Forty years ago, McCallum High School was opened as a result of a split in the Austin Public School System due to overcrowding. The school was located to serve the North Austin area of the time.
Named after Arthur Newell McCallum, superintendent of schools from 1903 to 1942, the physical plant was dedicated September 27, 1953. It was described in the program as “a 41-classroom building, simple in exterior design, but completely modern in terms of educational facilities provided within.”
The school site contained 34.5 acres, was built at a cost of $1,376,999 and opened to an enrollment of 1350 students in grades 8 through 12.
In 1984 an extensive remodeling was conducted which resulted in the appearance and arrangement of the campus today.
The traditions of the school, chosen by the first seniors, reflect the Scottish origin of the name McCallum. They chose the colors of blue and grey because they are found in the original plaid of the Macallum(sic) clan. The original cheerleader uniform included a plaid skirt modeled after the original plaid of Princess Elizabeth’s pattern.
The Shield, the school newspaper name, was chosen because it is the armor of a Scotsman. The first yearbook staff chose the title The Knight as the book’s official name after the football team of 1953 had chosen the knight, the protector of the shield of honor, as its mascot. The Shield motto selected was “Deus Refugium Nostrum,” which means “God is our refuge.”
The Blue Brigade takes its title from the Scottish tradition of performing groups. The Lairds were originally a male service club that supported the football team but has become an attendant group for the drill team.
Some traditions have disappeared or have been altered. The cheerleaders no longer wear the blue and grey plaid of the clan. Also, the Home Economics Department’s crowning of a “Lady Perth,” an honors award to the most outstanding student, no longer exists. The title was chosen from the heroine of a Sir Walter Scott novel.
The annual “Hoot Mon” week, a friendship week in which representatives from each class were chosen as “Most Friendly,” no longer occurs. “Hoot Mon” means “Hi, man,” in Scottish. There was an attempt to revive it in the early 90s, but it didn’t catch on.
The dedication of the program said “The school is named for the late A.N.McCallum, who gave long and devoted service to the youth of this community.” His wife Jane Yelvington McCallum was a city leader in her own right. She assumed a leadership position in the state women’s suffrage movement. After women received the right to vote in 1920, she helped to form the “Petticoat Lobby” and worked successfully for human service reform.
In 1926 she was appointed Secretary of State by Governor Dan Moody, whose election she supported. She also served Governor Ross Sterling in the same office. During her first term she found the original copy of the Texas Declaration of Independence in a basement vault and had it restored.
Jane McCallum continued her work after her husband’s death. The McCallum House, which she designed and contracted, is located at 613 E. 32nd St. It is an Austin landmark and received a Texas Historical Marker in 1991.
Today, the house is a bed and breakfast and is owned by Roger and Nancy Danley who reside there. The original home has been renovated and furnished with antiques. They have a selection of rooms that can be rented out.
The prestige and leadership of the McCallums has set the standard for McCallum High School. Just as the student body of 1953 established the traditions of the school, the students have shaped the school, voicing their opinions about school issues and improving it with activities.
This article was published in The Shield on Nov.5, 1993.
