Namesake

Dolores B. Linton is known for her contributions to the black community in San Antonio. Linton was born on Feb. 21, 1910, in Seguin. She began teaching in Pleasanton until the needs of the poor, isolated black community of West San Antonio Heights came to her attention during a visit in 1931. On her visit, she learned the closest school for black children was miles away with no transportation.

After gaining permission to use Paradise Cove, a former dance hall, for classes, she organized a parents' petition to request public funds for the school. Linton took on the responsibility of teaching all six grades herself. Three years, later the county built a one-room schoolhouse, without water, for her 30 students.

Dolores married Walter Linton in 1937. During World War II, she took a break from teaching to work briefly for the USO before returning to the West San Antonio Heights school. In 1946, a barracks building was moved onto the former site of the dance hall. This provided a two-room school facility. The building still had no water, electricity, or indoor plumbing. In 1952, because of Linton's persistence the school board finally constructed a modern four-room school.

Linton continued to teach multiple grades until a court order forced racial distribution of students in 1966. NISD had to transfer Linton and her students. Linton taught at Thunderbird Elementary School until retiring in 1971. A new school was named for her in 1980, in honor of her commitment to equal educational opportunities. She died on Nov. 19, 1980 at the age of 70 in San Antonio. She was honored posthumously in 1981 with the Human Relations Award from the Texas State Teachers Association.