Dan Haskins to be honored Friday by alumni association

Dan Haskins speaks after being recognized for his lifelong service to the community at St. Paul United Methodist Church's Black History Program in this February 2012 photo. Haskins, 87, died Sunday after decades of service to Texarkana education.
Dan Haskins speaks after being recognized for his lifelong service to the community at St. Paul United Methodist Church's Black History Program in this February 2012 photo. Haskins, 87, died Sunday after decades of service to Texarkana education.

The late Dan Haskins, a retired school coach and administrator, will be honored by the Dunbar High School National Alumni Association during Friday night's Texas High Tigers homecoming football game.

Haskins, who died in June, was the only president of the nonprofit alumni association since its founding in 1979.

In that time, the association has:

  • annually awarded in alternating years a $1,000 scholarship to a Texas or Liberty-Eylau high school student. The recipient must be of high academic standing, Dunbar heritage and family need.
  • donated to many local and national charities, including an annual donation to St. Jude's Children's Hospital-Sickle Cell Research Division.
  • organized and sponsored a Dunbar High School All School Classes Reunion in Texarkana every four years, with alternating DHS Reunions in Associations in Dallas, Los Angeles and being established in Houston. Alumni donations is where most of the financial support is provided.

In attendance along with alumni members, will be Haskins' widow, Leatrice; niece, Sheridan; and a special group of past students who attended Dunbar and Texas high schools affectionately called the Buffalo-Tigers.

In the turbulent years of school integration, Haskins " was a clarion voice of reason" which was heard by many of them.

TISD has set aside an area in Watty Myers Stadium for this group of guests.

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