Phillis Wheatley High School

Phillis Wheatley High School. . , Phillis Wheatley High School, Houston's third oldest high school for blacks, is named for Phillis Wheatley (1753-1784), renowned African-American poet and author. The first campus, located at 3415 Lyons Avenue in the Fifth Ward, was the former McGowan Elementary School building for white students. It opened on January 31, 1927 with 490 students and 20 teachers, led by Principal E.O. Smith. In 1929, a new building designed by Harry D. Payne was constructed on the Lyons Avenue campus., By 1940, the school was so overcrowded that classes were held in three shifts. In 1950, a $2.5 million 14-acre campus opened at 4900 Market Street. Designed by architects MacKie and Kamrath in a Frank Lloyd Wright-influenced modernist style, this facility was the most expensive high school in Houston at the time. In 2004, an alumnus of the Wheatley Class of 1956 designed a new facility on the 4900 Market Street site. All of the 1949-1950 buildings, except the auditorium, were razed and the new facility, which faces 4801 Providence Street, opened in Fall 2006., Rich sports traditions include the annual Turkey Day Classic football game with cross-town rival Jack Yates High School, held from 1946 to 1966, and the legendary basketball teams with 17 state championships between 1942 and 1978. Wheatley High School has produced several distinguished politicians, doctors, lawyers, judges, ministers, community leaders, educators, scientists, engineers, athletes, musicians, entertainers, and other proud graduates. Some notable alumni include Barbara Jordan, George Thomas "Mickey" Leland, Arnett Cobb, Illinois Jacquet, Frank C. Mann, and Artice "C-Boy" Vaughn. Long-time faculty members E.O. Smith, Dr. John E. Codwell, William Moore, James M. Thomas and many others instilled "Scholarship, Character, and Service" in their students for over 85 years.