North Dallas High School is one of the city’s oldest educational institutions that is still in operation today. You may discover more about the school’s operation and its features on dallas1.one.
The early years of the school’s existence
The school project was developed by architect William B. Ittner, who had previously worked on school projects in several places around the United States. For the school, he chose the Romanesque Revival style, which was prominent among educational institutions at the time. The construction cost was $800,000 dollars. North Dallas High School became the city’s fifth high school.
The institution first opened its doors on February 13, 1922. It was in a cornfield beyond the municipal boundaries. The management was headed by E. B. Comstock. The school enrolled 650 students on its first day of operation, and by the end of the first semester, the total number of students had risen to 730, with the majority of them coming from Dallas High School (later renamed Crozier Tech).
Even though some renovations had not yet been finished, Dallas citizens desired to acquire an education here. The school lacked lockers for students’ personal belongings, blinds were not installed, classes were frequently disrupted by employees installing seats in classrooms and the dining room lacked a sound insulation system, causing noise to spread throughout the institution. In 1923, the dining room menu included soup, crackers, hamburgers, milk or dessert. Each item cost 5 cents. The full meal was only 10 cents.
Students who had been working on renovating the school grounds as part of their studies were also participating in the project. A section of the school was closed for a while as training laboratories for junior and senior courses were being built.
In the first few years, students selected the school’s mascot, the Bulldogs, created The Viking yearbook and decided on the school’s colors, which were orange and white.
The very first school with a swimming pool
The location of the swimming pool was determined during the building of the school. The school was considered a modern educational institution at the time, and it was the only one in the city with its own indoor pool, albeit it was not ready for use at the time of the school’s opening. During the summer, the pool was available to all city inhabitants.
After the 1956 school year, the pool was converted into a practice hall for the orchestra. A floor-to-ceiling wall separated the ancient grandstand from the rest of the building, which was used to store musical equipment. Following that, the pool area was converted into a computer laboratory and storage room.
Famous graduates of the school
North Dallas High School has produced many outstanding individuals who have gone on to great careers in law, politics, athletics, entertainment and other sectors after receiving a high-quality education. Some of the former students mentioned on a plaque near the school include:
Tex Avery is a film director, animator and dubbing actor best known for his work with Warner Brothers Studios. He created cartoon characters such as Daffy Duck, Bugs Bunny and others. Contributed to the creation of the characters Porky Pig and Chilly Willy. Avery was also frequently involved in the dubbing of his films.
Earle Cabell is a Texas politician and the former Mayor of Dallas from 1961 to 1964. He later served in the United States House of Representatives.
Robert H. Dedman Sr. is a philanthropist and the founder and former chairman of ClubCorp, a company that runs private golf centers and country clubs.
Harold Barefoot Sanders Jr. is an American lawyer, politician and attorney who served as a district judge for the Northern District of Texas and as an adviser to President Lyndon B. Johnson. He was well known for directing the Dallas Independent School District’s desegregation trial.