photo by: Chris Conde

Liberty Memorial Central Middle School is pictured in September 2018.

It started out as Lawrence’s high school and a memorial to local young men who died in World War I. Now a middle school and one of Lawrence’s most iconic buildings, Liberty Memorial Central Middle School is set to celebrate its 100th anniversary next weekend.

The Nov. 12 anniversary celebration for the school at 1400 Massachusetts St. will be a large community celebration, said Emily Mulligan, a volunteer member of the 100th anniversary steering committee.

“We want people to know that everyone is invited to this event,” she said, and the committee is particularly interested in connecting with choir members from years past to perform at the event.

The ceremony will start at 2 p.m. in the school’s auditorium and will be followed by an open house until 5 p.m., during which people will be able to explore historical artifacts, tour the building, enjoy refreshments and socialize with members of the LMCMS community.

The school building has served Lawrence-area students since August 1923, first as a high school, then, beginning in 1954, as a junior high and more recently a middle school.

“We want everyone who has been involved with the school in any capacity to come to the event and celebrate the building,” Mulligan said.

A rededication ceremony of the World War I memorial will kick off the event at 2 p.m. Former LMCMS Principal Ted Juneau will emcee the program, and the school’s former choir directors Patricia Boyd and Kevin Hart will conduct the alumni choir, which will perform alongside the student-led Excalibur choir. Former LMCMS band teacher Johannah Cox is set to conduct a performance featuring the New Horizons band.

The open house, which Mulligan described as a trip down memory lane, will follow the musical performances.

“We will have memorabilia spanning 100 years,” she said, including an array of old yearbooks for people to look through.

photo by: Courtesy of Lawrence school district

A special logo that features a poppy flower, the traditional symbol of World War I remembrance, was designed to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Liberty Memorial Central Middle School building.

A special logo that features a poppy flower, the traditional symbol of World War I remembrance, was designed for the event.

Those interested in performing in the alumni choir can find more info here, while general event information can be found here.

The Lawrence Schools Foundation is accepting tax deductible donations for the anniversary celebration. On the donation page, input the donation amount and select “Liberty Memorial Building 100th Anniversary Celebration” from the dropdown menu. Any funds raised in excess of event expenses will go into the Opportunity Central Fund to support LMCMS students throughout the year.

If you wish to donate via mail, send checks made out to Lawrence Schools Foundation, 110 McDonald Drive, Lawrence, KS 66044. Include “Liberty Memorial Building 100th Anniversary Celebration” in the check memo.