W. O. Boston High School was an American public high school in Lake Charles, Louisiana. Named in honor of William Oscar Boston,[1] it opened in 1949 as a segregated school for Blacks.[2][3] It was renamed from Second Ward Colored School, which had been in the community since the late 19th century.[4] W. O. Boston's first principal was Ralph C. Reynaud.[1]

In sports, the W. O. Boston Panthers won three state titles in 1972 in boys basketball, girls track and field, and football.[5]

In 1983, the school merged with Lake Charles High School to form Lake Charles-Boston.[4][6][7] At the time, W. O. Boston was predominantly Black, while Lake Charles was racially relatively even. The school board supported the merger to eliminate a one-race school. Blacks opposed it, contending that it destroyed Calcasieu Parish's best example of racial balance. The resulting Lake Charles-Boston was 78.2 percent Black and 21.8 percent White. Blacks also disagreed that Barbe High School, which was predominantly White, was largely unaffected by the board's desegregation plan.[8]

Notable alumni

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "Black History Month: W.O. Boston & R.C. Reynaud". KPLC. February 28, 2017. Retrieved January 20, 2023.
  2. ↑ "W.O. Boston Negro high school dedicated". Louisiana Digital Library. Retrieved January 20, 2023.
  3. ↑ "W. O. Boston School". Louisiana Digital Library. Retrieved January 20, 2023.
  4. 1 2 Hutchings, Jessica (2015). Lake Charles. Arcadia Publishing. pp. 44–45. ISBN 9781467113281. Retrieved January 20, 2023 – via Google Books.
  5. ↑ Arceneaux, Warren (December 4, 2022). "'We were like family': In December 1972, W.O. Boston High School Panthers beat Haynesville 11-6 to claim state football title". American Press. Retrieved January 20, 2023.
  6. ↑ "Lake-Charles-Boston tough test for Bunkie". Daily World. September 21, 1989. p. 12. Retrieved January 30, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ↑ "School Plan Is Protested". The Daily Advertiser. AP. January 20, 1983. p. 6. Retrieved January 30, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ↑ "Hearings Ordered In School Case". The Daily Advertiser. AP. October 27, 1983. p. 18. Retrieved January 30, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ↑ "Jim Griffin stats". Pro Football Reference.com. Retrieved January 22, 2023.
  10. ↑ Smith, Don (1996). "Charlie Joiner" (PDF). The Coffin Corner. Vol. 18, no. 2. Retrieved January 9, 2023.
  11. ↑ Nunez, Tyler (March 21, 2017). "McNeese basketball legend David Lawrence dies at 58". American Press. Archived from the original on March 22, 2017. Retrieved March 22, 2017.
  12. ↑ "McNeese great Edmond Lawrence dies at 62". Daily World. July 17, 2015.
  13. ↑ "Who is Wilbert Rideau?". KPLC. January 16, 2005. Retrieved January 20, 2023.

30°13′51″N 93°11′49″W / 30.2307°N 93.1969°W / 30.2307; -93.1969


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