For 11 years El Paso was the only High School in town. In 1927 population in South El Paso had grown so much that El Paso High became overpopulated. Instead of waiting on building a new school they just turned Bowie Grammar School into a High School almost overnight. Ninth graders began attending Bowie in 1927, and four girls and nine boys made up the first graduating class in 1931.
Bowie was considered as a second home for most students for the reason that most of theirs homes didn't have running water, electricity, or indoor plumbing. Principal, A. L. Carlton allowed students into the school after normal hours for that reason. They could use the bath facilities, the library, and even listen to the radios in some rooms.
Bowie had a band, newspaper, and yearbook though. A. L. Carlton, Bowie's principal at the time chose the Bear as their school mascot, and he wrote the words to their school song "We're Loyal to you Bowie High." Carlton left in 1934. Only two years after their first graduates received their diplomas Bowie won District Champions in Football. They also won Regional Championships over the years and Alumni from Bowie went on to go to the Olympics.
Javier Montes, 1948 graduate went on to study at Texas Western College and set the state record of 4min 25sec at the mile run while at Bowie. He later went to the 1952 Olympics in Helenski, Finland.
First Phase of Bowie High adjacent to original building was started in 1940 and finished in 1941. Over 1,200 students attended Bowie at that time. During World War II Bowie students entered the service. In 1948 Bowie's principal Frank C. Politt started enforcing the 30 year old "English only" law. This law was passed by the Texas Legislature in 1918. The law had required all teaching to be in English only. Due to this rule the Mexican population began to struggle. Ray Past wrote that the law influenced high dropout rates on Hispanics. The law meant that students were punished for speaking Spanish by being expelled from Bowie High or El Paso High. This law was finally repealed in 1969.
1964 Lyndon B. Johnson and Mexican President declare the Rio Grande as the border. In August of 1973 a new addition was added to Bowie with 105 classrooms, cafeteria, library, football stadium seating 8,000 and a basketball court seating 2,500. With Bowie being so close to Mexican Border, Border Patrol was constantly in the neighborhood. The Border Patrol did not like that there was 99% Hispanic population. In 1992 Principal, Paul Strelzin filed a restraining order against the Border Patrol. U. S. District Judge Lucius Bunton agreed with Bowie and granted the restraining order against the Border Patrol. The Border Patrol could no longer carry out unlawful search and seizure against the staff and students.
Bowie was considered as a second home for most students for the reason that most of theirs homes didn't have running water, electricity, or indoor plumbing. Principal, A. L. Carlton allowed students into the school after normal hours for that reason. They could use the bath facilities, the library, and even listen to the radios in some rooms.
Bowie had a band, newspaper, and yearbook though. A. L. Carlton, Bowie's principal at the time chose the Bear as their school mascot, and he wrote the words to their school song "We're Loyal to you Bowie High." Carlton left in 1934. Only two years after their first graduates received their diplomas Bowie won District Champions in Football. They also won Regional Championships over the years and Alumni from Bowie went on to go to the Olympics.
Javier Montes, 1948 graduate went on to study at Texas Western College and set the state record of 4min 25sec at the mile run while at Bowie. He later went to the 1952 Olympics in Helenski, Finland.
First Phase of Bowie High adjacent to original building was started in 1940 and finished in 1941. Over 1,200 students attended Bowie at that time. During World War II Bowie students entered the service. In 1948 Bowie's principal Frank C. Politt started enforcing the 30 year old "English only" law. This law was passed by the Texas Legislature in 1918. The law had required all teaching to be in English only. Due to this rule the Mexican population began to struggle. Ray Past wrote that the law influenced high dropout rates on Hispanics. The law meant that students were punished for speaking Spanish by being expelled from Bowie High or El Paso High. This law was finally repealed in 1969.
1964 Lyndon B. Johnson and Mexican President declare the Rio Grande as the border. In August of 1973 a new addition was added to Bowie with 105 classrooms, cafeteria, library, football stadium seating 8,000 and a basketball court seating 2,500. With Bowie being so close to Mexican Border, Border Patrol was constantly in the neighborhood. The Border Patrol did not like that there was 99% Hispanic population. In 1992 Principal, Paul Strelzin filed a restraining order against the Border Patrol. U. S. District Judge Lucius Bunton agreed with Bowie and granted the restraining order against the Border Patrol. The Border Patrol could no longer carry out unlawful search and seizure against the staff and students.