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.