Wyandotte High School is a fully accredited public high school located in Kansas City, Kansas, United States. It serves students in grades 9 to 12 and operated by the Kansas City USD 500 school district. The building itself is a historic and notable public building, which was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1986. The school principal is Brian Guliford. The mascot is the Bulldog and the school colors are red and white.
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History
On March 28, 1985, the school building was designated as a Kansas City, Kansas Historic Landmark. It was registered in Historic Kansas Places on November 23, 1985, and placed in the National Register of Historic Places on April 30, 1986. Stephen King's Sometimes They Come Back was filmed at Wyandotte.
Extracurricular activities
The Bulldogs are classified as a 6A school, the largest classification in Kansas according to the Kansas State High School Activities Association. Wyandotte and J. C. Harmon High School are the only 6A schools in Kansas City USD 500 school district, and as such often finds themselves in postseason competition with schools from Lawrence, Olathe, Overland Park (Blue Valley School District) and Shawnee Mission. Throughout its history, Wyandotte has won over fifty state championships in various sports. Many graduates have gone on to participate in collegiate athletics.
Athletics
The Bulldogs are known nationwide for winning 20 state titles in basketball including a 1923 undefeated national championship season in which the Bulldogs beat Rockford, Illinois, by a score of 43–21. One of the nation's most successful high school basketball coaches, Walter Shublom led Wyandotte High School of Kansas City, Kansas to 10 state championships and three second-place finishes in his 14 seasons there from 1955 to 1969. Shublom posted a 296–26 record (.919 winning percentage) at Wyandotte, with his 1957 and 1965 teams finishing unbeaten and another five teams finishing with just one loss. He and Wyandotte High School share a spot in the Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Massachusetts, where they fall under the heading of high school dynasty. For ten straight seasons, from 1956 to 1965, Shublom's Bulldogs played in the state championship game. In seven of those years they were successful, including five straight years, 1957–1961. The basketball team also won a state championship in basketball in 1998.
In November 2006, the football team made a playoff appearance for the first time since 1987, but suffered a loss to St. Thomas Aquinas High School. Wyandotte's football teams have won the state championship six times, occurring in 1921 (9–0), 1923, 1932 (8-0-1 season), 1933 (9-0 co-champions), 1942 (10-0 season), and 1952 (9-0 season).
State championships
State football championships are not recognized by the KSHSAA prior to 1969. 1969 was the first year that the KSHSAA sponsored the football state championships. Adding the six state football titles would bring Wyandotte's total to 59.
Wyandotte Pup
In the early 1930s, students built a two-seat monoplane aircraft designed by Noel Hockaday. It was called the Wyandotte Pup. The design rights were bought by the Porterfield Aircraft Corporation and the aircraft entered production as the Porterfield Flyabout.
Notable alumni
Boots Adams, former president of Phillips Petroleum Company
Virginia Aderholdt, cryptanalyst and Japanese translator at Arlington Hall, who decrypted the intercepted Japanese surrender message, August 14, 1945.
Lucius Allen, former UCLA & NBA player, third pick of 1969 NBA draft
Edward Asner, actor, Elf, Up, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Lou Grant, won seven Primetime Emmy Awards, most of any male actor in history
Lyron Cobbins, former NFL and Notre Dame Fighting Irish All-American linebacker
Larry Comley, former NBA professional basketball player
Lucien Conein, intelligence officer for the Central Intelligence Agency
Donald C. Cubbison, US Army major general
Larry Drew, former head coach of the NBA Atlanta Hawks; former NBA player for multiple teams after playing in college for Missouri Tigers
Nolen Ellison, University of Kansas basketball star and pioneering community college educator
Ray Evans, former NFL player
Tyrone Garner, mayor of Kansas City, Kansas
Reggie Jones, former NFL player and NCAA track & Field relay champion
Steve Renko, former MLB player (Montreal Expos, Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, Oakland Athletics, Boston Red Sox, California Angels, Kansas City Royals)