History:

Waggener High School, home of the Waggener Wildcats, was established at 330 South Hubbards Lane as a junior high school in 1954 to help ease the overcrowding of schools in the east end of Louisville. Upon opening its doors, Waggener School served grades 7-9, adding grades 10-12 by 1957 to make it the first full junior high of its kind in Louisville, KY.

A beloved principal of Greathouse Elementary School for 31 years, this new school was named in honor of Mayme Sweet Waggener. Born February 3,1876, Mayme strongly believed that teenagers needed community activities and opened her school to such events such as musical concerts, dances, and carnivals. She firmly believed that parents should be active in their children’s education and helped form one of the first organized PTA’s in Jefferson County. She helped the PTA run the school cafeteria to be one of the first ones to offer hot school lunches. One student wrote these lines in poem to express her ideas on education:

“She taught readin’, writin’, and ‘rithmatic

Without the aid of a hickory stick.”

Mrs. Waggener passed away January 2,1953 before the school was completed but her family has been active supporters of the school named after their beloved mother. At the formal dedication of the school on October 26, 1954, Mayme’s son, Robert Waggener, presented the school with an oil painting of his mother by Frank J. Rubens which is currently displayed in the library.

Waggener School was a $1,000,000 construction designed by the architectural firm Harstern, Louis & Henry. It was touted as a modern building with many state of the art features. One of the greatest draws was the gymnasium that featured collapsible bleacher seating and a stage to be used for theatrical and musical performances. Even at the time of development, additions were already planned. The first addition expanded the back part of the building, adding the B wing and the back part of the first and second floor hallway. By 1958, the addition of the third floor made the building complete.

Waggener opened its doors on September 9, 1954 under the leadership of the first principal John Lowe. Ninth grade students wrote the alma mater and the fight song, as well as chose our school colors of red and gray (which were actually supposed to be pink and black). Sports and music programs were added, as well as publications such as The Lair (yearbook), Chit Chat (newspaper) and Introspect (literary magazine).

In the program to the dedication ceremony, Waggener’s philosophy is presented as such, and still follows the school’s mission today:

“We here at Waggener are striving to build, organize and administer a program of education that will be flexible enough to meet the individual needs of every student. We feel the curriculum is of such offering that it provides a well-rounded course of study for all concerned. We are attempting to develop in each student skills that will help them develop independent thought which will direct their actions toward acceptable goals. After spending a few years in this environment under well qualified teachers and in a physical plant that has all the modern advantages for instruction, we hope they will be able to choose a vocation wisely, be able to contribute toward the social, intellectual moral and economic progress in the communities in which they choose to live, and that they will achieve satisfaction and happiness for themselves.”

Although no new structures have popped up on campus, Waggener has been renovated to meet the needs of 21st century learners as well as adding extra safety features to keep the building secure. Waggener High School now is divided into three Academies (learning communities that are similar to “majors” in college). The latest renovations, which were completed in 2020, used our academies as a focus to restructure how we use our building and accommodate the needs of each academy.

Freshman Academy: The front half of the first floor was initially the junior high and now is the home of our nationally accredited Freshman Academy. This allows all freshmen to have their core content classes, their counselor and assistant principal to be in one area, creating a sense of community necessary for success in high school.

Health Science Academy: The area that once was an audio-visual room in the A wing now houses our allied health facilities for our Health Sciences Academy, where our students gain knowledge and experiences to prepare them for careers in the healthcare industry. The building in the courtyard that once housed the band and orchestra programs has been rebuilt for the sports medicine program.

Information Technology and Law Academy: Some multipurpose rooms at the end of the first floor now contain a courtroom for our Law Academy students. Some outdated labs on the third floor were repurposed for our Information Technology Academy students including a state of the art Mac lab.

The Arts Programs: An area that previously held a small culinary program now holds a spacious art room and digital technology center. A “Head Start” room and former architecture space were converted into facilities for our music programs with private practice/recording rooms for our band, orchestra and choir students. The courtyard now boasts circular seating for outdoor classes.

Athletic Improvements: Waggener High School’s campus has two gymnasiums, both with new floors and sound systems in the past five years. The running track around the football field, which was completed in 2017, is the best in the state of Kentucky and has all the equipment for track and field events. A new entrance was constructed around the football field, as well as an Alumni Association sponsored memorial honoring Waggener veterans dedicated on Memorial Day 2018.

Despite the changes to the physical buildings, one thing remains the same...that 330 South Hubbards Lane is a smaller, tight knit school with a big heart. Staff members have always gone out of their way to keep Mayme Waggener’s ideals in the foreground: to embrace the whole student and their family in a well-rounded education. Students are treated with respect and as individuals. Just as it says in the mission statement: “Making all students college and career ready one Wildcat at a time.”

Research gathered through archived materials found