Praes Theater is at Stephen F. Austin High School. Stephen F. Austin High School, founded in 1881, is the oldest public high school West of the Mississippi River. The current campus is located near downtown Austin along the Colorado River. The school, originally known simply as Austin High School, was renamed in 1953 after Stephen F. Austin, known as the “Father of Texas.” Austin High School is one of eleven high schools in the Austin Independent School District.