Celebrating Austin High's 125 Years (published 2007) 125 Years (pp 1-24) | Page 17

Remembering ...
As you walk through Austin High School, you pass through many doorways. You visit
the gym, the band hall, the library, and the main office. And as you do so, you encoun-
ter some of Austin High's ties to the past.
It is entirely fitting that the main gymnasium at Austin High remembers Coach Roose-
velt Nivens. Coach Nivens was a big man, both in stature and in presence. He coached
the football linemen at Austin High from 1985 to 2004, when he retired. But we re-
member Coach Nivens for his inspiration. When he took the microphone at Austin
High, he'd greet us with a rousing "Hey, Hey, Austin High!" and everyone knew who
he was. He was a wonderful coach and an inspirational man. He was elected to the
school's Hall of Honor in 2006.
Jacquelyn McGee
Performing Arts Center
Jacquelyn McGee is remembered in the Performing Arts Center at
the east entrance of the school. Miss McGee was the school's first
principal at the Lakeside Campus, serving from 1975-1986. She was
the first female high school principal in the Austin schools. Under
her leadership, we earned one of the very first "Blue Ribbon School
Awards" in Texas in 1983. She was a great educational leader, in-
spiring the faculty to even greater performance than it had achieved
during the glory years at the Rio Grande Campus.
Nearby is our Little Theater, or "theater in the round", which was built with
the new school in 1975. It is an intimate, 176-seat venue, named in honor of
Theatre Arts director Larry Preas, who served Austin High from 1982 to
1992. He was a cutting-edge theater director, encouraging our Theatre Arts
group to attempt really significant works. And they always rose to the occa-
sion. Preas passed away in 1995.
Outside the theater at the east entrance of the building, we remem-
ber Jane Morton, '60, whose family donated the materials and labor
to create the "North Hill Park" after Janey died at a young age
while attending Harvard University.
"Janey Park" as it was called,
was dedicated in May 1985. Rock work, benches and over 200
native Texas trees and plants are included in the Janey Park area,
which stretches from the theater areas westward to the entrances to
the cafeteria.
15