C. E. Byrd High School
Encyclopedia
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 Shreveport, Louisiana and has the largest alumni association http://www.byrdhighalumni.org/ of any U.S. high school.
Shreveport High School students moved to new building with their traditions (including the Yellow Jacket mascot and purple and gold colors), curriculum, organizations and activities intact. Grover C. Koffman, the Shreveport High principal since 1919, and E. L. Albertson, assistant principal, moved to Byrd at this time.
The early Byrd Yellow Jackets was Byrd's golden era for athletics, dominating state football and baseball (reference: Glimpses of the City of Byrd, by Ann McLaurin; Byrd archives. Byrd Gushers. Author Barbara Hodges).
1970: In a bizarre attempt to further desegregate, Valencia High School was merged with Byrd. Unlike true desegregation, two schools operated out of one building with former Valencia students on the ground floor and first floors and former Byrd High students on the second and third floors. Tensions were high with 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.
Byrd High subsequently fell victim to "white flight
" with many parents sending their children to Jesuit High School (now Loyola
), St. Vincent's Academy or one of several new private schools. Enrollment decreased to the point that Byrd faced possible closure. Byrd returned as a powerhouse by re-inventing itself as a Math and Science magnet school.
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 School
Magnet school
In education in the United States, magnet schools are public schools with specialized courses or curricula. "Magnet" refers to how the schools draw students from across the normal boundaries defined by authorities as school zones that feed into certain schools.There are magnet schools at the...
and a Blue Ribbon School. In continuous operation since 1925, Byrd is the largest high school in Shreveport, Louisiana and has the largest alumni association http://www.byrdhighalumni.org/ of any U.S. high school.
History
- 1892: C.E. Byrd came to Shreveport as principal of the first public high school, in two rented rooms in the YMCAYMCAThe Young Men's Christian Association is a worldwide organization of more than 45 million members from 125 national federations affiliated through the World Alliance of YMCAs...
building at a salary of $70 per month. - 1898: With a first year enrollment of 70, the school moved to the Soady building on Crockett Street.
- 1899: Moved to new Hope Street School, a large three story red brick building. Elementary students occupied the first floor, intermediate the second, and high school the third.
- 1910: Shreveport High School built adjacent to Hope Street.
- 1923: Caddo Parish School Board decides to build two new high schools. 20 acres (80,937.2 m²) Site purchased from Justin Gras for $110,000 and four adjacent lots in Bon Air Subdivision, from F.R. Chadick for $9,500.
- 1924: Stewart-McGee awarded the building contract for $772,133. On October 3, Professor Byrd lays cornerstone with full Masonic ceremonies. Cornerstone includes a letter from C. E. Byrd; a boll weevilBoll weevilThe boll weevil is a beetle measuring an average length of six millimeters, which feeds on cotton buds and flowers. Thought to be native to Central America, it migrated into the United States from Mexico in the late 19th century and had infested all U.S. cotton-growing areas by the 1920s,...
, symbolizing problems of the farmer; a bottle of oil, symbolic of the oil business; an ear of corn representing agricultureAgricultureAgriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
; coins representing the financial situation, and a Bible.
- 1925: Board authorized $40,000 to furnish the building. Building accepted from the contractor on June 27. Because furniture had not yet arrived, the opening was delayed until October.
Shreveport High School students moved to new building with their traditions (including the Yellow Jacket mascot and purple and gold colors), curriculum, organizations and activities intact. Grover C. Koffman, the Shreveport High principal since 1919, and E. L. Albertson, assistant principal, moved to Byrd at this time.
The early Byrd Yellow Jackets was Byrd's golden era for athletics, dominating state football and baseball (reference: Glimpses of the City of Byrd, by Ann McLaurin; Byrd archives. Byrd Gushers. Author Barbara Hodges).
1960's-1970's: Desegregation
- 1965: First African-American graduate, Arthur Burton.
- 1968: As part of an order to desegregate, neighborhood school district boundaries were abolished and students were allowed to select schools under a protocol known as "Freedom of Choice." Courts found this policy did not accomplish desegregation
- 1969: New districts were created in the summer of 1969 forcing thousands of students to change schools. Faculty from historically black high schools were exchanged with those from historically white high schools and students from Captain Shreve High School returned to Byrd as their neighborhood school.
1970: In a bizarre attempt to further desegregate, Valencia High School was merged with Byrd. Unlike true desegregation, two schools operated out of one building with former Valencia students on the ground floor and first floors and former Byrd High students on the second and third floors. Tensions were high with 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.
Byrd High subsequently fell victim to "white flight
White flight
White flight has been a term that originated in the United States, starting in the mid-20th century, and applied to the large-scale migration of whites of various European ancestries from racially mixed urban regions to more racially homogeneous suburban or exurban regions. It was first seen as...
" with many parents sending their children to Jesuit High School (now Loyola
Loyola College Prep
Loyola College Prep is a private Catholic coeducational high school in Shreveport, Louisiana operated by the Diocese of Shreveport .-History:...
), St. Vincent's Academy or one of several new private schools. Enrollment decreased to the point that Byrd faced possible closure. Byrd returned as a powerhouse by re-inventing itself as a Math and Science magnet school.
School spirit
Alma MaterByrd 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
Purple
Purple is a range of hues of color occurring between red and blue, and is classified as a secondary color as the colors are required to create the shade....
and Gold
Gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
Rival
Captain Shreve High School
Student media
- Literary magazine: Perspectives
- Newspaper: High Life
- TV station: KBYRD
- Yearbook: Gusher
Notable alumni
- Edward C. Aldridge Jr.Edward C. Aldridge Jr.Edward "Pete" Cleveland Aldridge Jr. has served in many top U.S. Defense Department and defense industry jobs, including as Under Secretary of the Air Force from 1981–1986, Director of the National Reconnaissance Office 1981-1988, and as the Secretary of the Air Force from 1986-1988...
(1956), president and CEO of The Aerospace CorporationThe Aerospace CorporationThe Aerospace Corporation is a private, non-profit corporation headquartered in El Segundo, California that has operated a Federally Funded Research and Development Center for the United States Air Force since 1960... - Mark Ebarb (2005), LSU Gold Medal Scholar, charter member of Christ the King Knights of Columbus in Baton Rouge, LA, secondary English teacher
- Calhoun AllenCalhoun AllenLittleberry Calhoun Allen, Jr. , was from 1970 to 1978 a two-term Democratic mayor of Shreveport, Louisiana, the state's third largest city. From 1962-1970, he was the municipal public utilities commissioner. He also served some two months as a "District B" city council member after his election in...
, former two-term Mayor of Shreveport - Tommy Allen (1956), staff photographer The Washington PostThe Washington PostThe Washington Post is Washington, D.C.'s largest newspaper and its oldest still-existing paper, founded in 1877. Located in the capital of the United States, The Post has a particular emphasis on national politics. D.C., Maryland, and Virginia editions are printed for daily circulation...
, 1960–2004 - Douglas F. AttawayDouglas F. AttawayDouglas F. "Doug" Attaway, Jr., was president and publisher of the defunct Shreveport Journal , a daily newspaper in northwest Louisiana. He was chairman of the board of KSLA-TV, the Shreveport, Louisisana CBS affiliate from 1966 until the channel was sold to Viacom in 1979...
(1910–1994), publisher of former Shreveport Journal and KSLA-TVKSLA-TVKSLA, virtual channel 12, is the CBS-affiliated television station for Shreveport, Louisiana and the Ark-La-Tex region. Owned by Raycom Media, it broadcasts its digital signal on UHF channel 17. The sole transmitter is located in Mooringsport, Louisiana...
television - John N. BahcallJohn N. BahcallJohn Norris Bahcall was an American astrophysicist, best known for his contributions to the solar neutrino problem, the development of the Hubble Space Telescope and for his leadership and development of the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton.-Early and family life:Bahcall was born in...
astrophysicist known for his work on the solar neutrino problemSolar neutrino problemThe solar neutrino problem was a major discrepancy between measurements of the numbers of neutrinos flowing through the Earth and theoretical models of the solar interior, lasting from the mid-1960s to about 2002... - Arnaz BattleArnaz BattleArnaz Jerome Battle is an American football wide receiver for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the sixth round of the 2003 NFL Draft...
(1998) Pittsburgh SteelersPittsburgh SteelersThe Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
wide receiver - Fuller W. BazerFuller W. BazerFuller W. Bazer is an American animal scientist and a Regents Fellow, Distinguished Professor, and O.D. Butler Chair in Animal Science at Texas A&M University.- Birth and education :...
(1956), O.D. Butler Chair in Animal Science at Texas A&M; Wolf Prize in AgricultureWolf Prize in AgricultureThe Wolf Prize in Agriculture is awarded once a year by the Wolf Foundation in Israel. It is one of the six Wolf Prizes established by the Foundation and awarded since 1978; the others are in Chemistry, Mathematics, Medicine, Physics and the Arts... - Charles T. BeairdCharles T. BeairdCharles Thomas Beaird of Shreveport, Louisiana, was an industrialist, newspaper publisher, philanthropist and civic leader. He was a self-identified "liberal Republican" politician and a champion of civil rights. Born to James Benjamin Beaird and Mattie Connell Fort Beaird, his mother died six...
(1922–2006), Shreveport businessman, professorProfessorA professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
, and philanthropistPhilanthropistA philanthropist is someone who engages in philanthropy; that is, someone who donates his or her time, money, and/or reputation to charitable causes... - C. J. BolinC. J. BolinCornelius John "Neal" Bolin, Jr. , was a Democratic state court judge in Shreveport from 1968 to 1990.Bolin was born to C.J. Bolin, Sr. , and the former Annie Walker in Mansfield. The family moved to Shreveport, and Bolin graduated from C.E. Byrd High School in 1941. He served in the United States...
(1924–2007), Caddo Parish state district court judge, 1968–1990 - Betsy BozeBetsy BozeBetsy Vogel Boze , is the president of The College of The Bahamas]].She previously served as the CEO of Kent State University Stark and as a Senior Fellow at the American Association of State Colleges and Universities researching national higher education policies, including alternative revenue...
, Ph.D.Ph.D.A Ph.D. is a Doctor of Philosophy, an academic degree.Ph.D. may also refer to:* Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*Piled Higher and Deeper, a web comic strip*PhD: Phantasy Degree, a Korean comic series* PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
(formerly Betsy Vogel) (1971), President, The College of The Bahamas. - Algie D. BrownAlgie D. BrownAlgie Dee Brown was a Shreveport attorney and a Democratic member of the Louisiana House of Representatives from 1948-1972. He served under governors Earl Kemp Long, Robert F. Kennon, James Houston "Jimmie" Davis, and John J. McKeithen...
(1928) (1910–2004), Louisiana House of RepresentativesLouisiana State LegislatureThe Louisiana State Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is bicameral body, comprising the lower house, the Louisiana House of Representatives with 105 representatives, and the upper house, the Louisiana Senate with 39 senators...
from 1948–1972 - George A. BurtonGeorge A. BurtonGeorge Aubrey Burton, Jr. , is a Certified Public Accountant and the last elected finance commissioner in Shreveport. Burton is the first Republican since Reconstruction to have been elected to municipal office in Shreveport, having served as finance commissioner from 1971-1978...
, CPACertified Public AccountantCertified Public Accountant is the statutory title of qualified accountants in the United States who have passed the Uniform Certified Public Accountant Examination and have met additional state education and experience requirements for certification as a CPA...
and Shreveport finance commissioner - Saxby ChamblissSaxby ChamblissClarence Saxby Chambliss, Jr. is the senior United States Senator from Georgia. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as a U.S. Representative ....
(1961), U.S. senator (R) from GeorgiaGeorgia (U.S. state)Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
, elected 2002 - Jack CrichtonJack Crichton (Texas businessman)John Alston Crichton, known as Jack Crichton , was an oil and natural gas industrialist from Dallas, Texas, who was among the first of his ranks to recognize the importance of petroleum reserves in the Middle East. In 1964, he carried the Republican banner in a fruitless campaign against the...
(1933) (1916–2007), Texas industrialist; 1964 Republican gubernatorial nominee - John Howard DaltonJohn Howard DaltonJohn Howard Dalton is a U.S. administrator and banker. Dalton was Secretary of the Navy from July 22, 1993 to November 16, 1998.-Education and Navy service:...
(1959), former U.S. Secretary of the Navy - Brandon FriedmanBrandon FriedmanBrandon Friedman is a writer, veteran, and civil servant who has worked on issues concerning America’s military and veterans communities. He is the author of the combat memoir The War I Always Wanted and works for the United States Department of Veterans Affairs...
, writer, blogger, soldier, and advocate - Frank FulcoFrank FulcoFrank J. Fulco, Sr. , was a Democratic member of the Louisiana House of Representatives from 1956–1972 and a leader of the Italian-American community in his native Louisiana...
(1928) (1909–1999), Louisiana House of Representatives (1956–1972) - James Creswell "Jim" Gardner, IJames C. GardnerJames Creswell Gardner, I, known as Jim Gardner , was a power company executive best known as the mayor of Shreveport, Louisiana, who served a single term from 1954-1958....
(1940) (1924–2010), 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
- Helen Lefkowitz HorowitzHelen Lefkowitz HorowitzHelen Lefkowitz Horowitz is the Sydenham Clark Parsons Professor of American Studies and History, emerita, at Smith College. She received her B.A. from Wellesley College and her Ph.D. from Harvard University...
(1959), 2003 Pulitzer Prize in history - Tom JarrielTom JarrielThomas Edwin "Tom" Jarriel is an American television news reporter who has worked for the ABC network since the 1960s.Jarriel's parents were the late William Lester Jarriel, Sr., and Ella Ruth Jarriel . The Jarriels were living in LaGrange in Troup County in far western Georgia, where on May 17,...
(1952), ABC NewsABC NewsABC News is the news gathering and broadcasting division of American broadcast television network ABC, a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company...
veteran - J. Bennett Johnston, Jr. (1950), former Louisiana DemocraticDemocratic Party (United States)The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
senator (1972–1997) - William JoyceWilliam Joyce (writer)William Joyce is an American author, illustrator, and filmmaker. Newsweek has called him one of the top 100 people to watch in the new millennium. His illustrations have appeared on numerous New Yorker covers and his paintings are displayed at national museums and art galleries. He lives with his...
, nationally known children's book author and illustrator. - Merle KilgoreMerle KilgoreWyatt Merle Kilgore was an American singer, songwriter, and manager.-Early life:Although born in Chickasha, Oklahoma, Merle Kilgore was raised in Shreveport, Louisiana. He was the son of Wyatt and Gladys B. Kilgore...
, singer, songwriter, and manager - Robert KostelkaRobert KostelkaRobert William Kostelka, usually known as Bob Kostelka , is a former district attorney, district judge, and circuit judge, and, currently, a Republican member of the Louisiana State Senate from Monroe, who has represented Ouachita, Lincoln, and Jackson parishes in District 35 since 2004...
, Louisiana state senator - Harold B. Levy, MD, noted local pediatrician and author of landmark book about learning disabilities, "Square Pegs, Round Holes"
- James (Jim) Levy, founder of Activision, Inc. (now Activision-Blizzard)
- Adam L. Logan (1985), M.DDoctor of MedicineDoctor of Medicine is a doctoral degree for physicians. The degree is granted by medical schools...
and Ph.D.Ph.D.A Ph.D. is a Doctor of Philosophy, an academic degree.Ph.D. may also refer to:* Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*Piled Higher and Deeper, a web comic strip*PhD: Phantasy Degree, a Korean comic series* PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
Space Shuttle Flight Commander and Flight Surgeon - Mack McCarter, founder and coordinator of Community Renewal International
- Richard D. Murray, (1950), Retired Major General, USAF
- Pat "Gravy" Patterson (1934–2007), Byrd High School coach 1963-1967
- Janet Hetherwick Pumphrey (1967), Attorney and selectwoman in LenoxLenox, MassachusettsLenox is a town in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States. Set in Western Massachusetts, it is part of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 5,077 at the 2000 census. Where the town has a border with Stockbridge is the site of Tanglewood, summer...
, MassachusettsMassachusettsThe Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010... - Scotty RobertsonScotty RobertsonRobert Scott Robertson, III, known as Scotty Robertson , was an American basketball coach of four NBA teams. He was the first coach for the New Orleans Jazz , and he later coached the Chicago Bulls and the Detroit Pistons...
(1947), basketball coach - Dan SandiferDan SandiferDaniel Padgett Sandifer was an American football defensive back who played with six National Football League teams from 1948 to 1953...
(1943), NFL defensive back - Virginia Kilpatrick SheheeVirginia SheheeVirginia Kilpatrick Shehee is a Shreveport businesswoman and civic leader and the first female state senator from District 38. She won her seat in the 1975 general election by 23 votes over incumbent Cecil K. Carter, Jr. and served a single term until 1980. She was defeated in 1979 by fellow...
(1939), Chairman, Kilpatrick Life Insurance Company, former state senator from Caddo Parish - Phil ShortPhil ShortPhilip Granville Short, known as Phil Short , is a retired military officer formerly of Covington, Louisiana, USA, who served in the Louisiana State Senate from District 12 from 1996 to 1999...
(1965), former state senator from St. Tammany Parish; United States Marine CorpsUnited States Marine CorpsThe United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
officer - Andy SidarisAndy SidarisAndrew W. "Andy" Sidaris was an American television and film director, film producer, actor, and screenwriter.-Early life:...
, (1931–2007), television producer, director (B Movies), actor, and writer - Shelby SingletonShelby SingletonShelby Singleton was an American record producer and record label owner.-Early Life:...
, record producer and record label owner - Arthur W. Sour, Jr.Art SourArthur William Sour, Jr., known as Art Sour , was a Shreveport businessman and a pioneer in developing a competitive Republican Party in Louisiana. A conservative, Sour served in the Louisiana House of Representatives from 1972-1992. He was born in Shreveport to Arthur W. Sour and Adele Sour . He...
(1924–2000), Shreveport Republican state legislator (1972–1992) - Tom StaggTom StaggThomas Eaton "Tom" Stagg, Jr. , is a Louisiana attorney, businessman, politician, and jurist who has served as a United States federal judge for the Western District of Louisiana since his appointment by President Richard Nixon in the spring of 1974...
, U.S. District Court judge in Shreveport - Pattie W. Van HookPattie W. Van HookPattie Warren Van Hook was a professor of family medicine at the Louisiana State University Medical School in Shreveport and the first woman president of the Louisiana State Medical Society, concluding her term shortly before her sudden death in Nashville, Tennessee.Van Hook was born in...
(1927–1991), 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 BaseBarksdale Air Force BaseBarksdale Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located approximately east-southeast of Bossier City, Louisiana.The host unit at Barksdale is the 2d Bomb Wing , the oldest Bomb Wing in the Air Force. It is assigned to the Air Force Global Strike Command's Eighth Air Force...
- Wayne WaddellWayne WaddellWayne Leo Waddell is a Shreveport businessman and a Republican former member of the Louisiana House of Representatives from District 5 in Caddo Parish...
(1966), Republican former state representative - Jacques L. Wiener, Jr.Jacques L. Wiener, Jr.Jacques Loeb Wiener, Jr. is a judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. His chambers are in New Orleans, Louisiana....
(1952), Federal judge - David WoodleyDavid WoodleyDavid Eugene Woodley was an American football player and quarterback for Louisiana State University , the National Football League's Miami Dolphins , and the Pittsburgh Steelers...
, quarterback at LSULouisiana State UniversityLouisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, most often referred to as Louisiana State University, or LSU, is a public coeducational university located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The University was founded in 1853 in what is now known as Pineville, Louisiana, under the name...
(1976–1979), played for the Miami DolphinsMiami DolphinsThe Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
(1980–1983) and the Pittsburgh SteelersPittsburgh SteelersThe Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
(1984–1985) - Geraldine Smitherman Wray (1942), Shreveport artist