The History of the Alumni Center

The forerunner of McKinley Senior High, was named the Hickory Street School, which was located several blocks east of the Center, on Hickory Street in 1906-1908. This great institution started in an old wooden building under the leadership of Dr. J.M. Frazier, Sr. The Hickory Street School was renamed The Baton Rouge Colored High School and moved to a new location circa 1909 after the Hickory Street site outgrew the old wooden building. The new school, Baton Rouge Colored High School was located on the corner of Perkins Rd. and Bynum St, and remained under the leadership of Dr. Frazier. Baton Rouge Colored High School’s first graduating class was in 1916. The four students (Hattie Thomas, Maggie Turnsill, Inez Baranco and Olivia Algiers), became the first African American high school graduates in Louisiana. The Perkins Road facility was struck by lightning and destroyed in the 1920’s. High School classes continued in various locations in the Baton Rouge area until 1927. In 1926 the Baton Rouge Colored High School building was erected at 1520 Thomas Delpit Drive, Baton Rouge Louisiana and re-named in honor of the 25th President of the United States, William McKinley. The re-named, original McKinley High School, was built was and is currently located on the corner of Louise Street and East Boulevard (Renamed Thomas Delpit Drive).

The (Delpit Drive) school started classes on September 19, 1927. A new McKinley High School was built in 1950 on McCalop Street, next to the present day I-10. The Thomas H. Delpit Dr. facility remained McKinley Elementary School. The McCalop Street school functioned as McKinley Junior and Senior High School until 1961. In 1961, the third and present day McKinley Senior High School was built at 800 East McKinley Street. The McKinley Street School housed the Senior High Students only. The Junior High School remained at the McCalop Street/I-10 site, and the Thomas H. Delpit Dr. site remained McKinley Elementary. The original McKinley Senior High School (Center) facility on Thomas H. Delpit Dr. closed as an Elementary School and housed a Head Start Program in the late 60’s, 70’s and 80’s. This original red brick building was entered into the National Register of Historic Places on November 16, 1981. The This original structure was purchased by the McKinley Alumni Association from the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board on February 5, 1992. That original McKinley High School building, on Thomas Delpit Drive was destroyed by fire on July 3, 1998 and rebuilt between 2000 and 2006. That building reopened as the current Alumni Association Community Center. The McKinley High School Alumni Center’s Ribbon Cutting Ceremony was held on April 9, 2006. The building has served as a community center and office building since that date.