Topeka High School
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| Topeka High School | |
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| Location | |
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| 800 SW 10th Ave. Topeka, KS |
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| Information | |
| School type | Public high school |
| Established | 1871 (since 1931 at current site) |
| Principal | Dr. Linda Wiley |
| Grades | 9-12 |
| Enrollment | 2,000 |
| Campus | Urban |
| Color(s) | Black and Gold
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| Mascot | Trojans |
| Rival | Highland Park High School |
| Newspaper | The World |
| Information | 785-295-3150 |
| Website | School Website |
Topeka High School (THS) is a fully-accredited high school, serving students in grades 9-12, located in Topeka, Kansas. It is one of four high schools within Topeka Public Schools. The school colors are black and gold. The enrollment for the 2009-2010 school year is approximately 2,000 students.
Topeka High was established in 1871 on the northwest and southwest corners of 8th and Harrison. In 1931, Topeka High School moved to its current location at 800 SW 10th Ave. At the time, the school was among one of the first million dollar high schools built west of the Mississippi River.[1]
Topeka High is a member of the Kansas State High School Activities Association and offers a variety of sports programs. Athletic teams compete in the 6A division and are known as the "Trojans". Extracurricular activities are also offered in the form of performing arts, school publications, and clubs. The school newspaper is The World. Notable alumni of the school include Charles Curtis, 31st Vice President of the United States.
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[edit] History
[edit] Early Years
Topeka High School was established in 1871 in order to help educate the increasing population of Topeka, Kansas. The original location of the high school was located on the northwest and southwest corners of 8th and Harrison. Topeka High would remain at this location for the next 60 years. In 1928, Topekans voted to issue $1.1 million in bonds to build a new, centrally located high school. The school board hired Thomas Williamson's architectural firm to design a new building, and construction started in February 1930. The building was finished in 18 months, and Topeka High School opened its current home in September 1931.[2] What the voters received for their money that fall -- about $1.75 million after all site costs, equipment and furnishings were calculated -- was a stunning, three-story Gothic building of almost 278,000 square feet. Within that space, in addition to classrooms, were a 165-foot-tall bell tower, multiple stained-glass windows, a gymnasium that seated 4,000, a swimming pool a floor beneath the gymnasium and an auditorium -- illuminated by 10 chandeliers -- that seated 2,400.
The new high school also featured a library with a main reading room measuring 40 feet by 80 feet, a working fireplace, one of four in the building, and a large cafeteria with wood beams, chandeliers and a fireplace. There was a separate faculty dining room. The main hall and stairwells were lined with marble from a Tennessee quarry, and floors in the halls, library and other areas were covered with squares of alternate light and dark tile. Other floors were carpeted or covered with different tile.[2] Overall, the building has weathered well. The only major structural difference in the building today is the addition of a greenhouse built in the late 1970s
[edit] Recent Years
In 2005, the 20-yard swimming pool located underneath the gym was converted into Laney Gym, named after former swim coach Chet Laney, for P.E. classes and wrestling. An additional gym was constructed on the soccer field located on the northwest side of the school where JV basketball games and volleyball games are played. Varsity basketball continues to be played in the "Dungeon", the largest high school gymnasium in the state of Kansas, with capacity to accommodate over 5,000 people.[2] Topeka High celebrated its 150th Anniversary in 2004. Additionally, the school celebrated its 75th Anniversary at its current site on September 17, 2006.
[edit] Campus
| Topeka High School | |
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| U.S. National Register of Historic Places | |
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This building has served as the high school since 1931.
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| Location: | 800 SW 10th Ave. Topeka, Kansas |
| Coordinates: | 39°13′21″N 95°46′31″W / 39.2225°N 95.77528°WCoordinates: 39°13′21″N 95°46′31″W / 39.2225°N 95.77528°W |
| Built/Founded: | 1870 |
| Architect: | Leeper, John M. |
| Architectural style(s): | Late Gothic Revival |
| Governing body: | Private |
| Added to NRHP: | January 9, 2005 |
| NRHP Reference#: | 5000550[3] |
The tall bell tower is the most visible aspect of Topeka High School's architecture. Other notable details include Hoehner auditorium, site of at least one inauguration of a Kansas Governor.[citation needed] The library was modeled after King Henry VIII's palace. Much of the wood shelving in the library is hand-carved, and about half of the ceiling is hand-painted. The original chairs, which are now 75 years old, still remain in the library and efforts are being made to refinish them.
[edit] Students
Topeka High has an average student population of around 2,000. However, more than 1,700 students attended Topeka High in the 2006-2007 school year. Students arrive from Robinson, Jardine and Landon Middle Schools, as well as from Eisenhower and Chase Middle Schools. Six percent transfer into THS from outside the Topeka Public Schools district. The senior class of 2007 had 337 students. More than 80% of THS graduates enroll in some kind of post secondary education. More than $1.2 million in scholarships were awarded to Topeka High seniors in 2005. Scholarships were awarded from such schools as Stanford, Vassar College, Vanderbilt, Georgetown and Brandeis.
[edit] National merit scholars (1999-2005)
The National Merit Scholarship Program is a college scholarship competition that includes taking the PSAT/NMSQT. The school has had 19 Semi-finalists, 35 Commended Scholars, 7 National Achievement Scholars, 3 Corporate Sponsor Merit Scholars, and 3 Hispanic Scholars.[citation needed]
[edit] Foreign exchange programs
Ten to fifteen students per year attend THS from countries such as Belgium, Turkey, Germany, Thailand, Brazil, Mexico and Switzerland. Students are sponsored by the following exchange programs: AFS, AIFS, ASSE, CHI, AYUSA, ERDT, WISE, ISE, and Share.
[edit] Traditions
- Running of the halls: During first period of days that THS has a home football game, the students gather in the halls of Troy, cheerleaders and the drill team, flag team, and marching band march through the halls to promote school spirit. (Due to inappropriate actions by students and lack of participation, this tradition has been discontinued in recent years, but was brought back during the 2006-2007 school year) The Topeka High Marching Trojans have been a part of the school for years. They travel the country regularly and have been on a national stage on multiple occasions, including the Disney Music Days Parade every other year in Orlando, Florida, as well as the Cotton Bowl Classic Parade in Dallas, Texas in 1988.
[edit] Curriculum
Topeka High utilizes the block schedule, which includes eight classes on alternating days plus "Trojan Time", on Thursdays and Fridays, which allows students to sign out to specific locations for further help from teachers or just stay in their current class and study. Six percent of Topeka High's enrollment come as transfer students. Students outside the attendance zone come to the school for its strong fine arts program - including a music program (orchestra, jazz band, drumline, wind ensembles, and concert choirs), its forensic and debate teams, as well as its foreign language program (offering languages Spanish, German, and French). Also, THS also supports a Marine Corps JROTC drill team (1999-present). The school newspaper, The World, is a member of the High School National Ad Network. The school yearbook is "The Sunflower". Both publications are members of JEA and NSPA. Topeka High, under the direction of Richard Green, has also built up its broadcast journalism program. The Newsdesk a bi-monthly news broadcast showcasing student news and feature packages. Under the direction of Green, The Newsdesk has won multiple state-wide broadcasting awards.
[edit] Extracurricular Activities
[edit] Athletics
The extracurricular activities offered at Topeka High School are many and varied due to the school's large size. The Trojans are classified as a 6A school, the largest classification in Kansas according to the Kansas State High School Activities Association. Throughout its history, Topeka has won 20 state championships in various sports. Many graduates have gone on to participate in Division I, Division II, and Division III athletics.
[edit] Mens Basketball
Topeka High mens basketball has a very storied background a big part of the schools basketball history was the 1949 separation of the basketball teams between black and white players. White basketball players were on the Trojan team, and black athletes were on the Rambler basketball team. There were two different cheerleaders for the basketball teams, blacks didn't have equal representation on the student council, separate school parties were held for black couples and white couples. The first black Topeka High team, the Cardinals, started in 1929, and the Ramblers started in 1935. In 2009 the school looked back at the historic separation of the teams. Former UNC coach Dean Smith came back with a number of others that had to do with the Ramblers to discuss the history of that. There is no separation of the teams now, as it is currently one of the most diverse teams in Topeka. In the 2009-10 basketball season they have shown to be a lot stronger than past seasons after beating cross-town rival, Highland Park High School, the defending state champions for the past three years. The 2009-10 team is coached by Pat Denney.
[edit] State Championships
| State Championships[4] | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Sport | Number of Championships | Year |
| Fall | Cross Country, Boys | 3 | 1950, 1952, 1953 |
| Soccer, Boys | 1 | 1997 | |
| Winter | Basketball, Boys | 3 | 1932, 1973, 1986 |
| Basketball, Girls | 2 | 1981, 1982 | |
| Spring | Golf, Boys | 2 | 1949, 1961 |
| Baseball | 1 | 1947 | |
| Track and Field, Boys | 5 | 1916, 1948, 1956, 1963, 1973 | |
| Track and Field, Girls | 2 | 1974, 1975 | |
| Tennis, Boys | 1 | 1989 | |
| Total | 20 | ||
[edit] Notable alumni
- Nancy Kassebaum Baker, United States Senator, 1978-1996
- Bill Bunten, current mayor of Topeka
- Charles Curtis, 31st Vice President of the United States
- Aaron Douglas, artist during the Harlem Renaissance
- Coleman Hawkins, prominent jazz tenor saxophonist
- Gordon Jump, actor
- Ben Lerner, class of 1997, finalist for the 2006 National Book Award for poetry[5]
- Kirke Mechem, class of 1943, Composer, Tartuffe and other works
- William C. Menninger, co-founder of the Menninger Foundation
- Karl Menninger, co-founder of the Menninger Foundation
- Travis Schuldt, actor on Scrubs and Passions
- Brig Gen Howard S. Searle, responsible for rebuilding the Kansas Army National Guard after World War II
- Dean Smith, Head Coach, University of North Carolina basketball, 1961-1997
- Mike Torrez, retired Major League Baseball pitcher
- Thomas Williamson, class of 1907, architect
- Max Yoho, class of 1953, Kansas author
[edit] References
- ^ https://www2.topeka.k12.ks.us/ths/multimedia/history/architecture.html
- ^ a b c "Topeka High School: Landmark testimony to history". CJ Online. CJ Online. 2010-02-08. http://cjonline.com/stories/081003/our_ths.shtml.
- ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. 2009-03-13. http://www.nr.nps.gov/.
- ^ "State Records & State Champions" (English). http://catchitkansas.com/Global/category.asp?C=112444. Retrieved 2010-02-05.
- ^ Blankenship, Bill (March 9, 2005). "Young poet to read works at Washburn". Topeka Capital-Journal. http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4179/is_20050309/ai_n12830646. Retrieved February 8, 2010.
[edit] Bibliography
- United States Department of the Interior, National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places submission for Topeka High School, Shawnee County, Kansas, (22 April 2005)
