C. E. Byrd High School

History

In 1892, C. E. Byrd came to Shreveport as principal of the first public high school, in two rented rooms in the YMCA building at a salary of $70 per month. The early years of the school were segregated for white students. From 1917 until 1950, Central High School was the only public high school for African American students in Shreveport; and Milam Street Trade School (1939–1955) was the vocational school for high school African American students.

The school moved to the Soady Building on Crockett Street, with first year enrollment of 70 in 1898. A year later in 1899, the school moved to the Hope Street School, a large three story red brick building. Elementary students occupied the first floor, intermediate the second, and high school the third. In 1910, Shreveport High School was built adjacent to Hope Street. Caddo Parish School Board decides to build two new high schools in 1923. 20-acre (81,000 m2) Site purchased from Justin Gras for $110,000 and four adjacent lots in Bon Air Subdivision, from F.R. Chadick for $9,500. Stewart-McGee awarded the building contract for $772,133 in 1924. On October 3, 1924, the cornerstone laid with full Masonic ceremonies including a letter from C. E. Byrd; a boll weevil symbolizing problems of the farmer; a bottle of oil, symbolic of the oil business; an ear of corn representing agriculture; coins representing the financial situation, and a Bible.Board authorized $40,000 to furnish the building in 1925. Building accepted from the contractor on June 27. Because furniture had not yet arrived, the opening was delayed until October.

1960s–1970s: desegregation

1967: First African-American graduate, Arthur Burton.

1968: As part of an order to desegregate, neighborhood school district boundaries were abolished and students were allowed to select schools under a protocol known as "Freedom of Choice." Courts found this policy did not accomplish desegregation

1969: New districts were created in the summer of 1969 forcing thousands of students to change schools. Faculty from historically black high schools were exchanged with those from historically white high schools and students from Captain Shreve High School returned to Byrd as their neighborhood school.

1970: In an attempt to further desegregate, Valencia High School (now Caddo Magnet High School) was merged with Byrd. Students class schedules were changed at the start of the new semester in order to "mix" the students from the two schools. The Black administrators from Valencia were given minor roles at Byrd.

Tensions were high with student protests. As a result of these protests, police were called in to guard the doors of the school. Students were not allowed to leave the building once they came to school for the day. Senior rings had been ordered the previous year, so each wore their own class rings. While students from both schools participated in the same commencement exercises they wore different colored academic regalia, that represented their schools.

Byrd High subsequently fell victim to "white flight" with many parents sending their children to Jesuit High School (now Loyola), St. Vincent's Academy, or one of several new private schools. Enrollment decreased to the point that Byrd faced possible closure. Byrd returned as a powerhouse by re-inventing itself as a Math and Science magnet school.

The 8 acres (3.2 ha) area comprising the school building and three other non-contributing properties were added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1991. The elaborate four story brick structure designed by Edward F. Neild has seen several alterations since its construction in 1924. The structure, however, still retains its original visual impact and is significant in the area of architecture. Byrd remains one of few examples of Jacobean Revival architecture.

Student media

Literary magazine: Perspectives

Newspaper: Highlife

TV station: K-BYRD

Yearbook: Gusher

Athletics

C. E. Byrd High athletics competes in the LHSAA.

Championships

Football championships

(10) State Championships: 1914, 1915, 1922, 1926, 1930, 1931, 1934, 1935, 1937, 1949

Boys golf championships

(8) State Championships: 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019, 2022, 2023, 2024

Girls golf championships

(1) State Championships: 2019

Girls soccer championships

(1) State Championships: 1996

Boys basketball championships

(1) State Championships: 1994

Girls basketball championships

(2) State Championships: 1993, 1994

Coaches

Lee Hedges, football

Notable alumni

Edward C. Aldridge Jr. (1956), president and CEO of The Aerospace Corporation

John N. Bahcall, astrophysicist known for his work on solar neutrino problem

Fuller W. Bazer (1956), O.D. Butler Chair in Animal Science at Texas A&M; Wolf Prize in Agriculture

Betsy Boze, Ph.D. (formerly Betsy Vogel) (1971), president of the College of The Bahamas

Karen Carlson, actress

Judith A. Cooper (1967), speech pathologist

John Howard Dalton (1959), former U.S. Secretary of the Navy

Jordan Davis (2006), country singer

Tillman Franks (1940), songwriter

Brandon Friedman (1996), former Deputy Assistant Secretary, United States Department of Housing and Urban Development; author of The War I Always Wanted

Alfred C. Glassell Jr., businessman, philanthropist and big-game fisherman

Helen Lefkowitz Horowitz (1959), 2003 Pulitzer Prize in history

Tom Jarriel (1952), ABC News journalist

Faith Jenkins (1994), Miss Louisiana 2000, Miss America 2001 first runner-up, attorney and legal analyst

Victor Joris, fashion designer.

Elected officials and judiciary

Saxby Chambliss (1961) (born 1943), Republican U.S. senator from Georgia, 2002–2015

George W. D'Artois (c. 1942) (1925–1977), Shreveport public service commissioner from 1962 to 1976

William J. Fleniken (c. 1925) (1908–1979), U.S. Attorney for United States District Court for the Western District of Louisiana, 1950–1953, judge of state 1st Judicial District Court in Shreveport, 1961–1979

Frank Fulco (1928) (1909–1999), Louisiana House of Representatives (1956–1972)

Pike Hall Jr. (c. 1947) (1931–1999), member of Caddo Parish School Board 1964–1970; state appeal court judge 1971–1990, associate justice of the Louisiana Supreme Court 1990–1994

James C. Gardner (1940) (1924–2010), Shreveport mayor (1954–1958) and state representative (1952–1954)

William T. "Bill" Hanna (1947) (1930–2016), Shreveport Democratic mayor (1978–1982) and Caddo Parish administrator

Eric Johnson (Georgia politician) (1953) Georgia state senator, 1994–2009

J. Bennett Johnston, Jr. (1950) (born 1932), Louisiana Democratic U.S. senator (1972–1997)

Robert Kostelka (1949) (born 1933), Louisiana state senator and former state court judge from Ouachita Parish

Charles B. Peatross (1958) (1940–2015), judge of Louisiana Second Circuit Court of Appeal in Shreveport

Tom Rowland, former mayor of Cleveland, Tennessee

Athletes

Arnaz Battle (1998), wide receiver for NFL's San Francisco 49ers and Pittsburgh Steelers

Harry Davis (1908–1997), Major League Baseball player

Pat "Gravy" Patterson (1934–2007), Byrd High School coach 1963–1967

Seth Morehead (1934-2006), Major League Baseball pitcher

Scotty Robertson (1947), head coach of NBA's New Orleans Jazz, Chicago Bulls and Detroit Pistons

Dan Sandifer (1943), defensive back for six NFL teams

David Woodley, quarterback at LSU (1976–1979), played for Miami Dolphins (1980–1983) and the Pittsburgh Steelers (1984–1985)

Jonathan Stewart (2009), linebacker at Texas A&M (2009–2013), played for St. Louis Rams, Cleveland Browns and Dallas Cowboys

Pat Studstill, NFL punter and wide receiver for Detroit Lions, Los Angeles Rams

James Sykes (1971), football player, Calgary Stampeders 1975–1982; Winnipeg Blue Bombers 1983 and 1986

Isaac Hagins (1972), football player, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 1976–1980

Liffort Hobley (1978-1980), QB, DB, Football Player, at LSU 2 times Defensive MVP at Safety, St. Louis Football Cardinals(1985-1986) and Miami Dolphins (1987-1993)