Four Arlington Independent School District high schools are named for Texas historical figures meant to be seen as role models.
In the 1960s and ‘70s, when Arlington schools were predominately white, AISD followed a common, statewide naming practice. Counties, schools, and streets were named for Davy Crockett, Sam Houston, James Fannin, James Bowie, Mirabeau Lamar, and William Travis.
After close review, historians and journalists discovered that except for Crockett, these Texas heroes supported slavery.
And yet, Arlington still has Lamar High School, Sam Houston High School and Bowie High School. (Arlington’s Seguín High School is named for a true Texas hero, Juan Seguín).
Sam Houston, originally from Virginia, lived with the Cherokees and later served as a congressman from Tennessee. He left his Cherokee wife Tiana Rogers in 1832, traveled to Tejas, married Margaret Lea in 1840 and had eight children. A more benevolent master than other slave owners, he allowed his 12 slaves to learn reading, writing, and ciphering.