Historical Facts about Arlington High School

1902: Local schools taken over by city from Carlisle Military Academy.

1904- 1922: High School, comprised of grades 8 through 11, met at the South Side School which also housed 1st - 7th grades.  North Side School had 1st through 7th.

1905: First graduating class of the High School made up of five girls. [names are on back of photo in trophy case]

1908: First graduating class with boys

1922: Arlington High School built on Cooper and Abram, separating grades 8 – 11 separating from first seven grades

1923: Arlington High students chose Colts as the mascot and the colors of green and white, replacing the former icons—the Yellow Jackets, black and gold.

FOOTNOTE:  Bill Bardin tells this story of the day the mascot and colors were selected. He was a junior that year and one senior was planning to go to SMU (who are, of course, the Mustangs) so he suggested Colts. The students agreed and voted it the winner.  When Bill returned to class after the assembly, his history teacher, Miss Cravens (or Mrs., not sure. Tom C would know), told the class to remember the date, March 5, 1923, because the naming of the mascot and the colors would be more important to them than the War of 1812. Bill did as he was told. He remembered the date.

1923-1924: AHS had a girls’ basketball team with uniforms of bloomers, middy blouses with tie, stockings and Converse high top shoes. [names on back of photo in trophy case].

1942: A twelfth grade was added to the high school format for children beginning school that year. Students already in school simply skipped a grade. Beverly Reynolds remembers going from 4^th to 6^th grade.

1947: Hooker Vandergriff bought the Colt Band its first uniforms

1950: First live Little Arlie; “Sons of the White & Green” composed by Jane Ellis/Dean Corey1956: Last class to graduate from AHS on Cooper and Abram

1957: First class to graduate from AHS on Park Row

1958: Old AHS reopens as Ousley Junior High, 8^th grade only

1963: Last class to graduate when Arlington High was city’s only high school. Sam Houston High opens in fall 1963.

1964: Last class to graduate all of the city’s seniors. Junior class is split between the two schools.

1965: Graduating seniors at two high schools for the first time

1968: Ousley campus is sold to the college; junior high relocated to Bailey Junior High on Bowen

Circa 1985: Logo with sideways horseshoe representing the “C” in Colts designed by a student. Principal James Crouch introduces slogan, “How Sweet It Is To Be In Colt Country.”

1987: Run of nine straight football playoff appearances begins.

1997: Class of 2001 enters as freshmen, first freshmen class in 40 years.

2004: Arlington High School Centennial

HISTORY OF THE AHS ALUMNI ASSOCIATION
A review of the beginning of the AHS Alumni Association - beginning in 1995.

"HOW
SWEET
IT IS
TO BE
IN
COLT
COUNTRY!"

THE PRINCIPALS
OF AHS

*E. C. Westerman
1923-1925

*John R. Covery
1925-1927

*R.C. Ward
1927-1929

*John A. Kooken
1919-1936

*H.E. Stoker
1936-1938

*W. R. (Ross) Wimblish 
1936-1941   

M. M. Young
1941-1945

* James Martin
1945- 1955

John Webb
1955 – 1970

* James Crouch
1970 – 1985

Jerry McCullough
1985 – 1988

Bob Burgin
1988 – 1993

James Adams
1993 - 2008