Anderson High School (Texas) Explained

L.C. Anderson High School
Motto:	In Pursuit of Excellence
Streetaddress:	8403 Mesa Drive
Zipcode:	78759
Country:	United States
Founded:	1973
Pushpin Map:	Texas#USA
Principal:	Brian Lancaster
Grades:	9–12^[1]
Area:	Austin, Texas
Mascot:	Trojan
Language:	English, Mandarin Chinese (Immersion Program)
Teamname:	Anderson Trojans, Anderson Trojan Marching Band
Colors:	Blue and Gold
Enrollment:	2,210 (2022–23)^[2]
Athletics:	UIL Class AAAAAA
Ratio:	18.67
Teaching Staff:	118.67 (FTE)
Feeders:	Middle School Murchison Elementary Schools Davis, Doss, Hill, Summitt, Pillow, Zavala

L.C. Anderson High School is a public high school located in the city of Austin, Texas, United States. It is a part of the Austin Independent School District. The school is named for Laurine Cecil (L.C.) Anderson who served as principal of Prairie View Normal Institute (now Prairie View A&M University), founded the Colored Teachers State Association of Texas (CTSAT) and served as principal of the original Anderson (then E.H. Anderson) from 1896 to 1929. L.C. Anderson opened at its current location on Mesa Dr. in 1973.

Extracurricular activities

State titles

• Boys' Golf^[3]
  • Team: 1994 (4A), 1995 (4A), 1997 (4A), 1998 (4A), 2022 (5A)
• Girls' Golf
  • Team: 2022 (5A)^[4]
• Boys' Swimming & Diving^[5]
• Girls' Swimming & Diving^[6]
  • Team: 1974, 1982
• Girls' Lacrosse
  • 2022 (5A)

Original Anderson High School

The original L.C. Anderson High School served as Austin's East Side high school, serving the city's African American population from 1889 until 1971.^[7] The original Anderson was housed at 4 different locations before it was closed in 1971 as part of desegregation efforts, the current high school was opened in 1973 at its present site. The school was originally named after Earnest H. Anderson, who served as principal of Prairie View Normal Institution from 1879 to 1885. In 1938, it was renamed for his brother, L. C. Anderson, who served as the school's principal from 1896 to 1929.

Previous locations:^[8]

• 1889–1908: Corner of San Marcos St and East 11th St
• 1908–1913: Olive St (became an elementary school until late 1940s)
• 1913–1953: Corner of Pennsylvania Ave and Comal St (site of present day Kealing Middle School, building burned in the 1980s)
• 1953–1971: 900 Thompson St (later served as AISD's Alternative Learning Center, building was demolished and reopened as the new site of Eastside Early College High School in 2021

The Yellow Jackets won the PVIL Football State Championship in 1942, 1956, 1957 and 1961 and finished runner-up in 1940 and 1945.^[9]

State titles

• Football
  • 1942 (PVIL 2A), 1956 (PVIL 3A), 1957 (PVIL 3A), 1961 (PVIL 4A)^[10]

Notable alumni

• Thomas "Hollywood" Henderson - Former NFL football player^[11]
• Dick “Night Train” Lane - Former NFL football player^[12]
• Willie Wells - Negro league baseball player^[13]
• Dr. W. Charles Akins - graduated in 1950 and served as a teacher at old Anderson and later as the 1st principal of the new Anderson from 1973 to 1982.^[14] Akins High School in South Austin is named after him

Notable alumni

• Rasmus Bach – basketball player
• Mehcad Jason McKinley Brooks – actor^[15]
• Kris Clack – basketball player^[16]
• Ben Fricke – NFL football player^[17]
• Alex Jones – radio host and conspiracy theorist^[18]
• Bobby Micho – Former NFL football player ^[19]
• Ron Nirenberg – San Antonio mayor^[20]
• Justin Ruggiano – former Major League Baseball player^[21]
• Lee Tunnell - former Major League Baseball player

References

1. Web site: Campus Facts . 2009-08-07 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20090213172437/http://austinisd.org/schools/details.phtml?id=001&opt=about . 2009-02-13 .
2. Web site: ANDERSON H S . School Directory Information . National Center for Education Statistics . 6 July 2024.
3. Web site: State Boys Golf Champions. uiltexas.org . 31 May 2022. en.
4. Web site: 2021-2022 UIL State Champions . University Interscholastic League . 15 October 2022.
5. Web site: Swimming & Diving State Champions. 31 May 2022. en.
6. Web site: Swimming & Diving State Champions. 31 May 2022. en.
7. Web site: ORIGINAL L. C. ANDERSON HIGH SCHOOL . andersononline.org . 7 January 2022. en.
8. Web site: SEPARATE BUT EQUAL IN AUSTIN: L.C. ANDERSON HIGH SCHOOL . preservationaustin.org . 7 January 2022. en.
9. Web site: Football State Archives School Search . uiltexas.org . 7 January 2022. en.
10. Web site: Prairie View Interscholastic League Football Records. uiltexas.org . 31 May 2022. en.
11. Web site: Thomas Henderson Stats . Pro-Football-Reference.com . 31 May 2021 . en.
12. Web site: Dick 'Night Train' Lane, 73; Set Record as Rookie on L.A. Rams . Los Angeles Times . 31 May 2021 . 2002-01-31.
13. Web site: Momodu . Samuel . Willie James Wells (1906-1989) • . blackpast.org . 31 May 2021 . 2020-06-26.
14. Web site: Our History . akinseagles.org . 7 January 2022 . en.
15. Web site: O'Connell . Joe . He's Not a Lawyer, But He Plays One on TV . www.austinchronicle.com . 31 May 2021.
16. Web site: Rosenblatt . Josh . Two Former Longhorns Heading to Toros Training Camp . www.austinchronicle.com . 31 May 2021.
17. Web site: Ben Fricke Stats . Pro-Football-Reference.com . 31 May 2021 . en.
18. https://www.statesman.com/news/20161024/austins-alex-jones-the-voice-in-donald-trumps-head "Is Alex Jones the Voice in Trump's Head?"
19. Web site: Bobby Micho Stats - Pro Football Archives. 2021-09-20. www.profootballarchives.com.
20. Web site: Nirenberg's big gamble .
21. Web site: Justin Ruggiano Stats, Fantasy & News . MLB.com . 31 May 2021 . en.

External links

• Anderson High School