Gwen "Junior" Harwood Wedd

Gwenneth Harwood Wedd “Junior” was a 1970 graduate of Lawrence High School. In high school she was the Chesty Lion mascot, an officer in the Pep Club and a two-year participant in the band. She was also a member of the Leaders Club which was a club created during an era when women's sports were not available in high school. “Junior” graduated from the University of Kansas in 1974 with a BSE in Physical Education and a minor in Psychology. She continued pursuing and completing her master’s in special education at the University of Kansas. 

Twenty-four years after her graduation, in the fall of 1994, she returned to LHS as the Spirit Squad Director at Lawrence High School. She left the position upon retirement in 2018 but resumed the role when the school again needed her services as she just completed 28 total seasons as Spirit Squad Director. She’s not done yet! Nothing is more important to her than the spreading of the rich Chesty Lion traditions, school spirit and making sure students participate in their school and activities. In 1994, Junior and her coaching staff created the Annual Winter Sports ``Pack the House” to introduce winter sports with the goal being to include as many students and activities for a night of fun, school spirit, and giving back to the community. The event is still going strong.

Junior has led an excellent program, while, for many years, simultaneously working as an exceptional teacher, a member of the Building Leadership Team, and Student Council leader at Billy Mills (South) Middle School. Her husband Dirk was also a 1970 graduate of Lawrence High School. Investing in the Chesty Lion traditions was a family matter. Nothing has made Dirk and Junior prouder than their two children Shane Wedd, LHS class of 1996, and Lora Wedd Hardesty, LHS class of 1998 and their 6 grandchildren.