Will Rogers High School
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Will Rogers Middle and High School, located at 3909 E. 5th Place in
Tulsa, Oklahoma Tulsa () is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and 47th-most populous city in the United States. The population was 413,066 as of the 2020 census. It is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area, a region with ...
, was built by
Tulsa Public Schools Tulsa Public Schools is an independent school district serving the Tulsa, Oklahoma area in Northeastern Oklahoma. As of 2022, it is the largest school district in Oklahoma, surpassing Oklahoma City Public Schools for the first time since 2013. A ...
in 1939 using
WPA WPA may refer to: Computing *Wi-Fi Protected Access, a wireless encryption standard *Windows Product Activation, in Microsoft software licensing * Wireless Public Alerting (Alert Ready), emergency alerts over LTE in Canada * Windows Performance An ...
workers and designed by Joseph R. Koberling, Jr. and
Leon B. Senter Leon Bishop Senter (March 5, 1889 – September 16, 1965) was an American architect who worked primarily in Oklahoma. Although not formally educated in architecture, he became Oklahoma's first licensed architect in 1925 and designed several buil ...
. It was named for the humorist
Will Rogers William Penn Adair Rogers (November 4, 1879 – August 15, 1935) was an American vaudeville performer, actor, and humorous social commentator. He was born as a citizen of the Cherokee Nation, in the Indian Territory (now part of Oklahoma ...
, who died in 1935, along with
Wiley Post Wiley Hardeman Post (November 22, 1898 – August 15, 1935) was a famed American aviator during the interwar period and the first pilot to fly solo around the world. Also known for his work in high-altitude flying, Post helped develop one ...
in a plane crash. Significant additions were made to the original structure in 1949 and 1964. The alterations were in keeping with the original design and did not detract from the school's architectural or historical significance. It has been called "... one of the best examples of Art Deco high school architecture...in the United States.NRHP Registration Form – Will Rogers High School.
eptember 9, 2007. Retrieved October 12, 2014.
The school had approximately 1,000 students as of 2008, and more than 39,000 alumni.


History

The growth of the oil industry in Tulsa spurred a major population explosion that created a huge demand for homes and schools through the 1910s and 1920s. By 1920, Tulsa had built three senior high schools: Central in the downtown area, Booker T. Washington in North Tulsa and Clinton in West Tulsa. The Board of Education had already realized the urgent need for two more such schools, one on the west side of Tulsa and the other on the east side. The school board received a grant from the federal Public Works Administration for both the westside and eastside schools on October 22, 1936. This was the seed money that allowed the preparation of bids, which were opened in July, 1937. The school occupies a site within a residential area. In September, 1936, the Tulsa School District bought the tract in the southwestern quarter of Section 4, Township 19N, Range 13E from Mr. and Mrs. Fred Turner. It is bounded by East 4th Place South Street on the north, South Pittsburg Avenue on the east, East 5th Place South on the south, and Turner Park on the west. As originally constructed, the structure contained 200,000 sq. ft. of space. A 1949 addition to the east wing contained 21,016 square feet of space. An addition to the west wing in 1964 added four levels of classroom space. In the 2008/09 school year, Rogers English teacher Brian Grimm was honored with the district's title of "teacher of the Year". Tulsa Public Schools has 83 schools and 3,300 teachers and staff. The school's colors are royal blue and gold, the mascot is a
Roper Roper is a craftsman who makes ropes; a ropemaker. It may also refer to: Places *Roper, North Carolina, USA *Roper River, Northern Territory, Australia People * Roper (surname) Other *'' Roper v. Simmons'', a decision of the United States Sup ...
(i.e. a cowboy who specializes in using a rope to manage cattle) and the students are known as the Ropers. The school's symbol is based upon the dogiron (branding iron) used by the Rogers family. On September 6, 2007, the Will Rogers High School building was added to the
National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...
with national significance. It is an example of
Art Deco Art Deco, short for the French ''Arts Décoratifs'', and sometimes just called Deco, is a style of visual arts, architecture, and product design, that first appeared in France in the 1910s (just before World War I), and flourished in the Unite ...
. The National Park Service has stated that it is one of the best examples of Art Deco high school architecture in the United States.National Park Service. "National Register of Historic Places Program: Back To School: Will Rogers High Schoo

/ref>


Building description

The 1939 building was constructed with a basement and three stories.


Change to dual enrollment school

In 2011, Tulsa Public Schools converted Will Rogers High School to a dual enrollment school for students offering those who complete the program at Rogers up to 66 college units, the equivalent of an associate degree. It has been since renamed "Will Rogers College Junior High and High School." The student body consists of grades 6 through 12, eliminating the traditional middle school. The first graduating class after this change was in 2014.News on 6. "TPS Proposal Would Make Rogers High School A College Magnet Program." March 31, 2011

/ref>


Tulsa Will Rogers High School Foundation

The school has a group of alumni who run the Tulsa Will Rogers High School Foundation, which provides grants and scholarships to Rogers faculty and students. The foundation was established in the 1990s and continues to this day.


Notable alumni

* John Ashley (actor), John Ashley (1934–1997), actor, producer and singer *
Charles Bell (painter) Charles Bell (June 11, 1935 – April 1, 1995) was an American photorealist who created large scale still lifes. Artistic career Despite a lifelong interest in art, Bell never received any formal art training. He claimed inspiration from Richa ...
(1935–1995), noted artist *
Elvin Bishop Elvin Richard Bishop (born October 21, 1942) is an American blues and rock music singer, guitarist, bandleader, and songwriter. An original member of the Paul Butterfield Blues Band, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a membe ...
, musician. Blues-rock guitarist best known for his hit "
Fooled Around and Fell in Love "Fooled Around and Fell in Love" is a song written and performed by blues guitarist Elvin Bishop with Mickey Thomas on lead vocals. It appeared on his 1975 album, ''Struttin' My Stuff'', and was released as a single the following year. Backgro ...
." *
Anita Bryant Anita Jane Bryant (born March 25, 1940) is an American singer known for anti-gay activism. She scored four "Top 40" hits in the United States in the late 1950s and early 1960s, including "Paper Roses" which reached No. 5 on the charts. She was th ...
, singer. A former
Miss Oklahoma The Miss Oklahoma competition selects a winner to compete on behalf of Oklahoma in the Miss America pageant. Miss Oklahoma has won the Miss America crown on five occasions. Also, in the years when city representatives were common, Norma Smallwo ...
, she was famous as a
television Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or the medium of television transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertisin ...
spokesperson A spokesperson, spokesman, or spokeswoman, is someone engaged or elected to speak on behalf of others. Duties and function In the present media-sensitive world, many organizations are increasingly likely to employ professionals who have receiv ...
for Florida orange juice. She spearheaded opposition to a
gay rights Rights affecting lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people vary greatly by country or jurisdiction—encompassing everything from the legal recognition of same-sex marriage to the death penalty for homosexuality. Notably, , 3 ...
ordinance in Florida in 1977. * Phillip N. Butler (1938), a
U.S. Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage of ...
Commander Commander (commonly abbreviated as Cmdr.) is a common naval officer rank. Commander is also used as a rank or title in other formal organizations, including several police forces. In several countries this naval rank is termed frigate captain. ...
,
naval aviator Naval aviation is the application of military air power by navies, whether from warships that embark aircraft, or land bases. Naval aviation is typically projected to a position nearer the target by way of an aircraft carrier. Carrier-based a ...
and the eighth-longest-held U.S. prisoner of war (POW) held in
North Vietnam North Vietnam, officially the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (DRV; vi, Việt Nam Dân chủ Cộng hòa), was a socialist state supported by the Soviet Union (USSR) and the People's Republic of China (PRC) in Southeast Asia that existed f ...
during the
Vietnam War The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vie ...
. *
Don Chandler Donald Gene "Babe" Chandler (September 5, 1934 – August 11, 2011) was a professional American football player. He was a punter and placekicker in the National Football League (NFL) for 12 seasons in the 1950s and 1960s. Chandler played coll ...
(1934–2011), American professional football player. *
Paul Brooks Davis Paul Brooks Davis (a.k.a. "Paul Davis", born 1938 in Centrahoma, Oklahoma) is an American graphic artist. Biography Paul Brooks Davis, better known as Paul Davis, was born in 1938 in Centrahoma, Oklahoma. The middle of three children born to How ...
(1938), noted artist and graphic designer. *
David Gates David Ashworth Gates (December 11, 1940 – January 5, 2023) was a American singer-songwriter, guitarist, musician and producer, frontman and co-lead singer (with Jimmy Griffin) of the group Bread, which reached the top of the musical charts i ...
, singer. Singer and songwriter, best known as the lead singer of the group
Bread Bread is a staple food prepared from a dough of flour (usually wheat) and water, usually by baking. Throughout recorded history and around the world, it has been an important part of many cultures' diet. It is one of the oldest human-made f ...
. * Archie Goodwin (1937-1998), legendary comic book writer and editor, notably for DC, Warren and Marvel. *
S.E. Hinton Susan Eloise Hinton (born July 22, 1948) is an American writer best known for her young-adult novels (YA) set in Oklahoma, especially ''The Outsiders (novel), The Outsiders'' (1967), which she wrote during Secondary education in the United Stat ...
, novelist. Wrote '' The Outsiders'' in her junior year at Rogers. *
Dave Hudgens David Mark Hudgens (born December 5, 1956) is an American former professional baseball first baseman, who is currently the MLB hitting strategist for the Toronto Blue Jays of Major League Baseball (MLB). Playing career Hudgens was selected by th ...
played for the University of Oklahoma and was a 1978 third round draft pick of the Dallas Cowboys. *
Lee Mayberry Lee may refer to: Name Given name * Lee (given name), a given name in English Surname * Chinese surnames romanized as Li or Lee: ** Li (surname 李) or Lee (Hanzi ), a common Chinese surname ** Li (surname 利) or Lee (Hanzi ), a Chinese ...
NBA The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United St ...
player, 1992 first round draft pick *
Russell Myers Russell Kommer Myers (born October 9, 1938) is an Americans, American cartoonist best known for his newspaper comic strip ''Broom-Hilda''. Born in Pittsburg, Kansas, Myers was raised in Oklahoma where his father taught at the University of Tulsa ...
, cartoonist. Created the comic strip ''
Broom Hilda ''Broom-Hilda'' is an American newspaper comic strip created by cartoonist Russell Myers. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, it depicts the misadventures of a man-crazy, cigar-smoking, beer-guzzling, 1,500-year-old Witchcraft, witch and he ...
'' * Dave Rader, WRHS class of 1971,
NCAA The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges an ...
college football coach. Was the coach of the
University of Tulsa The University of Tulsa (TU) is a private research university in Tulsa, Oklahoma. It has a historic affiliation with the Presbyterian Church and the campus architectural style is predominantly Collegiate Gothic. The school traces its origin to ...
Golden Hurricane from 1988 until the year 1999. He served as the Offensive Coordinator and Quarterbacks Coach for the
University of Alabama The University of Alabama (informally known as Alabama, UA, or Bama) is a Public university, public research university in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Established in 1820 and opened to students in 1831, the University of Alabama is the oldest and la ...
Crimson Tide from 2003 to 2006. *
Leon Russell Leon Russell (born Claude Russell Bridges; April 2, 1942 – November 13, 2016) was an American musician and songwriter who was involved with numerous bestselling records during his 60-year career that spanned multiple genres, including rock and ...
, musician. Occasionally referred to as "The Master of Space and Time," a title he acquired around the time of his collaborations with
Joe Cocker John Robert "Joe" Cocker (20 May 1944 – 22 December 2014) was an English singer known for his gritty, bluesy voice and dynamic stage performances that featured expressive body movements. Most of his best known singles were recordings of son ...
. *
Alvin Setzepfandt Alvin Otto Henry Setzepfandt (February 7, 1924 – January 7, 2013) was an American veterinarian and politician. Born in Eagle Grove, Iowa, Setzepfandt graduated from Will Rogers High School in Tulsa, Oklahoma. During World War II, he served ...
, veterinarian and Minnesota state legislator *
Gailard Sartain Gailard Sartain (born September 18, 1946) is an American retired actor, often playing characters with roots in the South. He was a regular on the country music variety series ''Hee Haw''. He is also known for his roles in three of the Ernest mo ...
, actor and illustrator. Played Dr. Mazeppa Pompazoidi on "Dr. Mazeppa Pompazoidi's Uncanny Film Festival and Camp Meeting" and later became a regular on ''
Hee Haw ''Hee Haw'' is an American television variety show featuring country music and humor with the fictional rural "Kornfield Kounty" as the backdrop. It aired first-run on CBS from 1969 to 1971, in syndication from 1971 to 1993, and on TNN from 199 ...
''. Gailard was also featured in many
Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywood, ...
movies. * Bob Smith, former
NFL The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the major ...
player *
Roy Staiger Roy Joseph Staiger (born January 6, 1950) is a former Major League Baseball third baseman. He was part of the first player trade between the New York Mets and New York Yankees that did not also involve a third team. Draft Staiger was born & rais ...
, former
Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...
third baseman A third baseman, abbreviated 3B, is the player in baseball or softball whose responsibility is to defend the area nearest to third base — the third of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run. In the scoring system us ...
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 ...
and
New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Amer ...
* Robert Taylor, born 1951, native Tulsan, 1969 graduate of WRHS, became a self-taught Native American artist * Bill Van Burkleo, former
CFL The Canadian Football League (CFL; french: Ligue canadienne de football—LCF) is a professional sports league in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football. The league consists of nine teams, each located in a ci ...
player * John Ward, former
NFL The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the major ...
player, played at Oklahoma State University and was a 1970 first Round Draft Pick of the Minnesota Vikings *
Darryl Wren Daryl Tyrone Wren (born January 25, 1967) is a former American football defensive back who played two seasons with the New England Patriots of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the third round of the 1991 NFL Dr ...
, former
NFL The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the major ...
player


Notes


References


External links


Will Rogers High School.com

Will Rogers Alumni class of 1967


{{authority control Public high schools in Oklahoma Educational institutions established in 1939 Art Deco architecture in Oklahoma Schools in Tulsa, Oklahoma 1939 establishments in Oklahoma National Register of Historic Places in Tulsa, Oklahoma Tulsa Public Schools