox with respect to art, culture, or society.John Picchione, The New Avant-garde in Italy: Theoretical ...
expression."


Research center

In 2010 the school announced that it would replace its traditional school library with a coffee bar and electronic research center. The coffee bar is operated by LHS's culinary program.


As a filming location

The school is seen in the movie '' Rushmore''. In ''Rushmore'' the campus is used as the setting for Grover Cleveland High School. Richard Connelly of the ''
Houston Press The ''Houston Press'' is an online newspaper published in Houston, Texas, United States. It is headquartered in the Midtown area. It was also a weekly print newspaper until November 2017. The publication is supported entirely by advertising ...
'' said that the Lamar building "was ghetto'd up to look like a dilapidated inner-city school." The school was also featured in the Chuck Norris film: '' Sidekicks''.


50th anniversary time capsule

On October 17, 1987, Lamar High School and its students celebrated its 50th anniversary by creating a
time capsule A time capsule is a historic cache of goods or information, usually intended as a deliberate method of communication with future people, and to help future archaeologists, anthropologists, or historians. The preservation of holy relics dates ba ...
to teach the students in the future how high school life was like in the 1980s. The time capsule was buried in front of Lamar's main entrance where it lies today. The plaque that marks where the time capsule lies is made from marble donated by the community of
River Oaks River Oaks is a residential community located in the center of Houston, Texas, United States. Located within the 610 Loop and between Downtown and Uptown, the community spans .Archive Established in the 1920s by brothers Will Hogg and Michael ...
and fundraising events held at Lamar at the time. The plaque of Lamar's time capsule reads...
Lamar High School
Fiftieth Anniversary Time Capsule
HEREIN LIES MEMENTOS SELECTED BY STUDENTS AND GRADUATES OF LAMAR HIGH SCHOOL IN COMMEMORATION OF THE FIFTIETH ANNIVERSARY, SEALED ON OCTOBER 17TH, 1987. THE CAPSULE IS TO BE OPENED ON THE 50th ANNIVERSARY, THE YEAR 2037


2019 New Campus

In 2017, ground was broken for the building of a new $108 million state-of-the-art campus. Construction is expected to be completed in 2019 and will preserve the significant architectural building structures of the old campus.


Demographics

For the 2014–15 school year: *African American: 31.1% *Hispanic: 36.8% *White: 26.1% *American Indian: 0.2% *Asian: 4.1% *Pacific Islander: 0.2% *Two or More Races: 1.5% *Economically Disadvantaged: 47.7% In the 2016–2017 school year, about 36% of the students were Hispanic, 32% were black, and 24% were white. Circa 2016 about 60% of the students attending Lamar live outside of the Lamar attendance boundary. In 2018 more than 50% of the student body was considered to be at risk of becoming school dropouts.


Historical demographics

In the Lamar's early history, students were segregated into different schools by race. In 1967 the school had 2,040 students. Until 1970 HISD categorized Hispanic students as being White, so Jay P. Childers, author of ''The Evolving Citizen: American Youth and the Changing Norms of Democratic Engagement'', wrote that in terms of ethnic ratios, "Exact numbers for the late 1960s are impossible to calculate" for that reason.Childers, p
49
, 9780271054117.
As evidence that non-Hispanic White students were the vast majority at that time, he used images from the school newspaper, ''The Lancer''. Childers wrote that ethnic change "seemed" to have quickly occurred after
desegregation Desegregation is the process of ending the separation of two groups, usually referring to races. Desegregation is typically measured by the index of dissimilarity, allowing researchers to determine whether desegregation efforts are having impact o ...
, citing the fact that in Spring 1974 African Americans made up six of twelve of the class officers and that in 1972 the cover of one issue of the ''Lancer'' showed a black male. Curtis wrote that the racial integration did not cause "unfortunate incidents" at the school.Curtis, Gregory.
Pomp and Circumstance

Archive
. ''
Texas Monthly ''Texas Monthly'' (stylized as ''TexasMonthly'') is a monthly American magazine headquartered in Downtown Austin, Texas. ''Texas Monthly'' was founded in 1973 by Michael R. Levy and has been published by Emmis Publishing, L.P. since 1998 and is ...
''. Vol. 3, No. 3.
Emmis Communications Emmis Communications is an American media conglomerate based in Indianapolis, Indiana. Emmis, based on the Hebrew word for Truth (Emet) was founded by Jeff Smulyan in 1980. Emmis has owned many radio stations, including KPWR and WQHT, which h ...
, March 1975. ISSN 0148-7736. p
96
In 1975 there were 1,900 students. Due to the outflow of the very wealthy the school was increasingly made up of middle-class students, and some students were of lower income backgrounds: 100 of them rented their own apartments. As of 1975 about 33% of Lamar's students were black. Many black parents sent their children to Lamar because of the school's strong academic reputation. By 1975 black students became members of clubs and the cheerleader corps of Lamar, and the student council president and "Lady of Lamar" was black. Curtis wrote that black students who did not wish to associate with whites often did not participate in the social environment while whites who did not wish to associate with blacks were still able to participate in that environment. Some black students emphasized with friends attending other schools who criticized them for going to Lamar that they only attended the school. Curtis wrote that some Lamar white students felt that "going to school with blacks asa duty they must perform, a quirk of history they must indulge." In 2006 Lisa Viator from the ''
Houston Chronicle The ''Houston Chronicle'' is the largest daily newspaper in Houston, Texas, United States. , it is the third-largest newspaper by Sunday circulation in the United States, behind only ''The New York Times'' and the ''Los Angeles Times''. With i ...
'' stated that between the 1950s and 2006 the school had transitioned from "an exclusive suburban institution" to a multiethnic urban high school. As of 2010 the Lamar campus was built to accommodate 2,525 students but housed an additional 740 students as of the 2010–2011 school year. It is one of the most popular high schools for transferring in HISD and is one of the most ethnically diverse in the city.


Academics and student performance

In 2008 William G. Ouchi, author of ''Making Schools Work: A Revolutionary Plan to Get Your Children the Education They Need'', stated that Lamar was one of the two "elite" public high schools in Houston along with Bellaire High School.Ouchi, William G. ''Making Schools Work: A Revolutionary Plan to Get Your Children the Education They Need''.
Simon & Schuster Simon & Schuster () is an American publishing company and a subsidiary of Paramount Global. It was founded in New York City on January 2, 1924 by Richard L. Simon and M. Lincoln Schuster. As of 2016, Simon & Schuster was the third largest publ ...
, June 24, 2008. , 9781439108109. p
150
In 1979,Reinert, Al. "Football Heroes." ''
Texas Monthly ''Texas Monthly'' (stylized as ''TexasMonthly'') is a monthly American magazine headquartered in Downtown Austin, Texas. ''Texas Monthly'' was founded in 1973 by Michael R. Levy and has been published by Emmis Publishing, L.P. since 1998 and is ...
''.
Emmis Communications Emmis Communications is an American media conglomerate based in Indianapolis, Indiana. Emmis, based on the Hebrew word for Truth (Emet) was founded by Jeff Smulyan in 1980. Emmis has owned many radio stations, including KPWR and WQHT, which h ...
, September 1979. Vol. 7, No. 9. ISSN 0148-7736. p
132
"The two most elite public schools in the state—Highland Park in Dallas and Lamar in Houston— ..
Al Reinert of ''
Texas Monthly ''Texas Monthly'' (stylized as ''TexasMonthly'') is a monthly American magazine headquartered in Downtown Austin, Texas. ''Texas Monthly'' was founded in 1973 by Michael R. Levy and has been published by Emmis Publishing, L.P. since 1998 and is ...
'' stated that Lamar was historically one of the two elite public high schools in all of Texas, along with Highland Park High School near
Dallas Dallas () is the List of municipalities in Texas, third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of metropolitan statistical areas, fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 ...
.Sherrod, Rick. ''Texas High School Football Dynasties'' (Sports History Series).
The History Press The History Press is a British publishing company specialising in the publication of titles devoted to local and specialist history. It claims to be the United Kingdom's largest independent publisher in this field, publishing approximately 300 ...
, 2013. , 9781609496128. p
47
Laura Nathan-Garner, author of the second edition of the ''Insiders' Guide to Houston'' (2012), wrote that Lamar was "considered one of the area's best public high schools."Nathan-Garner, Laura. ''Insiders' Guide to Houston'' (2nd edition).
Rowman & Littlefield Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group is an independent publishing house founded in 1949. Under several imprints, the company offers scholarly books for the academic market, as well as trade books. The company also owns the book distributing compa ...
, October 2, 2012. , 9780762790630. p
248
In January 2015 the school began issuing laptop computers to all students. Several classes now use the "flipped classroom" model where the teacher uploads lectures that may be viewed over the internet at any time, while hands-on work is done in the classroom. In the pre-desegregation period just about all Lamar students matriculated to colleges and universities. After desegregation in the 1970s and the resulting social class changes, the percentage of students moving on to colleges and universities was down to about 66% by 1975. At that time there were declines in the
National Merit Qualifying Exam National may refer to: Common uses * Nation or country ** Nationality – a ''national'' is a person who is subject to a nation, regardless of whether the person has full rights as a citizen Places in the United States * National, Maryland, ce ...
and
SAT test The SAT ( ) is a standardized test widely used for college admissions in the United States. Since its debut in 1926, its name and Test score, scoring have changed several times; originally called the Scholastic Aptitude Test, it was later calle ...
scores. In 2007, Lamar was ranked as in Jay Mathews ''
Newsweek ''Newsweek'' is an American weekly online news magazine co-owned 50 percent each by Dev Pragad, its president and CEO, and Johnathan Davis (businessman), Johnathan Davis, who has no operational role at ''Newsweek''. Founded as a weekly print m ...
s lists of the top high schools in the United States. Many students in other parts of Houston ISD transfer to Lamar to escape home schools that do not have a good academic performance, causing the attendance figures of those schools to suffer. In 2007 Todd Spivak of the ''
Houston Press The ''Houston Press'' is an online newspaper published in Houston, Texas, United States. It is headquartered in the Midtown area. It was also a weekly print newspaper until November 2017. The publication is supported entirely by advertising ...
'' reported about the magazine's feature "These Kids Go to the Best Public High School in Houston." Spivak said that Lamar High School, which he described as "well-regarded," received a lower rating due to a 66% graduation rate. Dr. Robert Sanborn, president, and CEO of the
Children at Risk CHILDREN AT RISK is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that drives changes for children through research, education, and influencing public policy. Founded in the year of 1989 in Houston, Texas and with an office opened in North Texas in 2011, ...
organization said that there was an achievement gap at Lamar between the top-performing students and the lowest-performing students.


Transportation

Houston ISD provides
school bus A school bus is any type of bus owned, leased, contracted to, or operated by a school or school district. It is regularly used to transport students to and from school or school-related activities, but not including a charter bus or transit bus ...
es for students who live more than two miles (3 km) from the school or who have major obstacles between their houses and the school. Students are eligible if they are zoned to Lamar or are in the Lamar magnet program. A
METRO Metro, short for metropolitan, may refer to: Geography * Metro (city), a city in Indonesia * A metropolitan area, the populated region including and surrounding an urban center Public transport * Rapid transit, a passenger railway in an urba ...
bus stop (Westheimer Road @ River Oaks Boulevard) is at the school's entrance. Bus lines 81 & 82 (Westheimer) stop at Westheimer @ River Oaks.


Seal and motto

The school seal includes the coat of arms of the family of
Mirabeau B. Lamar Mirabeau Buonaparte Lamar (August 16, 1798 – December 25, 1859) was an Lawyer, attorney born in Georgia, who became a Texas politician, poet, diplomat, and soldier. He was a leading Texas political figure during the Republic of Texas, Texas ...
. The school motto "Va t'en aux étoiles", featured on the seal, was the Lamar family's motto.


Uniforms

Before fall 2006, Lamar maintained a dress code allowing for students to wear most types of clothing. Starting in the 2006–2007 school year, the school requires
school uniform A school uniform is a uniform worn by students primarily for a school or otherwise an educational institution.They are common in primary and secondary schools in various countries. An example of a uniform would be requiring button-down shir ...
s. Uniforms consist of monogrammed navy or white Lamar
polo shirt A polo shirt, tennis shirt, golf shirt, or chukker shirt is a form of shirt with a collar. Polo shirts are usually short sleeved but can be long; they were used by polo players originally in India in 1859 and in Great Britain during the 1920s. ...
s and khaki bottoms. All shoe types are permitted, including
flip-flops Flip-flops are a type of light sandal, typically worn as a form of casual footwear. They consist of a flat sole held loosely on the foot by a Y-shaped strap known as a toe thong that passes between the first and second toes and around both side ...
; female students are allowed to wear plaid skirts. The
Texas Education Agency The Texas Education Agency (TEA) is the branch of the government of Texas responsible for public education in Texas in the United States.
specifies that the parents and/or guardians of students zoned to a school with uniforms may apply for a waiver to opt out of the uniform policy so their children do not have to wear the uniform; parents must specify "
bona fide In human interactions, good faith ( la, bona fides) is a sincere intention to be fair, open, and honest, regardless of the outcome of the interaction. Some Latin phrases have lost their literal meaning over centuries, but that is not the case ...
" reasons, such as religious reasons or philosophical objections. Alice Davidson, a Lamar student who wrote the "Screaming in the Halls" column in the "Yo! Houston" section of the ''
Houston Chronicle The ''Houston Chronicle'' is the largest daily newspaper in Houston, Texas, United States. , it is the third-largest newspaper by Sunday circulation in the United States, behind only ''The New York Times'' and the ''Los Angeles Times''. With i ...
'', said that the Lamar uniform is similar to that of the St. John's School.Davidson, Alice.
Enthusiasm for stricter dress code not uniform
" ''
Houston Chronicle The ''Houston Chronicle'' is the largest daily newspaper in Houston, Texas, United States. , it is the third-largest newspaper by Sunday circulation in the United States, behind only ''The New York Times'' and the ''Los Angeles Times''. With i ...
''. Tuesday, May 16, 2006. Star 3 "Yo!" Retrieved on September 13, 2009. Available from the
Houston Public Library Houston Public Library is the public library system serving Houston, Texas, United States. History Houston Lyceum and the Carnegie Library The Houston Public Library system traces its founding to the creation of the second Houston Lyceum in 18 ...
br>newspaper database, accessible with a library card number and password
Newsbank NewsBank is a news database resource that provides archives of media publications as reference materials to libraries. History John Naisbitt, the author of the book ''Megatrends'', founded NewsBank.Andrews 1998, p. 17. The company was launched i ...
record number 4117628. "Instead of having the chance to express ourselves as individuals, we must choose from two polo shirts and khaki bottoms. It’s similar to that of the private school across the street." (the private school adjacent to Lamar is St. John's School)
Of the more than twenty HISD high schools that, as of 2007, had a standardized dress code or uniforms, Lamar was the only one that had a White plurality. The principal, James McSwain, cited safety concerns with a world after the
Columbine High School massacre On April 20, 1999, a school shooting and attempted bombing occurred at Columbine High School in Columbine, Colorado, United States. The perpetrators, 12th grade students Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, murdered 12 students and one teacher. ...
and the
September 11, 2001 attacks The September 11 attacks, commonly known as 9/11, were four coordinated suicide terrorist attacks carried out by al-Qaeda against the United States on Tuesday, September 11, 2001. That morning, nineteen terrorists hijacked four commercial ...
as the reason for the school's adoption of uniforms. The newly created policy received opposition from some students and parents; the policy was criticized in the May 16, 2006 ''
Houston Chronicle The ''Houston Chronicle'' is the largest daily newspaper in Houston, Texas, United States. , it is the third-largest newspaper by Sunday circulation in the United States, behind only ''The New York Times'' and the ''Los Angeles Times''. With i ...
'' by Davidson in her column. The ''Houston Chronicle'' printed a feature about the Lamar uniform policy in the August 22, 2006 edition of the Yo! section; the feature was written by Jessica Silverman, a student at Lamar as of 2006. In summer 2009, summer school students at Lamar were required to buy a uniform that differed from the regular Lamar uniform.


Neighborhoods served


Within Lamar attendance boundary

Many parts of Houston west of
Downtown ''Downtown'' is a term primarily used in North America by English speakers to refer to a city's sometimes commercial, cultural and often the historical, political and geographic heart. It is often synonymous with its central business distric ...
that are inside the
610 Loop Interstate 610 (I-610) is a freeway that forms a loop around the inner city sector of the city of Houston, Texas. I-610, colloquially known as The Loop, Loop 610, The Inner Loop, or just 610, traditionally marks the border between the i ...
are zoned to Lamar.Lamar High School Attendance Zone
"
Houston Independent School District The Houston Independent School District (HISD) is the largest public school system in Texas, and the eighth-largest in the United States. Houston ISD serves as a community school district for most of the city of Houston and several nearby and ...
. Retrieved on January 29, 2018.
River Oaks River Oaks is a residential community located in the center of Houston, Texas, United States. Located within the 610 Loop and between Downtown and Uptown, the community spans .Archive Established in the 1920s by brothers Will Hogg and Michael ...
,
Afton Oaks Afton Oaks is a deed-restricted "Inner Loop" upscale residential community of approximately 525 homes in Houston, Texas, United States Afton Oaks is located inside Interstate 610 (Texas), Interstate 610 near the Galleria and Highland Village. Th ...
,
Upper Kirby Upper Kirby is a commercial district in Houston, Texas, United States. It is named after Kirby Drive, so indirectly takes its name from John Henry Kirby. Upper Kirby contains many businesses, including restaurants. Upper Kirby is east of the Gre ...
, Avalon Place, Avondale,
Southgate Southgate or South Gate may refer to: Places Australia *Southgate, Sylvania *Southgate Arts and Leisure Precinct, an area within Southbank, Victoria Canada *Southgate, Ontario, a township in Grey County * Southgate, Middlesex County, Ontario Ed ...
, Morningside Place, Highland Village, Shadyside, West Lane Place, Lynn Park, Oak Estates, Royden Oaks, Old Braeswood, Boulevard Oaks, Southampton Place, most of Cottage Grove,googlemap_cottagegrove.jpg
"
Archive
Cottage Grove. Retrieved on October 21, 2012.
Sunset Terrace, Broadacres, Ranch Estates, Rice Village,
Rice Military Rice Military is a neighborhood in Houston, Texas, United States. The Beer Can House is located in Rice Military. History The name originates from nearby Camp Logan, a World War I-era U.S. Army training camp, which was replaced by Memorial Park ...
, Crestwood/Glen Cove, Weslayan Plaza, the portions of
Braeswood Place Braeswood Place is a group of subdivisions in Harris County, Texas, United States. The vast majority of the land is in Houston while a small part is in Southside Place. Braeswood Place is a mainly single-family neighborhood inside the 610 Loop, ...
east of Stella Link and north of South Braeswood (including Braes Heights and Braes Oaks), most of Midtown,There are separate boundaries for the Midtown Super Neighborhood and the Midtown Management District. See City of Houston maps
Midtown Super Neighborhood
an
Management district map
Retrieved on June 4, 2019. - Also see
2006 Midtown Management District Land Use Map
and
SERVICE AND IMPROVEMENT PLAN AND ASSESSMENT PLAN FOR FISCAL YEARS 2015-2024
." Midtown Houston Management District. Retrieved on April 4, 2009. Map on page 25/25 of the PDF.
a small portion of
Riverside Terrace Riverside Terrace is a neighborhood in Houston, Texas, United States. It is along Texas State Highway 288 and north of the Texas Medical Center and located near Texas Southern University and University of Houston. There about 20 sections of Riversi ...
, and the Neartown area (including Montrose, Cherryhurst, Westmoreland,Westmoreland Historic District
." City of Houston. Retrieved on May 26, 2010.
Courtlandt Place,
Hyde Park Hyde Park may refer to: Places England * Hyde Park, London, a Royal Park in Central London * Hyde Park, Leeds, an inner-city area of north-west Leeds * Hyde Park, Sheffield, district of Sheffield * Hyde Park, in Hyde, Greater Manchester Austra ...
, Richwood, Lancaster Place, Castle Court, and North Montrose) are also zoned to Lamar.Block Book Map Search
." ''Harris County Tax Office''. Retrieved on February 27, 2009.
Laura Nathan-Garner, author of the second edition of the ''Insiders' Guide to Houston'' (2012), wrote that "Many children in
iver Oaks Iver is a large civil parishes in England, civil parish in Buckinghamshire, England. In addition to the central nucleated village, clustered village, the parish includes the residential neighbourhoods of Iver Heath and Richings Park. Geography, ...
attend
amar Amar may refer to: People Given name * Amar (British singer) (born 1982), British Indian singer born Amar Dhanjal * Amar (Lebanese singer) (born 1986), born Amar Mahmoud Al Tahech * Amar Bose (1929–2013), Founder of Bose Corporation * Amar Gup ...
. In addition, all pupils in the city of West University Place and the majority of pupils in the city of Southside Place (areas east of Stella Link Road) are zoned to Lamar. Rice Village Apartments, the
Rice University William Marsh Rice University (Rice University) is a Private university, private research university in Houston, Houston, Texas. It is on a 300-acre campus near the Houston Museum District and adjacent to the Texas Medical Center. Rice is ranke ...
graduate housing complexes that admit families, is zoned to this school; Morningside Square, a Rice University complex which was formerly in operation and also housed families, was also zoned to Lamar. 7900 Cambridge and 1885 El Paseo, the student housing properties of the
University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) is a public academic health science center in Houston, Texas, United States. It was created in 1972 by The University of Texas System Board of Regents. It is located in the T ...
, are also zoned to Lamar.School of Nursing 2009 – 2011 Catalog
." University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston. 49. Retrieved on November 24, 2011.
Other notable apartment and condominium complexes zoned to Lamar include
2727 Kirby 2727 Kirby is a 30-story, 78 unit, condominium high rise, designed by Ziegler Cooper and located in Upper Kirby just south of Westheimer in Houston, Texas. Zoned schools Residents of this building are zoned to schools in the Houston Independent S ...
, The Driscoll at River Oaks,
The Huntingdon The Huntingdon is a 503 ft (153m) tall skyscraper in Houston, Texas. The 34-floor structure was completed in 1984 by the developer James E. Lyon. It is the 27th tallest building in the city. It is also the tallest entirely residential build ...
,
Isabella Court Isabella Court is a Spanish Colonial Revival style mixed-use residential and commercial complex at 3909-3917 South Main Street in the Midtown district of Houston, Texas, United States. It is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Isab ...
, The Residences at La Colombe d'Or, and Sheridan Apartments. The
Texas Medical Center The Texas Medical Center (TMC) is a medical district and neighborhood in south-central Houston, Texas, United States, immediately south of the Museum District and west of Texas State Highway 288. Over 60 medical institutions, largely concentrate ...
(TMC) employee housing complex, Laurence H. Favrot Tower Apartments, was also zoned to Lamar; On August 31, 2012 the complex closed. In the 1970s most of the neighborhoods in Lamar's attendance zone were middle and upper middle class, with the exception of the very wealthy River Oaks. As of 1975 the boundaries were roughly
Interstate 10 Interstate 10 (I-10) is the southernmost cross-country highway in the American Interstate Highway System. I-10 is the fourth-longest Interstate in the United States at , following I-90, I-80, and I-40. This freeway is part of the originally pl ...
(Katy Freeway) to the North, the Brays Bayou to the South, Montrose Boulevard to the East, and the
610 Loop Interstate 610 (I-610) is a freeway that forms a loop around the inner city sector of the city of Houston, Texas. I-610, colloquially known as The Loop, Loop 610, The Inner Loop, or just 610, traditionally marks the border between the i ...
to the west.


with Lamar as an option

Students residing in the Margaret Long Wisdom attendance zone,Lee High School Attendance Zone
," ''
Houston Independent School District The Houston Independent School District (HISD) is the largest public school system in Texas, and the eighth-largest in the United States. Houston ISD serves as a community school district for most of the city of Houston and several nearby and ...
''
including the Uptown district and the neighborhoods of Briarmeadow, Briargrove, Briarcroft,
Gulfton Gulfton is a community in Southwest Houston, Texas, United States that includes a group of apartment complexes that primarily house refugee and immigrant populations. It is located between the 610 Loop and Beltway 8, west of the City of Bellaire ...
,
Larchmont Larchmont is a village located within the Town of Mamaroneck in Westchester County, New York, approximately northeast of Midtown Manhattan. The population of the village was 5,864 at the 2010 census. In February 2019, Bloomberg ranked Lar ...
, Tanglewilde, St. George Place (Lamar Terrace), Shenandoah,
Tanglewood Tanglewood is a music venue in the towns of Lenox and Stockbridge in the Berkshire Hills of western Massachusetts. It has been the summer home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra since 1937. Tanglewood is also home to three music schools: the T ...
, West Oaks, Woodlake Forest, Jeanetta, Sharpstown Country Club Estates, and small portions of Westchase east of Gessner, may go to Lamar, Margaret Long Wisdom High, or Westside High.Home Page
as of May 9, 2005. '' Lee High School''.
Small portions of the cities of
Hunters Creek Village Hunters Creek Village is a city in Harris County, Texas, United States, part of the metropolitan area. The population was 4,385 at the 2020 census. It is part of a collection of upscale residential communities in west Houston known as the Memor ...
and
Piney Point Village Piney Point Village is a city in Harris County, Texas, United States. The population was 3,125 at the 2010 census. Piney Point Village is the wealthiest place in Texas, as ranked by per capita income. It is part of a collection of upscale resident ...
are zoned to Margaret Long Wisdom with options for Lamar and Westside.


Athletics

Lamar High School teams are Lamar Texans. Prior to this, they were Redskins; this nickname was phased out and replaced with the "Texans," as "Redskins" is considered by some to be
derogatory A pejorative or slur is a word or grammatical form expressing a negative or a disrespectful connotation, a low opinion, or a lack of respect toward someone or something. It is also used to express criticism, hostility, or disregard. Sometimes, a ...
to the Native American population. In 1999 a student proposed to retire the Redskin mascot. The teacher in charge of the student poll included a question on whether the students were willing to pay for the change; the student body voted against it, with every six students voting to retain and every one voting to keep. The student wanted to create his own poll but the Lamar administration id not permit this. In April 2014 the HISD school board decided to rename remaining sports team names of Confederate and Native American mascots owing to fears of appearing culturally insensitive. Each school submitted its main choices to the HISD administration. The majority of Lamar students voted for
Texian Texians were Anglo-American residents of Mexican Texas and, later, the Republic of Texas. Today, the term is used to identify early settlers of Texas, especially those who supported the Texas Revolution. Mexican settlers of that era are referr ...
, but the school adopted "Texan" because HISD board members believed "Texan" was better than "Texian" since the latter could be culturally insensitive.Downing, Margaret.
Killing Archaic Symbols
" ''
Houston Chronicle The ''Houston Chronicle'' is the largest daily newspaper in Houston, Texas, United States. , it is the third-largest newspaper by Sunday circulation in the United States, behind only ''The New York Times'' and the ''Los Angeles Times''. With i ...
''. Wednesday, April 23, 2004. Retrieved on May 12, 2014. -- title of page is "Rick Perry Lawyers Up. HISD Debuts New Mascots" with the main story by Carol Morgan.
During the Redskin era, the school had a statue called "Big Red," a depiction of a Native American.Curtis, Gregory.
Pomp and Circumstance

Archive
. ''
Texas Monthly ''Texas Monthly'' (stylized as ''TexasMonthly'') is a monthly American magazine headquartered in Downtown Austin, Texas. ''Texas Monthly'' was founded in 1973 by Michael R. Levy and has been published by Emmis Publishing, L.P. since 1998 and is ...
''. Vol. 3, No. 3.
Emmis Communications Emmis Communications is an American media conglomerate based in Indianapolis, Indiana. Emmis, based on the Hebrew word for Truth (Emet) was founded by Jeff Smulyan in 1980. Emmis has owned many radio stations, including KPWR and WQHT, which h ...
, March 1975. ISSN 0148-7736. p
5657
Lamar Texans' archrivals are the Bellaire High Cardinals from Houston suburb
Bellaire, Texas Bellaire is a city in southwest Harris County, Texas, United States, within the metropolitan area.. Retrieved on January 24, 2010. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the city population was 17,202. It is surrounded by the cities of Houston and West ...
. Their main competitions are soccer and baseball. In previous eras the primary athletic rival was Lee High School. American football games were the primary outlet of this rivalry, but it manifested itself in other ways; in 1975 Gregory Curtis of the ''
Texas Monthly ''Texas Monthly'' (stylized as ''TexasMonthly'') is a monthly American magazine headquartered in Downtown Austin, Texas. ''Texas Monthly'' was founded in 1973 by Michael R. Levy and has been published by Emmis Publishing, L.P. since 1998 and is ...
'' wrote that "the respective Key Clubs know year by year which club has sold more grapefruit in the Christmas drive and more tickets to the spring Pancake Breakfast."Curtis, Gregory.
Pomp and Circumstance

Archive
. ''
Texas Monthly ''Texas Monthly'' (stylized as ''TexasMonthly'') is a monthly American magazine headquartered in Downtown Austin, Texas. ''Texas Monthly'' was founded in 1973 by Michael R. Levy and has been published by Emmis Publishing, L.P. since 1998 and is ...
''. Vol. 3, No. 3.
Emmis Communications Emmis Communications is an American media conglomerate based in Indianapolis, Indiana. Emmis, based on the Hebrew word for Truth (Emet) was founded by Jeff Smulyan in 1980. Emmis has owned many radio stations, including KPWR and WQHT, which h ...
, March 1975. ISSN 0148-7736. p
56
According to Curtis, the rivalry "is as natural as it is intense" because the schools had students from the same social class and general geographic area.Curtis, Gregory.
Pomp and Circumstance

Archive
. ''
Texas Monthly ''Texas Monthly'' (stylized as ''TexasMonthly'') is a monthly American magazine headquartered in Downtown Austin, Texas. ''Texas Monthly'' was founded in 1973 by Michael R. Levy and has been published by Emmis Publishing, L.P. since 1998 and is ...
''. Vol. 3, No. 3.
Emmis Communications Emmis Communications is an American media conglomerate based in Indianapolis, Indiana. Emmis, based on the Hebrew word for Truth (Emet) was founded by Jeff Smulyan in 1980. Emmis has owned many radio stations, including KPWR and WQHT, which h ...
, March 1975. ISSN 0148-7736. p
5456


Athletic programs

Historically the cheerleading program at Lamar was very prominent. In the 1970s female and male students aspired to become cheerleaders. Curtis stated that being a cheerleader gave students the popularity needed to be elected in student government and club positions, such as the student body president, Key Club president, president of the Ramal club, and the president of the Pow Wow club.Curtis, Gregory.
Pomp and Circumstance

Archive
. ''
Texas Monthly ''Texas Monthly'' (stylized as ''TexasMonthly'') is a monthly American magazine headquartered in Downtown Austin, Texas. ''Texas Monthly'' was founded in 1973 by Michael R. Levy and has been published by Emmis Publishing, L.P. since 1998 and is ...
''. Vol. 3, No. 3.
Emmis Communications Emmis Communications is an American media conglomerate based in Indianapolis, Indiana. Emmis, based on the Hebrew word for Truth (Emet) was founded by Jeff Smulyan in 1980. Emmis has owned many radio stations, including KPWR and WQHT, which h ...
, March 1975. ISSN 0148-7736. p
97
A male student interviewed by Curtis stated that cheerleaders had more status than American football players. Lamar won the 1953 4A State Football Championship beating Odessa 33–7. Lamar won the 1969 State Baseball championship. The men's lacrosse team won the state championships in 1989 and 1995 and were state runner-ups in 1999 and 2001. The women's lacrosse team won the state championship in 1999 and 2011. The 2011 Women's Varsity team had five players named to the US Lacrosse Academic American Team. The Lamar Redskins American football program teams have reached the playoffs 30 times, which ties Baytown Lee for the highest-ranking team in
Greater Houston Greater Houston, designated by the United States Office of Management and Budget as Houston–The Woodlands–Sugar Land, is the fifth-most populous metropolitan statistical area in the United States, encompassing nine counties along the Gulf Co ...
area. In 2012, the Redskins reached the Texas 5A Division 1 Football Championship and lost to the
Allen High School (Allen, Texas) Allen High School is a public, co-educational secondary school in Allen, Texas (United States). It is the only high school in the Allen Independent School District. Allen High School serves most of the city of Allen. Until fall 2006, when Lovej ...
Eagles, 35–21. Lamar's football program has regularly advanced to state eliminations rounds, meeting teams from more rural areas of Texas. As of 1979 the team has historically received large booster support and was made up of sons of oil businessmen. Al Reinert of ''
Texas Monthly ''Texas Monthly'' (stylized as ''TexasMonthly'') is a monthly American magazine headquartered in Downtown Austin, Texas. ''Texas Monthly'' was founded in 1973 by Michael R. Levy and has been published by Emmis Publishing, L.P. since 1998 and is ...
'' described the team as one of two "on-and-off football powers". Other sports at the school include: * Baseball * Basketball * Cross-Country * Field Hockey * Golf * Ice Hockey * Soccer * Softball * Swimming/Diving * Tennis * Track & Field * Volleyball * Water Polo * Wrestling


Organizations and clubs

Lamar High School has several organizations and clubs.
Special Interest American Field Service,
Amnesty International Amnesty International (also referred to as Amnesty or AI) is an international non-governmental organization focused on human rights, with its headquarters in the United Kingdom. The organization says it has more than ten million members and sup ...
, Animal Welfare Society, Asian Cultural Society, Automotive Innovative Installation Design, Best Buddies, Bike Club, Biology Club, Breakfast Club, Black Student Union, Chess Club, Beyoncé Club, Christian Student Union, Culinary Arts, Computer Service Club, Drama Club, Debate Club, Entrepreneurs of America, Field Hockey,
Fellowship of Christian Athletes The Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) is an international non-profit Christian sports ministry founded in 1954 and based in Kansas City, Missouri. It has staff offices located throughout the United States and abroad. History FCA was found ...
, Film Club, French Club, Frolf (Frisbee Golf/ Disc Golf) Club,
Future Farmers of America National FFA Organization is an American 501(c)(3) youth organization, specifically a career and technical student organization, based on middle and high school classes that promote and support agricultural education. It was founded in 1925 at Vi ...
(FFA), Gay-Straight Alliance, German Club, Hispanic Club,
Golf Golf is a club-and-ball sport in which players use various clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a course in as few strokes as possible. Golf, unlike most ball games, cannot and does not use a standardized playing area, and coping wi ...
,
Ice hockey Ice hockey (or simply hockey) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an ice skating rink with lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. In ice hockey, two opposing teams use ice hock ...
, Industrial Technology Club, Italian Club, Japanese Club, La Vida Dulce, Loading Dock Productions,
Lacrosse Lacrosse is a team sport played with a lacrosse stick and a lacrosse ball. It is the oldest organized sport in North America, with its origins with the indigenous people of North America as early as the 12th century. The game was extensively ...
, PACE, Photography Club,
Ping Pong Table tennis, also known as ping-pong and whiff-whaff, is a sport in which two or four players hit a lightweight ball, also known as the ping-pong ball, back and forth across a table using small solid rackets. It takes place on a hard table div ...
Club Pokémon Club, Russian Club, RAMAL Scrabble Club, Skateboarding Club, Sub Log Indian Club, Technology Student Association, Ultimate,
Yu-Gi-Oh! Trading Card Game The ''Yu-Gi-Oh!'' Trading Card Game is a collectible card game developed and published by Konami. It is based on the fictional game of ''Duel Monsters'' created by manga artist Kazuki Takahashi, which appears in portions of the manga fr ...
Club, Young Ladies of Distinction, Young Democrats Young
Libertarians Libertarianism (from french: libertaire, "libertarian"; from la, libertas, "freedom") is a political philosophy that upholds liberty as a core value. Libertarians seek to maximize autonomy and political freedom, and minimize the state's enc ...
, Young Republican Club of America, Wichocolate, Pow-Wowerade, Robotics ( FRC, VEX) Performing ArtsPerforming Arts
." ''Lamar High School''. Accessed September 10, 2008.
Band – Marching & Concert, Concert Women, Choir, Choraliers, Concert Band, Dance / Dance Theatre, Drama Club/Thespians, Jazz Studio, Madrigals, Orchestra, Poets Alive, Arrowettes Drill Team. Academics and Honors
." ''Lamar High School''. Accessed September 10, 2008.
Academic Decathlon, Arrowhead (4.0 + GPA), Debate, DECA (Marketing Club), French National Honor Society,
German National Honor Society The German National Honor Society or Delta Phi Alpha () (german: Deutsche Ehrenverbindung), is the sole post-secondary national honorary society for German studies in the United States. According to the organization, the honor society seeks to "r ...
, Russian Club, IB Diploma Candidates, Latin Honor Society, Magnet School, Math Club (
Mu Alpha Theta Mu Alpha Theta () is the United States mathematics honor society for high school and two-year college students. In June 2015, it served over 108,000 student members in over 2,200 chapters in the United States and in 20 foreign countries. Its main ...
),
National Honor Society The National Honor Society (NHS) is a nationwide organization for high school students in the United States and outlying territories, which consists of many chapters in high schools. Selection is based on four criteria: scholarship (academic achi ...
,
Odyssey of the Mind Odyssey of the Mind, abbreviated OM or OotM, is a creative problem-solving program involving students from kindergarten through college. Team members work together at length to solve a predefined long-term problem and present their solution to t ...
, Quill and Scroll, Quiz Bowl,
Spanish National Honor Society Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Cana ...
. Service and SpiritService / Spirit
." ''Lamar High School''. Accessed September 10, 2008.
Cheerleaders, Diamonds, Interact,
Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps The Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps (JROTC -- commonly pronounced "JAY-rotsee") is a federal program sponsored by the United States Armed Forces in high schools and also in some middle schools across the United States and at US military ...
,
Key Club Key Club International, also called Key Club, is an international service organization for high school students. As a student-led organization, Key Club's goal is to encourage leadership through serving others. Key Club International is the hig ...
, Muslim Student Association, Arrowettes Drill Team, Senior Class, Wakonda (Freshmen Club), Warriors. NewsNews
." ''Lamar High School''. Accessed September 10, 2008.
''Lamar Life'' (Newspaper), ''Orenda'' (Yearbook). Leadership
." ''Lamar High School''. Accessed September 10, 2008.
Lamar Student Council. Technology Lamar Robotics Club ''Lamar Life'' is a full-color quarterly news magazine. Childers described it as resembling "a strange blending of ''
Newsweek ''Newsweek'' is an American weekly online news magazine co-owned 50 percent each by Dev Pragad, its president and CEO, and Johnathan Davis (businessman), Johnathan Davis, who has no operational role at ''Newsweek''. Founded as a weekly print m ...
'' and ''
Teen Vogue ''Teen Vogue'' is an American online publication, formerly in print, launched in January 2003, as a sister publication to ''Vogue (magazine), Vogue'', targeted at teenagers. Like ''Vogue'', it included stories about fashion and celebrities. Since ...
''." The school newspaper was previously ''The Lancer''. Childers wrote that the ''Lancer'' during the mid-1990s "took a decidedly downward turn" and in 2000 was ended. ''Lamar Life'' began in its place. Lamar High School has its own news broadcast station called Lamar Cable Television.


Historical clubs

In the 1970s the school had various social clubs, some intended for boys and some intended for girls. The Lamar administration did not permit the establishment of
fraternities and sororities Fraternities and sororities are social organizations at colleges and universities in North America. Generally, membership in a fraternity or sorority is obtained as an undergraduate student, but continues thereafter for life. Some accept gradu ...
. In 1975 Mirabeau, Niwauna, and Wachaka were the active girls' clubs while two others were inactive. The main boys' clubs were Pow Pow and Ramal.Curtis, Gregory.
Pomp and Circumstance

Archive
. ''
Texas Monthly ''Texas Monthly'' (stylized as ''TexasMonthly'') is a monthly American magazine headquartered in Downtown Austin, Texas. ''Texas Monthly'' was founded in 1973 by Michael R. Levy and has been published by Emmis Publishing, L.P. since 1998 and is ...
''. Vol. 3, No. 3.
Emmis Communications Emmis Communications is an American media conglomerate based in Indianapolis, Indiana. Emmis, based on the Hebrew word for Truth (Emet) was founded by Jeff Smulyan in 1980. Emmis has owned many radio stations, including KPWR and WQHT, which h ...
, March 1975. ISSN 0148-7736. p
60
At the time the clubs had a membership capacity; those with more prospective members than slots held lotteries that randomly determined who is permitted to join. Many clubs at the time had a tradition of
hazing Hazing (American English), initiation, beasting (British English), bastardisation (Australian English), ragging (South Asian English) or deposition refers to any activity expected of someone in joining or participating in a group that humiliates, ...
new members. Several clubs engaged in charitable events and fundraisers, and they also sponsored parties. Curtis wrote that "But what they do is really secondary, just as what fraternities and sororities do is secondary. It is the ''belonging'' that counts." Curtis added that the clubs "have an aura of exclusivity; kids can tell whether or not they're really wanted there." Due to the demographic changes in the 1970s, according to Curtis, interest in these social clubs decreased, with the two boys' clubs not having full membership rosters and two girls' clubs being inactive in 1975.


Sister schools

Dalian No. 24 High School in
Dalian Dalian () is a major sub-provincial port city in Liaoning province, People's Republic of China, and is Liaoning's second largest city (after the provincial capital Shenyang) and the third-most populous city of Northeast China. Located on the ...
, People's Republic of China has been Lamar's sister school since 2000. Dalian is one of Houston's sister cities as designated by Sister Cities International. Inage Senior High School in
Chiba City is the capital city of Chiba Prefecture, Japan. It sits about east of the centre of Tokyo on Tokyo Bay. The city became a government-designated city in 1992. In June 2019, its population was 979,768, with a population density of 3,605 people p ...
,
Chiba Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region of Honshu. Chiba Prefecture has a population of 6,278,060 (1 June 2019) and has a geographic area of . Chiba Prefecture borders Ibaraki Prefecture to the north, Saitama Prefecture to the ...
, Japan is also one of Lamar's sister schools. Chiba has been Houston's sister city through Sister Cities International since 1973.


Feeder patterns


Schools that feed into Lamar

Elementary schools that feed into Lamar include: *
Baker A baker is a tradesperson who bakes and sometimes sells breads and other products made of flour by using an oven or other concentrated heat source. The place where a baker works is called a bakery. History Ancient history Since grains ha ...
(formerly Woodrow Wilson) * MacGregor * Poe *
River Oaks River Oaks is a residential community located in the center of Houston, Texas, United States. Located within the 610 Loop and between Downtown and Uptown, the community spans .Archive Established in the 1920s by brothers Will Hogg and Michael ...
* West University * Wharton * Gregory-Lincoln Education Center (partial) * Horn (partial) * Longfellow (partial) * Memorial (partial) * Roberts (partial) * St. George Place (partial)St. George Place Elementary School Attendance Zone
"
Houston Independent School District The Houston Independent School District (HISD) is the largest public school system in Texas, and the eighth-largest in the United States. Houston ISD serves as a community school district for most of the city of Houston and several nearby and ...
. Retrieved on March 16, 2016.
(the rest of the zoning area indirectly feeds into Lamar) * Thompson (partial) * Mark Twain (partial) Middle schools that feed into Lamar include: * Lanier * Cullen (partial) * Gregory-Lincoln Education Center (partial) * Hogg (partial) * Pershing (partial)Pershing Middle School Attendance Zone
" ''
Houston Independent School District The Houston Independent School District (HISD) is the largest public school system in Texas, and the eighth-largest in the United States. Houston ISD serves as a community school district for most of the city of Houston and several nearby and ...
''. Retrieved on March 17, 2016.
**As of 2008 many students matriculate from Pershing to Lamar. All pupils zoned to Pershing Middle School may apply to
Pin Oak Middle School A pin is a device used for fastening objects or material together. Pin or PIN may also refer to: Computers and technology * Personal identification number (PIN), to access a secured system ** PIN pad, a PIN entry device * PIN, a former Dutch ...
's regular program;Pin Oak Middle School
" ''The Southwest District''. Houston Independent School District. February 14, 2002. Retrieved on April 20, 2009.
therefore Pin Oak also feeds into Lamar High School.


Schools that have Lamar as an option

More schools feed into Lamar as all students zoned to Margaret Long Wisdom High School may instead choose to go to Lamar High School or Westside High School. Elementary schools that feed into Margaret Long Wisdom (and therefore feed into Lamar) include: * Briargrove * Benavidez * Piney Point * Rodriguez * Braeburn (partial) * Condit (partial) * Cunningham (partial) * Emerson (partial) * St. George Place (partial) (the rest directly feeds into Lamar) * Sutton (partial) Middle schools that feed into Margaret Long Wisdom (and therefore also feed into Lamar) include: * Grady * Long (partial) * Pershing (partial) * Revere (partial) * All pupils zoned to Long and Pershing Middle Schools may attend
Pin Oak Middle School A pin is a device used for fastening objects or material together. Pin or PIN may also refer to: Computers and technology * Personal identification number (PIN), to access a secured system ** PIN pad, a PIN entry device * PIN, a former Dutch ...
; therefore Pin Oak also feeds into Lee High School and Lamar High School. K-8 schools that feed into Margaret Long Wisdom (and therefore also feed into Lamar) include: * Pilgrim * Residents of the Briargrove, Emerson, Pilgrim, and Piney Point elementary attendance zones may apply for th
Briarmeadow Charter School
so the K-8 school feeds into Lee.
." ''Briarmeadow Charter School''.


Notable alumni

* Lauren Anderson – prima ballerina with Houston Ballet from 1990 to 2006Distinguished HISD Alumni
," ''
Houston Independent School District The Houston Independent School District (HISD) is the largest public school system in Texas, and the eighth-largest in the United States. Houston ISD serves as a community school district for most of the city of Houston and several nearby and ...
''. Retrieved on October 20, 2011.
Lamar High School to Celebrate 70 Years of Service November 3
." ''
Houston Independent School District The Houston Independent School District (HISD) is the largest public school system in Texas, and the eighth-largest in the United States. Houston ISD serves as a community school district for most of the city of Houston and several nearby and ...
''. October 3, 2007.
* Herring B. Bailey – part-time
NASCAR The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, LLC (NASCAR) is an American auto racing sanctioning and operating company that is best known for stock car racing. The privately owned company was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1948, and hi ...
racer * Bill Bentley – music executive and record producer * Jack S. Blanton – former CEO and chairman of Scurlock Oil * John G. Cramer – nuclear physicist, author of
Transactional interpretation The transactional interpretation of quantum mechanics (TIQM) takes the wave function of the standard quantum formalism, and its complex conjugate, to be retarded (forward in time) and advanced (backward in time) waves that form a quantum interact ...
of
quantum mechanics Quantum mechanics is a fundamental theory in physics that provides a description of the physical properties of nature at the scale of atoms and subatomic particles. It is the foundation of all quantum physics including quantum chemistry, ...
(graduated in February 1953) *
John Culberson John Abney Culberson (born August 24, 1956) is an American attorney and politician who served in the United States House of Representatives from 2001 to 2019. A Republican, he served in in large portions of western Houston and surrounding Har ...
– U.S. Congressman (R-TX 7) *
David Dewhurst David Henry Dewhurst (born August 18, 1945) is an American politician, businessman, and attorney who served as the 41st Lieutenant Governor of Texas, serving from 2003 to 2015. A member of the Republican Party, he was the Texas Land Commissioner ...
– Texas Lieutenant Governor, Class of 1963 * Lars Eighner – author of ''Travels with Lizbeth'', memoir of homelessness in American Southwest during late 1980s *
Linda Ellerbee Linda Ellerbee (born Linda Jane Smith; August 15, 1944) is an American journalist, anchor, producer, reporter, author, speaker and commentator, noted as longtime Washington correspondent for NBC News and host of NBC News Overnight. She is widel ...
– television journalist, former NBC News anchor and Nickelodeon personality * James H. Fields – WW2 Medal of Honor Recipient * Robert Foxworth – actor, ''
Falcon Crest ''Falcon Crest'' is an American prime time television soap opera that aired for nine seasons on CBS from December 4, 1981, to May 17, 1990. The series revolves around the feuding factions of the wealthy Gioberti/Channing family in the California ...
'', '' Six Feet Under'' – Class of 1960 *
A. J. Foyt, Jr. Anthony Joseph Foyt Jr. (born January 16, 1935) is an American retired auto racing driver who has raced in numerous genres of motorsports. His open wheel racing includes United States Automobile Club Champ cars, sprint cars, and midget cars. H ...
– auto racing champion (also attended Pershing and Hamilton middle schools and San Jacinto High School) *
Ian Gibaut Ian Philip Gibaut ( ; born November 19, 1993) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Cincinnati Reds of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has played in (MLB) for the Tampa Bay Rays, Texas Rangers (baseball), Texas Rangers, Minnesota T ...
MLB 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), ...
pitcher * Carlin Glynn – actress *
Mike Godwin Michael Wayne Godwin (born October 26, 1956) is an American attorney and author. He was the first staff counsel of the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), and he created the Internet adage Godwin's law and the notion of an Internet meme, as ...
Wikimedia Foundation The Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., or Wikimedia for short and abbreviated as WMF, is an American 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization headquartered in San Francisco, California and registered as a charitable foundation under local laws. Best kno ...
general counsel, founding counsel of
Electronic Frontier Foundation The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) is an international non-profit digital rights group based in San Francisco, California. The foundation was formed on 10 July 1990 by John Gilmore, John Perry Barlow and Mitch Kapor to promote Internet ci ...
, author of
Godwin's law Godwin's law, short for Godwin's law (or rule) of Nazi analogies, is an Internet adage asserting that as an online discussion grows longer (regardless of topic or scope), the probability of a comparison to Nazis or Adolf Hitler approaches 1. P ...
*
Josh Gordon Joshua Caleb Gordon (born April 13, 1991) is an American football wide receiver who is a free agent. He previously played for the Cleveland Browns, New England Patriots, Seattle Seahawks, Kansas City Chiefs, and the Tennessee Titans. Nicknamed ...
NFL wide receiver * John Gray – author of '' Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus'' *
Ben Guez Benjamin James Guez (born January 24, 1987) was drafted by the Tigers in 2008, and has played in Detroit's organization from to 2008-2014. He played in the Milwaukee Brewers organization from 2014-2016. In 2012, he was named an MiLB.com Organiza ...
– professional baseball player *
Ty Hardin Ty Hardin (born Orison Whipple Hungerford Jr.; January 1, 1930August 3, 2017) was an American actor best known as the star of the 1958 to 1962 ABC/Warner Bros. Western television series ''Bronco''. Early life Hardin was born in New York City, ...
– actor, ''
Bronco A bucking horse is any breed or either gender of horse with a propensity to buck. They have been, and still are, referred to by various names, including bronco, broncho, and roughstock. The harder they buck, the more desirable they are for rod ...
'',
ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster ** Disney–ABC Television ...
/
Warner Brothers Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American Film studio, film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios, Burbank, Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, Califo ...
western Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US *Western, New York, a town in the US *Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that id ...
television series A television show – or simply TV show – is any content produced for viewing on a television set which can be broadcast via over-the-air, satellite television, satellite, or cable television, cable, excluding breaking news, television adverti ...
*
Lisa Hartman-Black Lisa Hartman Black is an American actress and singer. Career After some minor television appearances, Hartman starred on the short-lived '' Bewitched'' spin-off, ''Tabitha'' during 1977–78. She subsequently appeared frequently on television i ...
- actress, ''
Knots Landing ''Knots Landing'' is an American prime time television soap opera that aired on CBS from December 27, 1979, to May 13, 1993. A spin-off of ''Dallas'', it was set in a fictitious coastal suburb of Los Angeles and initially centered on the lives of ...
'' (later attended and graduated from
HSPVA Kinder High School for the Performing and Visual Arts (Kinder HSPVA, HSPVA or PVA) is a secondary school located at 790 Austin Street in the downtown district of Houston, Texas. The school is a part of the Houston Independent School Distric ...
) * Ron Henley – International Grandmaster at Chess *
Fred Hofheinz James Fred Hofheinz (born March 15, 1938) is an American lawyer and politician who served as mayor of Houston, Texas, from 1974 to 1978. Hofheinz's father, Roy, was mayor of the city in the 1950s. Hofheinz graduated from Lamar High School in ...
- former
Mayor of Houston The following is a list of people who have served as mayor of the city of Houston in the U.S. state of Texas. Until 2015, the term of the mayor was two years. Beginning with the tenure of Bob Lanier, the city charter imposed term limits on offi ...
* Johnny Holloway – former NFL
cornerback A cornerback (CB) is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in gridiron football. Cornerbacks cover receivers most of the time, but also blitz and defend against such offensive running plays as sweeps and reverses. They create tur ...
*
Liza Koshy Elizabeth Shaila "Liza" Koshy (born March 31, 1996), is an American media personality and actress. Her main YouTube channel has amassed more than 17 million subscribers, and her two channels have a combined total of over 3 billion views. She ha ...
– social media star and actress *
Sri Preston Kulkarni Srinivas Rao Preston Kulkarni (born October 8, 1978) is an American diplomat and politician who was the Democratic nominee for in both 2020 and in 2018. In 2018, he lost to incumbent Congressman Pete Olson. In 2020, Kulkarni was defeated by For ...
– diplomat and political candidate * Brandon LaFell – Former NFL wide receiver *
James Lee Burke James Lee Burke (born December 5, 1936) is an American author, best known for his Dave Robicheaux series. He has won Edgar Awards for ''Black Cherry Blues'' (1990) and ''Cimarron Rose'' (1998), and has also been presented with the Grand Master ...
– novelist * I. D. McMaster – former District Judge *
Jeff Niemann Jeffrey Warren Niemann (born February 28, 1983) is an American former professional baseball starting pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Tampa Bay Rays from 2008 to 2012. High school Niemann attended Lamar High School. C ...
– Former baseball player, Tampa Bay Rays *
Brian Orakpo Brian Ndubisi Orakpo (born July 31, 1986) is a former American football outside linebacker who played 10 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the University of Texas, was recognized as a unanimous All-A ...
– Former defensive lineman for
Texas Longhorns The Texas Longhorns are the athletic teams representing the University of Texas at Austin. The teams are sometimes referred to as the Horns and take their name from Longhorn cattle that were an important part of the development of Texas, and a ...
and NFL's
Washington Redskins The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) N ...
and
Tennessee Titans The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee. The Titans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division, and play their h ...
*
Marjorie Paxson Marjorie Paxson (August 13, 1923 – June 17, 2017) was an American newspaper journalist, editor, and publisher during an era in American history when the women's liberation movement was setting milestones by tackling the barriers of discriminat ...
– Newspaper editor and publisher *
Paula Prentiss Paula Prentiss (née Ragusa; born March 4, 1938) is an American actress. She is best known for her film roles in '' Where the Boys Are'' (1960), ''What's New Pussycat?'' (1965), ''Catch-22'' (1970), '' The Parallax View'' (1974), and '' The Stepf ...
– Emmy-nominated actress and film star *
Anthony Rendon Anthony Michael Rendon (, ; born June 6, 1990) is an American baseball third baseman for the Los Angeles Angels of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played for the Washington Nationals and was a member of the Nationals' 2019 World S ...
MLB 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 * Lawrence Roberts – basketball player *
Kelly Rowland Kelendria Trene Rowland (born February 11, 1981) is an American singer, actress, and television personality. She rose to fame in the late 1990s as a member of Destiny's Child, one of the world's List of best-selling girl groups, best-selling girl ...
– Grammy Award-winning member of
Destiny's Child Destiny's Child was an American girl group whose final line-up comprised Beyoncé Knowles, Kelly Rowland, and Michelle Williams. The group began their musical career as Girl's Tyme, formed in 1990 in Houston, Texas. After years of limited ...
*
Tommy Sands Thomas Adrian Sands (born August 27, 1937) is an American pop music singer and actor. Working in show business as a child, Sands became an overnight sensation and instant teen idol when he appeared on ''Kraft Television Theater'' in January 19 ...
– American pop music singer and actor *
Gerome Sapp Gerome Daren Sapp (born February 8, 1981) is a former American football safety. He was originally drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in the sixth round of the 2003 NFL Draft. He played college football at Notre Dame. High school career Sapp atten ...
– Former NFL
safety Safety is the state of being "safe", the condition of being protected from harm or other danger. Safety can also refer to risk management, the control of recognized hazards in order to achieve an acceptable level of risk. Meanings There are ...
*
Joe Savery Joseph Cain Savery (born November 4, 1985) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Philadelphia Phillies from 2011 through 2013 and Oakland Athletics in 2014. Before playing professiona ...
– baseball player NCAA Freshman of the Year, 2005; drafted #19 overall by
Philadelphia Phillies The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) National League East, East division. Since 2004, the team's home sta ...
in 2007 *
Gilbert Shelton Gilbert Shelton (born May 31, 1940) is an American cartoonist and a key member of the underground comix movement. He is the creator of the iconic underground characters ''The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers'', '' Fat Freddy's Cat'', and ''Wonder W ...
– Cartoonist and creator of
The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers ''The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers'' is an Underground comix, underground comic about a fictional trio of Cannabis culture, stoner characters, created by the American artist Gilbert Shelton. The Freak Brothers first appeared in ''The Rag'', an u ...
* Bob Smith – Former football player * Jaclyn Smith – Golden Globe-nominated actress, ''
Charlie's Angels ''Charlie's Angels'' is an American crime drama television series that aired on ABC from September 22, 1976, to June 24, 1981, producing five seasons and 115 episodes. The series was created by Ivan Goff and Ben Roberts and was produced by Aa ...
'' * James Marcus Smith – actor * Columba Stewart, OSB — Benedictine Monk, Rescuer of Endangered Manuscripts, 2019 Jefferson Lecturer in the Humanities *
Tommy Tune Thomas James Tune (born February 28, 1939) is an American actor, dancer, singer, theatre director, producer, and choreographer. Over the course of his career, he has won ten Tony Awards, the National Medal of Arts, and a star on the Hollywood Wal ...
– dancer, choreographer and actor, 10-time
Tony Award The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as the Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual cer ...
winner * Mark Wells White – former Governor of Texas * James E. White – Texas State Representative from Tyler County *
Robert Woodrow Wilson Robert Woodrow Wilson (born January 10, 1936) is an American astronomer who, along with Arno Allan Penzias, discovered cosmic microwave background radiation (CMB) in 1964. The pair won the 1978 Nobel Prize in Physics for their discovery. While ...
– physicist and winner of the
Nobel Prize The Nobel Prizes ( ; sv, Nobelpriset ; no, Nobelprisen ) are five separate prizes that, according to Alfred Nobel's will of 1895, are awarded to "those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind." Alfr ...
*
Gene Wolfe Gene Rodman Wolfe (May 7, 1931 – April 14, 2019) was an American science fiction and fantasy writer. He was noted for his dense, allusive prose as well as the strong influence of his Catholic faith. He was a prolific short story writer and nove ...
– science-fiction writer (class of 1949)''Gene Wolfe'' by Joan Gordon
/ref> * Jimmy Wooley - two-time Olympian in Judo, Class of 1968. * Bill Worrell - Sportscaster for the
Houston Rockets The Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston. The Rockets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member team of the league's Western Conference Southwest Division. The team plays its ho ...
and formerly the
Houston Astros The Houston Astros are an American professional baseball team based in Houston, Texas. The Astros compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division, having moved to the division in 2013 after ...


See also

*
Henry Grover Henry Cushing Grover (April 1, 1927 – November 28, 2005), usually known as Hank Grover, was an American politician from the U.S. state of Texas best known for his relatively narrow defeat in 1972. He was a conservative Republican Election his ...
, former history teacher at Lamar High School, member of both houses of the
Texas State Legislature The Texas Legislature is the state legislature of the US state of Texas. It is a bicameral body composed of a 31-member Senate and a 150-member House of Representatives. The state legislature meets at the Capitol in Austin. It is a powerful arm ...
and
Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...
gubernatorial A governor is an politician, administrative leader and head of a polity or Region#Political_regions, political region, ranking under the Head of State, head of state and in some cases, such as governor-general, governors-general, as the head of ...
nominee A candidate, or nominee, is the prospective recipient of an award or honor, or a person seeking or being considered for some kind of position; for example: * to be elected to an office — in this case a candidate selection procedure occurs. * t ...
in 1972


References

* Childers, Jay P. ''The Evolving Citizen: American Youth and the Changing Norms of Democratic Engagement''.
Penn State Press The Penn State University Press, also known as The Pennsylvania State University Press, was established in 1956 and is a non-profit publisher of scholarly books and journals. It is the independent publishing branch of the Pennsylvania State Uni ...
, 2012. p. , 9780271054117. * Henry, Jay C. '' Architecture in Texas: 1895-1945''.
University of Texas Press The University of Texas Press (or UT Press) is a university press that is part of the University of Texas at Austin. Established in 1950, the Press publishes scholarly books and journals in several areas, including Latin American studies, Texan ...
, 1993. , 9780292730724. * Sloan, Anne. ''The History of Mirabeau B. Lamar High School''. The Donning Company Publishers, 2013.
See profile at
Brazos Bookstore.


Notes


Further reading

* Blitzer, Andy.
Lamar – 70 Years Young

Archive
. '' West University Buzz''. November 2007.


External links

;Official website
Lamar High School
* * ;Published maps * Harris County Assessor's Block Book
PDF formatJPG format
{{authority control Educational institutions established in 1936 Houston Independent School District high schools International Baccalaureate schools in Texas Magnet schools in Houston Public high schools in Houston 1936 establishments in Texas Art Deco architecture in Texas School buildings completed in 1937 River Oaks, Houston