50  Years of Excellence​

Frederick Douglass Alumni Association

The legacy of Frederick Douglass High school was born in born in 1966 when Dr. Rufus Clement, president of Atlanta University and the first Black to serve on the Atlanta School Board, recommended that the Simpson-Hightower Road School be named after the great abolitionist Frederick Douglass.
Instructional planning began in February 1968. Mr. Lester W. Butts was appointed principal and in June 1968 the staff was expanded to twenty-one teachers.
Like Frederick Douglass himself, having found the North star to be a perfect compass as he launched his life of service and contribution, Frederick Douglass High adopted that bright, shining star as our compass as our school's 40 years of "Excellence" was launched.

The school newspaper was called  "The North Star" after the newspaper edited by Frederick Douglass, "Polaris", another name for the North Star, is the name of the yearbook.  The name "Astros", which refers to stars or the heavens, is the school emblem. The motto, "Right is of no sex, Truth is of no color" was selected from one of Douglass speeches. The brilliant of Gold was selected as a complement to the rich beauty of Black selected as the school colors. Then as it is now, these symbols are constant reminders of our heritage and responsibilities.

Frederick Douglass High opened on September 3, 1968, with an enrollment of 2,109. Since Douglass did not start with a senior class, the first graduating class was in 1970 with 349 graduates. Although the enrollment has fluctuated from 1,000 to 2,600, the atmosphere conductive to learning has remained as constant as the North Star that has always been our guide to "Excellence".

In 1983 the Magnet Program- The Center for Applied Technology was begun. Douglass was named a National School of Excellence in 1984 from the explosive test score from the previous year. Dr. Butts went to Washington, D.C. to receive the award from the Secretary of Education, William Bennett. During the summer of 1988, Dr. Samuel L.Hill assumed the post as principal of Frederick Douglass High School. His affiliation with Douglass prior to the appointment of this post, as math teacher and assistant principal, assisted him in maintaining a "Tradition Rich with Excellence"!  

Frederick Douglass High School, We Salute You!