J. W. Nixon High School

J. W. Nixon is named for a former LISD superintendent. It opened its doors in September 1964, with W. E. Lockey serving as Nixon's first principal. The first class to graduate was the Class of 1965. Initially, J.W. Nixon served as a junior high/high school with grades seven through twelve. The original school property consisted of 20 acres (81,000 m²) and the cost of construction was $151,047,568. In 2007 J.W. Nixon had a record breaking with more than 400 students graduating.

About 2 a.m. on December 7, 2012, arsonists torched three portable buildings at Nixon High School. Three other classrooms sustained smoke damage. No individuals were physically harmed in the fire.[3]

In 2014, Nixon and Martin fell short on minimum state standards and were placed on the Public Education Grant list. Similarly impacted is (LBJ) Lyndon B. Johnson in the neighboring United Independent School District.[4]

Viola Ileana Martinez Moore (1929-2017), born in Zapata and a graduate of Martin High School in Laredo, was a subsequent principal of J. W. Nixon, the first Hispanic woman to head a 5-A high school in Texas. The J. W. Nixon Band Hall is named in her honor. After regular retirement, she served for two terms as a trustee of the Laredo Independent School District and as principal of the Roman Catholic Blessed Sacrament Elementary School in Laredo. Her obituary describes her as one of "no limitations, a goal-getter, a catcher of dreams, and the best example for our community as a whole."[5]

Among the original J. W. Nixon faculty is Cecilia Cantu. Another member, Laura Garcia Magnon (died 2012). retired after forty-five years of continuous service to J. W. Nixon. The Nixon science building is named in her honor.[6]

In 2015, Pedro "Pete" Solis of Nixon High School was named "Texas Coach of the Year" for Class 5A by the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches. The Nixon Mustangs finished the season, 20-4 but lost, 86–82, in the regional quarterfinals. The team had some injuries and went through four different point guards during the season.[7]

• Juan Alfaro - Analyst for the State of Texas Legislative Budget Board
• Freddie Benavides - Professional baseball player
• Roberto "Bobby" Benavides - President of San Antonio Retail Merchants Association, SARMA
• Louis H. Bruni - Businessman, former Webb County judge and former member of the Laredo City Council
• Dennis D. Cantu - Laredo physician for whom the Health Magnet School at Martin High School is named
• Dr. Francisco G. Cigarroa - former President of University of Texas at San Antonio Science Center and current Chancellor of the University of Texas System
• Henry Cuellar - United States Representative (28th District)
• Gerardo "Jerry" de la Rosa (November 11, 1965 - August 27, 2007) - Member of the original Jay Perez Band; trumpet player for the 1983 state championship marching band
• Elma Salinas Ender - retired 341st District Court judge; first Hispanic woman to serve on a district court in Texas[8]
• Joe Rubio, Jr. — Webb County District Attorney, 1989–2009
• Tano Tijerina (Class of 1992) - Former professional baseball player for minor league teams of the Milwaukee Brewers and incoming Webb County County Judge[9]
• Cristobal Benavides (class of 1983) Commander, United States Navy (Retired) Naval Intelligence Officer 1987-2009 Served in Gulf War 1, Somalia, Haiti, Operation Iraqi Freedom, and other significant military operations.
• David “the bus” Villela (class of 2002). CEO/Owner of AB Consulting. Known for “La Mama de Villela!”. One of the infamous Laredo 7 that drank on the bus. Admin assistant to Bill Clinton.

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• Nixon High School Home Page