Muskogee High School officially opened its doors on August 19, 1970, marking a major milestone in the city's history. The new school successfully integrated Muskogee's two segregated schools, the traditionally white Central High and the historically Black Manual Training High, combining the best of these historic institutions. The "open-space" architectural design, highly experimental for Oklahoma schools at the time, created a new school for modern times.

Public education was relatively new in Oklahoma, compared to the rest of the country. After Indian Territory opened for non-native settlement in 1889, children attended private schools operated by churches, missions, and Indian tribes. In 1898, Congress passed the Curtis Act, which allowed towns in Indian Territory to incorporate and charge taxes. That year, Muskogee formed a Board of Education and began opening public elementary schools through eighth grade. The schools were segregated according to the law at that time.

In 1905, high school courses were added to the curriculum. White students attended the classes at Jefferson Elementary, and Black students attended at Dunbar Elementary. To accommodate the growing number of high school students, money was raised for two new buildings. Central High and Manual Training both opened in the fall of 1910. For the next sixty years, each school fostered a strong sense of pride within the community.

Central High School
 

Manual Training High School

In the mid-1960s, construction of a sprawling new high school campus began, with the goal to end segregation. Central and Manual graduated their last classes in May 1970. That fall, all high school students attended Muskogee High School.

Muskogee High School
1970 Architectural Rendering

THERE'S ONLY ONE ROUGHER. In 1970, Muskogee High kept Central High's mascot name, "The Roughers," which the 1925 state champion football team earned due to their rough play without helmets. In 1981, the school introduced a mascot image featuring a bulldog depicted as a roughneck, honoring Manual High's Bulldog mascot, Central High's nickname, and Oklahoma's rich oil industry. A unique blend of history, legacy, and spirit, the Roughers name and image are legally trademarked, ensuring there will never be another Rougher.