Tyler Legacy High School

Tyler Legacy High School, previously known as Robert E. Lee High School, is one of two Tyler Independent School District high school campuses in the city of Tyler, Texas, the other being Tyler High School. Tyler Legacy High School has served the East Texas community since opening in 1958 and classified as a 6A school by the UIL. In 2013, the school was rated "Met Standard" by the Texas Education Agency.[3]

Tyler Legacy High School
Address
411 E Southeast Loop 323 Tyler , Texas 75701-9699 United States
Coordinates	32.30115°N 95.29688°W
Information
Type	Public School
Motto	The sun that sets may never rise but Raider spirit never dies!
Established	1958
School district	Tyler Independent School District
Principal	Daniel Crawford
Teaching staff	175.68 (FTE)[1]
Grades	9–12
Enrollment	2,240 (2018-19)[1]
Student to teacher ratio	28[1]
Campus type	Urban
Color(s)	Red and White
Athletics conference	UIL Class 6A
Nickname	Red Raiders
Newspaper	Southern Accent [2]
Website	www.tylerisd.org/o/legacy

History

There was a debate in the Tyler community in 2017–2018 on whether the school's name should change, as Robert E. Lee became a controversial figure. In 2018 the district's board decided not to vote on a possible renaming, so the school kept its name.[4] On July 16, 2020 the school board voted unanimously to initiate changing the name of both Robert E. Lee High School and John Tyler High School.[5][6]

Tradition

In the 1960s, when Lee's mascot was the Rebel, the school was famous for its working cannon and oversized Confederate flag. A group of seniors tended the cannon at games, firing it when the Rebel football team scored a touchdown. The football team entered Rose Stadium by running under the flag, reputed to be the second largest Confederate flag in the world (second only to one owned by the University of Mississippi). By 1972, the flag was retired and its whereabouts are unknown. The flag was retired shortly after four African-American players refused to run under the flag and ran around it instead, causing some local controversy. The cannon, retired in 1986, is now the property of Brook Hill School in Bullard, Texas.

Demographics

As of the 2013-14 school year, the student body consisted of:

• 40.0% White (Non-Hispanic)
• 29.1% Hispanic
• 26.2% African American
• 2.7% Asian
• 0.3% Native American
• 0.1% Pacific Islander
• 1.6% Two or More Races

Education

Tyler Legacy High School offers a variety of Pre-AP and AP-level courses, as well as Career Technology Education programs and Fine Arts electives. Tyler implemented the International Baccalaureate program in the Fall of 2008.[7]

Athletics

As of 2014, Tyler Legacy High School is classified as a 6A school in District 11 along with many Garland and Rockwall Schools. Tyler Legacy Red Raiders compete in a variety of sports including Baseball, Basketball, Golf, Soccer, Softball, Volleyball, Tennis, Powerlifting, Track, Swimming, Cross Country, and is most well known for the Tyler Lee Football Team.[8]

State titles

• Football [9]
  • 2004(5A/D1) - Defeated Spring Westfield 28-21 at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas
• Boys Golf [10]
  • 1959(3A)
• Team Tennis [11]
  • 1987(5A), 1988(5A)

Notable alumni

• Corey Mayfield, Class of 1988, 3yr Starter at Oklahoma, San Fran 49r's, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Jacksonville Jaguars
• Sandy Duncan, Class of 1965, actress
• Holland Lee Hendrix, Class of 1966, biblical scholar and late president of Union Theological Seminary (New York City)[12]
• Alex Finlayson, Class of 1969, playwright and journalist
• Dale Dudley, Class of 1979, radio personality (Dudley and Bob) at KLBJ-FM Austin, Texas, Film Actor, Magazine Columnist.
• Joffrey Reynolds, Class of 1997, running back for the Calgary Stampeders
• Matt Flynn, Class of 2003, quarterback for the Green Bay Packers[13]
• Brandon Pettigrew, Class of 2004, tight end for the Detroit Lions[14]
• Ciron Black, Class of 2005, former tackle for the Louisiana State University Tigers
• Burch Smith, Major League Baseball player for the San Francisco Giants

References

1. "ROBERT E LEE H S". National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved May 13, 2020.
2. "Southern Accent : Tyler Lee's home for all things Lee News Media". relsouthernaccent.com.
3. "2013 Accountability Rating System". Texas Education Agency. Archived from the original on June 15, 2013.
4. Copeland, Matthew; Birden, Darcy (August 7, 2018). "Motion to change name of Robert E. Lee High School fails, no vote held". cbs19.tv. Retrieved July 18, 2020.
5. Sherrington, Kevin (July 17, 2020). "How Earl Campbell helped change the name of both Tyler high schools". Dallas News. Retrieved July 18, 2020.
6. Bass, Stephanie Frazier, Blake Holland, Dante Nuñez, Gary. "Historic Moment: Tyler ISD board votes 7-0 to change names of John Tyler, Robert E. Lee high schools". www.kltv.com. Retrieved July 26, 2020.
7. http://www.tylerisd.org/Schools/REL/IB/index.htm/
8. http://www.tylerisd.org/Schools/REL/Sports/index.htm/
9. "Error". uiltexas.org.
10. "UIL Boys Golf State Champions". uil100.org. Archived from the original on March 1, 2012.
11. "UIL Team Tennis State Champions". uil100.org. Archived from the original on October 24, 2015.
12. "Robert E. Lee High School Class of 1966". classmates.com.
13. "Seahawks Official Team Website - Player Stats and Biography: Matt Flynn". seahawks.com. Seattle Seahawks. Archived from the original on April 4, 2013. Retrieved April 1, 2013.
14. "Detroit Lions: Brandon Pettigrew". detroitlions.com.

External links

• Robert E. Lee High School