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Terry HS Namesake
Terry High School Mission & Vision
Our Mission
At Terry High School, our mission is to provide a high-quality and innovative academic growth experience for every student. We strive to empower our students to reach their fullest potential by nurturing critical thinking and creativity.
Our Vision
As One Team, with One Goal, we are One Family dedicated to excellence in education and personal development. We actively engage in dynamic community partnerships and collaborate learning experiences to enhance our students’ learning and to build a vibrant, interconnected community.
Every day, we prepare our students to be socially responsible leaders. We also inspire greatness, ignite passion, and cultivate leaders with our high expectations!
History of B.F. Terry High School
We were established in 1980, B.F. Terry High School was the second high school built in the growing Lamar Consolidated Independent School District. Our campus was named in honor of Benjamin Franklin Terry, leader in Fort Bend County and who would go on to organize a group of Texas cavalrymen and was the leader of "The 8th Texas Cavalry" of the Texas Rangers.
Much of B.F. Terry High School's culture and traditions established in the early days were attributed to the servant leadership of Principal Harry Wright, Lamar CISD's first African-American school principal and the first campus leader in school history. Principal Wright would go on to lead the Rangers for eleven years until his retirement following the 1990-1991 school year.
The pride that "Terry's Texas Rangers" felt has been carried on throughout B.F. Terry High School for decades. Students and staff continue the traditions set in 1980 that Rangers Never Quit. Our Terry Ranger Pride is evident. The B. F. Terry High School Rangers continue to lead the way, as General William J. Hardee once declared, "I always feel safe when the Rangers are in front."
B.F. Terry High School entrance when school opened in 1980
Principal H. Wright
1980 - 1991
Biography of B. F. Terry
Benjamin Franklin Terry (1821-1861)
Biography of Benjamin Franklin Terry (1821–1861)
- Benjamin Franklin Terry, the founder and first commander of the Eighth Texas Cavalry (Terry's Texas Rangers), was born on February 18, 1821, in Russellville, Kentucky. He was the son of Joseph and Sarah Terry, whose grandfathers had served in the Revolutionary War and War of 1812. After his parents separated, Terry’s mother moved to Texas, where she settled in Brazoria County. In 1837, her brother, Benjamin Fort Smith, became the guardian of Terry and his siblings.
- Terry later became a successful businessman, notably building the first railroad in Texas, the Buffalo Bayou, Brazos and Colorado Railway, with William J. Kyle. He also owned a large sugar plantation. In 1860, his wealth and influence made him a leader in Fort Bend County, and he was elected to the Texas Secession Convention in 1861.
- As the Civil War began, Terry helped organize a cavalry unit that would become Terry's Texas Rangers. After serving as a volunteer aide to General James Longstreet, he led the Rangers into battle. On December 17, 1861, Terry was killed in action at Woodsonville, Kentucky, in his regiment's first engagement, which ended in a Confederate victory. His funeral in Houston was one of the most impressive in the state, and Terry County was named in his honor.
- Terry is remembered as a brave leader and patriot, and his legacy is marked by the valor of his cavalry regiment and the impact he had on Texas history.
BIBLIOGRAPHY:
James Knox Polk Blackburn, Reminiscences of Terry's Texas Rangers (Austin: Littlefield Fund for Southern History, University of Texas, 1919; rpt., Austin: Ranger Press, 1979). Zachary T. Fulmore, History and Geography of Texas As Told in County Names (Austin: Steck, 1915; facsimile, 1935). Andrew Forest Muir, "Railroads Come to Houston, 1857–1861," Southwestern Historical Quarterly 64 (July 1960).
Terry's Texas Rangers Memorial at the Texas State Capitol in Austin, TX
