MacArthur High School

MacArthur High School, located at 3700 North MacArthur Blvd., was named after General Douglas MacArthur. Opened in 1964, the school began with grades seven, eight, nine and ten in the 1964-1965 school year; grades eight, nine, ten and eleven in 1965-1966; and grades nine, ten, eleven and twelve in 1966-1967. The first graduates were the class of 1967. Mr. Arthur Casey was the school’s first principal. MacArthur chose red and white as its colors and the Cardinal is the school mascot. The school was integrated between 1966 to 1968 with students from J.O. Davis High School.

Arthur Casey

Obituary

Funeral services for Arthur Casey, age 96, of Coleman, TX, formerly of Irving, TX were held 11:00 AM, Saturday, Apr. 29, 2017, at Plymouth Park United Methodist Church in Irving, TX. Burial followed in the Oak Grove Memorial Park Cemetery

Mr. Casey passed away Monday, April 24, 2017, at Coleman County Medical Center after a brief illness. Mr. Casey was married to Lucile “Sissy” Dorety on Dec. 10, 1944, in Irving, TX. Sissy preceded Arthur in death on Jan. 10, 2011. Mr. Casey was born July 19, 1920, in Dallas County to A.W. Casey and Floye Meggs Casey. 

Mr. Casey was a star athlete in high school. After high school graduation, he played football for Paris Jr. College from 1939 until 1941. He transferred to North Texas State to play ball, but his football career was interrupted by the beginning of WWII. He and the entire football team volunteered for the Navy in 1942. Mr. Casey went through flight training with the Navy but was later transferred to the Marine Fighter Squadron VMF-218. He was assigned to the South Pacific Theatre. Mr. Casey was a fighter pilot that flew missions daily against the Japanese. After the war, he returned to Texas, to marry Sissy Dorety and to finish his college football career at East Texas State University. After graduation, he became a teacher and coach in Grand Prairie, Mineral Wells, and Rosebud, TX.

Casey and Sissy returned to Irving, TX., where he taught history and coached at Bowie Jr. High School. He went into school administration as principal of J.O.Shulze Elementary School. In 1964, Mr. Casey became the first principal at MacArthur High School. He moved from principal to central administration and retired as Assistant Superintendent for Administration in Irving, TX.