David T. Howard High School

David T. Howard High School was a school for African Americans in Atlanta, Georgia. It has many prominent alumni.[1] In 2018 the school was being renovated for a planned 2020 reopening as a middle school.[2] Alumni include Martin Luther King Jr., Maynard Jackson who became Atlanta's first Black mayor, Walt Frazier who played basketball at the school, Lonnie King, Vernon Jordan, Clarence Cooper (judge), and gold medal winning Olympian Mildred McDaniel Singleton.[2][1] It is located at 551 John Wesley Dobbs Avenue.

David T. Howard Middle School
David T. Howard Middle School (2020)
Location
Old Fourth Ward, Atlanta, Georgia

United States
Coordinates33.758765°N 84.368801°W / 33.758765; -84.368801
Information
Former nameDavid T. Howard High School
School districtAtlanta Public Schools

History
David Tobias Howard with his wife and mother, c. 1900

The school opened in 1923 as an Elementary School.[3] It became a high school in 1948.[2]

The school was named for David T. Howard, a former slave who owned Atlanta's largest black-owned undertaking business and founded its first African American owned bank. He was a noted philanthropist, particularly focused on educating children. He donated thousands of dollars to poor children to be educated, to Tuskeegee University, and donated the 7.5 acre campus for the elementary school which was named after him.[2]

Martin Luther King Jr. attended the school from 1936 until 1940.[4]

The school building is brick.[4] It closed in 1976.[2]

Rebuilding

As of 2019, the former school is being rebuilt for a fall 2020 opening as a new middle school feeding into Henry W. Grady High School. The school will retain the Howard name, being called David T. Howard Middle School.[5] The renovations will cost an estimated $52 million.[6]

Alumni

References
  1. McCray, Vanessa (January 14, 2018). "8 famous former students of Atlanta's David T. Howard School". Atlanta Journal Constitution. Archived from the original on April 8, 2019.
  2. Richie, Clare S. (September 5, 2018). "History Being Reborn: Revitalization of David T. Howard School on track in O4W - Atlanta INtown Paper". Atlanta INtown Paper. Archived from the original on October 2, 2018.
  3. "History". www.davidthowardnationalalumni.org. DT Howard Alumni Association. February 9, 2020. Archived from the original on February 9, 2020. Retrieved February 9, 2020. In 1923, the City of Atlanta opened the David T. Howard Grammar School located in the block bounded by Houston, Randolph, Howell and Irwin Streets. Howard took the place of three grammar schools, two of which opened in 1866 for children of freed slaves, Storrs, Summer Hill and the Houston Street School which became the first Atlanta Public School with an all- Negro staff. Since its construction in 1923 David T. Howard School educated many of Atlanta’s most notable citizens.
  4. McCray, Vanessa. "APS construction jobs include updating King's childhood school". Atlanta Journal Constitution. Archived from the original on June 14, 2018.
  5. Richie, Clare S. (August 24, 2019). "Topping out ceremony marks milestone in construction of new Howard Middle School facility". Atlanta INtown Paper. Springs Publishing, LLC. Archived from the original on September 14, 2019. Retrieved August 26, 2019.
  6. Terrell, Ross (April 10, 2018). "Historic David T. Howard School To Open Again After Four Decades". 90.1 FM WABE. Archived from the original on February 9, 2020. Retrieved February 9, 2020. Renovations to the school are projected to cost $52 million and will be partially funded with a special purpose local option sales tax.
  7. "David T. Howard: From Georgia slave to Atlanta philanthropist".
  8. "8 famous former students of Atlanta's David T. Howard School".
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