History Of Schools In Aldine ISD

[billyf]

Great to see a reply! I had a nice response for you, but then my computer crashed. Shoot! I'm nopt going to retype it now. Let's just say that I've gotten lots of great information on the beginnings of Aldine High School. Some of the speculations we made here were right, others were wrong. One on which were were wrong is that the Marrs High School burned down in 1954. That was what I got from the district. They ought to know, right? Nope. That is wrong. It was another school that burned in 1954, and it was called... Aldine High School.

If you have Google Earth, you can see this school. Go to the 1953 view and you will see it. It will be the northernmost set of buildings.

The proper chronology for Aldine High is this:

1932 or 1933 to 1936 - the Marrs School (aka the Lane School)

1936 to 1947 - Marrs High School

1947 to 1954 - Aldine High School I

1954 to 1956 - classes held at Marrs High (then a junior high)

1956 to present - Aldine High School II

Can't believe the district had it wrong. Oh well, maybe I was just speaking to the wrong person. When in doubt, talk to someone who was actually there, which I did, and they set me straight, including me showing yearbook photos of the school.

Anyway, I'm now working on a history of Aldine High. I've got some great information, which I'll be happy to share here if there's some interest. I don't yet have the exact date of when the first high school classes were held (which would be the true starting date of Aldine High), but I'm close. I also have the roster of the first graduating class, the first principal and the first teachers.

Thanks for sharing all the info you have provided Firebird65! I still have the Aldine football History PDF you sent me awhile back. If you have a newer one or just more info in general please email it to billybassman21@yahoo.com.

I was comparing aerials on Google Earth from the 1944, 1953, 1978 and today as well as the ones on Historical Aerials. I was surprised how many locations from the 40s and 50s that once had buildings are now vacant with grass. I also noticed that many locations that had buildings are now the ugly salvage yards/used car lots that have taken over much of the Aldine area. It would be interesting to see what might have been left behind in the soil near where those buildings once stood. It appears mobile homes were very common in the early days and many of them didn’t last very long. I wonder how many of them were farmer family’s. It appears much of Gulf Bank and Hill road was farm land. Their children would have gone to the Aldine schools I presume.

I would like to see some photos and yearbooks pre 1960s. Any photos taken inside or outside the schools would be interesting to see such as photos of students working at their desk. I wonder if Aldine ISD allowed students to come to school barefooted or in their overalls as many rural schools did. Something tells me bare feet at the very least wouldn’t have been allowed at any AISD schools. They didn't even allow shorts until the early 90s.

Edited March 6, 2011 by billyf

[Firebird65]

Billy,

I do have an update with all kinds of new stuff added. Don't rembember when I sent you a copy, but I have added lots and lots of things over the years. Right now I'm just checking it over for typos. Dang things keep popping like rabbits. I'm nearly done... sometime later this week I should be finished. I'd be happy to send you and anyone else who wants one a copy.

As for the Gulf Bank/Hill Road areas, yes, they were mostly farmland - small produce farms (aka truck farms because the produce was trucked to market in Houston). That area was owned by a man named W.F. Hill who started selling off the land in the 1920s. Hill Rd is obviously named for him. I've been told the original name for Gulf Bank was Pool Rd, but that it was changed because there already was a Pool Rd in Houston. No one knows where the name Gulf Bank came from.

Everyone who lived along Gulf Bank east of Stuebner Airline would have gone to Aldine schools. That area has always been Aldine, although it is just north of AISD's southern boundary. West of Stuebner Airline was not always in Aldine or its predecessor, District 29. It was part of the White Oak school district (District 26)originally. White Oak became part of AISD in 1937, two years after AISD was formed. I don't know the exact boundary, but pretty much everything south of Gulf Bank and west of Stuebner Airline was White Oak. Pretty much everything north of Gulf Bank and west of Stuebner Airline was part of the North Houston district (District 49) which Aldine absorbed a section of in 1935 shortly after its creation.

I've seen photos dating back to 1912 of Aldine schools and in none of the photos are the students barefooted. Can't remember if they were wearing overalls. But they are dressed as nicely as anyone else at the time, I presume. The earliest yearbook dates to the 1939-40 school year and other than the hairstyles are a little funny, they don't look that different.

Edited March 7, 2011 by Firebird65

[billyf]

Billy,

I do have an update with all kinds of new stuff added. Don't rembember when I sent you a copy, but I have added lots and lots of things over the years. Right now I'm just checking it over for typos. Dang things keep popping like rabbits. I'm nearly done... sometime later this week I should be finished. I'd be happy to send you and anyone else who wants one a copy.

As for the Gulf Bank/Hill Road areas, yes, they were mostly farmland - small produce farms (aka truck farms because the produce was trucked to market in Houston). That area was owned by a man named W.F. Hill who started selling off the land in the 1920s. Hill Rd is obviously named for him. I've been told the original name for Gulf Bank was Pool Rd, but that it was changed because there already was a Pool Rd in Houston. No one knows where the name Gulf Bank came from.

Everyone who lived along Gulf Bank east of Stuebner Airline would have gone to Aldine schools. That area has always been Aldine, although it is just north of AISD's southern boundary. West of Stuebner Airline was not always in Aldine or its predecessor, District 29. It was part of the White Oak school district (District 26)originally. White Oak became part of AISD in 1937, two years after AISD was formed. I don't know the exact boundary, but pretty much everything south of Gulf Bank and west of Stuebner Airline was White Oak. Pretty much everything north of Gulf Bank and west of Stuebner Airline was part of the North Houston district (District 49) which Aldine absorbed a section of in 1935 shortly after its creation.

I've seen photos dating back to 1912 of Aldine schools and in none of the photos are the students barefooted. Can't remember if they were wearing overalls. But they are dressed as nicely as anyone else at the time, I presume. The earliest yearbook dates to the 1939-40 school year and other than the hairstyles are a little funny, they don't look that different.

Yes please do!

The houses on Gulf Bank, Hill Rd and Airway by the old Fairway Foods seem to be some of the oldest in the area. I used to know a guy that lived on Busch St off Airline which is just before West Road. He told me when they first moved there in the early 50s they didn't even have a bathroom in their house. They used the one at the gas station until he could build one which was detached from the main trailer. He still had the original bathroom in the 1990s though they had a newer trailer with a bathroom inside.

Despite being a fairly poor area (by some people's standards), Aldine was quite conservative till the 90s. Most the kids in our old neighborhood growing up wore shoes even in the summer from what I remember. I went barefoot quite a bit till I was 11 or 12 and remember getting comments from adults and older kids about it. I knew some people that wouldn't even wear shorts. There were lots of old school people still around and I knew quite a few adults that attended Aldine schools as kids. I knew about the Gulf Coast airport and Airline being US 75 from a young age as well as the fires. I think we had a pretty good taste of what the culture might have been like even in the 70s and 80s. I used to get my hair cut at Buck and Carroll's off 525 (I think) and also Jim and Glen's off Airline. I know they were in the area a long time and never found out what happened to them.

Man I miss the old vibe the northside had.

[Firebird65]

Well, now oddly enough, I actually have an answer about whether kids wore overalls and went barefooted to school. I received an e-mail today from a former student who went to Marrs High during WWII and almost as if he had read your question, he mentioned to me that they wore overalls to school. How's that for timing! Nothing about being barefooted. But he did say that they would ride horses to go visit people.

[billyf]

Thanks for the info on the clothing!

So if I understand correctly Aldine High School was the far building behind the Lane School just south of Aldine Meadows RD? The site where the old Aldine High School stood is now part of Aldine Middle School?

On the 1944 aerial there is building as a backwards 7 behind the lane school. NE there are two small buildings possibly locker rooms. They are all still there and are part of Aldine Middle School. It appears they added on from that section expanding the school over to where the old Aldine High school once stood. The backwards 7 building could be seen on aerials up to a few years ago as an older wing. The last renovation makes it look like it is all one newer building. The building behind the old Aldine High school behind the Aldine Admin building is still there today and is part of Aldine Middle school I believe. Anyone know what that building is used for today? Is it one of the gym’s and possibly the old gym for Aldine High school I?

It appears on the 1953 aerial that it would have been Marrs School (elementary?) (now Lane), Aldine Junior High and next to it was Aldine High school going right to left.

Now on the 1947 aerial there is building to the right of what is now the Lane school. If you look on the 1957 aerial that building is gone and you can still see where the building stood. What building was that?

1944 aerial

1953 aerial

1957 aerial

Edited March 13, 2011 by billyf

[Firebird65]

In that 1944 aerial, the building in the lower right hand corner was the gym. It burned down in November 1948, which is why you don't see it in the 1953 photo. The school district was scrapped for money in the mid 1930s and they thought they got a good deal when the Humble Oil Company sold them discarded lumber for nothing more than a song. Problem was that wood had been used on oil tanks and was probably soaked with oil. So it went up in flames rather easily. Just because they worked at a school didn't make them smart, I guess. LOL!

To the left of the gym was the Marrs School. Those two small buildings above the gym were the cafeteria and the band hall. The cafeteria is probably the lower one as that extension on the back of is most likely a kitchen.

The "L" shaped building is Marrs High. The part that makes the L and the two small buildings to the upper left of it were added in 1939. One of the buildings is a home economics cottage. The other is a vocational agriculture building.

In the 1953 photo, going from top to bottom... the backwards "3" building is the first Aldine High School. It was built in 1947. I can't tell what those two squares are to the right of the high school. I can't tell if they are buildings are parking lots. I also notice two additional buildings have appeared next to the ag building and the home ec cottage. No idea what those are either. But I do know where to go to find out. Next time i see my contact, I'll ask him, as he attended Aldine High during this time.

Here is a mid 1940s aerial view from a bit lower and to the side. I've labeled some things on there. Note that the 1912 schoolhouse is in front of the gym. When the gym burned down, the fire also consumed it. Too bad, as that would be a great place for an AISD museum.

[Firebird65]

Here are the four high schools in chronological order:

The Marrs School (1933-36)

Marrs High (1936-47) and (1954-56)

Aldine High I (1947-54)

Aldine High II (1956-present)

[billyf]

In that 1944 aerial, the building in the lower right hand corner was the gym. It burned down in November 1948, which is why you don't see it in the 1953 photo. The school district was scrapped for money in the mid 1930s and they thought they got a good deal when the Humble Oil Company sold them discarded lumber for nothing more than a song. Problem was that wood had been used on oil tanks and was probably soaked with oil. So it went up in flames rather easily. Just because they worked at a school didn't make them smart, I guess. LOL!

To the left of the gym was the Marrs School. Those two small buildings above the gym were the cafeteria and the band hall. The cafeteria is probably the lower one as that extension on the back of is most likely a kitchen.

The "L" shaped building is Marrs High. The part that makes the L and the two small buildings to the upper left of it were added in 1939. One of the buildings is a home economics cottage. The other is a vocational agriculture building.

In the 1953 photo, going from top to bottom... the backwards "3" building is the first Aldine High School. It was built in 1947. I can't tell what those two squares are to the right of the high school. I can't tell if they are buildings are parking lots. I also notice two additional buildings have appeared next to the ag building and the home ec cottage. No idea what those are either. But I do know where to go to find out. Next time i see my contact, I'll ask him, as he attended Aldine High during this time.

Here is a mid 1940s aerial view from a bit lower and to the side. I've labeled some things on there. Note that the 1912 schoolhouse is in front of the gym. When the gym burned down, the fire also consumed it. Too bad, as that would be a great place for an AISD museum.

I'm pretty sure that isn't a parking lot on the 1953 aerial at the very top, but rather the gym for the old Aldine High School. If you look carefully it has the same outline as the building on the 1953 aerial and the same walkway. Also the rooftop doesn't have those white specs like the rest of the new wings. If that is the case not only does Aldine Middle School today have parts of Marrs High School, it also has parts of the old Aldine High School. It looks like they built on to Marrs High school to make Aldine Junior High and used the gym that was untouched from the fire of Aldine. If you notice the additions to the old Marr High School building look just like the aerials from new Aldine on Airline during that time. I bet they looked very similar inside too (probably same builder). I have never been inside Aldine Middle School so I do not know. I'm curious what the L shaped part looks like today. I know the inside of Aldine on Airline doesn't look all that different today from videos I saw on youtube than when I went there.

Do you have any pictures of the front of Aldine High School on Airline before the front 1973 addition was added on? The front entrance used to be where the auditorium is and there were a second set of doors where the yellow 200 hall is.

One thing I found odd was Aldine seemed to originally only had one set of restrooms in the whole school which is on the 300 hall (excluding ones that were probably in the locker rooms). They added two more on in with the 1960s addition which in part was the green 400 hall, which looks a lot like the inside of MacArthur BTW. They were both built around that time. They added two more restrooms on when they added the front addition in 1973. Must have been some long lines during class changes before they were added.

Edited March 15, 2011 by billyf

[Firebird65]

Hmmmm... come to think of it, you seem to have a point about the restrooms. There had to another one in the old front end of the school. At least one would hope. LOL!

Here are pictures of the front and sides of the school from the 1960-61 Aldine High Roundup yearbook.

Front

Gym

Vocational buildings

Field House and Stadium

[billyf]

Hmmmm... come to think of it, you seem to have a point about the restrooms. There had to another one in the old front end of the school. At least one would hope. LOL!

Here are pictures of the front and sides of the school from the 1960-61 Aldine High Roundup yearbook.

Cool thanks! The school looked much better in it's original form. The add ons in the late 60s gave the school a very dated look. Sort of like a NYC subway station. The 1973 addition looks modern inside even to today stadards, but the outside is very plain.

Unless they removed them for the addition, the restrooms in the front were not part of the original school. Maybe kids in those days just had really big bladders lol

Speaking of restrooms. What's up with Aldine schools not having stall doors? People that went to other disticts don't believe me when I tell them that. It is this way in even the oldest schools. I'm sure it was to discourage smoking and drug use, but why do it even in elementary schools?

Edited March 15, 2011 by billyf

[Firebird65]

Cool thanks! The school looked much better in it's original form. The add ons in the late 60s gave the school a very dated look. Sort of like a NYC subway station. The 1973 addition looks modern inside even to today stadards, but the outside is very plain.

Unless they removed them for the addition, the restrooms in the front were not part of the original school. Maybe kids in those days just had really big bladders lol

Speaking of restrooms. What's up with Aldine schools not having stall doors? People that went to other disticts don't believe me when I tell them that. It is this way in even the oldest schools. I'm sure it was to discourage smoking and drug use, but why do it even in elementary schools?

You know, you are right. The bathrooms didn't have stalls with doors on them, in none of the schools. That's an excellent question as to why. I don't know the answer. Sure seems odd, doesn't it?

When did you go to Aldine? I really could use some information from the 1960s. I'm a little patchy on those years.

[Specwriter]

You know, you are right. The bathrooms didn't have stalls with doors on them, in none of the schools. That's an excellent question as to why. I don't know the answer. Sure seems odd, doesn't it?

When did you go to Aldine? I really could use some information from the 1960s. I'm a little patchy on those years.

"Smokin' in the boys room . . . Teacher, don't you fill me up with your rules 'cause everybody knows that smokin' ain't allowed in school."

As one who attended Aldine schools (elementary through high school; mid 60's through the 70's) I surmise it had to do with "monitoring" behavior. I wonder if the attorneys and civil libertarians have put an end to that by now. I haven't been inside an Aldine school in at least 20 years.

[Firebird65]

I wonder if the attorneys and civil libertarians have put an end to that by now. I haven't been inside an Aldine school in at least 20 years.

I went into Aldine High two years ago and it was still like that... at least in the boys room. I have no idea if it was like that in the girls room two years ago or if it has always been that way.

[billyf]

I attended Aldine High School from 1992-1996. Most of the staff was pretty clueless about the school’s history. Most of what I have learned has been from my own research and talking to old timers in the Aldine area over the years.

To my knowledge none of the schools in Aldine ISD have stall doors on the toilets to this day. I think it's wrong because some people have a hard time going when others are watching. I attended Grantham Middle School in the 8th grade when it was still zoned to Northline Ter. It was built in 1986 and the restrooms were just like the other schools except there were no doors going into the restrooms. They were like the ones at sports stadiums so you couldn't see inside from the hall.

I really liked the architecture of Grantham. Heck I liked just about everything about that school particularly the fact that few ghetto students attended there (they all went to Stovall). They also had some really good teachers too that helped me a lot. Anyway it was simple and almost every classroom had windows. It seems many newer schools have windowless classrooms to save on lot space. The whole school including the gym's had central A/C. It had a stage in the cafeteria like Carroll did. From looking at the satellite views nothing has been added on. I wonder how well they kept it up inside. The individual that was in charge of the designing of Aldine schools passed away some time back (or maybe retired). I don't know much about them, but the news article said they had been doing it for several years. I wonder if they had anything to do with Aldine.

Edited March 19, 2011 by billyf

[Firebird65]

It's a real shame the staff doesn't know the history, but it's even a bigger shame the students don't know. Can't remember if I mentioned this before or not, but did you know they no longer have yearbooks or a student newspaper at Aldine? Talk about a real travesty! I have the very first year book ever published at Aldine (from 1940) in front of me right now and it just oozes history of the school. I also have a copy of the sixth ever school newspaper (from 1934) that talks about the first graduating class. I may be one of the few people around who knows who the first valedictorian was (Elvada Middleton) or that the very first classes of Aldine High School were held at Memorial Baptist Church. Everyone else thinks the school was founded in 1936 when in fact that was the second high school (of four). The school was already four years old at the time.

I've really enjoyed doing the history and I am only too happy to share it. The only problem thus far has been finding people to talk about what went on when they were in school. I am hoping the school has kept its old newspapers and that they'll let me take a look through them. I've got a good handle on the beginning, but it's after 1950 I'm missing a lot. If you can tell me of some of the big events that happened during your years, both at school at what life for a high schooler was like during that time (where you hung out, what you did for fun), I'd sure appreciate it. It would make a nice contrast to the stories I have from the earlier days.

[billyf]

Are you kidding me? There is no more yearbooks? Maybe not enough of the students needed signed up for the class.

I hate to say it, but after Mr Norman got fired/resigned that school has not been the same. My experience there wasn't all that great (at least my first year), but there were still aspects that set it aside from the other schools that I liked. After he left I heard that they got crazy with the discipline. At one point I heard they were giving students SAC (in school suspension) and detention in the same day (talk about sadistic). I also heard there was a lot of disorganization. The former principal of Grantham took over for a few years and I think even one of the former assistant principal from Grantham took over for a year or two. They have been through several since I left. I know Mr. Norman had been there for over 20 years, but left after the rude behavior from the senior class at graduation (class of 1998 or 1999 I think).

I write more later, but here is a few think I remember.

There was a fire in the teacher lounge during the 1991-1992 schools year. It happened during the school day and students were not allowed back in till the next day.

The school switched to block scheduling during the 1995-1996 school year. It was 4 nine week terms and 4 classes per day. It was a pilot program and they did away with it a couple of years later. My yearbook and yearbook video talks about it. I actually liked the block scheduling since you only had for worry about 4 classes. I had co-op too, so I only had to worry about 3 classes one being co-op. There was one lunch block and it was an hour long They had stands all throughout the school where you could buy food. They did away with the hour lunch when Mr Norman left.

We also had a nutrition break during the second block and they allowed us to eat and drink in class. My senior year was actually pretty fun and the changes were for the better.

Edited March 21, 2011 by billyf

[Firebird65]

I hate to say it, but after Mr Norman got fired/resigned that school has not been the same.

Here is a list of the principals of Marrs/Aldine High School. Don't have the dates of their tenure, but I do believe this list is complete.

Marrs High

G.C. Cox

J.E. Barden

Harmon Watts

C.O. Dusek

Aldine High

Arnold Orsak (moved from football coach to principal as Aldine High I opened)

Ernest Harvell

W.L. Alvara

G.L. Chandler

Thomas Miksch

Floyd Tiggeman

Jimmy Hailey

Jim Smith

M.B. Donaldson

Vernon Lewis

Ralph Norman

Ron Galindo

Cecil Hutson

Janice DeBlance

Edited March 21, 2011 by Firebird65

[Firebird65]

There once was someone on here who wrote she was the mascot for the Aldine High School twirling troupe. I don't remember the person's name, but I do remember she said there was a photo of her as the mascot in the 1940 yearbook and she was wondering if anyone had a copy. Well, I came across a copy and here is that photo. Unfortunately, I do not know how to reach her. So... I hope she someday finds this post and if so, I am sorry I can't remember the name:

Here's a smaller version:

[Specwriter]

Here is a list of the principals of Marrs/Aldine High School. Don't have the dates of their tenure, but I do believe this list is complete.

Marrs High

G.C. Cox

J.E. Barden

Harmon Watts

C.O. Dusek

Aldine High

Arnold Orsak (moved from football coach to principal as Aldine High I opened)

Ernest Harvell

W.L. Alvara

G.L. Chandler

Thomas Miksch

Floyd Tiggeman

Jimmy Hailey

Jim Smith

M.B. Donaldson

Vernon Lewis

Ralph Norman

Ron Galindo

Cecil Hutson

Janice DeBlance

Jim Hailey must have been a very special person. Unfortunately, he died at a very young age (33, I think). He had a massive heart attack while playing basketball in his own driveway. He and his wife were friends of my parents and he had a daughter my age. Even though I was in grade school when he died I got the impression he was much admired by his students and other adults. Also, to be a high school principal at that young age speaks well of his abilities. Remember that Aldine ISD was entering its "golden age" at that time.

Sonny Donaldson and Vernon Lewis were principals when I attended Aldine High. I liked them both. Mr. Donaldson seemed laid back and very in control. Mr. Lewis was a pretty energetic guy and seemed to really want the students to like him.

My favorite "teacher" of all was not, in fact, a teacher at the time but my counselor, F. G. Bryant. He passed away a little over a year ago at the still young age of 65. He was retired from the Navy and had been a math teacher before becoming a couselor. He was the most friendly and approachable faculty member in the school. He was also very wise when it came to advising seniors about their futures after high school.

In a most ironic twist I sent a condolence card to his widow. She had also been a math teacher in the Aldine district at one time. Shortly after I received a letter from her thanking me and expressing a little surprise that her niece's neighbor would send a card. She did not realize that I had been one of Mr. Bryant's students. She did see, however, that I lived two doors down from her neice. It was news to me too. I called my neighbor and we had a good laugh. She has the same positive opinion of her uncle that I do.

[billyf]

For those of you that don't know a new high school and 9th grade center is being built in AISD off 12525 Ella Blvd. It will be called Oliver Davis High School or just Davis High School. It will open in 2012 and the 9th grade center will open in 2013.

http://www.gammaconst.com/portfolio.asp?category=current

http://www.aldine.k12.tx.us/sections/news/specific_article.cfm?articleID=5520

This will be the first major high school built since Nimitz in the 1970s.

Edited March 23, 2011 by billyf

[Firebird65]

For those of you that don't know a new high school and 9th grade center is being built in AISD off 12525 Ella Blvd. It will be called Oliver Davis High School or just Davis High School. It will open in 2012 and the 9th grade center will open in 2013.

http://www.gammaconst.com/portfolio.asp?category=current

http://www.aldine.k12.tx.us/sections/news/specific_article.cfm?articleID=5520

This will be the first major high school built since Nimitz in the 1970s.

Looks like a nice school. Unlike the dump Aldine is. Oh well, guess for a 55 year old lady she looks decent enough.

[cosmic08]

I went into Aldine High two years ago and it was still like that... at least in the boys room. I have no idea if it was like that in the girls room two years ago or if it has always been that way.

I went to Aldine int he 90s, and the girls room had doors

[cosmic08]

I really liked the architecture of Grantham. Heck I liked just about everything about that school particularly the fact that few ghetto students attended there (they all went to Stovall).

I went to Stovall, and we were not all ghetto. Funny thing is we thought the same thing about Grantham

[Firebird65]

I just came not 30 minutes ago from a visit to Aldine High School and I regret to inform everyone here in the Great Bathroom Door Debate of 2011 that I cannot give an update at this time as to whether the restroom stalls have doors. Why? Because the bathrooms themselves have doors with combination locks! And I didn't have the combination. I was too embarrassed to go ask.

I did go through a bunch of yearbooks and old issues of the Comet and Mustang newspapers and have a lot of stuff to report. I'll start posting as soon as I get back to my side of town and can process my pictures on my computers.

I can tell you this: I confirmed via an article in the Comet that the current school did open in September 1956. C.F. Kiefner was the architect and the T.B. Hubbard Construction Co. served as contractor. The school was dedicated in March 1957. I have no idea why it was dedicated six months later. Guess it took time to arrange the ceremony.

Edited March 25, 2011 by Firebird65

[billyf]

I went to Stovall, and we were not all ghetto. Funny thing is we thought the same thing about Grantham

I know, but it was zoned to some bad neighborhoods. We had a lot of fights at Grantham, but the school wasn't ghetto. I never went to Stovall, but I know the kids that lived off Goodson near the school did. Most of trouble I had was with black kids that came from Stovall. The adverage classroom at Grantham had 2 black kids and they never caused any problems. In fact I don't recall seeing a single fight from a black kid there. When I got to Aldine it was a little bit of a shock how bad and racist those kids were. Of course most of them were gone by the 11th grade.

[billyf]

I just came not 30 minutes ago from a visit to Aldine High School and I regret to inform everyone here in the Great Bathroom Door Debate of 2011 that I cannot give an update at this time as to whether the restroom stalls have doors. Why? Because the bathrooms themselves have doors with combination locks! And I didn't have the combination. I was too embarrassed to go ask.

I did go through a bunch of yearbooks and old issues of the Comet and Mustang newspapers and have a lot of stuff to report. I'll start posting as soon as I get back to my side of town and can process my pictures on my computers.

I can tell you this: I confirmed via an article in the Comet that the current school did open in September 1956. C.F. Kiefner was the architect and the T.B. Hubbard Construction Co. served as contractor. The school was dedicated in March 1957. I have no idea why it was dedicated six months later. Guess it took time to arrange the ceremony.

That is crazy! I wonder if they make the students get a staff member to unlock the doors during class. A student posted a youtube video from back in 2008 in the restroom off the 400 hall and there were no stall doors.

I wonder if they went to Stovall

This is part of the new addition from the late 90s and there are no doors.

1960s addition, still no doors

So ghetto!

Edited March 25, 2011 by billyf

[Firebird65]

This thread really needs to be moved to the Houston History thread. I guess the mods read these threads. How about it?

Anyway, speaking of history, now that I'm home and on my own computer, I can start posting some of the things I found during my visit to Aldine Friday.

First off, I found the info I was really looking for. The uppermost part of the 300 hall (that is, the part with the highest room numbers) and the 400 hall were completed in the spring of 1970, according to the school newspapers of the time. I'd heard they were built any time from 1964 to 1973. No, it was 1970. So they came before the front addition to the school. I'm still looking for that date as well, although the marker in front of the main office says 1972. Don't know if that means that when they started or finished the project. The main marker in front of the auditorium, the one that says 1956, that refers to the completion date, so I'm assuming at this point that the one by the office is the same.

[billyf]

This thread really needs to be moved to the Houston History thread. I guess the mods read these threads. How about it?

Anyway, speaking of history, now that I'm home and on my own computer, I can start posting some of the things I found during my visit to Aldine Friday.

First off, I found the info I was really looking for. The uppermost part of the 300 hall (that is, the part with the highest room numbers) and the 400 hall were completed in the spring of 1970, according to the school newspapers of the time. I'd heard they were built any time from 1964 to 1973. No, it was 1970. So they came before the front addition to the school. I'm still looking for that date as well, although the marker in front of the main office says 1972. Don't know if that means that when they started or finished the project. The main marker in front of the auditorium, the one that says 1956, that refers to the completion date, so I'm assuming at this point that the one by the office is the same.

The 1973 aerial shows the front still under construction, so 1972 had to be the start date of the project. Of course the aerial date could be wrong too. I heard a long time ago that it opened in fall of 1973. I wonder why they needed to start another add on project just two years later?

It amazes me how much newer the front of the school looks versus the 1970 addition. Maybe they were trying to make it look more like the rest of the school and wanted the front to have a more modern look.

Any info when air conditioning was added to the school? Something tells me it was 1970.

Edited March 27, 2011 by billyf

[Firebird65]

The 1973 aerial shows the front still under construction, so 1972 had to be the start date of the project. Of course the aerial date could be wrong too. I heard a long time ago that it opened in fall of 1973. I wonder why they needed to start another add on project just two years later?

It amazes me how much newer the front of the school looks versus the 1970 addition. Maybe they were trying to make it look more like the rest of the school and wanted the front to have a more modern look.

Any info when air conditioning was added to the school? Something tells me it was 1970.

Yeah, I see that on the 1973 photo. I've zoomed it to 104 ft and it doesn't look like they've done much. If I understand it right, those photos are taken in May. At least those are when the ones at the Texas Room downtown were taken and I would presume these are the same pics. If it's May 1973 in that picture (and that's only an assumption), they would have really had to huff it to make it by the fall of that year.

I saw the 1973-74 yearbook on Friday and it doesn't mention anything. But that wasn't a very good yearbook. The design was OK, but the pictures were all fuzzy and unusable for my purposes in the school history report I am writing. I plan on going back in about three weeks to look at more of the old school newspapers. Hopefully they'll have a story about it either in construction or when it is nearing completion, as they did with the 300 and 400 hall expansions.

If you also toggle back and forth between the 1964 and 1973 pictures, you'll notice the mini-gym is there in 1973, but not in 1964. (The 1973 picture is awful. The 1964 picture is so much clearer.) There's a lot to research, which is what makes this a fun project and more challenging than the football report. That merely required patience as the games were pretty much always on 10 Thursdays, Fridays or Saturdays between September and November. This project requires more detective work.

[billyf]

If you also toggle back and forth between the 1964 and 1973 pictures, you'll notice the mini-gym is there in 1973, but not in 1964. (The 1973 picture is awful. The 1964 picture is so much clearer.) There's a lot to research, which is what makes this a fun project and more challenging than the football report. That merely required patience as the games were pretty much always on 10 Thursdays, Fridays or Saturdays between September and November. This project requires more detective work.

The expanded section of the cafeteria is also on the 1973, but not the 1964. There are windowless classrooms on the back part of the 100 hall next to the main gym. When I went there the heath classes were held in those rooms. I'm thinking those were added the same time the cafeteria was expanded as they are right next to it. The question is was the mini gym, the expanded section of the cafeteria and those classrooms (and a restoom) done as part of the 1970 additions? I had only been in that restroom back there once as it was usually locked. The style was different than the ones on the 400 hall or the front which could indicate a different designer.