At the corner of Douglas and Grove, a Gothic-style bell tower rises above the city’s oldest high school: Wichita High School East.
The landmark tower hit the century mark this month.
And while the school itself is 150 years old — the first Wichita High School opened in 1873 on North Emporia — the students, faculty and alumni of East High are using the 100th birthday of the bell tower to reflect on the school’s history and its impact on the community.
“We take a lot of pride in being the original, the heart of the city,” said Sara Richardson, principal at East. “And our current kids are very excited to celebrate their family’s history, their school’s history.”
East’s current building at Douglas and Grove opened in October 1923. Officials called it “the million-dollar school” because the total cost of construction and contents was just more than $1 million.
The year East opened, a school lunch cost 18 cents. The top-selling car was Ford’s Model T, which you could buy for less than $300.
The original mascot was a blue-and-white Bulldog. Shortly before rival North High School opened in 1929, East High students voted to become the Blue Aces. Their new symbol was a biplane, and their cheerleaders were known as the Peppy Pilots.
East High students and staff have spent the past several months researching and celebrating the school’s history. Banners along the hallways honor 100 notable alumni — one for every year.
They include former Congressman Jim Ryun, the first high school athlete to run a mile in under four minutes; Wichita State University football star Linwood Sexton, and former Secretary of Defense Robert Gates.
In 1925, the East High basketball team won a national championship. In the years since, the school has racked up four state football titles, five baseball titles, 10 basketball titles, and 16 swimming and diving championships. Lots to be proud of, Richardson said.
“We’ve had over 55,000 graduates come through here, which is amazing. … And how many more are going to graduate in the next 100 years, which is going to be pretty exciting.”
Darham Rogers graduated from East in 1999. He got his teaching degree and planned to move out of town. But then a job at East opened up, and his former high school track coach told him to apply.
That was 17 years ago. Rogers still teaches history and coaches cross-country at East. Nearly 20 percent of the faculty and staff are graduates of the school.
“It’s always been one of the most diverse schools in the area, and that hasn’t changed,” Rogers said. “That’s been something that I’ve always valued about it, and it’s one of the reasons I wanted to work here.”
East is home to Wichita’s only International Baccalaureate program, a highly competitive and rigorous program considered to be among the most challenging high school curricula.
Major bond issues in 2000 and 2008 added air conditioning, a new gym, science classrooms and a performing arts center.
But so much of East’s reputation and culture remains tied to the original 1923 structure. Several years ago, Architectural Digest named East the most beautiful public high school in Kansas. And when engineers discovered structural issues in the school’s science wing several years ago, district leaders opted to spend millions to shore it up.
Richardson said students still appreciate the school’s Gothic-style architecture, and its signature tower graces T-shirts and sweatshirts sold at the school store.
“The location of this building and the history of the tower is meaningful to the city, meaningful to kids, meaningful to alumni, and meaningful for the future,” she said. “Kids in our neighborhood want to still come to this school and be part of this neighborhood.”
Rogers said he valued his time as a student at East and is proud to carry on its traditions as a teacher.
“I feel like my time at East made me into part of the person that I am today… It’s an amazing place. It’s got great history. I wouldn’t be anywhere else.”
