Douglas MacArthur High School (commonly MacArthur or Mac) is a

public secondary school A state school, public school, or government school is a primary school, primary or secondary school that educates all students without charge. They are funded in whole or in part by taxation and operated by the government of the state. State-f ...

on the northeast side of

San Antonio San Antonio ( ; Spanish for " Saint Anthony") is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in Greater San Antonio. San Antonio is the third-largest metropolitan area in Texas and the 24th-largest metropolitan area in the ...

Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

. 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 about . North ...

serves students in

ninth grade Ninth grade (also 9th grade or grade 9) is the ninth or tenth Educational stage, year of Formal education, formal or compulsory education in some countries. It is generally part of middle school or secondary school depending on country. Students i ...

through

twelfth grade Twelfth Grade (also known as Grade 12, Senior Year, Standard 12, 12th Standard, 12th Class, or Class 12th or Class 12) is the twelfth and final Educational stage, year of Formal education, formal or compulsory education. It is typically the final ...

, with admission based primarily on the locations of students' homes. The school serves portions of San Antonio and the portion of Terrell Hills within NEISD.Terrell Hills city, Texas
."

U.S. Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, 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 U.S. Census Bureau is part of the U ...

. Retrieved on March 24, 2010. For the 2021–22 school year, the school was given a "B" by the

Texas Education Agency The Texas Education Agency (TEA) is the branch of the government of Texas responsible for public education in Texas in the United States.

History

MacArthur High School was the first high school in the

. 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 general who served as a top commander during World War II and the Korean War, achieving the rank of General of the Army (United States), General of the Army. He served with dis ...

in the 1958–1959 school year after the opening of Robert E. Lee High School (now named

Legacy of Educational Excellence High School Legacy of Educational Excellence (L.E.E.) High School, formerly Robert E. Lee High School, is a high school in San Antonio, Texas. A part of the North East Independent School District (NEISD), it serves portions of San Antonio, all of the city of ...

) . The

campus A campus traditionally refers to the land and buildings of a college or university. This will often include libraries, lecture halls, student centers and, for residential universities, residence halls and dining halls. By extension, a corp ...

was composed of separate academic buildings spread out over 37.8

acre The acre ( ) is a Unit of measurement, unit of land area used in the Imperial units, British imperial and the United States customary units#Area, United States customary systems. It is traditionally defined as the area of one Chain (unit), ch ...

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 theaters, the number of auditoriums is expressed as the number of screens. Auditoriums can be found in entertainment venues, community halls, and t ...

cafeteria A cafeteria, called canteen outside the U.S., is a type of food service location in which there is little or no waiting staff table service, whether in a restaurant or within an institution such as a large office building or school; a scho ...

, and

fine art In European academic traditions, fine art (or, fine arts) is made primarily for aesthetics or creative expression, distinguishing it from popular art, decorative art or applied art, which also either serve some practical function (such as ...

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 wikt:hovel, 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 ex ...

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 a ...

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. 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 general who served as a top commander during World War II and the Korean War, achieving the rank of General of the Army. He served with distinction in World War I; as chief of ...

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 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, Florida in 1990. In addition to the Blue Guard, MacArthur High School's varsity Color Guard is made up of four 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, 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 draws students from Harris County, Texas, Harris ...

, 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. 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 fourth 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 third 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 had won first place at every competition. Their show was entitled "Lose Yourself". In April 2018, the MacArthur Indoor Percussion marching ensemble competed, for the first time in the school's history, at the

Winter Guard International Winter Guard International (WGI) is an American governing body that sanctions championship events for three competitive performing arts activities: winter guard, percussion ensembles, and indoor wind ensembles. WGI was founded in 1977 in respon ...

World Championship in Dayton, Ohio. The group, performing their production titled "A Show of Hands," placed 14th overall in their respective Scholastic Marching Open category.

TAP

TAP MacArthur High School houses the Electrical Systems Technology Program for students interested in pursuing a career in the electrical industry. Established as a Technical Apprenticeship Program (TAP) in conjunction with the United States Department of Labor, Bureau of Apprenticeship and Training, this program provides students with practical experience and industry certifications while still in high school. Students earn apprenticeship hours toward professional certification and licensure requirements. The curriculum covers residential, commercial, and industrial wiring, along with training on state, local, and national electrical codes. Hands-on projects and theoretical instruction prepare students for employment or further education. The TAP has strong partnerships with local electrical contractors, offering pathways to employment upon graduation. Many graduates have found careers with companies like Five Point Electric and Calcote Electric. The program has also produced numerous SkillsUSA state champions over the years, with students excelling in regional and national competitions. Hunter Bakel, a standout participant, was a three-time state champion from 2010 to 2012 and won third place nationally in SkillsUSA Residential Wiring in 2011. Many other students have followed in his footsteps becoming state champions and advancing in their electrical careers, such as David Navarro, who won 1st place nationally for Industrial Motor Controls. Between 2019 and 2020, the Electrical Systems Technology Program was relocated to a new and better-equipped facility at the Career and Technical Education Center (CTEC), just down the road from MacArthur High School.

Notable alumni

Athletics *

Jace Amaro Jace Jordan Amaro (born June 26, 1992) is an American former professional football player who was a tight end in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Texas Tech Red Raiders, earning unanimous All-American honor ...

(Class of 2010) – former 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 to 2022; prior to that he was the head coach at Rice University in Houston, ...

(Class of 1976) – college football coach, most recently the head coach at Rice University, 2007–2017 * Keith Edmonson (Class of 1978) – NBA player (point guard) *

John Gibbons John Michael Gibbons (born June 8, 1962) is an American professional baseball coach, manager and former player. Gibbons played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a catcher with the New York Mets in 1984 and 1986. Gibbons became a coach for the ...

(Class of 1980) – former MLB professional baseball player and is the current manager of the Toronto Blue Jays *

Jerry Grote Gerald Wayne Grote (October 6, 1942 – April 7, 2024) was an American professional baseball catcher. He played in Major League Baseball from 1963 through 1981 for the Houston Colt .45s, New York Mets, Los Angeles Dodgers, and Kansas City Roya ...

(Class of 1961) – former MLB professional baseball player And World Series catcher with the

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(Class of 2019) – MLB third baseman for the

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(Class of 2016) – MLB third baseman for the Texas Rangers * Clint Killough (Class of 2012) – current head football coach for the

University of the Incarnate Word The University of the Incarnate Word (UIW) is a private Roman Catholic university with its main campus in San Antonio and Alamo Heights, Texas. Founded in 1881 by the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word, the university's main campus is lo ...

* Jason Szuminski (Class of 1997) – former MLB professional baseball player *

Jason Washington Jason Washington (born September 16, 1979) is an American college football coach and former player. He is the co-defensive coordinator and cornerbacks coach for the University of South Alabama, positions he has held since 2025. High school care ...

(Class of 1998) – current assistant football coach for the

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Government *

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(Class of 1972) – retired United States Marine Corps major general and former

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* Dan Branch (Class of 1976) – Former member of the Texas House of Representatives, and current Dallas attorney. * Robert T. Clark (Class of 1966) – retired United States Army lieutenant general *

Lyle Larson Lyle Thomas Larson (born March 25, 1959) is an American politician and businessman who served as a Republican member of the Texas House of Representatives for the 122nd district from 2011 to 2023. He was first elected to the state House in 2010 t ...

(Class of 1977) – Member of the Texas House of Representatives, from District 122 Art & film * David Crabb (Class of 1994) – storyteller, actor, and author *

Terri Hendrix Terri Ann Hendrix is an American 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 1988 H ...

(Class of 1986) – singer-songwriter, independent record label owner, activist * Terra Jolé (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 films '' The Insider'' (1999), '' Ali'' (2001), and '' Collateral'' (2004). McGill's other notable film roles include Daniel Simpson "D-D ...

(Class of 1968) – actor *

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(Class of 1958) – television producer *

Norah O'Donnell Norah Morahan O'Donnell (born January 23, 1974) is an American television journalist who is a senior correspondent for CBS News and a contributing correspondent for ''60 Minutes''. She is also the host of occasional '' Person to Person'' interv ...

(Class of 1991) – co-anchor for ''

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'' *

Deborah Paredez Deborah Paredez (born December 19, 1970) is an American poet, scholar, and cultural critic. She is the author of the critical memoir ''American Diva'', the poetry collections ''Year of the Dog'' and ''This Side of Skin,'' and the scholarly study ' ...

(Class of 1989) – poet and academic * Robert Wright (Class of 1975) – author of '' The Moral Animal'', '' Nonzero'', and ''

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'' Business * John Lilly (Class of 1989) – venture capitalist and former CEO of the Mozilla Corporation from 2008 to 2010

References

{{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