Grand Prairie, Texas – On the heels of unanimously adopting a Racial Equity Resolution, the GPISD Board of Trustees voted last night to rename the current Robert E. Lee Elementary School after longtime GPISD educator and principal Delmas Morton.
The school’s new namesake, Mr. Delmas Morton, was raised in Grand Prairie and attended Dalworth Elementary School, now known as David Daniels Elementary Academy of Science and Math.
Because he was not allowed to attend Grand Prairie High School and there were no high schools available for students of color in Grand Prairie, Morton attended Booker T. Washington High School in Dallas.
He went on to attend Texas College on a band scholarship, and graduated with his bachelor’s degree in 1952. He later earned his master’s degree from Prairie View A&M University.
Mr. Morton is an Army veteran and fought in the Korean War. After the war, he returned to Grand Prairie to begin teaching at Dalworth. In the mid-70s, he transferred to Adams Middle School. He later moved to Austin Elementary School, where he served as principal for 17 years. In total, Mr. Morton has served the schoolchildren of Grand Prairie ISD for more than 40 years.
“I want to thank my fellow trustees for their care and attention to this important issue,” said Board President Aaron King. “I’m proud that we have the opportunity to honor Mr. Morton and his legacy as a great man and a great educator.”
The school, originally built in 1942, was renamed Robert E. Lee Junior High in June 1955 when the District opened its second junior high school named after Thomas Jefferson. The school was converted to an elementary campus in 2010.
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