Austin High School Alumni – Austin, Texas

You are cordially invited to attend Dedication Day at Stephen F. Austin High School Friday, April 22, 2016. The program starts at 8 am with registration on the 2nd floor in front of the east elevators. Tours of the archival exhibit on the 2nd floor and the Hall of Honor are available. At 8:45 the Official Installation Ceremonies will begin in the Library with the Grand Assembly starting at 10:30 in the Roosevelt C. Nivens Gymnasium.

Honorees for 2015-2016 include:
Distinguished Alumni:
Carlos Valdez ’47: US Navy 1948-1970
Dr. Arthur Frankel ’65: Hematologist and Oncologist

Honored Faculty:
Leyla Cohlmia, Chemistry Teacher 1977-2013

RSVP to Debra Windham or mail reservation request to:

Debra Windham c/o AHS Hall of Honor
1715 West Cesar Chavez
Austin, TX 78703

Hall of honor Contributor Levels:
Subscriber – up to $49.00
Sponsor – $50.00-$99.00
Founder – $100.00-$249.00
Memorial – $250.00 or more (for Memorial Donors a 2×4″ metal plate inscribed as you desire, will be placed at the entrance to the Hall of Honor.) Please email for more information

Last year’s Dedication Day was a tremendous success. The talent of our school population was reflected in the student body and by our honorees. We also honored veteran alumni with a “Well Done” medal for their service to the country.

You may visit the Hall of Honor, located adjacent to the Jacquelyn McGee Performing Arts Center and the Band Hall at any time. The Brian Schenk Archives, based in the Library are also available to you at any tie. We maintain a class ring collection – the third largest in the nation; a Comet yearbook collection; a collection of books by Austin High authors, faculty, and alumni; and the Archives, containing a wide variety of memorabilia from Austin High’s past.

We encourage your donations to any of the collections. peek your eyes open in antique shops which carry old yearbooks or other Austin High memorabilia. Bring the items on Dedication Day or on any school day to the Library. Please include your name and address with your donation.

Surplus Comets, Mr Maroo lapel pins, Mr. Maroo earrings, and Mr. Maroo necklace pendants are always on sale. Contact Mrs. Debra Windham for more information.

Loyal Forever,

Esther Joucken and Debra Windham
Hall of Honor Advisors

Join us Saturday, August 29 from 7-9pm and celebrate the SFA Society and its mission to support Extracurricular Excellence at Stephen F. Austin High School.

Since 2002, the SFA Society has directly impacted the lives of thousands of students by providing over $300,000 in grants to athletic, academic and other UIL activities on campus. Everything from Ballet Folklorico to Debate to the Athletic Department has benefited from the SFA Society grant funds.

For more information about Stephen F. Austin Society and their fundraising dinner, please visit www.sfasociety.com.

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To all of Brian Schenk’s friends,

The service for Brian Schenk has been confirmed by Austin ISD and the school principle.

Saturday, September 19
10:00 AM to 11:30 AM

Stephen F. Austin High School
Performing Arts Center
1715 West Cesar Chavez
Austin , TX 78703
(512) 414-2505-School Office #
512-913-4481-Marc Yancey’s cell

SFA Hall of Honor will be celebrating Dedication Day on Friday, April 24, 2015.  All alumni of Stephen F. Austin High School and their families are welcome to attend.  The day will start at 8 am with registration on the 2nd floor in front of the East elevators.

At 8:45 the official Installation will commence in the Library on the 2nd floor and last until 9:45.

The Grand Assembly begins at 10:30 in the Roosevelt C. Nivens Gymnasium.

This years the distinguished alumni recipients will be musician, actor and Grammy award winner, Gary Clark, Jr. from the class of 2001.  Also being honored is Bruce Ybarra, class of 1988 who served in the US Air Force and was an Air Force One Pilot from 2008-2012.

Honored Faculty include Elizabeth Brady, Orchestra Director from 1988-2000 and Emma Virgina Decherd, Choir Director from 1945-1967. Read the rest of this entry »

A current list of deceased Austin High School Alumni is kept up-to-date on this website by a dedicated alumni of the class of 1964, Kaye LaGrone. Kaye is an invaluable asset to her class and to all who use this site as she continues to be very involved with her classmates and other alumni. To access the page, click here or you can click on the Class Page tab at the top of the page and then the link to In Memoriam.

If you have class information you would like to share, please email the webmaster.

Jack Hadsell (88) lost his long battle with cancer, Oct. 14, 2013, under the loving care of Christopher House. He is survived by his wife of 66 years, Janelle. two daughters Becky Hadsell and Sheila Webb, son-in- law Jesse Webb, and two sisters Margaret Jordan, and Nancy Ann Ayres.

In WWII Jack served in the Army Air Corp and received the Purple Heart. After graduation from North Texas, Jack taught 30 years for AISD. Upon retiring he began volunteering. In recognition of his many hours of service, he was awarded… “Five Who Care” and “Recognize Good Legend”. He was also inducted into the Austin High Hall of Honor.

Memorial Service will be held at 10 a.m. on Saturday, 10/19 at the First United Methodist Church, 1201 Lavaca, Austin 78701. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to First United Methodist or charity of choice .

Thank you to all the students, alumni and faculty participating in the 2013 Dedication Day festivities at Austin High School. The day began at 9:00 in the library where August “Happy” Harris ’82 along with Delano Womack ’52 presented 12 scholarships to qualifying seniors. Scott Sayers praised the Hall of Honor and saluted the former head and archivist emeritus Brian Schenk for his hard work and direction in making our archives one of the most complete in the nation.

Faculty honorees this year include Roland H. Johnson, Jr. who was a history teacher and dean of boys in the 50’s and Leyla Colmia, chemistry teacher, who continues to teach and inspire at AHS. Ms. Colmia was honored this year with a wing of the building being named in her honor – the Leyla Colmia Chemistry Wing.

Robin Wilson, class of 1987 was awarded the alumni Hall of Honor medal this year.

Robin Wilson

Robin Wilson is an nationally known eco- friendly designer and a designer of the Kennedy Green House Project. Find Robin online at Robin Wilson Home.

Cactus Pryor, Austin’s original funnyman and a pioneer of local radio and television, died Tuesday afternoon. He was 88.

The cause was complications from a recent fall and Alzheimer’s disease. He fell and broke his leg earlier this month while living at an assisted living facility in Buda. With family around him, Pryor died at Hospice Austin’s Christopher House, where he was moved recently.

When Austin got its first local TV broadcast on KTBC in 1951, the folksy humorist was the first face viewers saw. Until 2008, he did commentaries about Austin haunts and personalities on KLBJ radio, but the station continued rerunning his old commentaries, a tribute to his lasting popularity with listeners. He ended each segment with a distinguishable but puzzling word: “thermerstrockimortimer.” Pryor never revealed what it meant. Read the rest of this entry »