# W. W. Samuell High School

W. W. Samuell High School and Early College is a public secondary school located in the Pleasant Grove area of Dallas, Texas, US. Samuell High enrolls students in grades 9–12 and is a part of the Dallas Independent School District. The school serves portions of southeast Dallas and a portion of the city of Balch Springs.
In 2015, the school was rated "met standard" by the Texas Education Agency.

## History

Dallas ISD annexed Pleasant Grove ISD in 1954. Pleasant Grove High School >was replaced by the newly constructed Samuell High School for the spring semester of 1957. It became S S Conner Junior High School and was later demolished for commercial development. Pleasant Grove Elementary became what is now John Quincy Elementary. In the 1950s and early 1960s, a number of new housing developments in the Pleasant Grove area made Samuell one of Dallas' largest high schools; a new wing was opened in the mid-1960s to handle the increase in population. H. Grady Spruce and Skyline high schools, two historical rivals and closest schools to Samuell, were opened in 1963 and 1971 to help reduce attendance.
Dr. William Worthington Samuell was a wealthy individual who before his death donated millions of dollars to the City of Dallas Parks and Recreation Department. There are now at least six institutions named after Dr. Samuell in the Dallas area, including the high school, a boulevard, a City of Dallas ranch, a city park and two streets in bordering cities. Dr. W. W. Samuell purchased the first ambulance for the City of Dallas in 1911.
The school and the district became the focus of a prominent civil rights case in 1966 when three male students — Paul Jarvis, Phil Ferrell and Steve Webb — sued the district after they were ordered to cut their long hair in order to be admitted to school. The case was one of the first in which individuals sued a large urban school district to preserve their individual rights, and the cause was taken up by the American Civil Liberties Union as well as local retail pioneer Stanley Marcus. Marcus did not know the students, but saw their hairstyles as a fashion choice rather than a show of disregard for authority. The case was lost in the U.S. District Court, and despite a series of appeals leading to the U.S. Supreme Court, it was not overturned. The decision is still cited in court cases over constitutional rights.

## Student life

The alma mater is "Hail Samuell High, Hail Samuell High", written in 1955 by Clements B. Crook, a choral director at the school. The school yearbook is The Torch and the school newspaper is The Sentinel. For many years, the seniors' annual memory book was The Senior Pub, a publication of senior moments which covered all levels of the school, from classroom funnies to athletics to activities.

## Athletics

The W.W. Samuell Spartans compete in the following sports:
* Baseball
* Basketball
* Cross Country
* Football
* Golf
* Soccer
* Softball
* Swimming and Diving
* Tennis
* Track and Field
* Volleyball
* Wrestling

### State Titles

* Baseball
** 1965 (4A)
* Track and Field
** 1964 (4A)

### Football

Headed by coach and athletic coordinator Steve Pierce, the Spartans play their home games at Pleasant Grove Stadium.
The Spartan football program has made the playoffs 18 times since 1990 and 25 times overall. The Spartans have won 11 city/bi-district championships ('59, '60, '62, '69, '88, '94, '99, '01, '07, '12, '16), reached the Area round of the state playoffs 6 times, the Regional round 3 times ('94, '01, '07), and the state Quarterfinals once (1962).
As of 2017, the Spartans maintain an all-time record of 328 wins, 312 losses, and 13 ties dating back to the 1956 season.

### Baseball

In 1965, with coach James 'Pete' Lawless at the helm, the Spartan baseball team beat the El Paso Austin Golden Panthers 2-0 and the Brownsville Hanna Golden Eagles (formerly known as Brownsville High) 14–0 to capture the 4A state championship. According to records maintained by the University Interscholastic League, this is the only baseball state championship won by any DISD high school to date.

### Track and Field

The 1964 Spartan track and field team, led by All-state recipient and star athlete Johnny Johnson, set a national high school record in the 440 relay.

## Demographics

The ethnic makeup of the school in the 2018-2019 fiscal year was 79% Hispanic, 19% Black, 1% White, and 1% Other.DISD Data Packet for 2016-2017 Planning</ref>

## Student Subgroups

88.8% of the student population is categorized as being economically disadvantaged and 15.7% of the student population is listed as having special education.

## Feeder patterns

As of 2017, Young Men's Leadership Academy at Fred F. Florence and Piedmont Global Academy (formerly John B. Hood Junior High) Middle Schools feed into Samuell High School.

## Notable alumni

* John Ford Coley — partner in musical duo with Dan Seals; hits include "I'd Really Love to See You Tonight"
* Ron Jones — 1969 NFL tight end for the Green Bay Packers
* Joe Kendall — former federal judge (1992–2002)
* Russ Martin — Host of The Russ Martin Show, a radio program in Dallas.
* Carl Mitcham — professor of technology and engineering, now at Colorado School of Mines
* Steve Ramsey — Punter/Quarterback New Orleans Saints 1970, Denver Broncos (1971–76)
* Lulu Roman — Former Hee Haw TV show personality.
* Dan Seals — country and pop musician also known as England Dan.
* Dale Tillery — former Texas state representative for District 10.
* Stanley Hauerwas — world-renowned theologian.
* Paul Richard Alexander — lawyer and paralytic polio survivor, one of the last known people living in an iron lung; first to graduate without ever physically attending a class