Celebrating Austin High's 125 Years (published 2007) 125 Years (pp 1-24) | Page 22

Our School Attic - The Archives
Things just accumulated during the first 100 years of Austin High's history. We collected copies of the Comet yearbooks, first is-
sued in December 1897. And some wise person decided to bind yearly sets of the school newspaper, the "Austin Maroon", founded
in 1928.
There were some old photographs in the Library's vertical file. Principals collected graduation announcements in a file. There were
dozens of framed graduation photos from Goldbeck Company, which had taken the photos since the late 1940s. The Red Jacket ad-
visor began to make slide shows and reel-to-reel videotapes. There were a few letter jackets and old band uniforms and even some
PTSA Scrapbooks from the 30s and 40s.
These items were ties to the past. As the Centennial approached in 1980-1981, student groups planned various events. The Publica-
tions Department decided to print a special edition of the yearbook as a "Centennial Yearbook".
Librarian Kay Pinckney Braziel, AHS '56, and teacher
Brian Schenk made a decision to set aside an area of the
school's "magazine room" in the library as the "Austin
High Archives". One row of the magazine room, measur-
ing 18 feet by 6 feet, with two facing sets of shelves, were
sealed off from the rest of the room. The area was offi-
cially opened during the Centennial observance on May 2,
1981.
Kay Braziel
Brian Schenk
All of the Comets, all of the" The Maroons", all of the Senior pic-
tures, all of the organization scrapbooks, all of the Student Council
and Hall of Honor Student Steering Committee records, and count-
less spirit objects were organized, and a catalog was begun on an
Apple lIe computer with a 256k memory using 5 v.." floppies.
As the years passed, the Archives was expanded twice, tripling the areas for stored
items. Now there are 140-framed items in the school "Art and Photo Collection". We
have two file cabinets bulging with paper and photo memories. We have 200 scrap-
books. We have more than 200 videotapes and DVDs.
There is the permanent Comet collection and surplus Comets back to 1920 that are for
sale. Pennants, banners, buttons, jewelry, medals won by students, diplomas, drinking
glasses, cups, paper goods with the AHS logos, trophies, uniforms, letter jackets, ninety
different AHS tee-shirts ... the list goes on and on.
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