Franklin D. Roosevelt High School (Dallas)


Franklin D. Roosevelt High School is a public secondary school in the Oak Cliff area of Dallas, Texas, serving grades 9 - 12. The school opened in 1963 and is part of the Dallas Independent School District.
The school serves several South Dallas communities, including Cadillac Heights and some Oak Cliff neighborhoods.

History

Construction of the school began in 1961 at 525 Bonnie View Road in the Oak Cliff area. Built before the school district integrated its high schools, the campus was the first new "Negro high school" built in Dallas since 1939 at the time it opened in January 1963. The school was built to serve a maximum capacity of 2000 students and at its opening was expected to draw about 1200 students from the Oak Cliff area, most previously attending Madison High School — which had itself been converted to a "Negro school" in 1956 to relieve overcrowding at Booker T. Washington and Lincoln high schools.
The school is named after Franklin Delano Roosevelt, the 32nd U.S. President in honor of him passing and assisting lower class citizens opportunity for growth. School colors chosen were Columbia blue, White, and Cardinal red. Most recent colors used for FDR are navy blue, light blue and white.
In 2005, after the closure of Wilmer-Hutchins High School. Roosevelt absorbed some WHISD high school students.
In 2011 the district re-opened Wilmer Hutchins High. Some former WHISD zones covered by Roosevelt were rezoned to Wilmer-Hutchins.

Notable alumni

NameClass YearNotabilityReference
Lew Blackburn1974a trustee of the Dallas ISD school board
Waymond Bryant1969former American football linebacker, played for the Chicago Bears
Jeff Fuller1980former NFL football safety who played for the San Francisco 49ers from 1984 to 1989. He played in two Super Bowls as a member of the 49ers.
Roy Martin1985sprinter, US high school record holder
Evelyn Henry-Miller1976Chief Financial Officer, TDIndustries; formerly executive vice-president for The Dallas Morning News
Aaron WallaceNFL player
Richmond WebbNFL player; 7-time NFL pro bowler and 5-time all-pro selection
Kevin Williams1989former football wide receiver in the NFL for the Dallas Cowboys, Arizona Cardinals, Buffalo Bills and San Francisco 49ers