Namesake

From high school valedictorian and star athlete to teacher, coach and administrator, Carl Wanke has always been the leader of the pack.

Now as namesake of Carl Wanke Elementary School, he'll serve as a role model for the Wanke Wolves for years to come.

Wanke graduated from Edgewood High School in 1955, and went on to St. Mary's University, where he played both basketball and baseball and earned his bachelor'8s degree. He later was inducted into the St. Mary's Athletic Hall of Fame for both basketball and baseball.

Wanke began his 30-year career in education 1959 as a teacher and coach at Northside High School, later renamed Marshall High School. After teaching social studies at Rayburn Middle School and earning a master's degree in education from Our Lady of the Lake University, Wanke went on to serve as assistant principal at Jay and Holmes high schools and as principal at Jones Middle School and Marshall High School.

During this time, Wanke also belonged to the Southwest Basketball Officials Association and served as an executive board member from 1967-1975.

His fairness, straightforward nature and ability to push students to reach their full potential propelled him to central office where he became Northside's first director of pupil personnel in 1979, and then executive director for secondary administration in 1990.

As a central office administrator, Wanke worked tirelessly to ensure all campuses were safe for students and staff. He developed anti-vandalism programs as well as "Positively Northside" a curriculum to teach students about the District's discipline policies. He also implemented Northside's "No Nonsense" discipline policy to rid schools and campus activities of weapons, fights, drugs and alcohol.

Wanke retired in 1993 but continues to sponsor youth activities and maintains membership in the National Congress of Parent-Teacher Association, Phi Delta Kappa Educational Fraternity and St. Mary's University Booster Club. He and his wife Jane have a combined family of five children, nine grandchildren and one great-grandson.