David T. Howard High School was a school for African American students in Atlanta, Georgia. It has many prominent alumni.[1] In 2018 the school was being renovated for a planned 2020 reopening as a middle school.[2] Alumni include Martin Luther King Jr., Maynard Jackson who became Atlanta's first Black mayor, Walt Frazier who played basketball at the school, Lonnie King, Vernon Jordan, Clarence Cooper (judge), and gold medal-winning Olympian Mildred McDaniel Singleton.[2][1] It is located at 551 John Wesley Dobbs Avenue. It was named for prominent businessman and philanthropist David Tobias Howard.
| David T. Howard Middle School | |
|---|---|
 David T. Howard Middle School (2020) | |
| Location | |
 | |
| Coordinates | 33°45′32″N 84°22′08″W / 33.758765°N 84.368801°W |
| Information | |
| Former name | David T. Howard High School |
| School district | Atlanta Public Schools |
History
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The school opened in 1923 as an Elementary School.[3] It became a high school in 1948.[2]
The school was named for David T. Howard, a former slave who owned Atlanta's largest black-owned undertaking business and founded its first African American owned bank. He was a noted philanthropist, particularly focused on educating children. He donated thousands of dollars to poor children to be educated, to Tuskegee University, and donated the 7.5-acre campus for the elementary school which was named after him.[2]
Martin Luther King Jr. attended the school from 1936 until 1940.[4]
The school building is brick.[4] It closed in 1976.[2]
In 2021, it reopened as David T. Howard Middle School.
Athletics
editThe school competed in the Georgia Interscholastic Association. It won the 1954 state championship in basketball.[5]
Rebuilding
editAs of 2019, the former school is being rebuilt for a fall 2020 opening as a new middle school feeding into Midtown High School (Atlanta). The school will retain the Howard name, being called David T. Howard Middle School.[6] The renovations will cost an estimated $52 million.[7]
Alumni
edit- Eldrin Bell,[8] Atlanta police chief and Clayton County Commission chair.[9]
- Clarence Cooper, judge
- Walt Frazier, professional basketball star
- Greg Harts, professional baseball player[10]
- Maynard Jackson[8]
- Vernon Jordan
- Lonnie C. King Jr., civil rights leader
- Martin Luther King Jr.
- Mildred McDaniel Singleton,[9] Olympic gold medalist high jumper
- Charles Person, civil rights activist
- Herman J. Russell,[8] a real estate entrepreneur and the first African American member of the Atlanta Chamber of Commerce[9]
Faculty
edit- Margaret Edson, sixth-grade social studies teacher [11] and the 1999 winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Drama for the play Wit[12]
References
edit- ^ a b McCray, Vanessa (January 14, 2018). "8 famous former students of Atlanta's David T. Howard School". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Archived from the original on April 8, 2019.
- ^ a b c d e Richie, Clare S. (September 5, 2018). "History Being Reborn: Revitalization of David T. Howard School on track in O4W - Atlanta INtown Paper". Atlanta INtown Paper. Archived from the original on October 2, 2018.
- ^ "History". www.davidthowardnationalalumni.org. DT Howard Alumni Association. February 9, 2020. Archived from the original on February 9, 2020. Retrieved February 9, 2020.
In 1923, the City of Atlanta opened the David T. Howard Grammar School located in the block bounded by Houston, Randolph, Howell and Irwin Streets. Howard took the place of three grammar schools, two of which opened in 1866 for children of freed slaves, Storrs, Summer Hill and the Houston Street School which became the first Atlanta Public School with an all- Negro staff. Since its construction in 1923 David T. Howard School educated many of Atlanta's most notable citizens.
- ^ a b McCray, Vanessa. "APS construction jobs include updating King's childhood school". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Archived from the original on June 14, 2018.
- ^ "GIA Boys Basketball Champions | GHSA.net".
- ^ Richie, Clare S. (August 24, 2019). "Topping out ceremony marks milestone in construction of new Howard Middle School facility". Atlanta INtown Paper. Springs Publishing, LLC. Archived from the original on September 14, 2019. Retrieved August 26, 2019.
- ^ Terrell, Ross (April 10, 2018). "Historic David T. Howard School To Open Again After Four Decades". 90.1 FM WABE. Archived from the original on February 9, 2020. Retrieved February 9, 2020.
Renovations to the school are projected to cost $52 million and will be partially funded with a special purpose local option sales tax.
- ^ a b c "David T. Howard: From Georgia slave to Atlanta philanthropist".
- ^ a b c "8 famous former students of Atlanta's David T. Howard School".
- ^ "Greg Harts Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Rookie Status & More". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference. Retrieved November 12, 2022.
- ^ Public Schools, Atlanta. "David T. Howard Middle School Staff & Faculty Directory". Retrieved July 12, 2021.
- ^ Prizes, Pulitzer (April 12, 1999). "The 1999 Pulitzer Prize Winner in Drama". Retrieved July 12, 2021.
External links
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Media related to David T. Howard Middle School at Wikimedia Commons
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