125thCelebrating the

Anniversary ofR.L. Paschal High School

The 125th Anniversary of R.L. Paschal High School has been sponsored by the Paschal Alumni Association.

R.L. Paschal High School 125th Anniversary November 7, 2010

Student Welcome ........................................... Chase Gensheimer Student Body President Emily Hegi Senior Class President

Color Guard ................................................. JROTC

Alumni Welcome ........................................... Kevin Medlin ’78 President, Paschal Alumni Association

“Down to the River”* ...................................... Paschal A Cappella Choir Jolene Webster, Choir Director Decade Roll Call ............................................ Jody Dean ’78 KLUV 98.7 “Elija Rock” .................................................. Paschal A Cappella Choir Jolene Webster, Choir Director

Pep Rally ..................................................... Current and Former Cheerleaders, Posse and PSOP

PHS Today .................................................... John Hamilton Academic Coordinator Paschal teacher for 48 years

Closing Remarks............................................ Kevin Medlin ’78

Paschal Jazz Band ........................................... Bryan Wright Band Director

Alma Mater .................................................. Written by Tom Reeder ’41

* T-Bone Burnett ’65 produced “Down to the River” for the movie O Brother Where Art Thou and won Grammy Awards for the soundtrack.

Mr. Robert Lee PaschalPrincipal 1906 – 1935

Charlie Mary Noble 1895Sue B. Mann 1910Gladys Houston Parker 1914Morgan Jones Davis 1915Wilmer Lee Allison 1921Price Daniel 1927Samuel P. Asper 1933Earl Meadows 1933Ruby Lee (Hackney) Piester 1933Charles Tandy 1935Howard Fender 1937Lila Banks Cockrell 1938Ted Norman 1939Melvin O. Dacus 1940Mary Elizabeth “Liz” Smith 1940Horace W. Busby, Jr. 1941Dr. Laura Lee Grogan Crane 1943Robert Jackson Robinson 1945Elston Brooks 1948Dan Jenkins 1948Robert Floyd 1949Charles Frank Pendleton 1949Edwin Shrake 1949Capt. Alan Bean 1950Dr. Aubrey Taylor 1950Don Eugene Bowden 1950Dr. James M. Dunn 1950Frank B. Ryan 1954Charles R. Hilliard 1956Morton Meyerson 1956Sherwin Goldman 1957Martin Frost 1960Dr. Donald R. Kirks 1960Dr. Rebecca Ann Naylor 1960Gayle Hunnicutt Jenkins 1961Richard E. Rainwater 1962Dr. Andy Sullivan 1962Dr. Bill J. Leonard 1964Dr. Tom Delton Dillehay 1965“T-Bone” Burnett 1965Robert Dean Fleer 1966Bill Owens 1969Donald Ray Curry 1980Ben Hogan Honorary

The 125th Anniversary of R.L. Paschal High School respectfully acknowledges

THe PAnTHeR HALL of HonoR

R. L. Paschal High School

HiSToRic SiTeS THE PROuD HiSTORy of R.L. Paschal High School began in the fall of 1885, when an impressive three-story Victorian structure opened its doors as the first public high school in Fort Worth.

The site, surrounded by dirt roads, is now the location of Daggett, Jennings, Hemphill and Jarvis Streets. This grand building, founded as Fort Worth High School, was known as one of the “finest schools in the southwest.”

in 1887, the first graduating class had 7 students: 6 females and one lonely male. This was a meager beginning for what would become one of the largest high schools in the state of Texas.

The year 1910 was a sad one for Fort Worth High School. Twenty-five years after the school was established, a fire completely destroyed the majestic building. Classes were moved to various elementary schools until the second Fort Worth High School was constructed on Jennings Avenue. This stately building would later become Ernest Parker Junior High. Today the old school has been refurbished as “Parker Commons,” a complex of historic lofts and apartments.

in 1918 Fort Worth High School was renamed Central when a new school was built on West Cannon Street. This 92 year old building, now a historic landmark in Fort Worth, is the current campus of Trimble Tech High School.

Robert Lee Paschal, who had been principal of Central beginning in 1906, unexpectedly retired in 1935 after 29 years of leadership.

in honor of this great educator, the name Central was changed to R.L. Paschal High School.

At this time, Paschal was the largest high school in Texas and the third largest in the South. The school regularly graduated more students and sent more to college than any other school in the Southwest.

in the fall of 1955, R.L. Paschal High School was relocated to the present campus on 3001 Forest Park Boulevard. The school was built around the old McLean Junior High School, and the art deco architecture of that era remains a historical part of the building.

it has been 125 years since the founding of what is now R.L. Paschal High School. There have been 4 locations and the name of the school has changed 3 times, but the mascot always remained The Panther.

The legend of The Panther and the history of Paschal High School are an integral part of Fort Worth’s early days and remain symbols of the proud tradition of educational excellence that has continued for a “century and a quarter.”

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PHS TodAycontinues Proud Academic Tradition

PASCHAL ExiSTS TODAy as Fort Worth’s only 5A high school with an enrollment of 2,500 students. it is the city’s most ethnically diverse student body.

Approximately one-third of the students are classified as economically disadvantaged.

Despite the challenges facing inner city schools, Paschal continues a tradition of academic excellence.

in the fall of this year, Paschal High School was recognized by Newsweek magazine as being in the top 1% of “America’s Best High Schools.”

•PaschalhasthelargestnumberofNationalMerit SemifinalistsinTarrantcounty,publicorprivate.

•PaschalSATscoresareabovethenationalaverage.

•Two-thirdsofPaschal’sstudentbodyareengaged inHonorsandAPsubjects.

•PaschaloffersmoreAdvancedPlacementsubjects thananypublicorprivateschoolinthearea.

•Thereare175APScholarsatPHSand11NationalAP Scholars, more than any high school in the area.

•173PaschalseniorshaveaGPAatorabove4.00.

•Thetop10%oftheseniorclasshaveaGPAator abovea4.65.

• Paschal High School has continued a proud tradition of excellence in education for 125 years.

A SPeciAL THAnk youtofacultymembers,Paschalstudents,

thePaschalPTAandPaschalalumniwhohelpedmake the 125thAnniversaryamemorablecelebration.

Terri Mossige, Paschal PrincipalJulie Mathis, PTA President

Alison Eaton, Student Council SponsorJohn Hamilton, Academic Coordinator

Lt. Col. Terry LeBoeuf, JROTC, Senior Army InstructorKristi Tollefson, Orchestra Director

Jolene Webster, Choir DirectorBryan Wright, Band Director

Ronda Penski, Cheerleading Sponsor

ALuMNi CHAiRMENJody Dean ’78

Jan Keen Hull ’62Adelaide Bratten Leavens ‘78

Paula Pike Medford ’79Kevin Medlin ’78

Pam Hearne Medlin ’79 Carrol Payne Nokes ’60

Jane Wiggin york ’60

TABLE CAPTAiNSBillie Roberts Dorris ’60

Judy Kaye Lamberson Neely ’60Carol Reid Permann ’60

Nancy Newton Rimmer ’60

ROyAL PuRPLES to the Class of 1960 for all their help with the Celebration and congratulations on their 50th Class Reunion this year.

Our appreciation to the Paschal PTA for refreshments in the cafeteria and the Paschal String Quartet and Paschal Mariachi Band

for entertainment during Open House.

School photographs courtesy of the Genealogy, History and Archives Unit, Fort Worth Public Library

Paschal Alumni Association

BoARd of diRecToRS

Kevin Medlin ’78 – President

Dr. Lee Anderson ’66

Nancy Moore Brees ’49

Richard Bourland ’63

Page Oliver Daniel ’72

Morty Herman ’60

William “Winky” Hix ’82

Kathryn Conway Hansen ’83

Adelaide Bratten Leavens ’78

Jan Keen Hull ’62

Joe Hardgrove ’51

Denise Curtis Jones ’66

Paula Pike Medford ’79

David Menefee ’78

Debbie Turner Monroe ’68

Pam Hearne Medlin ’79

Roger Motheral ’75

Rix Quinn ’66

Larry Small ’58

STAy connecTedPASCHAL ALuMNi ASSOCiATiON

P.O. Box 11876Fort Worth, Tx 76110-0876

Alumni e-mail: paschalalumni@charter.netPlease notify the Alumni Association with any name, address or e-mail changes.

Thank you for your loyalty and support of R.L. Paschal High School.

PAScHAlFiGHTSoNG

fight the team across the fieldShowthemthatPaschal’shereSettheairreverberatingWith the mighty cheer, Rah, Rah, RahHitthemhardandseehowtheyfallNeverlettheirteamgettheballHail,Hailthegang’sallhereAndwe’regoingtowintonight.

PAScHAlAlMAMATer

Hail dear old Paschal, Purple and WhiteHailHighSchoolcomrades,life-longlight MemorieseverinourHeartsremainPraise to the Paschal, Purple Reign.

R.L. Paschal High School1885 – 2010125 Years

Hail Dear Old Paschal… May your tradition of excellence live on for generations to come, long after we have gone…