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Lawrence High School (Kansas)

{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}}

{{Infobox school

| name = Lawrence High School

| logo = ChestyTheLionLawrenceHS-refined.png

| logo_size = 250px

| seal_image =

| image =

| image_size =

| motto =

| streetaddress = 1901 Louisiana Street[http://geonames.usgs.gov/pls/gnispublic/f?p=gnispq:3:::NO::P3_FID:479143 GNIS] for Lawrence High School; USGS; October 13, 1978.

| city = Lawrence, Kansas

| zipcode = 66046

| country = U.S.

| coordinates = {{coord|38.949085|-95.242871|type:edu_region:US-KS|display=inline,title}}

| schooltype = High School

| fundingtype = Public

| established = 1857, 1954 (current building)

| schoolboard =

| district = Lawrence USD 497

| ceeb = 171690[http://www.suny.edu/student/search_highschool/index.cfm High School CEEB Code Search]

| principal = Quentin Rials {{Cite web| title = School Search - Lawrence HS | publisher = Kansas State High School Activities Association| url = http://www.kshsaa.org/Public/General/MoreSchoolInfo.cfm?ScNo=KSS0187| access-date = 27 April 2012}}

| staff =

| faculty =

| teaching_staff = 77.22 (FTE)

| grades = 9 to 12

| gender = coed

| enrollment = 1,499 (2023–2024){{cite web|url=https://nces.ed.gov/ccd/schoolsearch/school_detail.asp?Search=1&DistrictID=2008400&ID=200840001378|title=Lawrence High|publisher=National Center for Education Statistics|access-date=December 26, 2024}}

| enrollment_as_of =

| average_class_size =

| ratio = 19.41

| schedule =

| hours_in_day =

| campus_size =

| campus_type = Urban

| area =

| colors = Red and black {{color box|#c41e3a}} {{color box|black}}

| slogan =

| song = We Hail Thee Lawrence High School

| fight_song = Stand Up and Cheer

| athletics = Class 6A[http://www.kshsaa.org/Public/Football/PDF/Football%20Classifications.pdf KSHSAA School Classification List]

| sports =

| mascot = Chesty the Lion

| mascot_image =

| team_name =

| rivals = Free State, Topeka

| publication =

| newspaper = The Budget

| yearbook = The Red and Black

| communities =

| website = {{URL|lhs.usd497.org}}

}}

Lawrence High School (LHS) is a public secondary school in Lawrence, Kansas, United States, operated by Lawrence USD 497 school district, and serves students of grades 9 to 12. The school is one of the two public high schools located in the city. Lawrence High enrolled 1,575 students in the 2020–2021 school year. The school colors are red and black and the mascot is the "Chesty Lion".

Lawrence is a member of the Kansas State High School Activities Association and offers a variety of sports programs. Athletic teams compete in Class 6A and are known as the "Chesty Lions". Extracurricular activities are also offered in the form of performing arts, school publications, and clubs. Throughout its history, Lawrence High has won more state championships in athletics than any other high school in the state of Kansas.

History

The school originated in 1857 and was referred to as "Quincy School". The first classes were held in the basement of a Unitarian church located at 906 Kentucky Street. Three years later, the city of Lawrence chartered a public school system, which was located at 15th{{What?|date=April 2025|reason=street? avenue?}} and Massachusetts, which is the current site of Liberty Memorial Central Middle School. Construction of the original building for the school was completed in 1865. In 1946, Paul Coker designed the "Chesty Lion" logo. He would go on to become a famous cartoonist with works appearing in Mad magazine, and on Hallmark Cards products, and is also the original author of the "Frosty the Snowman" character.

The high school occupied a succession of buildings until the opening of the present campus, at 19th and Louisiana Streets, in 1954. The building was expanded repeatedly over the ensuing forty years, as the school district struggled to keep pace with the growth of Lawrence's population. Finally, in 1997, a second public high school, Lawrence Free State High School, was opened, ending the city's long record of all students being educated in a single high school. In 2009, the school finished construction of a new football stadium on the school campus. In 2021, a major remodel was completed, bringing the building up to 21st century standards.

Athletics

The Chesty Lions compete in the Sunflower League and are classified as a 6A school, the largest classification in Kansas according to the Kansas State High School Activities Association. Throughout its history, Lawrence has won more state championships than any other high school in the state. Many graduates have gone on to participate in collegiate and professional athletics including former KU All-Americans Danny Manning, John Hadl and Paul Endacott.

=Championships=

Currently Lawrence High has more than 110 state championships in various sports, one of the highest totals in the nation. The first state championship was won in 1914 in boys basketball. The next title in basketball was 1948, when the Lions defeated Newton 39–36 in the state final. This started a half century of athletic achievements by the Chesty Lions. From 1954 to 2009 the Lions added 104 more state titles, bringing their total to 105. In 2008, Sports Illustrated listed Lawrence High School as the top high school athletics program in Kansas. Additionally, due to the success of Lawrence High and the University of Kansas, Lawrence was featured as a candidate for Titletown, United States by ESPN.{{cite web|url=http://www.espn.com/espn/titletown/news/story?id=3459051|publisher=ESPN|access-date=March 18, 2019|title=Lawrence, Kan., rocks as it chalks up recent title|date=June 29, 2008}}{{cite web|url=https://www.wibw.com/home/headlines/20739809.html|publisher=WIBW|access-date=March 18, 2019|title=Lawrence finalist for ESPN's 'Titletown USA'|date=June 24, 2008}}{{cite web|url=http://www2.kusports.com/news/2008/jun/23/espn_names_lawrenrence_titletown_usa_finalist_will/|publisher=KUSports.com|access-date=March 18, 2019|title=ESPN names Lawrence a 'TitleTown USA' finalist|first=Alex|last=Parker|date=June 23, 2008}}{{cite web|url=https://kuathletics.com/story.aspx?filename=070208aaa_912&file_date=7/2/2008|publisher=KU Athletics|access-date=March 18, 2019|title=ESPN to Air Lawrence's "TitleTown USA" Segment July 5|date=July 2, 2008}}

==Football==

The Lawrence High School Chesty Lions have 31 undefeated seasons in football, the most in the United States.{{cite web|title=NFLHS.com |url=http://www.nflhs.com/news/records/11man_team_misc.asp |format=English |access-date=2008-11-09 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070614184326/http://www.nflhs.com/News/Records/11man_team_misc.asp |archive-date=2007-06-14 }} Additionally, the Chesty Lions won a High School Football National Championship in 1960. The Chesty Lions won five consecutive Kansas State High School Activities Association state championships in Class 6A, the state's largest, from 1989 through 1993. The record was broken by Hutchinson High School in 2009. From 1930 to 2008, games were played at Haskell Memorial Stadium.{{cite web|url=http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2007/aug/31/haskell_stadium_house_history/|publisher=Lawrence Journal-World|access-date=March 25, 2011|title=Haskell Stadium a house of history|first=Benton|last=Smith|date=August 31, 2007}} Following completion of the new football stadium on the Lawrence High campus, the football team began playing games on the new stadium in 2009.

=State championships=

{{Incomplete list|date=June 2009}}

Lawrence High has won the following state championships:{{cite web|title=KSHSAA Athletics |url=http://www.kshsaa.org/activities.html |format=English |access-date=2006-09-26 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060818194013/http://www.kshsaa.org/activities.html |archive-date=2006-08-18 |url-status=dead }}{{cite web | title =Kansas High School Football Champions | url =http://community-2.webtv.net/SEKSPORTS/HIGHSCHOOLCOMM/page10.html | format =English | access-date =2009-06-02 | url-status =dead | archive-url =https://archive.today/20120711041123/http://community-2.webtv.net/SEKSPORTS/HIGHSCHOOLCOMM/page10.html | archive-date =2012-07-11 }}

class="wikitable"

! colspan="4"|State Championships{{cite web|title=State Records & State Champions |url=http://catchitkansas.com/Global/category.asp?C=112444 |format=English |access-date=2010-02-05 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090421002909/http://www.catchitkansas.com/Global/category.asp?C=112444 |archive-date=2009-04-21 }}

SeasonSportNumber of Championships || Year
rowspan="6"|FallFootballalign="center"|281914^, 1919^, 1927^, 1928^, 1945^, 1946^, 1947+, 1952+, 1956+, 1957+, 1958+, 1959+, 1960+, 1962+, 1963+, 1964+, 1966+, 1968+, 1979, 1984, 1986, 1987, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1995
Cross Country, Boysalign="center"|22008, 2009
Cross Country, Girlsalign="center"|31985, 1986, 1987
Volleyballalign="center"|161975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1994, 1995, 2018
Gymnastics, Girlsalign="center"|32004, 2005, 2006
Gymnastics, Boysalign="center"|211960, 1961, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1983, 1984, 1986, 1988
rowspan="4"|WinterBasketball, Boysalign="center"|41914, 1948, 1983, 1995
Basketball, Girlsalign="center"|31984, 1992, 2008
Swimming, Boysalign="center"|11997
Indoor Track, Girlsalign="center"|21977, 1978
rowspan="9"|SpringGolf, Boysalign="center"|11983
Golf, Girlsalign="center"|41975, 1977, 1982, 1984
Tennis, Boysalign="center"|21981, 1995
Tennis, Girlsalign="center"|11989
Baseballalign="center"|31996, 2000, 2009
Softballalign="center"|11977
Swimming, Girlsalign="center"|81986, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 2018
Track and Field, Boysalign="center"|51989, 1990, 1991, 1997, 2006
Track and Field, Girlsalign="center"|51978, 1979, 2015, 2018, 2019
align="center" colspan="2"|Totalalign="center"|111

:^ predates KSHSAA playoffs and AP poll

:+predates KSHSAA playoffs; ranked #1 in final AP poll

Extracurricular activites

The school offers a total of 20 clubs. Notable clubs include Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Future Farmers of America (FFA), Key Club, Science Olympiad, and Scholar's Bowl.{{Cite web |title=Clubs - Lawrence High School |url=https://lhs.usd497.org/activities/activity-participation-information/clubs |access-date=2025-04-08 |website=lhs.usd497.org |language=en-US}}

Notable alumni

References

{{Reflist}}

External links

  • {{Official website|http://lhs.usd497.org}}

{{Portal|Schools|Kansas|Education

}}{{Lawrence, Kansas}}

{{Education in Douglas County, Kansas}}

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Category:Public high schools in Kansas

Category:Schools in Lawrence, Kansas

Category:Lawrence, Kansas

Category:1857 establishments in Kansas Territory

Category:Educational institutions established in 1857