Lathrop High School

Lathrop High School is a public high school in Fairbanks in the U.S. state of Alaska, part of the Fairbanks North Star Borough School District. It is named for early Alaska businessman Austin E. "Cap" Lathrop. Lathrop serves the central part of the Fairbanks area, including downtown and the Fort Wainwright Army Post. With an enrollment of 1,047 as of October 1, 2014, it is Fairbanks's largest school. History Lathrop High School's roots are directly traced to Fairbanks High School, reflecting what for many years was the only public school in Fairbanks. Fairbanks formed an independent school district, a territorial-era device allowing for areas both inside and outside of incorporated cities to operate a combined school district for a community or region. As a result, Fairbanks experienced a period of rapid school construction during the 1950s. Construction activities began on the first stand-alone high school for Fairbanks in early 1954, on land which had been deeded by homesteader Paul Rickert to the City of Fairbanks upon his death in 1938. The cornerstone was laid in October 1954. The school was dedicated on November 13, 1955, with the first classes starting on December 5, 1955. Lathrop still awards an "F" to its lettermen (as opposed to an "L" for Lathrop) to represent its roots as the original "Fairbanks High School."