Douglas MacArthur High School (commonly MacArthur or Mac) is a
public secondary school
State schools (in England, Wales, Australia and New Zealand) or public schools (Scottish English and North American English) are generally primary or secondary schools that educate all students without charge. They are funded in whole or in pa ...
on the northeast side of
San Antonio
("Cradle of Freedom")
, image_map =
, mapsize = 220px
, map_caption = Interactive map of San Antonio
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = United States
, subdivision_type1= U.S. state, State
, subdivision_name1 = Texas
, s ...
,
Texas
Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...
,
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
. The school, a part of the
North East Independent School District
The North East Independent School District (commonly NEISD or North East ISD) is a school district located in San Antonio, Texas, United States. North East ISD serves the north central and northeast areas of Bexar County, covering approximately . ...
serves students in
ninth grade
Ninth grade, freshman year, or grade 9 is the ninth year of school education in some school systems. Ninth grade is often the first school year of secondary school, high school in the United States, or the last year of middle school#United States ...
through
twelfth grade
Twelfth grade, 12th grade, senior year, or grade 12 is the final year of secondary school in most of North America. In other regions, it may also be referred to as class 12 or Year 13. In most countries, students are usually between the ages of 17 ...
, with admission based primarily on the locations of students' homes. The school serves portions of San Antonio and the portion of
Terrell Hills
Terrell Hills is a city in Bexar County, Texas, United States; it is located northeast of downtown San Antonio. As of the 2020 census Terrell Hills had a population of 5,045. It is part of a group of three cities—Terrell Hills, Alamo Heights, ...
within NEISD.
[Terrell Hills city, Texas]
." U.S. Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...
. Retrieved on March 24, 2010.
History
MacArthur High School was the first high school in the
North East Independent School District
The North East Independent School District (commonly NEISD or North East ISD) is a school district located in San Antonio, Texas, United States. North East ISD serves the north central and northeast areas of Bexar County, covering approximately . ...
. It was established in 1950 as North East Rural High School, but was later renamed after
Douglas MacArthur
Douglas MacArthur (26 January 18805 April 1964) was an American military leader who served as General of the Army for the United States, as well as a field marshal to the Philippine Army. He had served with distinction in World War I, was C ...
in the 1958–1959 school year after the opening of
Robert E. Lee High School.
The
campus
A campus is traditionally the land on which a college or university and related institutional buildings are situated. Usually a college campus includes libraries, lecture halls, residence halls, student centers or dining halls, and park-like se ...
was composed of separate academic buildings spread out over 37.8
acre
The acre is a unit of land area used in the imperial
Imperial is that which relates to an empire, emperor, or imperialism.
Imperial or The Imperial may also refer to:
Places
United States
* Imperial, California
* Imperial, Missouri
* Imp ...
s until 1999 when the school underwent major construction. All buildings were demolished, except for the
auditorium
An auditorium is a room built to enable an audience to hear and watch performances. For movie theatres, the number of auditoria (or auditoriums) is expressed as the number of screens. Auditoria can be found in entertainment venues, community ...
,
cafeteria
A cafeteria, sometimes called a canteen outside the U.S., is a type of food service location in which there is little or no waiting staff table service, whether a restaurant or within an institution such as a large office building or school ...
, and
fine art
In European academic traditions, fine art is developed primarily for aesthetics or creative expression, distinguishing it from decorative art or applied art, which also has to serve some practical function, such as pottery or most metalwork ...
s building, which were renovated. A new gymnasium was constructed, as well as a new main building, consisting of four wings, each three
floor
A floor is the bottom surface of a room or vehicle. Floors vary from simple dirt in a cave to many layered surfaces made with modern technology. Floors may be stone, wood, bamboo, metal or any other material that can support the expected load ...
s tall, with an open air
courtyard
A courtyard or court is a circumscribed area, often surrounded by a building or complex, that is open to the sky.
Courtyards are common elements in both Western and Eastern building patterns and have been used by both ancient and contemporary ...
in the center. The combining of the academic buildings allowed for the addition of several new
athletic fields. The Track at the school was renovated in the summer of 2008. Additional construction began in 2016 to construct a new Science and Athletics building. In 2018, the Fine Arts building began renovations and expansion.
The school's athletic and other organizations have seen many successes with district, regional, and state appearances and championships. The school has achieved notable recognition in recent years for its UIL Academic teams, with both teams and individuals placing at the state level in science, current events, and social studies competitions, and a 2007
TMSCA State Championship in science. On a national level, MacArthur physics students have placed consistently in the top 15 in the
JETS TEAMS Engineering Competition
Jet, Jets, or The Jet(s) may refer to:
Aerospace
* Jet aircraft, an aircraft propelled by jet engines
** Jet airliner
** Jet engine
** Jet fuel
* Jet Airways, an Indian airline
* Wind Jet (ICAO: JET), an Italian airline
* Journey to Enceladus ...
. The school was recognized as a
National Blue Ribbon School
The National Blue Ribbon Schools Program is a United States Department of Education award program that recognizes exemplary public and non-public schools on a yearly basis. Using standards of excellence evidenced by student achievement measures, ...
in 1988–1989.
MacArthur letter
General Douglas MacArthur
Douglas MacArthur (26 January 18805 April 1964) was an American military leader who served as General of the Army for the United States, as well as a field marshal to the Philippine Army. He had served with distinction in World War I, was ...
sent a letter to the school in January 1964 after a birthday celebration in his honor. The letter is located on the first floor in the administration department.
Extracurricular activities
MacArthur hosted the first
Texas French Symposium
The Texas French Symposium is a statewide non-profit competition in which French students, which are categorized into levels 1-6 and Experienced compete with other students of their same level from all over the state of Texas. The organization i ...
in 1964, and subsequently in 1965, 1966, 1970, 1971, 1974 and 1995.
Since its establishment in 1968, the
MacArthur Blue Guard (MBG) varsity level armed drill team has continually represented MacArthur's Army Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps (J.R.O.T.C.). Battalion and MacArthur High School with military excellence and precision in U.S. Army platoon drill and exhibition. Since the mid-1980's, MBG has achieved best in State status, to include best armed drill team in the nation at the drill team championships in Daytona Beach, FL in 1990. In addition to the Blue Guard, MacArthur High School's varsity Color Guard is made up of 4 members (U.S. Flag, Texas Flag, U.S. Flag Guard and Texas Flag Guard) of the MBG and would present those colors at all home football games as well as compete in competition around the state.
MacArthur's football team has made one appearance in the UIL State 5A Championship game in 1998. MacArthur had lost on December 12 to
Katy High School
Katy High School is a high school located in Katy, Texas which serves grades 9 through 12. It is a part of the Katy Independent School District. The school serves the City of Katy and the unincorporated Harris County community of Cimarron.Johns ...
14–6. However, Katy's win was forfeited for using an ineligible student during the regular season. Given hours to prepare, MacArthur played in the state title game but lost to
Midland Lee 54–0.
MacArthur's baseball team reached the state finals in 1966 in Class 4A, the largest classification at the time. It lost to the Freeport Brazosport Exporters, 6–1. And again in 1987, the baseball team reached the state finals in the UIL Class 5A category, losing to Abilene Cooper, 13–3.
The Boys
Cross Country team placed second behind Churchill in the district cross country meet on November 1, 2008. One runner from MacArthur placed third in the individual division at the District meet. The team finished in 14th place in the Region IV-Meet. Also one female runner the cross- country team qualified in the top 10 individual division to qualify for the Region IV meet on November 1, 2008.
MacArthur High School also has a very active fine arts program with one of the highlights being the Marching Band known as "the Big Blue Marching Machine". The MacArthur marching band has stood for excellence for over 37 years now. The band has a 27-year record of Superior UIL Sweepstake Awards in marching, concert and sight-reading. The band has been winners of major music contests in Texas, Florida, and California. The band won two State Marching Band Championships in Class 5A, one in 1985, and the other in 1986. In addition, the theater department at MacArthur High School has been outstanding for many years, and won the UIL One Act Theater competition for many years, under the leadership of Charles Jeffries, Luis Munoz, Jerry Knight, and Molly Risso. In 2014, the MacArthur OAP was the only school in NEISD to compete in the State UIL competition, finishing 4th in the State. MacArthur Theater was under the direction of Dean Whitus and Casey O'Bryant. In 2015, under the direction of Dean Whitus and Margaret Tonra, MacArthur was the only NEISD school to make it into the Area competition, and finished in 3rd place and alternate for State competition.
In 2007, the Brahmadoras varsity dance team WON nationals in the kick category at NDA nationals in orlando Florida
In 2009, the Varsity Cheerleaders won the Universal Cheerleaders Association National Championship in the Small Varsity category.
In 2010, the Varsity Football Team won the title of District Champions.
In March 2015, the Lassies Junior Varsity dance team won the nationals in the Pom category at NDA Nationals in Orlando, Florida.
In 2015, the MacArthur Winter Guard won 1st place in Scholastic A Class at the TCGC Championships in College Station, Texas. Throughout the season, they have won first place at every competition. Their show was entitled "Lose Yourself".
TAP
MacArthur High School houses the Electrical Systems Technology Program for students interested in the
electrical industry
The electric power industry covers the generation, transmission, distribution and sale of electric power to the general public and industry. The commodity sold is actually energy, not power, e.g. consumers pay for kilowatt-hours, power multip ...
. The program has been established as a
Technical Apprenticeship Program (TAP) in conjunction with the
United States Department of Labor
The United States Department of Labor (DOL) is one of the executive departments of the U.S. federal government. It is responsible for the administration of federal laws governing occupational safety and health, wage and hour standards, unemploym ...
, Bureau of Apprenticeship and Training. Students have the opportunity to earn apprenticeship hours while they are in high school. They Learn Residential, Commercial, and Industrial Motor Control Wiring, as Well as State Local and National Electrical Codes, and many continue to work for many of the local electrical contractors such as Five Point Electric, Calcote Electric and many others.
Notable alumni
Athletics
*
Jace Amaro
Jace Jordan Amaro (born June 26, 1992) is a former American football tight end who played in the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the New York Jets in the second round of the 2014 NFL Draft. He also played for the Tennessee Ti ...
(Class of 2010) – Current NFL player (tight end) for the Kansas City Chiefs
*
David Bailiff
David Edward Bailiff (born May 26, 1958) is an American football coach and former player. He was most recently the head coach at Texas A&M University–Commerce from 2019-2022; prior to that he was the head coach at Rice University in Houston, Tex ...
(Class of 1976) – College football coach who was most recently the head coach at Rice University from 2007 to 2017.
*
Keith Edmonson
Keith Andre Edmonson (born September 28, 1960) is an American former professional basketball player. He was born in Gulfport, Mississippi.
College career
Edmonson was a part of the Purdue Boilermakers team that reached the 1980 NCAA Final Four. ...
(Class of 1978) – NBA player (point guard)
*
John Gibbons
John Michael Gibbons (born June 8, 1962) is an American former professional baseball player and former manager of the Toronto Blue Jays of Major League Baseball (MLB). Gibbons briefly played in the Major Leagues as a catcher with the New York Me ...
(Class of 1980) – Former MLB professional baseball player and is the current manager of the Toronto Blue Jays
*
Jerry Grote
Gerald Wayne Grote (born October 6, 1942) is an American former professional baseball player. He played the majority of his Major League Baseball career as a catcher for the New York Mets, catching every inning of the franchise's first two World ...
(Class of 1961) – Former MLB professional baseball player And World Series catcher with the
New York Mets
The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. They are one of two major league ...
*
Josh Jung
Joshua Ryne Jung (born February 12, 1998) is an American professional baseball third baseman for the Texas Rangers of Major League Baseball (MLB). He played college baseball for the Texas Tech Red Raiders, and was drafted by the Rangers in the f ...
(Class of 2016) – Active MLB third baseman for the Texas Rangers
*
Jason Szuminski
Jason Ernest Szuminski (born December 11, 1978) is a former right-handed Major League Baseball pitcher who has the distinction of being the first athlete from Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the only United States Air Force reservist (a ...
(Class of 1997) – Former MLB professional baseball player
Government
*
Dan Branch
Dan H. Branch (born March 5, 1958) is an American politician who served as the Texas State Representative for the 108th district from 2003 to 2015. A member of the Republican Party, he represented part of Dallas.[Robert T. Clark
Lieutenant general (United States), Lieutenant General Robert T. Clark is a retired United States Army officer.
His last assignment was as the Commanding General, Fifth United States Army (later United States Army North) which he commanded from ...]
(Class of 1966) – Retired United States Army Lieutenant General
*
Lyle Larson
Lyle Thomas Larson (born March 25, 1959) is a businessman from San Antonio, Texas, who is a Republican member of the Texas House of Representatives from District 122 in his native northern Bexar County. He was first elected to the state House in 2 ...
(Class of 1977) – Member of the Texas House of Representatives, from District 122
Art & Film
*
David Crabb
David Crabb (December 13, 1975 - ) is an American actor and writer. He was born in San Antonio, Texas and lived there until the middle of high school, when he moved to Seguin, Texas. His experiences of being a "gay Goth teen in South Texas" were ...
(Class of 1994) – Storyteller, actor, and author
*
Terri Hendrix
Terri Ann Hendrix is a Texas-based singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and independent artist who has been writing and performing an eclectic mix of Americana genre, encompassing folk, pop, country, blues, and jazz, since 1990. Since 19 ...
(Class of 1986) – singer-songwriter, independent record label owner, activist
*
Terra Jolé
Terra Jolé Odmark (born May 25, 1980, in Comal County, Texas) is a reality television personality known for '' Little Women: LA'' and its spinoffs and '' Dancing with the Stars''. She stands at 4'2" as a person with dwarfism.
Career
Jolé is p ...
(Class of 1998) – Reality TV star
* Joseph King (Class of 1994) – Singer for the band Deadbeat Darling
*
Kirk Lynn (Class of 1990) – Playwright
*
Bruce McGill
Bruce Travis McGill (born July 11, 1950) is an American actor. He worked with director Michael Mann in the movies '' The Insider'' (1999), ''Ali'' (2001), and '' Collateral'' (2004). McGill's other notable film roles include Daniel Simpson "D-Da ...
(Class of 1968) – Actor
*
Don Mischer
Donald Leo Mischer (born March 5, 1940) is an American producer and director of television and live events and president of Don Mischer Productions.
Career
Mischer has been honored with fifteen Emmy Awards, a record ten Directors Guild of America ...
(Class of 1958) – Television producer
*
Norah O'Donnell
Norah Morahan O'Donnell (born January 23, 1974) is an American television journalist who is currently anchor of the ''CBS Evening News'' and a correspondent for ''60 Minutes''. She has worked with several mainstream media outlets throughout her ...
(Class of 1991) – co-anchor for ''
CBS This Morning
''CBS This Morning'' (''CTM'') is an American morning television program that aired on CBS from November 30, 1987, to October 29, 1999, and again from January 9, 2012, to September 6, 2021. The program was aired from Monday through Saturday. ...
''.
*
Deborah Paredez
Deborah Paredez (born December 19, 1970) is an American poet, scholar, and cultural critic. She is the author of the poetry collections, ''Year of the Dog'' and ''This Side of Skin,'' and the critical study, '' Selenidad: Selena, Latinos, and the ...
(Class of 1989) – Poet and academic
*
Robert Wright (Class of 1975) – Author of ''
The Moral Animal
''The Moral Animal'' is a 1994 book by journalist Robert Wright, in which the author explores many aspects of everyday life through evolutionary biology.
Summary
Wright explores many aspects of everyday life through evolutionary biology. He p ...
'', ''
Nonzero'', ''
The Evolution of God
''The Evolution of God'' is a 2009 book by Robert Wright (journalist), Robert Wright, in which the author explores the history of the concept of God in the three Abrahamic religions through a variety of means, including archaeology, history, theol ...
'', and others
Business
*
John Lilly (Class of 1989) – Venture capitalist and former CEO of the Mozilla Corporation from 2008 to 2010
References
External links
Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Macarthur, Douglas High School
North East Independent School District high schools
Educational institutions established in 1950
High schools in San Antonio
Public high schools in Texas
1950 establishments in Texas