Franklin D. Roosevelt High School is a public school in the Oak Cliff area of Dallas, Texas, United States, serving grades 9–12. The school opened in 1963,Carlos Conde. "School OK'd on condition," The Dallas Morning News, January 24, 1963, section 4, page 1. and is part of the Dallas Independent School District.

The school serves several South Dallas communities, including Cadillac Heights and some Oak Cliff neighborhoods.

History Construction of the school began in 1961 at 525 Bonnie View Road in the Oak Cliff area. Built before the school district integrated its high schools, the campus was the first new "Negro high school" built in Dallas since 1939 at the time it opened in January 1963. The school was built to serve a maximum capacity of 2000 students. At its opening, it was expected to draw about 1200 students from the Oak Cliff area, most having previously attended Madison High School — which had itself been converted to a "Negro school" in 1956 to relieve overcrowding at Booker T. Washington and Lincoln high schools. Note: At that time, "district" was used in Dallas to refer to the attendance zone of a specific school, rather than the system as a whole.

The school is named after Franklin Delano Roosevelt, the 32nd U.S. president, in honor of his death and his assistance to lower class citizens. The school colors chosen were Columbia blue, white, and cardinal red. The most recent colors used for FDR are navy blue, light blue and white.

In 2005, after the closure of Wilmer-Hutchins High School. Roosevelt absorbed some WHISD high school students.

In 2011 the district re-opened Wilmer Hutchins High. Some former WHISD zones covered by Roosevelt were rezoned to Wilmer-Hutchins.

Notable alumni

Name Class Year Notability ReferenceWaymond Bryant 1969 (?) former American football linebacker, played for the Chicago Bears Donnie Echols 1976 former NFL football tight end who played for the Houston Oilers, New Orleans Saints and Cleveland Browns Jeff Fuller 1980 former NFL football safety who played for the San Francisco 49ers 1984–1989; played in two Super Bowls as a member of the 49ers Roy Martin 1985 sprinter, US high school record holder Aaron Wallace NFL player Richmond Webb NFL player; 7-time NFL pro bowler and 5-time all-pro selection Kevin Williams 1989 (?) former football wide receiver in the NFL for the Dallas Cowboys, Arizona Cardinals, Buffalo Bills and San Francisco 49ers

See also

History of African Americans in Dallas-Fort Worth

References

External links

Alumni association