Oak Cliff in Dallas in Dallas County, Texas — The American South (West South Central)

Sunset High School

Photographed by Kayla Harper, July 5, 2020

1. Sunset High School Marker

Inscription.

Designated as a city of Dallas landmark and the sixth oldest high school in Dallas, Sunset High School has served the Oak Cliff Community for 90 years. The buildings were imbued with the talent of some of the best creative Texas minds of their time. Experienced architects Roscoe Plimpton DeWitt and Mark Lemmon worked with the contractor J.A. Rife Construction Co. To design the first buildings that would serve as Sunset High School.

The school was named for the residential district it is located in and opened on September 21, 1925. The facility was built to accommodate two thousand students, but the first year only saw fourteen hundred. During the Great Depression, the federal art project of the new deal hired Granville Bruce to paint two murals in the school library. These oil paintings depict major moments in Texas settlement history. There would be many renovations and additions to the buildings throughout the century.

During World War II, Korea and Vietnam, many Sunset students went overseas with the military. The newer school entry holds plaques honoring those students and faculty casualties of these conflicts. The school’s

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1932 orchestra was the largest high school orchestra in Dallas at the time and the 1964 band participated in the San Antonio Battle of Flowers Parade. The Sunset Bison football team won the state championship in 1950 and the zone championship in 1960. The Sunset basketball team won the state championship in 1944. Sunset has also been presented the Sanger trophy for overall athletic excellence twelve times.
Recorded Texas Historic Landmark.
Marker is property of the State of Texas

Erected 2015 by Texas Historical Commission. (Marker Number 18209.)

Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Education.

Location. 32° 44.804′ N, 96° 51.256′ W. Marker is in Dallas, Texas, in Dallas County. It is in Oak Cliff. It is on West Jefferson Boulevard east of North Tennant Street, on the right when traveling east. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 2120 W Jefferson Boulevard, Dallas TX 75208, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in the Prairies & Lakes Region.

Globally, it is in North America,

a Gulf of Mexico

Photographed by Kayla Harper, July 5, 2020

2. Sunset High School Marker

state,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain,

the Republic of Texas,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 2 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Merrifield Cemetery (about 800 feet away, measured in a direct line); Winnetka Heights (approx. half a mile away); Tyler Street United Methodist Church (approx. 0.9 miles away); La Reunion (approx. 0.9 miles away); Western Heights Cemetery (approx. 1.4 miles away); Texas Theatre (approx. 1.7 miles away); Cliff Temple Baptist Church (approx. 1.8 miles away); Western Heights Church of Christ (approx. 1.8 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Dallas.

Sunset High School image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Kayla Harper, July 5, 2020

3. Sunset High School

Credits. This page was last revised on February 2, 2023. It was originally submitted on July 7, 2020, by Kayla Harper of Dallas, Texas. This page has been viewed 1,348 times since then and 87 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on July 7, 2020, by Kayla Harper of Dallas, Texas. • J. Makali Bruton was the editor who published this page.