W. O. Boston High School
Public school in Lake Charles, Louisiana, U.S.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
W. O. Boston High School was an American public high school in Lake Charles, Louisiana. Originally Second Ward Colored School, it was renamed in honor of William Oscar Boston.[1] Opened in 1949 as a segregated school for Blacks,[2][3] it was renamed from Second Ward Colored School, which had been in the community since the late 19th century.[4] W. O. Boston's first principal was Ralph C. Reynaud.[1]
| William Oscar Boston High School | |
|---|---|
| Location | |
 | |
600 South Shattuck Street , , 70601 United States 30.2307°N 93.1969°W | |
| Information | |
| Type | Public high school |
| Established | 1949 |
| Closed | 1983 |
| Colors | Red and white |
| Nickname | Panthers |
In sports, the W. O. Boston Panthers won three state titles in 1972 in boys basketball, girls track and field, and football.[5]
In 1983, the school merged with Lake Charles High School to form Lake Charles-Boston High School.[4][6][7] At the time, W. O. Boston was predominantly Black, while Lake Charles was racially relatively even. The school board supported the merger to eliminate a one-race school. Blacks opposed it, contending that it destroyed Calcasieu Parish's best example of racial balance. The resulting Lake Charles-Boston was 78.2 percent Black and 21.8 percent White. Blacks also disagreed that Barbe High School, which was predominantly White, was largely unaffected by the board's desegregation plan.[8]
Notable alumni
- Jim Griffin, football player[9]
- Charlie Joiner, member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame[10]
- David Lawrence, basketball player[11]
- Edmund Lawrence, basketball player[12]
- Wilbert Rideau, convicted killer and journalist[13]
