Austin High School Alumni – Austin, Texas

We honor the life well-lived of Steve Warren, who passed peacefully on February 2, 2021 surrounded by family. He was born on May 2, 1947 in Columbia, Missouri to William S. and Betsy Avery Warren. After a brief time in Childress, Texas the family moved to Austin in 1950 where he attended Casis Elementary School, O. Henry Middle School and graduated from Austin High School.

Steve received his B.A. in English in 1969 from The University of Texas where he was also a catcher on the UT baseball team. After graduation, he enlisted in the Navy, flying F-8s in such places as Norfolk, Virginia, Beeville, Texas, Meridian, Mississippi and Guantanamo Bay, Cuba as well as on a Naval carrier in the Atlantic. After completing his active duty he returned to Austin where he earned an M.A. in Education from UT while continuing to serve in the Naval Reserves.

In 1978, he came full circle, teaching English first at O. Henry Middle School and then at Austin High School. Steve was also the tennis coach for many years earning the nickname “Coach”. He was a beloved educator and coach whose influence continues to resonate in his students’ lives. Steve was inducted into the Austin High School Hall of Honor and retired from teaching in 2000, as well as retiring that same year as Captain in the United States Navy. He then began his third career as screenwriter and playwright. Continue reading “Steve Warren” »

By way of background, as you may know, each year friends and family of Hayden Bowers meet to celebrate his memory at the Hayden Bowers Classic flag football tournament. Recently, a number of us have discussed our desire to honor him in a more permanent way. While the tournament is certainly a meaningful and fun event we hope to continue, we want to honor his life and empower our memories of him long after our legs give out. In conjunction with his Ten-Year High School Reunion, and with the support of the Bowers family, we have finally made this a reality.

It is with this background, honor, and excitement that we get to announce our partnership with Austin Community Foundation in forming the Hayden Bowers Memorial Scholarship Fund. The Hayden Bowers Memorial Scholarship Fund is created to honor the memory of Hayden Bowers, and to help future Maroons pursue their dreams. As a 2008 graduate of S.F. Austin High, Hayden was an exemplary student-athlete in multiple sports, as well as a well-respected member of the community.  A leader, on and off the field, Hayden displayed great character and left a lasting impact on all who knew him.  This is an annual scholarship that will be awarded to a graduating student-athlete from S.F. Austin High who has displayed exceptional community leadership and citizenship.

Upcoming Goals:

• Raise $100,000 to create an endowment fund awarding $4,000 in annual scholarships to Austin High student-athletes in perpetuity.
• Select a 2019 graduating Maroon for the first ever Hayden Bowers Memorial Scholarship.  An Advisory Committee, which includes representatives from the Bowers family and Austin High’s faculty and athletic department, will utilize pre-set scholarship criteria to review and select scholarship candidates.

Please join us in honoring the memory of our great friend Hayden Bowers by making a contribution to this scholarship fund. Your donation will provide meaningful support for future generations of Austin High Maroons.

If you wish to donate the link is: https://haydenbowersmemorialscholarship.kimbia.com/donate or by mailing a check to Austin Community Foundation, ATTN: Hayden Bowers Memorial Scholarship Fund, 4315 Guadalupe Street, Suite 300, Austin, Texas 78751. For more information, you may email us at HBMemorialScholarship@gmail.com.

James Page
Mark Buchanan
Wilson Albright
Chris Shinaberry

Don Baylor, the former Major League Baseball power hitter who won a World Series championship in 1987 with the Minnesota Twins and went on to manage the Colorado Rockies and Chicago Cubs, died Monday, Aug. 7, 2017, of cancer in his native Austin, Texas. He was 68.

Baylor had multiple myeloma, or blood cancer, according to multiple news sources.

Baylor played for the Baltimore Orioles, California Angels, and four other AL clubs: the Oakland Athletics, New York Yankees, Minnesota Twins, and Boston Red Sox.

When the Rockies were added to the MLB along with the Florida (now Miami) Marlins during the 1993 expansion, Baylor was hired as the manager. He managed the Rockies until 1998. In 2000, he managed the Cubs for three seasons.

Donald Edward Baylor was born June 28, 1949. He played baseball and football in high school. Baseball won out.

The Orioles drafted Baylor as a second-round pick in the 1967 draft. He made his MLB debut Sept. 18, 1970, with the team. After playing for the Orioles until 1975, the outfielder was traded to the Oakland Athletics before the 1976 season.

Baylor entered free agency in 1977, signing with the Angels, where he played until 1982. He went on to play for the Yankees from 1983 to 1985, the Red Sox from 1986-to 1987, the Twins for a season in 1987, and back with the Athletics in 1988 before retiring as a player.

Baylor won a World Series ring in 1987 when he was with the Twins. He hit a home run and had three RBI during the Series.

Baylor was named an All-Star in 1979. The left fielder’s prowess as a plate-crowding power hitter earned him the Silver Slugger Award three times, in 1983, 1985, and 1986.

The Yankees shared the team’s condolences via social media.

“We are deeply saddened by the passing of former Yankee Don Baylor,” the team tweeted. “He was a great man & we send our thoughts to his family & friends.” The post was accompanied by a photograph of Baylor from his playing days.

The Cubs also mourned Baylor’s death and sent condolences via Twitter “to his family and friends.”

Former Oriole player Ken Singleton tweeted, “Very sad last few days as baseball loses 2 strong leaders of the past, Darren Daulton & Don Baylor. Two old school tough baseball players.”

Daulton, the former Philadelphia Phillies legend who won the World Series in 1997 with the Marlins, died Sunday. He, too, had cancer.

Austin High School is proud to claim that we have the 2nd largest class ring collection – 2nd only to Texas A&M University. We would love to add rings from missing years to the collection and need your help. Please consider donating your ring to the collection to complete the following years:
1917, 1929, 1982, 1989, 1991, 1992, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2001, 2005-17.

We send our thanks to Ty Wheeler for donating his 2001 class ring to the collection. This act of kindness and his generosity are greatly appreciated.

Contact Jenna McEachern with questions or suggestions.

On Friday, ten of us met up at Austin High for Dedication Day, which was a great way to kick off the weekend and an even better reminder that we are part of an incredible community of individuals who are Loyal Forever. The oldest graduate recognized left Austin High in 1935 and there was a fifth generation Austin High student in the crowd!

Then, on Friday night, we took over the second floor at the Tavern. We ate, we drank, we laughed and we laughed some more before we overheard Josh Williams say, “Bring it in, bring it in” and we called it a night.

The main event on Saturday night at Alta’s was simply amazing. We sold 108 tickets — more than for the 10 year! Folks came in town from places like Colorado, Pennsylvania and North Carolina just to attend. Michael Swail’s place on Town Lake was the perfect spot to convene, and the food was delicious. From the playlist put together by Dave Cardiel to the photobooth to the door prizes (we narrowly avoided a riot over the bottle service gift certificates for Palazio, donated by General Manager Bobby Rinehart) to the loud buzz of everyone catching up, we all agreed that the evening went by too quickly.

Many of us headed over to Javelina’s afterwards, where some of us complained about how our backs and feet hurt and where we looked for a place to sit down (and, yes, where we easily blended in with the 20-somethings!) As great of a time as we had, we really missed everyone who couldn’t make it, for whatever reason. Here’s a link to the slideshow with over 200 photos from way back, today and the reunion weekend

Loyal Forever!

By Brian Schenk, AHS Archivist*

Stephen F. Austin High School is the “oldest, continuing, tax-supported, locally controlled, public high school in Texas” making it one of the oldest in Texas but not the oldest west of the Mississippi! Sixty-six students, 39 girls and 27 boys attended our first day on September 12, 1881. Continue reading “About Us – How Old Are We?” »

Each year the Steering Committee recognizes one or two Honored Faculty and one or two Distinguished Alumni.

Nominations can be received until the end of December from any alumni who have knowledge of:

–An alumnus who has led a life of Merit that brings credit to the story of Austin High. Such persons are elected on MERIT.

–A teacher or administrator who stood above the rest and deserves – even after the passage of years – our recognition. Continue reading “Hall of Honor Steering Committee Nominations Process” »

Total Graduates listed = 40,900
Estimated missing, 1901-1910 = 200
Graduates 1955-2008, not listed on Registrar’s state report = 50

Working total of graduates through 2008 = 41,150

Summary and notes:
1. John Henry Brown’s list: Travis County Clerk Brown kept a typewritten “Annals of Travis County” during the 19th Century. It was an eclectic local history record, including all sorts of things from the local newspapers and other sources. He published a list of Austin High graduates that exists as the only useful list of graduates before 1900, since the school’s records burned in the huge temporary capitol building fire on September 30, 1899. Typescript original is in the Austin-Travis County History Center, Austin. Graduates, 1883-1900
2. Graduation Record Cards: The earliest Graduation Record Cards, 1918 and before, have two sections and often we find Continue reading “Austin High School Graduation Records” »

The Brian Schenk Archives, located in the Austin High Library is one of the nation’s largest high school archives. With items including class photos, annuals, school newspapers, uniforms, photographs, post cards, jewelry, trinkets, pennants and other items, the archives is in the process of a $25,000 capital campaign to raise funds for the expansion and renovation of their space as well as acquiring fixtures and materials to help preserve their treasures. If you have items that you are willing to donate, they are looking to expand the collection.

Brian Schenk, Jenna McEachern and Angie Reeve work with the Alumni Association to keep the student database current and are happy to help you with inquiries about your classmates. They also work with reunion committees on class reunions and are happy to give chairs a hard copy of data on their class. You can reach them at: bwsarchives38@yahoo.com or 512.441.9811.

They have several items available for sale, including:

CELEBRATING AUSTIN HIGH’S 125 YEARS—a 66-page magazine-style review of major stories about the school’s history.

THE CENTENNIAL HISTORY OF AUSTIN HIGH—Assembled in 1981 as the school celebrated its 100th anniversary; this beautiful book is nearly sold out. A limited number of copies remain from the initial printing of 5,000 copies. Each decade of the school’s history is reviewed in text and photos.

1971 AUSTIN HIGH FILM—recently discovered in the Archives is a 1971 film depicting life at Austin High (on the Rio Grande Campus). Apparently a project of the journalism department, there are brief vignettes showing teachers, principal W.R. Robbins, Coach Talbot, Coaches Seale and Daniels, the Red Jackets, the Choir, Orchestra, a pep rally, and much more. The black & white film has been converted to DVD and last about 15 minutes. There are some great shots of the old school, fields, gym and campus.

For information and pricing on the items contact the Archives 512.441.9811.

If you are interested in knowing about current news at Austin High School, I encourage you to sign up for the PTSA newsletter. It is delivered each week by email and is an excellent way to stay in touch with AHS.

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