James Martin High School (Martin) is a secondary school serving grades 9 through 12 in Arlington, TX. It is part of the Arlington Independent School District. The school’s mascot is the Warrior, and its colors are black, red, and silver.
Martin opened in 1982. As a result, the former James Bowie High School closed in 1983. The relative proximity of Bowie to Sam Houston high school was a factor as was the shifting demographics and resulting graduation class sizes that necessitated the new school and the transition of Bowie to Workman Junior High School. Cathy Brown of The Dallas Morning News said that Sam Houston High School and Lamar High School were “relatively unaffected” by the opening of Martin, located in southwest Arlington. Brown explained that the attendance zone of Arlington High School lost substantial area that included a significant number of new residences in the more affluent Southwest part of the city adjacent to Lake Arlington.
Martin High School is one of only two high schools in the district not named for a historical figure in Texas. The trustees broke with the Arlington tradition of naming high schools in this manner when naming the school in its planning in the earlier 1980s. Only Martin High School and Arlington High School, the town’s first high school, are the only exceptions. AISD trustees chose to honor James W. Martin, superintendent of schools from 1955–1976, who oversaw the integration (racial desegregation) of Arlington schools in 1965, which occurred without the violence or hysterics that had occurred frequently nationwide, and notably in nearby Mansfield. This was not shared at the time of the school’s opening however.
The school opened with grades 10 through 12, grew to quickly become the city’s largest high school within a decade. It was enlarged in the early 2000s to maintain suitable space for the considerable number of students. The school now houses grades 9–12.
In July 2020, Principal Roddy announced the discontinuation of the native American mascot at the school, citing the reasoning was “…to adapt the school to modern standards of cultural sensitivity.”, which has been a contentious topic in many communities and in professional sports, notably the NFL’s Washington (former) Redskins and the Cleveland Indians major league baseball team. The change was met with opposition, primarily from alumni, but it was implemented. The Warrior would remain in writing but the modern definition of the term is being embraced and will no longer refer to the native American iconography, specifically the headdress and finalized. The school’s ‘rocking M’ would become its primary graphic. The “Native American Tribal Chieftain hat” logo had been in use at the school since its opening in 1982, having been illustrated by one of its students. The headdress was formed by shaping the letters comprising ‘Warriors’ and the face was in the same manner using the letters MHS, both in red, forming an Indian chief in profile.
Information provided by Martin High School (Wikipedia page)