87S20837 TBO-D
By: Stephenson H.C.R. No. 9
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, The Wharton County Historical Commission is hosting
the dedication of a Texas Historical Marker at the site of the
Wharton Training School on November 6, 2021; and
WHEREAS, Established in 1896 as the Wharton Colored School,
the institution was created to provide a high-quality education for
local African American students at all grade levels; originally
situated on Milam Street, the school received a grant in 1927 from
the Rosenwald Fund to build a larger facility on the corner of
Outlar Street and what is now Martin Luther King Boulevard; and
WHEREAS, Renamed the Negro Training School, the new building
was destroyed by a fire in December 1936; classes were subsequently
held in the livestock barns at the county fairgrounds until a new,
seven-room structure was finished in 1937; by 1939, African
American students from all over the county were attending the
school, now rechristened the Wharton County Training School, and
that same year, C. W. Dawson became principal, a position he would
hold for nearly three decades; and
WHEREAS, In 1955, a new brick building with more classrooms
and the school's first science labs was added, enabling the
institution to offer a full curriculum that included advanced
science, home economics, art, and music, and in 1962, the football
team took the AA League state championship; over the years, the
school served as a community center and the venue for numerous
events; many graduates returned to the campus to work as teachers or
administrators, and since the facility's closure in 1968, the
members of the Wharton Training High School Alumni and Ex-Students
Association have continued to preserve the school's rich heritage;
and
WHEREAS, Throughout its history, the Wharton Training School
contributed to the intellectual and social development of
generations of African American students, and it is indeed fitting
that its notable legacy in Wharton County be recognized; now,
therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the 87th Legislature of the State of Texas,
2nd Called Session, hereby commemorate the dedication of the Texas
Historical Marker at the site of the Wharton Training School and
extend to all those in attendance sincere best wishes for a
meaningful and memorable event; and, be it further
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
prepared for the Wharton County Historical Commission as an
expression of high regard by the Texas House of Representatives and
Senate.