Douglas school was founded in 1907, the same year as Oklahoma’s statehood. The School provided an essential function to African American residents of the Bartlesville area and served as the single publicly funded Black school in the city for nearly fifty years.

 

By 1933, Douglass School had all 12 grades and was offering a broad curriculum that included vocational programs, speech and debate classes, a student council, a journalism class and a glee club known as the Douglassaires. Douglass School also featured successful sports team and student clubs. The Dragons, who sported the school’s official colors, purple and white, represented the school in football, basketball, and track. The High Steppers, the school’s marching band, often led homecoming parades through downtown Bartlesville, playing the school song, “The Eyes of Douglass”.

 

Douglass' first high school graduate was Bessie Love in 1927. The entire school's enrollment reached 189 in 1935, and the Douglass P.T.A. was founded in 1938. In 1949, Douglass graduated 24 students, which was the largest class in the school’s history.

 

As the Bartlesville School District began desegregation in 1956, Douglass shrunk its class sizes and enrollment before closing in 1971. For years only an original part of the building remained. It housed the Association of Retarded Citizens (ARC) thrift store, sheltered workshop, and community integrated employment office. In May 2005 ARC changed its name to EmployAbility In May 2012, the gymnasium was fully razed .

 

Since 1976, former students of Douglass, called the Douglassaires (named after the old Glee Club) have held an all-school reunion every three years with the exception of the last few years due to the pandemic.

 

Although the school no longer exists, its memory lives on in Bartlesville’s community, among former students including their family and friends. 

History Source Credit: Bartlesville Public School. Visit site for more information.

https://www.bps-ok.org/page/douglass

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