FULSHEAR, TX (Covering Katy News)—Lamar CISD dedicated Willie Melton Elementary School last week. It is one of the district's four new campuses.
Located in the Jordan Ranch community, the elementary school is named after Willie Melton Sr., a farmer and civil rights pioneer known for his role in the 1953 U.S. Supreme Court case Terry v. Adams, which overturned the system of excluding black voters from Fort Bend County primaries.
Lamar CISD Superintendent Dr. Roosevelt Nivens and Melton Principal Laura Haugvoll both spoke at the event and highlighted the importance of honoring the past along with celebrating the future of the new school.
"On behalf of Lamar CISD, we will cherish the memory of Willie Melton Sr. both for his pioneering work in civil rights and his commitment to the good of future generations," Nivens said at the event.
According to Lamar CISD, Haugvoll was recognized as the district's 2023-2024 Elementary Principal of the Year and has over 31 years of experience in education, 19 of which were with Lamar CISD.
More than 30 extended Melton family and friends attended the ceremony. Franklin Melton, the last living son of Willie Melton Sr., and Cameron Melton, one of Melton Sr.'s great-granddaughters, spoke at the ceremony.
"He was just a beautiful man, and he was always kind," Franklin Melton said of his late father. "He addressed all men as brothers, even though he knew their names."