Arkansas City High School is a public high school in Arkansas City, Kansas, United States. It is operated by Arkansas City USD 470 school district. Similar to the nickname for the city, the high school is usually referred to as “Ark City”.
History
During the early days of many new communities, church buildings were used for multiple purposes until other facilities could be built. On June 4, 1880, the first Arkansas City High School graduating class had its commencement at the First United Methodist Church. The district rented space in a former boarding house owned by H. P. Farrar in the period 1888 to 1891 to use for high school classes. The building got the nickname "Bed Bug Hall" due to the discovery of the pests.Ferguson, Heather D. Arkansas City: People, Places, and Events. Arcadia Publishing, 2011. , 9780738560496. p. 110.
From September 7, 1892 to 1922, high school classes were held in what is now known as Old Arkansas City High School. In 1893 the principal was L. E. Eddy and there were a total of three faculty.Ferguson, Heather D. Arkansas City: People, Places, and Events. Arcadia Publishing, 2011. , 9780738560496. p. 112. Cowley Community College was established in 1922 as the Arkansas City Junior College and, for thirty years, its facilities were in the basement of the Old Arkansas City High School building, one of the oldest remaining buildings in Arkansas City. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as "Old Arkansas City High School" and is Cowley College's Ireland Hall.Cowley College History, Cowley Community College website
In 1922, students moved to a "new" high school.
Athletics The first athletic activities were a girls' basketball team organized by chemistry and physics teacher Roxana Oldroyd.Ferguson, Heather D. Arkansas City: People, Places, and Events. Arcadia Publishing, 2011. , 9780738560496. p. 113. In 1906 the boys' basketball team was created.Ferguson, Heather D. Arkansas City: People, Places, and Events. Arcadia Publishing, 2011. , 9780738560496. p. 114.
The tennis team and softball team have won several state championships. Arkansas City native Darren Daulton played fourteen seasons with the Philadelphia Phillies, in one of which they won the 1993 National League pennant, and three with the Florida Marlins, with whom he won the 1997 World Series. He was inducted into the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame in 2006. Quarterback Jack Mitchell was an All-American in 1948 and the MVP of the 1949 Sugar Bowl.
State championships
State Championships Season Sport Number of Championships YearFall Cross Country, Boys 2 1987, 1988 Golf, Girls 2 1994, 1995 Football 1 1979Winter Basketball, Boys 1 1918 Basketball, Girls 1 ^1914 Wrestling 21 1964, 1966, 1969, 1970, 1982, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2012, 2013, 2018Spring Baseball 2 2002, 2018 Golf, Boys 2 1962, 1995 Softball 4 1996, 2000, 2006, 2007 Tennis, Boys 3 1989, 1990, 1992 Tennis, Girls 2 1997, 2016 Track & Field, Boys 2 1932, 1988Total 42^No official KSHSAA records for girls basketball exist before 1973 https://www.kshsaachamps.org/StateChampions/History?i=38
Notable alumni Darren Daulton (1962–2017), baseball player for the Philadelphia Phillies and Florida Marlins Frank Davis (1905–1987), writer and poet Howard Engleman (1919–2011), college basketball player for University of Kansas from 1939 to 1941 Les Miller, former professional football player Jack Mitchell, former All-American quarterback for the Oklahoma Sooners and college coach Scott Taylor (born 1966), professional baseball player Louis Weller, pro football player Monroe Work (1866–1945), sociologist and historian
See also List of high schools in Kansas List of unified school districts in Kansas
References
External links Arkansas City High School