Electra High School
The first school, in what became Electra, was the Beaver School located south of the railroad tracks. It was moved north and became the library at the first brick school which became the first high school, then Central Elementary, then First Ward Elementary1.
The wooden building was moved, in 1923, to the black community and, eventually, became Anna Marie Jones School. That building is still there. In the mid 1910s, Waggoner High School was built on the west side of town. The High School was moved to what would later be called Thompson Ward Elementary when it was built in the late 1910s.
The big red brick High School was built in 1923 on East Roosevelt Street. To its’ south was a small lake which was later replaced by Tiger Stadium. A city park was to its’ east on land donated by the Douglas family. During the Great Depression, a shop building and swimming pool were built by the W.P.A.
The Rocky Point School building was moved across from the High School when it was closed in the early 1950s. It is the last complete Rural School building left in Wichita County.
Adding to the excitement of the opening of the new high school in 1923 was the winning of the second State Track Championship by the Tiger Track Team. The team was coached by B.M. Dinsmore and led by record setting runner John Lawton Thomas. Thomas won seven first State Gold Medals and set four state records. A third state track championship was added in 1927. These state championships are special because, at that time, there were not multiple championships. If you were the state champion, you were THE state champion!
Marrion Hammond, a 1927 graduate of Electra High School, went on to SMU and became the first Southwest Conference football player to be named to an All-American Team. Later state championship track athletes include: Marrion Hammond, Boyce Evans, Henry Culpepper, and Barry Richardson.
The 1950s and 60s bands directed by Howard Smith, were named one of the top 100 bands in America.
In the 1969-70 Don Sammons won the State Golf Championship.
The school newspaper, The Tiger Tales, in the 1970s won the UIL Press Conference Award of Distinguished Merit seven times and was named tops in Division four times.
The 1985 Tiger Football Team, coached by Joe Allen, won the State Football Championship.
The high school reached its peak enrollment in 1936 with over 130 graduating seniors.
In 2017, a new high school was built and the old building became the Administration Building and the Alumni Association assumed the responsibility of turning the building into a school historical museum and gathering area.
Graduates of Electra High School have gone on to distinguish themselves in many ways.
Leonard Foy became President of Mobile Pipeline Company.
Mary Jane Cole Robinson became President of the National Geologist Society.
Stacy Gilbert became President of The Texas State FFA2
Christy Eakin became Miss Rodeo Texas.
Jannis Baker Hayers was elected President of the Texas Association of School Boards.
Jack Sachse made College All American in football.
Rex Johnson was named College All American in football.
Rick Eckelkamp was a physicist on The Moon Landing Projects.
Robert Palmer
The picture in the paper must be artist rendering.
$196,000 in 1923 dollars equals $3,515,919.06 in 2024
If you think you can get Classic EHS built now for less than $4 million dollars you didn’t go to school there!
If you have any historical data about the old high school please contact Larry at lhuffy@gmail.com. Mr. Robert Palmer has provided the first update. This page will be updated as we gather and organize the information.
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