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Students and teachers pose in front of The Fred Douglass School circa 1920, Image Courtesy of TWU Libraries
In 1876 an application was filed to establish the Denton Colored School Community Number 17, which later became known as the Fred Douglass school, until it was renamed the Fred More School in 1950. This was the first public school in Denton for African American students. Educational opportunities for African American families were very limited, and families migrated from throughout the South, some from as far away as Georgia, to Denton so that their children could attend the school. The original location of the Fred Douglass School was at the intersection of Holt & Terry Street, where it burned down in September 1913.
Denton Record Chronical article from September 1913, Courtesy of The Portal to Texas History.
Portrait of Professor Fred Moore, visible from the chest up. He is wearing a dark-colored suit with a light-colored shirt and patterned tie. Image Courtesty of The Portal to Texas History
In 1950, the school was re-named Fred Moore School, after Fred Douglass Moore, who served as the school’s principal from 1915 until 1953. Prior to becoming an educator, Fred Moore was a talented musician and band leader, and he opened a barbershop on the Square in downtown Denton. Moore was educated at Prairie View College, and did graduate work at Columbia University in New York. He was an influential community leader in Denton; in addition to the Fred Moore School, there is also a park named after him. At the dedication of the school to Fred Moore in 1950, the Superintendent of Denton Public Schools said of Moore: “Professor Fred D. Moore has done much to build a wholesome spirit between the two races in Denton. He has furnished a high class leadership in the field of education as well as in the entire community. He has the respect of his white friends and the admiration of the community.”
Large group of women dressed in historic costume for the Denton centennial celebration. These women were members of the Fred Moore Bronze Belles and the Amicable Ammons, and represented the African American community in Denton. Seated on the floor, second from the right, is Alice Moore Alexander, and in the middle is Gladys Standifer (not wearing a bonnet). Mrs. Eula Gray, is standing, the second woman from the left, back row (below the painting). Mrs. E. S. Hodge, first row, third from the left. Mrs. O. M. Ammons, second row, fourth from left. Image Courtesy of The Portal to Texas History
Citations:[Members of the Fred Moore Bronze Belles and the Amicable Ammons], photograph, 1957; (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth14892/: accessed April 30, 2022), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Denton Public Library.
[Portraits of Professor Fred Moore], photograph, Date Unknown; (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth388174/: accessed April 30, 2022), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting UNT Oral History Program.
Designed by Linda Ward and compiled by Rodney Jones in Web & App Design 2021
[Portraits of Professor Fred Moore], photograph, Date Unknown; (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth388174/: accessed April 30, 2022), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting UNT Oral History Program.
Designed by Linda Ward and compiled by Rodney Jones in Web & App Design 2021
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