Killeen High School - Kangaroo Yearbook (Killeen, TX)

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John Bell Hood Gaine ' s Mill. T he Second Battle of Bull Run. An- tietam. Gettysburq. Chickamauga. The list reads as an honor roll of major battles of the Civil War. All have one thing in common: John Bell Hood. Fort Hood is named for General Hood, obvious- ly. Yet not as obvious is the valor of the man. Although Hood was not the best of tacticians nor the best of scholars (he did graduate from West Point in 1853), Hood can be called one of the bravest leaders of the War between the States. He always led his regiment into the thick of battle, often at the risk of his own life: he lost an arm at Gettysburg and a leg at Chickamauga. Despite these handicaps, he defended Georgia against the Yankees as best he could, finally surrendering to Sherman in May of 1865, a month after most Confederate leaders admitted defeat. His death, 14 years later in New Orleans, ended a life of conflicts: Hood was not alone in a time of changing values and loyalties, but he was among the few to remain and keep his principles to the very end. A photograph is a memory; a moment held for- ever in time. Might not this picture, of a Killeen area family in the late 1880 ' s be alive? Pictures are timeless. The 1924 French Club showed that K.H.S. stu- dents were interested in opening their horizons through communication. Checks weren ' t easy to cash, even in 1 909. The Streets of Killeen— this the main street was the center of activity in the town ' s begin- nings. ■■ I ' » ' ' ' ' !r ' HISTORY— 29

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What? A Kangaroo! Why are the Killeen Kangaroos, Kangaroos? The answer isn ' t as easy to discover as some may think. Various stories are circulated about the christening of Kangaroo upon Killeen. All are plausible: indeed, that makes it so difficult to distinguish between stories. The events leading up to the decision are the same in all of them, however. In the spring of 1923, the fourth school, a splendid architectural building, burned like a cinder. Churches all over town quickly offered their premises for ' homeless ' scholars. The new school was finished in 1924, and with the new building, new school colors were instated. The change from red and white to maroon and white kicked up a lot of dust; perhaps it is because of this controversy that the events leading to the choice of a mascot are cloudy. Some suggest that Killeen Kangaroos was an alliterative decision. Others recall a contest of sorts, or suggest that the name was drawn from a hat. Still others point out that the Great Gray Kangaroo is a very proud, spirited animal, and it is these qualities Killeen wanted to strive for. Whatever the reason, Killeenites have been proud of the unique name of Kangaroo. The The eleven seniors of 1910 graduated into a world of uncertainties, each determined to make a future for themselves. Seventy-two years later, the 375+ seniors are also facing that same decision: The cover of the first yearbook heralded the beginning of the Killeen Kangaroos. The freshmen class of 1924 had to face many of the same things today ' s freshmen do — the new experience of High School, changing values, striving for maturity and — seniors! 28— HISTORY

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Equality for All In the 1950 ' s a new movement began sweeping across America. This movement stood tor equality for all people. With Martin Luther King Jr.. as the leader, the movement also stood tor peace. Conflicting with the accepted values of the south, the movement encountered violence stemmed from fear and prejudice. The Civil Rights Movement had its effect on Killeen in 1954, when KISD was among the first school systems in I exas to integrate . Before 1943, Killeen was completely segregated. With the coming of Camp Hood, however, blacks were allowed to stay in town overnight for the first time since 1887. Until 1954, the schools remained segregated. Black students attended Belton and de facto segregation was practiced. The integration order was executed smoothly and there were no racial flare ups, in Killeen. Outside of Killeen, however, intergration didn ' t run as smoothly. When, in 1956, KHS had its first black football player, Joe Searls, it became difficult to play out of town games. Integration didn ' t affect us too much ... it was the other schools that we travelled to that couldn ' t deal with it, recalls then head coach Sandy Hooper. Most of the football season was played in town, not only because of the position of other schools but also because of restaurants and other businesses refusing to aeal with blacks. Although the first struggle for racial equality has been fought and won, there are still areas in which prejudice exists. There can ' t be a perfect equal society, but it is still a perfect dream. ' cr ' ■ ' :: i ki ' ' :«%:hi These pictures of Girl ' s Basketball, Tennis, and Boy ' s Basket- ball were included in the 1924 Kangaroo yearbook. 30— HISTORY