Dr. John Leslie Patton, Jr. and Dr. Warren Travis White, c. 1961
Graduation ceremony, circa 1961.
Silver gelatin photo. V86.50
Gift of Dr. B. F. Wells.

W. T. White (left) and J. L. Patton (right) drove Dallas education for decades.

Patton began working in DISD in 1926 as a teacher at J. P. Starks Elementary. He became principal of Booker T. Washington High School in 1939 and led the school until 1969, when he became an assistant superintendent, serving until retirement in 1971.

White came to DISD in 1931 as the principal for Sunset High School. Ten years later, he became assistant superintendent, and then superintendent of the district in 1945, serving until 1968.

The Historical Society preserves the papers of both men. The White Collection includes his personal papers and educational materials. The Patton Collection includes his speeches, personal papers, and educational materials. It also includes several hundred books and over 1,500 photographs.

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