First Facts
| Original Building: |
Dedicated November 3, 1917, as North High School. |
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Employed 17 teachers.
Grades 1-8 were located on first floor.
Grades 9-10 were located on 2nd floor.
Grades 11-12 had to attend Central High School. |
Name: The school name was changed to "Lafayette High School" on December 10, 1917. It was named in honor of Marquis de Lafayette, a friend of America during the Revolutionary War.
Colors: Students chose the colors of bright green and steel gray in 1919. They chose the "shamrock" as the school emblem.
Mascot: The "Fighting Irish" nickname was given to Lafayette in 1919-1920 for Coach D.H. Murphy, a favorite coach of Irish descent.
First graduating class: 1920: 23 seniors. This was the first time in the three years since Lafayette opened that all four classes (9-12) were in the same building.
First Yearbook: 1920: Entitled The Oak as a symbol of strength.
First Football Game: Lafayette vs. Benton, Oct. 1, 1921. (Saturday afternoon game, since there were no lights on the football field.)
First Basketball Game: Lafayette vs. Dearborn, 1917. Lafayette won the game, 32-21.
Lafayette had losing basketball seasons in 1917-1919. However, in 1920, in spite of a coal shortage which closed schools for six weeks, the Lafayette basketball team had their first winning season, 13-3.