About Us

Bowie Middle School is a direct descendant of Irving Junior High. It was established in 1950 with 21 seventh and eighth grade students and Jerry M. Clark as the first Principal. It was located on Jefferson between 2nd and 3rd Street. In 1952, Irving qualified for a Federal Aid Fund totaling $473,715 by having at least 40% of its parents employed at jobs related to national defense. This money was used to build a new Junior High School at 631 Edmondson south of Irving High School and the Football Stadium. In the Fall of 1953, Irving Junior High moved to the new location on Edmondson which is now Lee Britain Elementary. With the opening of a new Junior High School at Hancock and Story in 1957 (Crockett), Irving Junior High was renamed--it became Bowie Junior High in honor of James Bowie, one of the Texas heroes at the Battle of the Alamo. Bowie Junior High was moved to its present location at 600 E. Sixth when Irving High School was moved to its present location on O'Connor Road.

On Saturday, December 2, 1972, the two-story eighth grade wing of Bowie Junior High was destroyed by fire. The following Monday all seventh grade students, teachers and staff were relocated to Lamar Junior High where they remained until the fall of 1973 when they were returned to Bowie. A newly rebuilt and remodeled Bowie was dedicated on April 1, 1975. Kenneth Tillman was the Principal during this time. Sixth grade students were added in the Fall of 1975.

Former Principals at Bowie have been Jerry M. Clark, R. O. Bruce, Norman Hughes, Arthur Casey, Homer Tompkins, Tom Chandler, Kenneth Tillman, James Puryear, Joe Moreno, Rocci Malone and Jessica Rose.

The above information was taken from old PTA scrapbooks stored at Bowie. The following note was taken from the scrapbook of 1985-86:
"The Texas Legislature created the Irving Independent School District in 1905. This combined the Lively and Kit schools of about 125 pupils. The first Irving school building had two rooms and was built on property donated by the founders of the town. The school was located at 2nd and Jefferson and has since been torn down and the property sold."

This would have been the site where Irving Junior High School--or Bowie Junior High School as it was later renamed--was established