The LaGrange High School Collection

1924-2002 (Bulk 1950-1990)

29.09 linear feet

Collection Number 99

Prepared by Patricia A. Threatt
August 2004
Revised September 2007

CITATION: The LaGrange High School Collection, No. 99, Box number, Folder number,
Archives and Special Collections Department, Frazar Memorial Library, McNeese State University.

Archives and Special Collections Department
Frazar Memorial Library
McNeese State University

Historical Sketch

In 1903, Mesant LaGrange donated one acre of land for the first LaGrange school, a one-room wooden building located two miles outside the city limits on South Street (now called Ryan Street). By 1913, the school outgrew the one-room building and LaGrange donated an additional nine acres of land for a four-room wooden school building. In 1929, the Calcasieu Parish School Board built a new high school building. Then, two weeks before graduation in 1931, a fire, believed to have been started in the chemical laboratory on the second floor, destroyed the building. Shortly after the fire, the school was rebuilt exactly as it was before the fire.

The school board opened the current LaGrange Senior High School on Louisiana Avenue on September 7, 1954. The old building on Ryan Street became LaGrange Junior High School until 1983. The Ryan Street building was demolished in 1989. In 1954, the new Louisiana Avenue building had a 1000-student capacity and included thirty classrooms, a commercial and manual arts department, a home economics facility, a stage room for speech activities, a workshop for LaGator (the school's newspaper), science labs, a photography dark room, practice rooms for band and vocal music, a cafeteria, a library, and a gymnasium.

In 1990, the school board refurbished and added new buildings to LaGrange Senior High School. The school now boasts a state-of-the-art science wing, an enclosed courtyard, improved athletic facilities, an auditorium, computer labs, and a new home economics department among other renovations.

Scope and Content Note

The LaGrange High School Collection contains donations from various students and faculty. The Collection consists of five series: Resumes, the school yearbook; LaGator, the school newspaper; Football game programs; Student activities; and the Gatorettes, the school’s marching troupe. The Resumes Series contains duplicate copies of some yearbooks and the LaGrange Junior High's Junior Resume. See the Archives Department's book collection for more copies of the yearbooks. The Student activities and Gatorettes series contain clippings, photographs, correspondence, ephemera, clothing, and scrapbooks.

Container List

Series I. Resumes [Yearbooks]

Box	Description
1	1956, 1965-1972, 1974, 1978, 1980, 1982, 1994; LaGrange Junior High Junior Resume – 1961, 1963

Series II. LaGator [Newspapers]

Box	Description
5	1948 - 1973
6	1974 - 1987
7	1985-1987

Series III. Football Game Programs

Box

Description

LaGrange vs. Orange, October 2, 1953 (cover only)
LaGrange vs. Bolton, October 4, 1957
LaGrange vs. Jennings, October 4, 1957
LaGrange vs. New Iberia, October 18, 1957
LaGrange vs. French High, November 8, 1957
LaGrange vs. Redemptorist, December 6, 1957 (2)
LaGrange vs. Istrouma December 20, 1957 (State AAA Championship)
LaGrange vs. Woodlawn, September 14, 1973
LaGrange program, 1990 (back cover only, shows coaching staff)
LaGrange vs. Washington-Marion, September 14, 1990
LaGrange vs. Barbe, October 25, 1991
LaGrange vs. Natchitoches Central, October 9, 1992

Series IV. Student Activities

Box	Folder	Description
9	1	Photograph of class of 1924
	2	Graduation: 1944, 1960, 1984-1987, 1991, 1996-1998, 2001-2002
	3	Minstrel Show program "Darktown Follies of '57" March 9, 1957
	4	Photo of eighth grade class trip from LaGrange Junior High School to New Orleans 1962-1963, Owen "Buddy" Bourque, teacher.
	5	1963-64 note to faculty from Jesse Verret, Principle, LaGrange Junior High School.
	6	The Key, Directory of Students published by the LaGrange Senior High Key Club 1966-67.
	7	Folio (literary journal) 1967-1974
	8	"Gators Are Tough" basketball pin, ca. 1975
	9	Newspaper clippings, 1976, 1991, 1994, 1997, 2000
	10	Class of 1967 reunion program 1987
	11	Owen "Buddy" Borque retirement letter, 1994. Retirement reception invitation for Jimmy Anderson, 2003.
	12	Class of 1946 reunion program 1996
10		Scrapbook belonging to Julia Price-Kent, 1967 graduate

Series V. Gatorettes [marching troupe]

Box	Folder	Description
11		1940-1960 Scrapbook containing photos and news articles
12		Bessie Mae Stanley’s Gatorette jacket, a photo of her wearing the jacket, and a scrapbook, 1949-1952
13		1959-1964 Scrapbook containing photos, news articles, and certificates from The March of Dimes and from the Muscular Dystrophy Association of America, Inc.
14		1964-1966 Scrapbook containing photos, news articles, and an Easter Seal Appeal certificate
15		1972-1979 Scrapbook containing photos, news articles, banquet program, and Lake Charles Veterans Day Parade, American Legion Auxiliary, and Lake Charles Armed Forces Committee certificates
16		1979-1980 Scrapbook containing photos, news articles, banquet programs, and Veterans Day Parade certificate of appreciation
17		1982-1983 Scrapbook containing photos, news articles, banquet programs, and certificates of appreciation for the Veterans Day Parade, 1980 and 1981
18		1983-1984 Scrapbook containing photos and news articles
19		1984-1985 Scrapbook containing photos, news articles, correspondence, and Mayor Paul Savoie's proclamation of "LaGrange Gatorettes Day," April 15, 1985
20		1985-1987 Scrapbook containing photos, news articles, graduation program, and Alma Mater
21		1989-1991 Scrapbook containing photos, news articles, banquet program (1990)
22	1	Individual portraits (probably 1990-1991 squad)
	2-6	Photos of Gatorette annual banquet
	7-8	Miscellaneous snapshots
	9	1990-1991 Gatorette group picture (6)
	10	1991-1992 Gatorette group picture
	11	Banquet program, 1990-1992

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