- C. E. Byrd High School (BHS) is a science and mathematics magnet and a Blue Ribbon School. In continuous operation since 1925, Byrd is the largest high school in the Shreveport, Louisiana area and has the largest alumni association [1] of any U.S. high school.
- History
- Origins: C.E. Byrd and Shreveport High School
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In 1892, C.E. Byrd came to Shreveport as principal of the first public high school, in two rented rooms in the YMCA building at a salary of $70 per month. Within the year, enrollment swelled to seventy, and in 1898 the school moved to the Soady building on Crockett Street. In 1899, the students were moved to the new Hope Street school, a large three story red brick building. The elementary students occupied the first floor, intermediate on the second, and high school on the third. In 1899 Byrd became the Superintendent of Schools where he remained until 1908, when he was named Parish Superintendent of Schools, a post he held until his death.
- In 1910, Shreveport High School was built adjacent to Hope Street. Though Professor Byrd left Shreveport High, it remained his "baby". He stayed close to it, setting the standards for the curriculum, and insisting that to be truly educated one must be familiar with history, mathematics, English, and Latin. As superintendent, he taught geometry, algebra, physics, and chemistry at the school. He also worked hard to establish a library at the school.
- In 1924, work began on a new high school for the eastern part of town and it was decided to name the school in Byrd's honor as the fulfillment of his dream. On September 17, 1925, in Byrd's dedicatory address he said that was the proudest day of his life. Byrd died five months later on February 26, 1926 and his body lay in state in the foyer of the school. He was buried in Forest Park Cemetery next to his wife of thirty-two years, Mattie McAfee Byrd.
- right|thumb|200px|Side view of Byrd High School from Kings Highway
- Design and Construction of Byrd High School
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Concerned about overcrowding at Shreveport High School, the Caddo Parish School Board decided to build two new high schools. On February 23, 1923, the 20 acre site on which Byrd was constructed was purchased from Justin Gras for $110,000. The school board passed a resolution to purchase four additional lots in Bon Air Subdivision, adjacent to the Gras property, from F.R. Chadick for $9,500. On March 19, 1924, Stewart-McGee was the low bidder and was awarded the building contract for $772,133. On October 3, 1924, with full Masonic ceremonies, Professor Byrd laid the cornerstone for the new million-dollar high school. Sealed in the cornerstone were a letter from C. E. Byrd; a boll weevil, symbolizing problems of the farmer; a bottle of oil, symbolic of the oil business; an ear of corn, representing agriculture; coins, representing the financial situation, and a Bible.
- The following year, the board authorized $40,000 to furnish and equip the building. The building was accepted from the contractor on 1925-06-27. Because the furniture had not yet arrived, the opening was delayed until October.
- Early Years
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When Shreveport High School students moved into the new building in October 1925, they transferred intact all their traditions, curriculum requirements, clubs, organizations, academic and social activities. Grover C. Koffman, the Shreveport High principal since 1919, and E. L. Albertson, assistant principal, moved to Byrd at this time.The Yellow Jacket mascot was continued as were the purple and gold colors. The Shreveport Hi Life, the student newspaper, came to Byrd (it later became the Byrd High Life) as did the Gusher, the yearbook. Featured in the Gusher were the Mardi Gras Courts, clubs, school plays and all the athletic teams. The prophesies of the Senior Class were also dominate in the early yearbooks.
- The early Byrd Yellow Jackets were Byrd's golden era for athletics, as they dominated football and baseball in the state (reference: Glimpses of the City of Byrd, by Ann McLaurin; Byrd archives. Byrd Gushers. Author Barbara Hodges).
- On the opening day of classes, students gathered in the auditorium, and Koffman welcomed them and alphabetically assigned them to rooms. Only grades 9 - 11 came to Byrd, eighth graders stayed behind.
- 1960's-1970's: Desegregation
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In the late 1960s, Caddo Parish schools were ordered to desegragate. Neighborhood school district boundaries were abolished and students were allowed to select which school they attended under a protocol known as "Freedom of Choice." Courts reviewing the success of this strategy found that it had not accomplished desegrattion and new school district boundaries were created in the summer of 1969 forcing thousands of students to change schools.
- Further changes were made when faculty from historically black high schools were exchanged with those from historically white high schools. In what was a bizarre attempt to further desegregate the schools, Valencia High School was merged with Byrd High in 1970. Unlike true desegregation, the administration effectively ran two high schools in one building with the former Valencia High School students having attended classes on the ground floor and first floors while the former Byrd High students attended classes on the second and third floors. Tensions were high as there were student protests and police guarded the doors and stairwells. The two schools had separate lunch shifts, and both football teams played. Senior rings had been ordered the previous year, so each wore their own class rings and commencement exercises featured two sets of different colored academic regalia.
- Instead of having the desired effect, Byrd High fell victim to "white flight" with many parents opting to send their children to one of the two Catholic high schools (Jesuit, now Loyola or St. Vincent's Academy) or one of the many new private schools that had been recently established. Enrollment decreased dramatically to the point that Byrd was faced with possible closure. Byrd returned as a powerhouse by re-inventing itelf as a Math and Science magnet school.
- School spirit
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Alma Mater
Byrd we stand to honor thee, Alma Mater true.
Loyal homage we will bring, through the years to you.
Loyalty, honesty, with our friendship hold.
Always deep within our hearts, the purple and the gold.
Fight Song
We Are Jackets
Mascot
Jack the Jacket
Colors
Purple and Gold
Rival
Captain Shreve High SchoolByrd's football team currently holds a 15 game winning streak over Captain Shreve. - Notable alumni
- Edward C. Aldridge Jr. (1956), president and CEO of The Aerospace Corporation
- Douglas F. Attaway (1910-1994), publisher of defunct Shreveport Journal and former majority owner of television station KSLA-TV
- John N. Bahcall, astrophysicist known for his work on the solar neutrino problem
- Arnaz Battle (1998), San Francisco 49ers wide receiver
- Charles T. Beaird (1922-2006), Shreveport businessman, professor, and philanthropist
- C. J. Bolin (1924-2007), Caddo Parish state district judge, 1968-1990
- Betsy Boze, Ph.D. (formerly Betsy Vogel) (1971), academic administrator and CEO Kent State University Stark
- Algie D. Brown (1928) (1910-2004), Louisiana House of Representatives from 1948-1972
- George A. Burton, CPA and Shreveport finance commissioner
- Saxby Chambliss (1961), Republican U.S. senator from Georgia, elected 2002
- Frank Fulco (1928) (1909-1999), Louisiana House of Representatives (1956-1972)
- James Creswell "Jim" Gardner, I (1940), Shreveport mayor (1954-1958) and state representative (1952-1954)
- Robert Franklin "Bob" Grambling (1921-2007), band director at C.E. Byrd (1968)
- Billy J. Guin (1944), Shreveport Utilities commissioner (1977-1978) and school board member (1964-1970)
- William T. "Bill" Hanna, Shreveport mayor 1978-1982
- Janet Hetherwick Pumphrey (1967), Attorney and selectwoman in Lenox, Massachusetts
- Gilbert Hetherwick (1970), president and CEO, Sony BMG Masterworks
- Tom Jarriel (1952), ABC News veteran
- J. Bennett Johnston, Jr. (1950), former Louisiana Democratic senator (1972-1997)
- William Joyce, nationally known children's book author and illustrator.
- Adam J. Logan,(1985), M.D and Ph.D. Space Shuttle Flight Commander and Flight Surgeon
- Richard D. Murray, (1950), Retired Major General, USAF
- Pat "Gravy" Patterson (1934-2007), coached at Byrd High School 1963-1967
- Andy Sidaris, (1931-2007), television producer, director (B Movies), actor, and writer
- Virginia Kilpatrick Shehee (1939), Chairman of the board of Kilpatrick Life Insurance Company, former state senator from Caddo Parish
- Arthur W. Sour, Jr. (1924-2000), Shreveport Republican state legislator (1972-1992)
- Tom Stagg, U.S. District Court judge in Shreveport
- Pattie W. Van Hook (1927-1991), physician and first woman president of the Louisiana State Medical Society
- Robert Brooks Van Horn, (1919-2008), physician who headed primary care division at Barksdale Air Force Base
- Wayne Waddell (1966), Republican state representative
- David Woodley, quarterback at LSU (1976-1979), played for the Miami Dolphins (1980-1983) and the Pittsburgh Steelers (1984-1985)
- Tommy Allen, (1956)- Staff Photographer- The Washington POST 1960-2004
- External links
- Official school site
- Official athletics site
- Caddo Parish School Board
- Official city site
- Shreveport/Bossier Page
- Source: Wikipedia; it is used under the GNU Free Documentation License. You may redistribute it, verbatim or modified, providing that you comply with the terms of the GFDL.
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