This week, I got an email from Lake Highlands High School graduate Chris Darwin sharing the story of how the LHHS school song was written. I met Chris, who still lives in LH, at the Corsicana IHOP after a Wildcats football playoff game. It was late and the place was full of folks wearing black and red still charged up wanting to talk about the game.
Chris’ email said he has a friend in his Sunday School class at Park Cities Baptist, Brent Barnard, who casually mentioned that his mom had written the LH Alma Mater. When Chris told him that made his mom LH Royalty, Brent agreed to send him a copy of the article from the school newspaper The Fang with proof. Here’s the content of that 1968 article:
In 1960, Margaret Johnson, a seventh grader at Lake Highlands Junior High, wrote her own words to the old Welsh folk song, “All Through the Night.” She entered them in a contest open to all Lake Highlands students, the eldest of them being freshmen.
Margaret’s verse was chosen by Mr. A. M. Anderson, Mr. Howard Dunn, Coach Bill Georges, and Mrs. Gail Williams as the Wildcat alma mater. The following year, band director Howard Dunn wrote the musical arrangement which is still played today at the request of LH students.
Since the words were written eight years ago, Lake Highlands has grown and progressed. In almost every field Lake Highlanders have made a proud showing for their school, winning many outstanding honors and awards.
The familiar words of the alma mater have accompanied the students in their efforts to fill the Wildcat trophy cases and record books. In the bitterness of defeat, in anxiety, and in deep sorrow, the alma mater has been the song in the air.
ALMA MATER Hail Lake Highlands, We salute thee, All through the years; To thy colors, Red and White We sing our cheers. To our school and those who serve it We shall pledge our full allegiance; Hail Lake Highlands, We salute thee, All through the years.
