W. O. Boston High School was an American public high school in Lake Charles, Louisiana. Named in honor of William Oscar Boston,[1] it opened in 1949 as a segregated school for Blacks.[2][3] It was renamed from Second Ward Colored School, which had been in the community since the late 19th century.[4] W. O. Boston's first principal was Ralph C. Reynaud.[1]
| William Oscar Boston High School | |
|---|---|
| Address | |
 | |
600 South Shattuck Stret , , 70601 United States | |
| Coordinates | 30°13′51″N 93°11′49″W / 30.2307°N 93.1969°W |
| Information | |
| Type | Public high school |
| Established | 1949 |
| Closed | 1983 |
| Color(s) | Red and white |
| Nickname | Panthers |
In sports, the W. O. Boston Panthers won three state titles in 1972 in boys basketball, girls track and field, and football.[5]
In 1983, the school merged with Lake Charles High School to form Lake Charles-Boston.[4][6][7] At the time, W. O. Boston was predominantly Black, while Lake Charles was racially relatively even. The school board supported the merger to eliminate a one-race school. Blacks opposed it, contending that it destroyed Calcasieu Parish's best example of racial balance. The resulting Lake Charles-Boston was 78.2 percent Black and 21.8 percent White. Blacks also disagreed that Barbe High School, which was predominantly White, was largely unaffected by the board's desegregation plan.[8]
Notable alumni
edit- Jim Griffin, football player[9]
- Charlie Joiner, member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame[10]
- David Lawrence, basketball player[11]
- Edmund Lawrence, basketball player[12]
- Wilbert Rideau, convicted killer and journalist[13]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b "Black History Month: W.O. Boston & R.C. Reynaud". KPLC. February 28, 2017. Retrieved January 20, 2023.
- ^ "W.O. Boston Negro high school dedicated". Louisiana Digital Library. Retrieved January 20, 2023.
- ^ "W. O. Boston School". Louisiana Digital Library. Retrieved January 20, 2023.
- ^ a b Hutchings, Jessica (2015). Lake Charles. Arcadia Publishing. pp. 44–45. ISBN 9781467113281. Retrieved January 20, 2023 – via Google Books.
- ^ Arceneaux, Warren (December 4, 2022). "'We were like family': In December 1972, W.O. Boston High School Panthers beat Haynesville 11-6 to claim state football title". American Press. Retrieved January 20, 2023.
- ^ "Lake-Charles-Boston tough test for Bunkie". Daily World. September 21, 1989. p. 12. Retrieved January 30, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "School Plan Is Protested". The Daily Advertiser. AP. January 20, 1983. p. 6. Retrieved January 30, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Hearings Ordered In School Case". The Daily Advertiser. AP. October 27, 1983. p. 18. Retrieved January 30, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Jim Griffin stats". Pro Football Reference.com. Retrieved January 22, 2023.
- ^ Smith, Don (1996). "Charlie Joiner" (PDF). The Coffin Corner. Vol. 18, no. 2. Retrieved January 9, 2023.
- ^ Nunez, Tyler (March 21, 2017). "McNeese basketball legend David Lawrence dies at 58". American Press. Archived from the original on March 22, 2017. Retrieved March 22, 2017.
- ^ "McNeese great Edmond Lawrence dies at 62". Daily World. July 17, 2015.
- ^ "Who is Wilbert Rideau?". KPLC. January 16, 2005. Retrieved January 20, 2023.
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