Frederick Douglass High School (Prince George's County, Maryland)

Frederick Douglass High School, established in 1934 as Marlboro High School and renamed Frederick Douglass High School in 1935, is a public high school located in Upper Marlboro, Maryland; is a part of the Prince George's County Public Schools

Prince George's County Public Schools

The Prince George's County Public Schools system is a large school district administered by the government of Prince George's County, Maryland, United States and is overseen by the Maryland State Department of Education...

system; and is named after the famous abolitionist, journalist, and orator, Frederick Douglass

Frederick Douglass

Frederick Douglass was an American social reformer, orator, writer and statesman. After escaping from slavery, he became a leader of the abolitionist movement, gaining note for his dazzling oratory and incisive antislavery writing...

. The school is located at 8000 Croom Road, Upper Marlboro, Maryland 20772. The current principal is Mr. Rudolph R. Saunders. The September 2009 student enrollment is approximate 1,081-students in grades nine through twelve. The school hours are from 8:30am until 3:10pm. There is a mandatory uniform policy in effect at Douglass. The school features an International Baccalaureate (IB) Middle Years Programme (MYP)

IB Middle Years Programme

The International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme is an educational programme intended for students aged approximately 11 to 16 . Thus, in the United States the programme is often taught throughout the middle school years and the first two years of high school...

as well as a school-wide America's Choice School Design signature program.

Early history

Frederick Douglass High School (FDHS) was the first high school for African-Americans in Prince George’s County. In 1922, Mr. Doswell E. Brooks, Supervisor of schools for African-American students, along with many community leaders, planned and raised money to build a high school. Mr. Sheldon Sasscer of Upper Marlboro offered the land for this structure. In September 1923, Marlboro High School opened its doors to African-American students of Prince George’s County. The school consisted of four classrooms where grades 8-11 were taught. This school was a joy for students who had previously traveled to Washington or Baltimore for their high school education. A new Marlboro High School was built in 1934 and was renamed Frederick Douglass High School, in 1935. The present Frederick Douglass High School was opened in 1959.

Early history

See also