Libbey High School

Libbey High School
"There's More To Being A Cowboy Than Just Wearing Boots"
Address
1250 Edward Drummond Libbey Way Toledo, Ohio, (Lucas County) 43609 United States
Coordinates	41°38′8″N 83°34′17″W / 41.63556°N 83.57139°W / 41.63556; -83.57139Coordinates: 41°38′8″N 83°34′17″W / 41.63556°N 83.57139°W / 41.63556; -83.57139
Information
Type	Public, Coeducational high school
Established	1923
Closed	2010
School district	Toledo City School District
Superintendent	Dr. Jerome Pecko[1]
Grades	9-12
Color(s)	Blue & Gold[1]
Athletics conference	Toledo City League[1]
Team name	Cowboys[1]
Accreditation	North Central Association of Colleges and Schools[2]
Website	www.tps.org

Edward Drummond Libbey High School was a public high school building located on the south side of Toledo, Ohio which held classes from 1923 until 2010. It is part of Toledo Public Schools and contained the Smart Academy and Humanities Academy. Libbey was named after Edward Drummond Libbey, the founder of the Toledo Art Museum and Libbey Glass. David L. Stine was the building's architect.^[3]

The Libbey Cowboys were founding members of the Toledo City League from 1926 until the school closed. Their colors were royal blue and gold. The Cowboys were most famous for their boys basketball teams and had a strong basketball rivalry with Scott High School in Toledo. Prior to the Shoe Bowl championship for the City League football title, Libbey had an annual Thanksgiving Day football game with Woodward High School from 1923-1932,^[4] and with DeVilbiss High School^[5] from 1933-1963.

Fate of Libbey

Libbey High School had been rumored to be potentially closing since the 1980s, but was recommended to stay open by the school district each time the issue was brought up. In 1991, TPS decided to close two high schools that were to be chosen from a list of Libbey, DeVilbiss and Macomber-Whitney high schools.^[6] Libbey was spared while DeVilbiss and Macomber-Whitney were shuttered.

In April 2009, Libbey High School’s Student Council President had strong words for administrators and school board members with regard to saving their school. The proposal to eventually send some Libbey neighborhood students to Scott, Bowsher, and Waite high schools is "segregation of different populations and is racist", they claimed. Libbey always had been the "unwanted stepchild" of Toledo Public Schools and 'their positive news is always overshadowed by the negative", students added. Libbey was left open for the 2009-10 school year, but the issue of closing the school was brought up again in March 2010. After a failed levy early in May, Toledo Public Schools ultimately voted 3-2 in favor of closing school at the end of the 2009-10 school year. The final class of 2010 graduated on June 3 in the fieldhouse. All remaining Libbey students were divided geographically, between Scott, Bowsher, Waite and especially Rossford and Central Catholic High Schools.

On July 15, 2011 Libbey High School was vetted by the Ohio Historic Site Preservation Board for nomination to the National Register of Historic Places.^[7]

On August 15, 2011 two large dumpsters were placed (one at the south entrance and one at the east entrance) of the Career Center. These were to be used in the asbestos abatement of Libbey High School. On August 24, 2011 large poles were driven into the ground and concrete surrounding the buildings and parking lots. On August 25, 2011 chain-link fence was strung from these posts to keep the public away from the areas were asbestos would be removed. This link shows the beginning of the process of the demolition of Libbey High School, Toledo, Ohio.^[8] The demolition of the building began on January 9, 2012.

Organizations and clubs

Ohio High School Athletic Association State Championships

• Boys Golf - 1935, 1939^[9]
• Boys Track and Field – 1972^[9]
• Girls Basketball - 1981^[9]

Toledo City League Championships

• Baseball:
• Boys Basketball: 1930-31, 1939-40*, 1940–41, 1954–55, 1965–66, 1968–69, 1969–70, 1999-00, 2006–07, 2007–08
• Boys Cross Country: 1959, 1960, 1961, 1966, 1967
• Girls Cross Country:
• Football: 1928*, 1929*, 1930*, 1931, 1941, 1942, 1944*, 1946, 1947*, 1949*, 1951*, 1952*
• Golf:
• Boys Track & Field:
• Girls Track & Field:
• Volleyball:

(years marked with an asterisk (*) denote a shared title)

Notable alumni

• Don Bennett (1928): Won the 100 and 220 at the 1928 National Interscholastic Championships, the latter in national record time (21.1). Ran in the 1928 and 1932 Olympic Trials, twice college All-American, won three Big Ten titles.^[10]
• William Buford (2008): basketball player for Ohio State University.
• D. Michael Collins, Mayor of Toledo
• Jack Hallett, Former MLB player (Chicago White Sox, Pittsburgh Pirates, New York Giants)
• Tony Momsen (1945): football player for the Pittsburgh Steelers and Washington Redskins of the NFL and for the Calgary Stampeders of the CFL. Played college ball for the University of Michigan, where he scored the winning touchdown in the 1950 Snow Bowl.
• Bob Snyder (1932): played football for Ohio University and in the NFL for the Pittsburgh Americans, Cleveland Rams, and Chicago Bears, winning NFL titles in 1938, 1939, and 1941. He later became a head coach in the NFL and NCAA.
• Chet Trail (1962), baseball player and clergyman^[11]

Notes and references

External links

• Libbey High School Alumni, Inc.
• District Website
• Libbey's Myspace Link
• Libbey High to be closed to save money, board rules in 3-2 vote, Toledo Blade 26 May, 2010
• Three sites to get Libbey students, Toledo Blade 27 May, 2010
• Libbey exterior pictures

Toledo City League
Current Members	Bowsher Rebels Rogers Rams Scott Bulldogs Start Spartans Waite Indians Woodward Polar Bears
Closed	DeVilbiss Tigers Libbey Cowboys Macomber Macmen-Whitney Lady Macs McAuley Lions
Former Members	Cardinal Stritch Cardinals Central Catholic Fighting Irish Clay Eagles Notre Dame Eagles St. Francis de Sales Knights St. John's Jesuit Titans St. Ursula Arrows Whitmer Panthers