W. H. Adamson High School
Encyclopedia
William Hardin Adamson High School, formerly Oak Cliff High School, is a public secondary school
located in the Oak Cliff
area of Dallas
, Texas
(USA). Adamson High School enrolls students in grades 9
-12
and is a part of the Dallas Independent School District
.
In 1891 William Hardin Adamson was named superintendent and Oak Cliff Central School operated at that location until a new building was constructed to house the high school in 1915 at the corner of Ninth and Beckley. The old building was then operated as an elementary school until 1926 when it was torn down and the students assigned to John H. Reagan and James Bowie schools and later to the new Ruthmeade School (now John F. Peeler). 201 East Ninth Street has been the site of a Dallas’ high school facility since 1915.
The school is named for William Hardin Adamson, who became superintendent of the Oak Cliff School District shortly after moving to Oak Cliff in 1901. The school district later was annexed by the Dallas Independent School District, and when Oak Cliff High School was constructed, Adamson was named principal of the new school. He served as principal until 1934 and died a year later on 26 May 1935 at age 71. A week later, the school system renamed the school after Adamson.
Adamson High School was one of six high schools in Dallas in the 1930s and 1940s; the only other high school in Oak Cliff was Sunset High School
, which was located about 19 blocks from Adamson High.
The location of Adamson High School is just four blocks from the Texas Theater where Lee Harvey Oswald
, the accused assassin of President John F. Kennedy
, was captured.
The 1924 Oak Cliff High School football team won the state championship, one of only two DISD high schools to win a state football title (Sunset, in 1950 with the now-discontinued "City" championship, is the other).Carter High School
was forced to forfeit its 1988 Class AAAAA title.
Around 2009 DISD planned to raze Adamson. Some Adamson alumni created a movement to have Adamson declared a Dallas landmark so that the district will be unable to raze the existing campus. DISD is acquiring other property so it can build the new Adamson.
On June 8, 2011, W. H. Adamson High School was granted historical status by the Dallas City Council.
The ethnic makeup of the school is 94% Hispanic American, 4% Afro-American, 2% White American
, non-Hispanic, less than 1% Asian American
/Pacific Islander American
, and less than 1% American Indian
/Alaskan Native
.
The average class sizes at Adamson are 24 students for English, 25 for foreign language
, 23 for math, 26 for science
, and 27 for social studies
.
Teachers at the school carry, on average, 13 years of teaching experience and 7% of the teachers on staff are first-year teachers.
(TAKS) test.
Felix Botello, James Bowie, James S. Hogg, John F. Peeler, and John H. Reagan Elementary Schools will all feed into Garcia Middle School, and ultimately into Adamson High School.
Felix Botello, James S. Hogg, John F. Peeler, and John H. Reagan Elementary Schools all feed into Greiner Middle School, and ultimately into Adamson High School.
James Bowie Elementary School feeds into Storey Middle School, and ultimately into Adamson High School.
Secondary school
Secondary school is a term used to describe an educational institution where the final stage of schooling, known as secondary education and usually compulsory up to a specified age, takes place...
located in the Oak Cliff
Oak Cliff
Oak Cliff is a community in Dallas, Texas, United States that was formerly a separate town located in Dallas County; Dallas annexed Oak Cliff in 1903...
area of Dallas
Dallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
(USA). Adamson High School enrolls students in grades 9
Ninth grade
Ninth grade is the ninth post-kindergarten year of school education in some school systems. The students are 13 to 15 years of age, depending on when their birthday occurs. Depending on the school district, ninth grade is usually the first year of high school....
-12
Twelfth grade
Twelfth grade or Senior year, or Grade Twelve, are the North American names for the final year of secondary school. In most countries students then graduate at age 17 or 18. In some countries, there is a thirteenth grade, while other countries do not have a 12th grade/year at all...
and is a part of the Dallas Independent School District
Dallas Independent School District
The Dallas Independent School District is a school district based in Dallas, Texas . Dallas ISD, which operates schools in much of Dallas County, is the second largest school district in Texas and the twelfth largest in the United States.In 2009, the school district was rated "academically...
.
History
In 1891 the newly-incorporated Town of Oak Cliff voted to seek bids on a school building. The newspaper reported: “Resolved by the city council of Oak Cliff that the mayor be instructed to advertise for plans for a modern three-story brick school building with brick cross walls [sic] to be erected at Oak Cliff, Texas, to contain twelve rooms for school purposes and the cost of said building, complete, not to exceed the sum of $22,000,…” The cornerstone was laid at the corner of Patton and Tenth streets for the school in September, 1892 under the auspices of the Masonic grand lodge of Texas.In 1891 William Hardin Adamson was named superintendent and Oak Cliff Central School operated at that location until a new building was constructed to house the high school in 1915 at the corner of Ninth and Beckley. The old building was then operated as an elementary school until 1926 when it was torn down and the students assigned to John H. Reagan and James Bowie schools and later to the new Ruthmeade School (now John F. Peeler). 201 East Ninth Street has been the site of a Dallas’ high school facility since 1915.
The school is named for William Hardin Adamson, who became superintendent of the Oak Cliff School District shortly after moving to Oak Cliff in 1901. The school district later was annexed by the Dallas Independent School District, and when Oak Cliff High School was constructed, Adamson was named principal of the new school. He served as principal until 1934 and died a year later on 26 May 1935 at age 71. A week later, the school system renamed the school after Adamson.
Adamson High School was one of six high schools in Dallas in the 1930s and 1940s; the only other high school in Oak Cliff was Sunset High School
Sunset High School (Dallas)
Sunset High School is a public secondary school located in the North Oak Cliff area of Dallas, Texas . The school enrolls students in grades 9-12 and is a part of the Dallas Independent School District. Opened in 1925, Sunset was the second high school in the Oak Cliff area, preceded only by...
, which was located about 19 blocks from Adamson High.
The location of Adamson High School is just four blocks from the Texas Theater where Lee Harvey Oswald
Lee Harvey Oswald
Lee Harvey Oswald was, according to four government investigations,These were investigations by: the Federal Bureau of Investigation , the Warren Commission , the House Select Committee on Assassinations , and the Dallas Police Department. the sniper who assassinated John F...
, the accused assassin of President John F. Kennedy
John F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
, was captured.
The 1924 Oak Cliff High School football team won the state championship, one of only two DISD high schools to win a state football title (Sunset, in 1950 with the now-discontinued "City" championship, is the other).Carter High School
David W. Carter High School
David Wendel Carter High School is a public school located in the Oak Cliff area of Dallas, Texas . David W. Carter High School, which covers grades 9-12, is a part of the Dallas Independent School District....
was forced to forfeit its 1988 Class AAAAA title.
Around 2009 DISD planned to raze Adamson. Some Adamson alumni created a movement to have Adamson declared a Dallas landmark so that the district will be unable to raze the existing campus. DISD is acquiring other property so it can build the new Adamson.
On June 8, 2011, W. H. Adamson High School was granted historical status by the Dallas City Council.
Statistics
The attendance rate for students at the school is 93%, compared with a state average of 96%. 81% of the students at Adamson are economically disadvantaged, 7% enroll in special education, 6% enroll in gifted and talent programs, and 30% are considered "limited English proficient."The ethnic makeup of the school is 94% Hispanic American, 4% Afro-American, 2% White American
White American
White Americans are people of the United States who are considered or consider themselves White. The United States Census Bureau defines White people as those "having origins in any of the original peoples of Europe, the Middle East, or North Africa...
, non-Hispanic, less than 1% Asian American
Asian American
Asian Americans are Americans of Asian descent. The U.S. Census Bureau definition of Asians as "Asian” refers to a person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, or the Indian subcontinent, including, for example, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan,...
/Pacific Islander American
Pacific Islander American
Pacific Islander Americans, also known as Oceanian Americans, are residents of the United States with original ancestry from Oceania. They represent the smallest racial group counted in the United States census of 2000. They numbered 874,000 people or 0.3 percent of the United States population...
, and less than 1% American Indian
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
/Alaskan Native
Alaska Natives
Alaska Natives are the indigenous peoples of Alaska. They include: Aleut, Inuit, Tlingit, Haida, Tsimshian, Eyak, and a number of Northern Athabaskan cultures.-History:In 1912 the Alaska Native Brotherhood was founded...
.
The average class sizes at Adamson are 24 students for English, 25 for foreign language
Foreign language
A foreign language is a language indigenous to another country. It is also a language not spoken in the native country of the person referred to, i.e. an English speaker living in Japan can say that Japanese is a foreign language to him or her...
, 23 for math, 26 for science
Science
Science is a systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe...
, and 27 for social studies
Social studies
Social studies is the "integrated study of the social sciences and humanities to promote civic competence," as defined by the American National Council for the Social Studies...
.
Teachers at the school carry, on average, 13 years of teaching experience and 7% of the teachers on staff are first-year teachers.
Test Scores
Below is a list of percentages that represent the percent of students meeting or exceeding standards on the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and SkillsTexas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills
The Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills is a standardized test used in Texas primary and secondary schools to assess students' attainment of reading, writing, math, science, and social studies skills required under Texas education standards. It is developed and scored by Pearson Educational...
(TAKS) test.
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2007–2008
Starting at the beginning of the 2007–2008 school year, only Hector Garcia Middle School will feed into Adamson High School.Felix Botello, James Bowie, James S. Hogg, John F. Peeler, and John H. Reagan Elementary Schools will all feed into Garcia Middle School, and ultimately into Adamson High School.
2006–2007
Until the end of the 2006–2007 school year, W. E. Greiner and Boude Storey Middle Schools feed into Adamson.Felix Botello, James S. Hogg, John F. Peeler, and John H. Reagan Elementary Schools all feed into Greiner Middle School, and ultimately into Adamson High School.
James Bowie Elementary School feeds into Storey Middle School, and ultimately into Adamson High School.
Notable alumni
- Charles P. CabellCharles P. CabellCharles Pearre Cabell was an United States Air Force General and deputy director of the Central Intelligence Agency.-Early life:...
- U.S. Air ForceUnited States Air ForceThe United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
four-star general and deputy director of the Central Intelligence AgencyDeputy Director of the Central Intelligence AgencyThe Deputy Director of the Central Intelligence Agency is a senior United States government official in the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency...
(1953–1963) - Leonora Corona - operaOperaOpera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
singer - Tom Chandler - head coach of baseball for Texas A&M UniversityTexas A&M UniversityTexas A&M University is a coeducational public research university located in College Station, Texas . It is the flagship institution of the Texas A&M University System. The sixth-largest university in the United States, A&M's enrollment for Fall 2011 was over 50,000 for the first time in school...
from 1959–1984 - Yvonne CraigYvonne CraigYvonne Joyce Craig is an American actress best known for her role as Batgirl from the 1960s TV series Batman, and as the Orion Marta in the Star Trek: The Original Series episode “Whom Gods Destroy”.-Early life and career:...
- BatgirlBatgirlBatgirl is the name of several fictional characters appearing in comic books published by DC Comics, frequently depicted as female counterparts to the superhero Batman...
from the 1960s TV series BatmanBatman (TV series)Batman is an American television series, based on the DC comic book character of the same name. It stars Adam West as Batman and Burt Ward as Robin — two crime-fighting heroes who defend Gotham City. It aired on the American Broadcasting Company network for three seasons from January 12, 1966 to... - Samuel David DealeySamuel David DealeySamuel David Dealey was a United States Navy submarine commanding officer during World War II. He was among the most decorated naval officers of the war, receiving six awards for valor including the Medal of Honor for his actions aboard the during her fifth war patrol.-Early Life and...
- NavyUnited States NavyThe United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
submarineSubmarineA submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation below the surface of the water. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability...
hero - E. King Gill - Texas A&M UniversityTexas A&M UniversityTexas A&M University is a coeducational public research university located in College Station, Texas . It is the flagship institution of the Texas A&M University System. The sixth-largest university in the United States, A&M's enrollment for Fall 2011 was over 50,000 for the first time in school...
's 12th man - Larry GroceLarry GroceLarry Groce is an American singer-songwriter and radio host. Since 1983, Groce has served as the host and artistic director of Mountain Stage, a two-hour live music program produced by West Virginia Public Radio and distributed by NPR. He first entered the national spotlight in 1976 when his...
- noted singer, songwriter, musician and radio host. - Malcolm Harris (class of 1988) - noted comic bookComic bookA comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
writer - Brenda Hayward (class of 1959) - elected first Miss Teenage AmericaMiss Teenage AmericaThe Miss Teenage America Pageant was started in 1961 as a pageant for High School girls. Sponsored by Dr Pepper, the pageant was held in Dallas, Texas for most of its run. Unlike today's Miss Teen USA and Miss America's Outstanding Teen, this pageant featured girls representing cities and not...
in 1958 (then Brenda Brodnax) - Michael Martin MurpheyMichael Martin MurpheyMichael Martin Murphey is an American singer-songwriter best known for writing and performing Western music, Country music, and Popular music. A multiple Grammy nominee, Murphey has six gold albums, including Cowboy Songs, the first album of cowboy music to achieve gold status since Gunfighter...
(class of 1963) - country-westernCountry musicCountry music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
music artist - Ray Wylie HubbardRay Wylie HubbardRay Wylie Hubbard is an American Texas Country singer and songwriter.-Early life:Hubbard grew up in southeastern town of Hugo, Oklahoma. His family moved to Oak Cliff in south Dallas, Texas in 1954. He attended W. H. Adamson High School with Michael Martin Murphey, who had his own band at the time...
(Class of 1963) - country-westernCountry musicCountry music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music... - James L. Holloway Jr. (class of 1915) - U.S. NavyUnited States NavyThe United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
four-star admiral and superintendent of the U.S. Naval Academy (1947–1950) - B. W. Stevenson (class of 1967) - country popCountry popCountry pop, with roots in both the countrypolitan sound and in soft rock, is a subgenre of country music that first emerged in the 1970s. Although the term first referred to country music songs and artists that crossed over to Top 40 radio, country pop acts are now more likely to cross over to...
music artist - Doyle Willis (class of 1926) - served on Texas LegislatureTexas LegislatureThe Legislature of the state of Texas is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Texas. The legislature is a bicameral body composed of a 31-member Senate and a 150-member House of Representatives. The Legislature meets at the Capitol in Austin...
- Jim WrightJim WrightJames Claude Wright, Jr. , usually known as Jim Wright, is a former Democratic U.S. Congressman from Texas who served 34 years in the U.S. House of Representatives and was the Speaker of the House from 1987 to 1989.-Early life:...
(class of 1939) - elected to Texas State House of Representatives (1947), mayor of WeatherfordWeatherford, TexasWeatherford is a city in Parker County, Texas, United States, and a western suburb of Fort Worth. The population was 19,000 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Parker County and is part of the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex.-Geography:...
(1948), elected to U.S. CongressUnited States CongressThe United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
(1955), SpeakerSpeaker of the United States House of RepresentativesThe Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, or Speaker of the House, is the presiding officer of the United States House of Representatives...
of the United States House of RepresentativesUnited States House of RepresentativesThe United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
(1987–1989) - Allen Melton, Attorney; Co-Founder and President, Goodwill Industries of Dallas, Inc.; Justice of the Peace for Oak Cliff, 1932-36; Chairman, W.H. Adamson Scholarship Foundation for over 20 years, providing thousands of dollars in college scholarships to deserving Adamson Graduates; Member, National YMCA Board of Directors.
- Maurice Acers, Attorney; (Husband of Ebby Halliday).
External links
- W. H. Adamson High School
- School profile (PDFPortable Document FormatPortable Document Format is an open standard for document exchange. This file format, created by Adobe Systems in 1993, is used for representing documents in a manner independent of application software, hardware, and operating systems....
) - Attendance zone map (PDFPortable Document FormatPortable Document Format is an open standard for document exchange. This file format, created by Adobe Systems in 1993, is used for representing documents in a manner independent of application software, hardware, and operating systems....
) - Immigrant Students - A Dallas Morning News series about immigrant students enrolled in Adamson