History :::
In the 1950s, girls’ skirts had to touch the floor when they kneeled, otherwise they were sent home. While this tradition fell by the wayside at Lyons Township High School, others have withstood more than one century.
Since Lyons Township High School opened its doors to 39 students in September of 1888, Vita Plena, the quest for the fulfilling life, has been our focus. The desire to help our students succeed in that quest is evident in our mission statement: Drawing from its long tradition and reputation for excellence, Lyons Township High School continues its commitment to making dedicated teaching and meaningful learning its highest priority. LTHS pledges to provide a comprehensive curriculum and co-curricular options that foster the full intellectual, physical, moral, and aesthetic growth of each student... Our graduates have built upon this educational foundation to excel in their adult lives. They include Emmy award-winning ABC News Correspondent John McWethy, Nobel Peace Prize Physicist Ben Mottelson, NBA guard Jeff Hornacek, and the only female nuclear physicist who worked on the Manhattan Project, Dr. Leona Marshall Libby. These LTHS Hall of Fame inductees are only four of our 65,000 graduates who have collectively built the reputation and expectation of excellence at LTHS. This expectation of excellence stems from a long-standing LTHS family tradition that calls upon each family member, including students, alumni, parents, staff, and community members, to take a role in helping students achieve their goals.
Seven years after its establishment, LTHS was accredited by the North Central Association and named one of the top 44 college prep schools in the nation. The 1920s brought two additions to our original building to accommodate enrollment increases, our first Homecoming in 1925, and intramural sports, including women’s basketball, a ground-breaking program at the time. As the prairie gave way to development and the surrounding community expanded, LTHS grew with it, playing host to 1,500 students during its 50th year, 1938. As the enrollment topped 2,000 in the early 1950s and the seven additions to the North Campus building could not accommodate projected growth, South Campus was established in 1956, beginning the present two-campus system. The 50’s also saw the emergence of The Corral as a major social force attracting both upper and lower classmen to a wide range of activities. As the country reeled from social changes in the 60’s, LTHS continued its academic prowess with 36 National Merit Finalists in 1966. By 1968, 80 years after our humble beginning, LTHS enrolled 4,871 students and was recognized as one of Illinois’ most quality-conscious schools. While the 70’s brought LTHS national prominence in academic endeavors and a record-setting enrollment of 5,200, the 80’s saw art, music, theatre, language, journalism, and physical education programs burst into the national spotlight. In the 90’s, LTHS saw the re-emergence of The Corral as a student and community meeting place, a multi-million dollar facilities renovation, a school-wide technology plan implementation, an enormous increase in student co-curricular involvement, and a principal-initiated quest to become “the friendliest school in the nation.” As the 90’s drew to a close, LTHS was serving more than 3,200 students from 11 villages, with 86% of our graduating seniors entering post-secondary institutions each year. As LTHS approaches its 120th birthday, our strengths continue to span far and wide.