Austin High School Records

Historical Note

Austin High School has been the focal point of the Austin neighborhood’s educational activities since the last quarter of the 19th century. Residents of Austin have always expressed pride in their high school.

Delos Buzzell was Austin High School’s first principal from 1876 to 1879. During that time, the school occupied one room of the North School on Ohio Street. In the late 1870s, Austin High School’s library consisted of some 700 books, which led to the hiring of the school’s first librarian.

After Austin’s annexation to the City of Chicago in 1889, Austin High School’s student population began to grow dramatically. From 400 students in 1900, the school’s population increased to 2,298 in 1920. By 1931 6,815 students were enrolled.

Austin High School, like the community it served, experienced turmoil during the 1960s and 1970s. Racial tensions were brought to the surface by federally mandated desegregation attempts and demographic changes in Austin’s population. In addition to reporting other activities and achievements associated with Austin High School, newspaper clippings in this collection document this critical time in Austin’s history.

Scope and Content

AUHS consists of an initial accession and one supplementary accession. Photographs are listed following the Box and Folder Inventory of non-photographic material.

Initial accession (Boxes 1-2)

The initial accession is divided into 6 series. Each series is arranged alphabetically or chronologically depending upon the nature of the materials.

Series 1: General Records, 1895-1950s

This series consists of bulletins, newspaper clippings, programs, and school correspondence, documenting Austin High School’s activities and students over a period of 55 years. The documents in this series are arranged alphabetically by folder title.

Series 2: Historical Essays and Sketches, 1879-1931

This small series contains written histories of Austin High School, its teachers and students. A history of the high school’s Parent-Teacher Association is also included. This collection, consisting primarily of original typescripts, is arranged alphabetically by folder title.

Series 3: Newspaper Clippings, 1900-1970s

Newspaper clippings from local newspapers provide invaluable insights to the activities and people associated with Austin High School. This clipping series is divided chronologically into three folders: 1900-1929, 1930-1949 and 1950-1970.

Series 4: Parent/Teacher Association, 1909-1969 (predominantly 1950s)

Since the early part of the 20th century, the Austin PTA has been active in the affairs of Austin High School. The PTA’s activities are chronicled by bulletins, fliers, newspaper clippings, and programs. The series is arranged alphabetically by folder title.

Series 5: Programs, 1916-1965

Numerous Austin High School activities are documented in this series, including class and commencement exercises, Austin High’s Diamond Jubilee, field day, programs from recitals, and music announcements. The material is arranged alphabetically by folder title.

Series 6: Publications, 1888-1959 (predominately 1910-1930)

This series contains student newspapers and yearbooks. The materials are arranged alphabetically by title and chronologically within each publication run.

Supplement 1 (Boxes 3-4)

Supplement 1 include a number of class and other photographs documenting school activities. The materials also expand the original collection’s programs, yearbooks, and newspaper clippings.

Supplement 2 (Boxes 5-13)

Supplement 2 consists of the Maroon and White and the Austin High School North Central Association Visitation and Self-Evaluation publications. The materials expand the original collection's yearbooks and introduce the North Central Association publications.

Container List