W. W. Samuell High School

W. W. Samuell High School is a public secondary school located in the Pleasant Grove area of Dallas, Texas (USA). Samuell High enrolls students in grades 9-12 and is a part of the Dallas Independent School District.

The school serves portions of southeast Dallas and a portion of the city of Balch Springs.

History

Dallas ISD annexed Pleasant Grove ISD in 1955, and Pleasant Grove High School was replaced by Samuell High School the same year. In the 1950s and early 1960s, a number of new housing developments in the Pleasant Grove area made Samuell one of Dallas' largest high schools; a new wing was opened in the mid-1960s to handle the increase in population. H. Grady Spruce and Skyline high schools were opened in 1963 and 1971 to help reduce attendance at Samuell.

Dr. William Worthington Samuell was a wealthy individual who before his death donated millions of dollars to the City of Dallas Parks and Recreation Department. There are now at least six institutions named for Samuell in the Dallas area, including the high school, a boulevard, a City of Dallas ranch, a city park and two streets in bordering cities. Dr. W. W. Samuell purchased the first ambulance for the City of Dallas in 1911.

The school and the district became the focus of a prominent civil rights case in 1966 when three male students — Paul Jarvis, Phil Ferrell and Steve Webb — sued the district after they were ordered to cut their long hair in order to be admitted to school. The case was one of the first in which individuals sued a large urban school district to preserve their individual rights, and the cause was taken up by the American Civil Liberties Union as well as local retail pioneer Stanley Marcus. Marcus did not know the students, but saw their hairstyles as a fashion choice rather than a show of disregard for authority. The case was lost in the U.S. District Court, and despite a series of appeals leading to the U.S. Supreme Court, it was not overturned. The decision is still cited in court cases over constitutional rights.

The school has only won one athletic state title: the 1965 Spartan baseball team won the title while competing in Class AA; this is also the only state baseball title won by any DISD school. Samuell High is currently in Class 4A.

The alma mater is "Hail Samuell High, Hail Samuell High", written in 1955 by a music teacher at the school. The school yearbook is The Torch and the school newspaper is The Sentinel. For many years, the seniors' annual memory book was The Pub, a publication of senior moments which covered all levels of the school, from the classroom funnies to athletics to activities. The school also has The Senior Assembly, an assembly in which most seniors perform either alone or in a group.

Demographics

The ethnic makeup of the school is 60% Hispanic, 37% Black, 2% White, 1% Asian/Pacific Islander, and less than 1% Native American.

Feeder patterns

As of 2007, Fred F. Florence and John B. Hood Middle Schools feed into Samuell High School. John Quincy Adams, Pleasant Grove, John W. Runyon, and Edward Titche Elementary Schools all feed into Florence Middle School, and ultimately into Samuell High School. Annie Webb Blanton, Nathaniel Hawthorne, John Ireland, San Jacinto, and C. A. Tatum Jr. Elementary Schools feed into Hood Middle School, and ultimately into Samuell High School.

Notable alumni

• John Ford Coley — partner in musical duo with Dan Seals; hits include "I'd Really Love to See You Tonight"
• Arcelina Publio Dias— noted Brazilian journalist from São Paulo
• Joe Dixon — Defensive back on The University of Texas 1963 National Championship Team.
• James Hughey — Samuell High School principal from 1984-1989 & Dallas Independent School District superintendent from 1995-2000 & 2001-2003.
• Ron Jones — 1969 NFL tight end for the Green Bay Packers
• Joe Kendall — former federal judge (1992-2002)
• Russ Martin — Host of The Russ Martin Show, a radio program in Dallas.
• Carl Mitcham — philosopher of technology and engineering, now at Colorado School of Mines
• Byron Moses Pierce — co-founder of Texas-Louisiana professional baseball league and the United League of professional baseball.
• Steve Ramsey — Punter/Quarterback New Orleans Saints 1970, Denver Broncos (1971-76)
• Mark Reeves — "Dapper Bandit," robbed banks in the North Texas area from 1978-1988.
• Lulu Roman — Former Hee Haw TV show personality.
• Stephany Samone — 1986 Miss Texas and top 10 finalist for Miss America.
• Dan Seals — country and pop musician also known as England Dan.
• Dale Tillery — former Texas state representative for District 10.
• Mike Trent — former University of Texas Longhorn center fielder; set College World Series record by scoring 4 runs in 1983 game, helping win the title
• Sammy Walker — shot put collegiate record breaker at Southern Methodist University and athlete at the 1976 Summer Olympics.
• Bo Wayne Weaver — professional baseball player for Seattle Pilots, a forerunner of the Milwaukee Brewers

Trivia

• Samuell High's International Exchange Program was in effect in 1963, with Arcelina Publio Dias from São Paulo, Brazil, this was the first such program in the Dallas area.
• Samuell High has two cheerleading groups, the Starlets and Deaf Cheer Pride. The latter are a group of deaf students who attend the school.
• The made-for-TV movie Right to Kill was filmed at Samuell High in 1985 and aired nationally on May 21, 1985, on ABC. The film's leading actors were Frederic Forrest (Oscar-nominated for The Rose in 1979) and Justine Bateman, who was nominated for an Emmy for playing the role of a physically-abused daughter in this movie.
• W.W Samuell's state championship in baseball in 1965 is the only one for a Dallas school.
• W.W. Samuell has won 2 Dr Pepper Basketball Tournaments in Dallas. The tournament consists of over 32 high school teams from the DFW area.
• The Book "Ferrell v. Dallas I.S.D. Hairstyles in Schools", by Karen L. Trespacz, was a book about 3 1966 W.W. Samuell High School students that were not allowed in the school for wearing long hair. This was a landmark Supreme Court case that is still used as part of the Civil Rights Act.

References

External links

• Dallas ISD listing for Samuell High School
• School profile (PDF)
• Attendance zone map (PDF)