When the school bells rang for the first time in September 1950, it was a joyous occasion for many children who came from neighborhoods throughout Baton Rouge (Eden Park, Easytown, Byrd Station, Georgetown, Alsen, Dixie, The Lake, Scotlandville-Banks, Zion City, Brookstown, The Park) and Port Allen, to be part of a new school (Capitol Avenue Junior-Senior High School). Capitol Junior-Senior High School, located at 4200 Capitol Avenue (today Gus Young Avenue) became the second (McKinley) minority public secondary school in East Baton Rouge Parish. 

 

Charles W. Keel was named the first principal of Capitol and he led the school with great skill in determining the quality of work done and enstooling a spirit of school loyalty. Mr. Keel was meticulous about his staff selections with approximately 30% having earned Master’s degrees and 85% completing studies beyond a Bachelor’s degree level.

He was about education.

 

Not many recall Capitol’s first colors were GREEN and GOLD (1950-1951) but changed during its second year of operation to RED and GOLD. Our one and only mascot have always been the Lion, thus the name “Capitol Golden Lions”. The football team won the State Championship in 1955. In LIALA Competition, the newspapers noted: “Capitol students who entered the literary phases of the Louisiana Interscholastic Athletic and Literary Association walked off handily with a majority of the first places in the various events represented”. Capitol High was featured on the radio and was the first school in East Baton Rouge Parish to be featured on television.

 

In 1959 Capitol Junior-Senior High School officially divided. The Junior High School with grades 7th and 8th (under the leadership of Milton Simmons), remained in the original building and grades 9-12 moved to 1000 N. 23rd Street, the new home of the Golden Lions, with Mr. Charles W. Keel as Principal and Robert D. West, Jr. as Assistant Principal.

 

The class of 1960 was the first to graduate from the new Capitol Senior High School. In 1967 Capitol was named the 7th best High School in the Nation by the Purdue Educational Report. 

 

From 1970-1980, these were years of great change. Integration arrived at LAST. The students became multi-racial and busing was a way of life. Mr. Keel guided and forged bonds with all ethnic groups and challenged all to “DO THE RIGHT THINGS” and ensure that graduates from the Red and GOLD could stand and be counted in a positive way on whatever road they decided to take.