AGENDA CAPTION:
Title
Consider approval of Resolution 2025-79R, authorizing the naming of the small room, large room, and arts and crafts room in the Dunbar Recreation Center as the Marshall Room, the Ola Lee Coleman Room, and the Harvey Miller Room, respectively, as well as honoring a group of African American women known as the “First Five” in the lobby area; authorizing the City Manager, or her designee, to install any signs and recognition plaques reflecting the new room names; and declaring an effective date.
Body
Meeting date: May 6, 2025
Department: Parks & Recreation
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Background Information:
Dunbar Park was recently awarded the Lone Star Legacy Park Award. A Lone Star Legacy Park is classified as a park that holds special prominence in the local community and the state of Texas. To qualify for consideration, the park must have endured the test of time and become iconic to those who have visited, played and rested on its grounds. Nominated parks must be a minimum of 50 years old and meet the following criteria:
• The property represents distinctive design and/or construction.
• The park is associated with historic events or sites.
• The park is associated with events specific to the local community/state.
• The park is home to unique natural features.
During the staff's research for the Lone Star Legacy Park award, it became clear that numerous individuals played a significant role in shaping the Dunbar school building, the Dunbar Recreation Center, and the surrounding parkland. We aim to recognize these remarkable individuals by naming rooms within the building in their honor.
Below is a summary of the history of the Dunbar School and Park, along with the proposed naming of rooms and the foyer to acknowledge those who have contributed to its legacy.
History of Dunbar School and Dunbar Park
The original building was moved to the current site in June 1918, although schooling for black children in San Marcos began as early as 1847. The additional building, used for home economics, was added in the early 1930’s and in 1946, an old army barracks was purchased and added to the site to expand and add a gymnasium, indoor restrooms and an office for the principal. Integration became law in 1954, and students started integrating in 1955, starting with the senior classes and continuing each year until it was complete in 1964. In 1961, the board voted to change the name to the Dunbar School. After its closure in 1964, it remained empty for many years. Dunbar Park was established in 1973, when the school district listed the Dunbar School building for sale. A philanthropic San Marcos couple, Mr. and Mrs. C.D. Marshall, provided $31,000 in funding to the City of San Marcos for the purchase of the 7.3-acre property with the stipulation that it be used only for park and recreational related activities for the public.
From 1973-1985, the Parks and Recreation Department facilitated many recreational activities in the building and surrounding park. Mr. Harvey Miller, a local resident, coordinated this community programming on behalf of the Department, which included tumbling, arts and crafts, self-defense classes, martial arts, youth sports, guitar classes, Juneteenth celebrations and more. Upgrades to the Park over the years have included a basketball court dedication in honor of Lucious “Luke” Jackson, a San Marcos resident and attendee of the Colored School, playground equipment, shade structures and picnic tables, a walking path and a small skate spot. The City’s Arborist monitors the Park’s robust tree canopy, which mitigates heat and provides aesthetically pleasing surroundings in the park. In 2021 and 2022, the City of San Marcos was awarded two grants to fund the listing of the Dunbar Historic District & the Dunbar School Home Economics Building on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). The Parks and Recreation Department currently utilizes the Dunbar Recreation Center and Park for a variety of recreational programming, meeting and party rentals, as well as youth sports and camps.
Arts and Crafts Room to be named after Harvey Miller
The Arts and Crafts room within the Dunbar Recreation Center will be named the Harvey Miller Room to honor an outstanding individual who was instrumental in coordinating community programming on behalf of the Parks and Recreation Department in the late 1970's and early 1980's. After the City acquired Dunbar Park and the old Dunbar School, Mr. Miller, Dunbar’s Playground Director, brought the park back to life with robust programming, and activities such as youth sports programs, Juneteenth Celebrations, movie nights, teen dances, summer camps, arts programs and more. The room is currently used for the City to host many ceramic classes and youth camps, just like the ones Mr. Miller organized after the Parks and Recreation Department acquired the building in 1973. Mr. Harvey Miller passed away on September 1, 2020.
Dunbar Large Room to be named after Ola Lee Coleman
The large meeting room at the Dunbar Recreation Center will be named the Ola Lee Coleman Room to honor a beloved educator with the longest career at the Dunbar School. For 35 years, Ms. Coleman taught generations of local San Marcos residents, retiring in 1951. Though she did not have children of her own, Ola Lee considered the students her family. When questioned at her retirement about the hardest part of her teaching career, she answered quickly and without hesitancy, "The hardest part of all was waiting for Saturday and Sunday to pass so that school would start on Monday." She passed away on April 8, 1955. Ms. Coleman’s name was one of the original three suggestions to the school board for the naming of the school in 1961; however, the board ultimately voted in favor of Dunbar, in honor of Paul Lawrence Dunbar, a noted black author from Dayton, Ohio.
Dunbar Small Room to be named after Mr. and Mrs. C.D. Marshall
The small meeting room at the Dunbar Recreation Center will be named the Marshall Room after Mr. Courtenay D (CD) and Mrs. Frances Marshall. The Marshalls were a philanthropic couple in the San Marcos community who provided funding for the purchase of the Dunbar buildings and the associated land from San Marcos Consolidated Independent School District. When the final purchase was made, the City ordinance stated that the property must be permanently and irrevocably dedicated for park and recreational related activities of the general public. Mrs. Marshall was a retired registered nurse and Mr. Marshall was a retired chemical engineer and both were heavily involved with the school district, among other community activities and organizations. Mr. Marshall served on the board of equalization for the school district and Mrs. Marshall served on the school board. Frances Marshall passed away on March 10, 1986, and Courtenay D. Marshall passed away on February 4, 2002.
Foyer to have plaque placed to honor the First Five
A plaque will be hung in the foyer of Dunbar to honor the “First Five”. When the Southwest Texas State Normal School (now Texas State University) was authorized to end segregation in February of 1963 at the university four black women registered for classes on the same day the court order was signed. A fifth woman registered the next day. Four of the five being from San Marcos. The plaque will hang to recognize the trailblazing efforts of Georgia Hoodye Cheatham, Helen Jackson Franks, Gloria Odoms Powell, Dana Jean Smith and Mabeleen Washington. Texas State University honored the First Five by the renaming of Angelina Hall to First Five Freedom Hall on May 20,2021.
To learn more about the story of integration at Texas State University and these women, please visit: <https://exhibits.library.txstate.edu/s/archives/page/first-five>
Council Committee, Board/Commission Action:
The Parks and Recreation Board held discussion regarding the proposed room naming and plaque placement on March 20, 2025, and provided consensus for a Recommendation Resolution to be brought forward at their next meeting.
On April 17, 2025, the Parks and Recreation Board voted unanimously to approve Recommendation Resolution 2025-01RR PRB in support of the proposed room naming at Dunbar Recreation Center.
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Recommendation:
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