Lyons Township High School

Lyons Township High School
Lyons Township High School North Campus
Address
LTHS Location in the Chicago area
100 South Brainard Avenue La Grange, Illinois 60525 United States
Coordinates	41°48′44″N 87°52′49″W / 41.812155°N 87.88028°W / 41.812155; -87.88028 (North campus) 41°48′04″N 87°53′28″W / 41.801247°N 87.89101°W / 41.801247; -87.89101 (South campus)
Information
Other name	Lyons Township LTHS LT
School type	Co-ed Public
Motto	Vita Plena (The quest for the fulfilling life)
Opened	1888
School district	Lyons Township High School District 204
Superintendent	Timothy B. Kilrea, PhD
Principal	Dr. Brian Waterman (Principal) Shanna Lewis (Associate Principal South) Kevin Brown (Associate Principal North)
Grades	9–12
Enrollment	4,044 (2016-17)[1]
• Grade 9	982[2]
• Grade 10	1,024
• Grade 11	972
• Grade 12	1,003
Average class size	18.8
Campus	Suburban
Campus size	Eighty acres over two campuses
School colour(s)	royal blue      gold
Fight song	Gold & Blue, based on My Illinois
Athletics conference	West Suburban Conference
Mascot	Nessie and Noil
Nickname	Lions
Accreditation	North Central Association
Newspaper	Lion
Yearbook	Tabulae
Nobel laureates	Ben R. Mottelson 1975-physics
Website	www.lths.net

Lyons Township High School (often referred to as LTHS or simply LT) is a public high school located in Western Springs, Illinois (South Campus), and also in La Grange, Illinois (North Campus). Lyons Township is a co-educational high school and serves grades 9–12 for Lyons Township High School District 204. Students from the communities of LaGrange, Western Springs, Burr Ridge, La Grange Park, Countryside, Indian Head Park, Hodgkins, and parts of Brookfield, Willow Springs, and McCook attend Lyons Township. Lyons Township High School is the 8th-largest public high school in Illinois^[3] and the 46th-largest public high school in the United States.^[4] Freshmen and sophomores attend class at South campus, located at 4900 S. Willow Springs Rd. in Western Springs. Juniors and seniors attend class at North campus, located at 100 S. Brainard Ave. in LaGrange, which also houses the district offices. Sports facilities at Lyons Township include swimming pools, field houses, theatres, a turf football field (south campus), soccer fields, baseball fields, a gym, outdoor tracks, basketball courts, and volleyball courts. The two campuses are about a mile apart. Activity buses run after school between the campuses.

History

Lyons Township High School was opened on September 4, 1888. The enrollment included 39 students. An athletic field named Emmond Field was constructed in 1888, and a 1926–1929 expansion included a clock tower, auditorium, offices, library, and a gym. Leonard H. Vaughan (president of a seed company and former school board president,^[5]) funded the construction of the Vaughan Building; it was constructed in 1952 for sporting events and classes. In 1956, South Campus was opened about a mile south-west in nearby Western Springs to accommodate the community's growing population. The Corral was constructed in 1944 as a social place for all students to spend time with each other after school hours. In 2005, a performing arts center, a field house, and a pool were added to the South campus to complement the facilities at the North campus.^[6][7]

Athletics

At LTHS girls compete in basketball, cross country, golf, gymnastics, soccer, swimming, diving, tennis, lacrosse, track and field, volleyball, badminton, softball and water polo. Boys compete in baseball, football, cross country, wrestling, golf, soccer, bowling, basketball, swimming, diving, track and field, lacrosse, water polo, tennis, and volleyball.

The following teams have finished in the top four of their respective IHSA state championship tournaments:^[8]

• Badminton: 3rd (2013–14)
• Baseball: 4th (2000–01); 3rd (1995–96); 2nd (1949–50, 1961–62, 2011–12); State champions (1966–67, 2002–03, 2010–11)
• Basketball (boys): 4th (1947–48, 2000–01); 3rd (1993–94); State champions (1952–53, 1969-70)
• Basketball (girls): 4th (1991–92); 3rd (1992–93)
• Cross country (boys): 5th (2008-09); 4th (2013–14); 3rd (1946–47, 1957–58, 1972–73, 2012–13, 2014–15); 2nd place (1951–52, 2003–04); State champions (1955–56, 1956–57)
• Cross Country (girls): 3rd (2000–01); 2nd (2007–08)
• Golf (girls): 3rd (1941–42, 1943-44, 2004–05); 2nd (1937–38, 2005); State champions (1938–39)
• Golf (boys): 3rd (2004–05); 2nd (2005–06)
• Gymnastics (boys): 3rd place (2001–02, 2013–14, 2017-2018); 4th place (2002–03); 2nd place (2016–17);
• Gymnastics (girls): 4th (1982–83, 1983–84, 2007–08); 3rd (1999–2000, 2001–02); 2nd (1998–99, 2009–2010); State champions (2012–13, 2013–14)
• Hockey (boys): 2nd place (1980–81); State champions (1979–80)
• Lacrosse (boys): 4th place (2008); 2nd place (2005)
• Soccer (girls): 4th (2002–03, 2005–06); 2nd (1996–97)
• Soccer (boys): State champions (2009–10)
• Swimming and diving (boys): 3rd (1972–73, 1973–74); State champions (2015–16, 2016–17)
• Swimming and diving (girls): 4th (1981–82, 1982–83, 1985–86); 3rd (1995–96)
• Tennis (boys): 4th (2001–02); 3rd (1953–54, 1954–55, 1955–56); 2nd (2005–06)
• Tennis (girls): 4th (2001–02, 2002–03, 2015–16); 3rd (1978–79, 1985–86, 1988–89, 1989–90); 2nd (1993–94, 2016–17); State champions (1990–91, 1991–92, 1992–93)
• Track and field (boys): 4th (1949–50); 3rd (1926–27, 1939-40, 1940-41, 1970-71, 1973-74); 2nd (1915–16, 1950-51, 1958-59); State champions (1913–14, 1914–15, 1947–48, 1948–49, 1951–52, 1952–53, 1953–54, 1960–61, 1972–73)
• Volleyball (boys): 4th (1999–2000, 2002–03, 2004–05); 3rd (2001–02)
• Volleyball (girls): 2nd (2009–2010); State champions (1975–76, 1989–90, 2010–11)
• Water Polo (boys): 4th (2008–09); 3rd (2005–06); State champions (2011–12, 2014–15)
• Water Polo (girls): State champions (2009–10)
• Wrestling: 3rd (1991–92)

Newspaper

The LION newspaper is the student publication of LTHS.^[9] The LION is a member of the High School National Ad Network. The newspaper has won multiple awards:

• Journalism Education Association and National Scholastic Press Association: 1st place nationally in 16+ page category in 1999
• Scholastic Press Association: 1st place (national overall newspaper award)
• Northern Illinois School Press Association: Golden Eagle Award: Best of Class 2009, One Honor Scholarship, 13 individual Blue
• The red stripe award for journalistic excellence ribbons, and 47 Honorable Mentions
• National Scholastic Press Association and Journalism Education Association: Two individual Awards of Excellence and one Honorable Mention
• American Society of Newspaper Editors and Quill & Scroll: Four national 1st place awards
• Illinois Men’s Press Association: A 2nd place award in Column Writing and an Honorable Mention in Sports Writing

WLTL

LTHS has a non-profit radio station known as WLTL, which broadcasts from North Campus on 88.1 FM.^[10] WLTL has won several national and local awards, including the Service to Young Children award. The station is student-run, with new student managers being selected each year.

WLTL is the recipient of more than 25 awards of excellence, including the John Dunn award for "Best High School Radio Station in the Nation" and has had 10 consecutive years winning the Communicator Award. WLTL has also been recognized nationally for the quality broadcasting that it provides by the National Association of Broadcasters. Several current media figures got their start at WLTL, including Mike Murphy of WSCR, Dave Juday of WMVP-AM, and Phil LeBeau of CNBC.

Clubs and activities

LTHS offers over 100 activities and athletics including academic clubs, communication arts, performing arts, intramurals, leadership and service organizations. They include the following:^[11]

Performance groups

Service groups and initiatives

Fine arts groups

Academic organizations

Clubs and organizations

Throughout the year, students arrange multiple small events for the school as well as the community. Such events include the All School Assembly, Relay For Life events, Computer Drive, Secret Santa, Rockathon and various other student run events.

Notable alumni

• Jeff Adams, football player

• Salvatore Penachio, Stock Broker

• George Burditt, lawyer and politician
• Jimmy Dunne (songwriter), songwriter, TV and film composer, television writer/producer, screenwriter, music producer, columnist, publisher, business entrepreneur and artist
• Jake Elliott, NFL kicker for Philadelphia Eagles; made longest field goal by a rookie in NFL history on September 24, 2017
• David Hasselhoff, actor and singer, best known for television series Knight Rider, Baywatch, and America's Got Talent
• John Hattendorf, professor and historian specializing in maritime and naval history
• Michael Hitchcock, actor, writer, and producer
• Oren Koules, Producer of the SAW movie series, Producer of Two and A Half Men series, former owner Tampa Lightning NHL Team
• Jim Holvay,songwriter and musician^[12]
• Jeff Hornacek, professional basketball player, most notably Utah Jazz; now head coach of New York Knicks
• Ben R. Mottelson, nuclear physicist who shared 1975 Nobel Prize in Physics with James Rainwater and Aage Bohr for their model of nuclear structure
• Christine Radogno, Republican leader in Illinois State Senate, representing the 41st Senate District
• Matt Rehwoldt, professional wrestler who performs as "Aiden English"
• Lou Saban, former professional football player and coach
• Frederick Upton helped organize Upton Machine Company, early manufacturer of electric washing machines, forerunner to Whirlpool Corporation.
• Dave Wehrmeister, former MLB player (San Diego Padres, New York Yankees, Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago White Sox)
• Leona Woods, physicist who helped build first nuclear reactor and atomic bomb; At age 23, she was youngest and only female member of team that built and experimented with world's first nuclear reactor Chicago Pile-1.
• Ty Warner, CEO of Ty Inc. and inventor of Beanie Babies^[13]

References

External links

• Official website
• LTHS Alumni Forum Alumni Forum