Brian W. Schenk Archives, Stephen F. Austin High School

The Brian W. Schenk Archive at Stephen F. Austin High School is located inside the library of the current campus, the Lakeside Campus, in Austin, Texas 78703. The Lakeside Campus is nestled along the Colorado River just west of downtown and is the 7th location of the Austin High School. This archive seeks to preserve and celebrate the rich history of the Austin High School, from its beginning in 1881 to the present. The archive began as a passion project of the beloved Social Studies teacher Brian Schenk. The school moved to the current location in 1975. Soon after, a monumental effort to collect, store, and preserve documents and memorabilia from the previous campuses yielded a wonderful and unique collection that continues to grow today. The items housed in the archive provide material for alumni to reminisce over, for current students to learn about past generations and eras, and for community members and prospective students to discover and embrace the cultures of Austin High.

The Brian W. Schenk Archive is delighted to join The Portal to Texas History and share some of our earliest documents with the public. As arguably the oldest continuously operated tax-supported public school around, Austin High history is tightly knit with Austin and Texas history. We rely on the kind donations of items and financial support from our community of alumni and their descendants.

We express gratitude to Mr. Schenk for his vision, the dedicated library staff and archive volunteers who have worked to support the mission of the archive, and the principals of Austin High who have worked to maintain excellence in our campus and its people over the years.