The people behind the schools: Who are the namesakes of these Palm Beach County campuses?
Whether your nieces and nephews all went to Dwyer or your neighbor is going to Addison Mizner next fall, you're likely familiar with the shorthand names for many Palm Beach County public schools.
But do you know the people behind the names like William T. Dwyer and Addison Mizner?
More than 30 campuses across the county are named after people: They're computer scientists and former principals and at least one astronaut. One was the mentor to Burt Reynolds and at least three were presidents of the United States: John F. Kennedy, Theodore Roosevelt and Dwight D. Eisenhower.
Here's a rundown of many of Palm Beach County's schools named after people and who they were:
Who was Addison Mizner?
Occupation: Architect
About: Addison Mizner (1872-1933) was a prolific architect in South Florida known for his Mediterranean Revival and Spanish Colonial styles — two types of design now signature to the region.
School location: Addison Mizner K-8 school is in Boca Raton
Who was Alexander W. Dreyfoos Jr.?
Occupation: Businessman
About: Alexander Wallace Dreyfoos Jr. (1932-2023) was a businessman and philanthropist. He led fund-raising efforts that culminated in the 1992 opening of the Raymond F. Kravis Center for the Performing Arts in downtown West Palm Beach.
School location: Alexander W. Dreyfoos Jr. School of the Arts is in West Palm Beach
Who were Richard and Dora Bak?
Occupations: Economist and painter
About: Richard Bak (1884-1973) was an economist and statistician, specializing in international markets, finance and economics. His wife, Dora (1914-2002), was a painter and an ardent supporter of the Palm Beach Symphony, local performing arts groups and wheelchair sports leagues. Bak Middle School of the Arts was named in 2002 after Dora Bak donated $1.5 million to the school.
School location: Bak Middle School of the Arts is in West Palm Beach
Who was C.O. Taylor?
Occupation: Principal
About: Clifford O. Taylor was a 42-year educator in Palm Beach County. He spent the last half of his career as principal at Kirklane Elementary school, which was later renamed C.O. Taylor/Kirklane Elementary to honor him. Taylor died in 2022 at the age of 96.
School location: C.O. Taylor/Kirklane Elementary is in Palm Springs
Who was Christa McAuliffe?
Occupation: Astronaut
About: Christa McAuliffe (1948-1986) was a teacher and astronaut from Concord, New Hampshire. McAuliffe was the first American civilian chosen to go to space. She was killed on the space shuttle Challenger on Jan. 28, 1986, when the shuttle exploded shortly after liftoff, killing everyone on board.
School location: Christa McAuliffe Middle is in Boynton Beach
Who was Don Estridge?
Occupation: Computer scientist
About: Philip Don Estridge (1937-1985) was a computer engineer who led development of the original IBM personal computer at the company's research and development campus in Boca Raton. He is known as the "father of the IBM PC." He was born in Jacksonville and attended the University of Florida.
School location: Don Estridge High Tech Middle is in Boca Raton
Who was Dr. Joaquín García?
Occupation: Co-owner of El Cid Animal Clinic
About: Dr. Joaquín García (1956-2021) was born in Cuba and later became one of the founders of the Hispanic Education Coalition in Palm Beach County. García was an original board member of the Compass Community Center and also worked with the International AIDS Education Foundation.
School location: Dr. Joaquín García High is located west of Lake Worth Beach on Lyons Road
Who was Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune?
Occupation: Educator
About: Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune (1875-1955) was the daughter of formerly enslaved people and an educator who was a national advocate for African American issues. She was named a special adviser to President Franklin D. Roosevelt on the problems of minority groups.
School location: Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune Elementary is in Riviera Beach
Who was H.L. Johnson?
Occupation: Educator
About: Howard Lynn Johnson was a longtime principal in the Palm Beach County school district who noticed during his tenure that some students had to travel more than 10 miles to get to school in the western part of the county. His namesake school was opened in 1984 and cut travel time for nearby families. Johnson died before the school was opened.
School location: H.L. Johnson Elementary is in Royal Palm Beach
Who was Howell L. Watkins?
Occupation: Superintendent
About: Howell Lee Watkins (1894-1965) was principal of Palm Beach High School and the first dean of Palm Beach Junior College, a position that was unpaid at the time because of the Great Depression. Palm Beach High went on to become Dreyfoos School of the Arts, Palm Beach Junior College became Palm Beach State College, and Watkins went on to be superintendent of the school district from 1948 to 1964. He is the longest serving superintendent in district history.
School location: Howell L. Watkins Middle is in Palm Beach Gardens
Who was J.C. Mitchell?
Occupation: Property developer
About: Jones Cleveland Mitchell (1890-1955) and his family owned 500 acres of land in what is now the Royal Palm Shopping Center and the Boca Raton Yacht and Country Club. He was a civic leader and served as Boca Raton's mayor from 1939 to 1950.
School location: J.C. Mitchell Elementary is in Boca Raton
Who was Jerry Thomas?
Occupation: Banker
About: Jerry Thomas (1929-1980) was a native of West Palm Beach and a prominent banker and Republican politician in Florida. He was named undersecretary of the Treasury in 1976, the last year of the administration of former President Gerald Ford. Thomas was also a stockbroker, and in 1964, he founded First Marine Bank Inc. He lived in Jupiter.
School location: Jerry Thomas Elementary is in Jupiter
Who was John I. Leonard?
Occupation: Superintendent
About: John Ireson Leonard (1886-1961) came to Palm Beach County in 1925 and was elected county schools superintendent in 1936. In his dozen years, the county struggled through the Depression and World War II. He was the first president of Palm Beach Junior College.
School location: John I. Leonard High School is in Greenacres
Who was K.E. Cunningham?
Occupation: Principal
About: Kathryn E. Cunningham was an educator in Palm Beach County for 50 years before she retired in 1990. She was instrumental in getting Canal Point Elementary built and was a supporter of children's education her entire life.
School location: K.E. Cunningham/Canal Point is in Canal Point on Lake Okeechobee.
Who was L.C. Swain?
Occupation: Planner and developer
About: Lawrence Carter Swain (1864-1944) was the founder of the Greenacres. He platted the first section of the city before it was incorporated in 1926. One section of his nearly 1,000 acres was a half mile west of Military Trail, and area that became the original section of the city still exists today.
School location: L.C. Swain Middle is in Greenacres
Who was Rosenwald?
Occupation: Philanthropist
About: Julius Rosenwald (1862-1932) was the founder of the Rosenwald school building program during the Progressive Era to increase education opportunities for Black children in the segregated South. He partnered with African American educator and activist Booker T. Washington, first working with Washington's Tuskegee Institute and then forming an independent foundation, to manage the school program.
School location: Rosenwald Elementary is in South Bay
Who was S.D. Spady?
Occupation: Principal
About: Solomon D. Spady (1887-1967) was a student of George Washington Carver, who was encouraged by Booker T. Washington to became a school teacher. Spady was principal of Delray County Training School, on NW 5th Avenue, from 1922 to 1957.
School location: S.D. Spady Elementary is in Delray Beach
Who was U.B. Kinsey?
Occupation: Teacher
About: Ulysses Bradshaw Kinsey (1914-2005) was a longtime Palm Beach County educator, activist and member of Tabernacle Missionary Baptist Church in West Palm Beach's historic northwest community. He was among four plaintiffs who sued the Palm Beach County School Board in 1942 seeking equal pay for Black teachers and later, an equal number of school days for Black students.
School location: U.B. Kinsey/Palmview Elementary is in West Palm Beach
Who was Watson B. Duncan?
Occupation: Professor
About: Watson Boone Duncan III (1915-1991) was a college Shakespearean professor best known for being the mentor of actor Burt Reynolds when he was teaching English at Palm Beach Junior College. Duncan received the Distinguished Floridian of the Year award in 1980.
School location: Watson B. Duncan Middle is in Palm Beach Gardens
Who was William T. Dwyer?
Occupation: Businessman
About: William Thomas Dwyer (1927-1958) was a vice president at Pratt & Whitney, which was headquartered in Palm Beach County, and the founding president of the Education Foundation of Palm Beach County, a charity that supports public education for students in kindergarten through 12th grade.
School location: William T. Dwyer High is in Palm Beach Gardens
Katherine Kokal is a journalist covering education at The Palm Beach Post. You can reach her at kkokal@pbpost.com. Help support our work, subscribe today!
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Who are the people who have Palm Beach County schools named after them?
