African American High Schools in Louisiana Before 1970

Coach John “D” Dickerson, Sr.

Coach John “D” Dickerson, Sr., builder of character and molder of champions was born in Iberville Parish on March 3, 1936. Educated in the Iberville Parish Public Schools and graduated from Leland College in 1959.

He began his teaching and coaching career in the 1959 – 1960 school year in Iberville Parish. He began teaching at Upper Maringouin Elementary School in Maringouin, Louisiana and coaching at T. A. Levy High School in Rosedale, Louisiana.

He was an assistant coach in football and head track coach. He had to establish a track team from scratch. Fortunately, he was blessed with talent with no experience. He had the task of teaching and re-teaching until the athletes could execute the skills of running, jumping, and throwing. With his knowledge and experience, Coach Dickerson continued to perfect the athletes in the categories of competition. His hard work, determination, and dedication paid off, in 1960, he and his team won their first district meet. In fact, they won the first 14 districts before they lost one.

In 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1968, and 1969, his team specialized in either winning the Sprint Medley Relay or finishing as bronze medal winners.

In 1964, the team won their first relay trophies in the 4 x 100 and 4 x 200 Relay. The team defeated the mighty Cypress Grove High School of Lutcher, Louisiana.

In 1965, the T. A. Levy Track Team won their first Zone Championship and their first Mile Relay. In one of the best races of the meet, T. A. Levy made an impactful impression by outperforming the mighty Princeton High School, who had ” The Twins.” They set state records at Southern University and A & M College, we ran 3:25. They continued to win the Mile Relay from 1964 – 1969. In 1968, they were Zone Runner-Up Champion.

In 1969, they finished tied for First Place with Webster High School.

T. A. Levy HS Track and Field Team was the team to put fear in the hearts of McKinley High School, Capitol High School, W. 0. Boston High School, Peabody High School, J.S. . Clark High School (Opelousas) and others. T. A. Levy High School Track and Field Team still holds the state record in the 200yard dash on Southern University and A & M College straight away with a time of 22:5.

Some of the athletes who made known throughout the state are:

Thomas A. Levy High School

Gene Blanchard                                   Grant Clark                           Horace Crump                                

  MacArthur Scott                                Burnett Oliver                      Charley Lemar

Joe Henry Washington                        Willie Edwards                     Charley Carroll, Jr.     

Henry Perkins                                     Robert Wesley                        William “June” Harrison

Clyde Perkins                                       Roderick Scott                      Maxie Gray       

 Charles E. Philson                               Willie Green, Jr.                      Wilbert Walls

Roy Batiste                                            Jerome Edwards                     Clint Scott                                            

 Frank Davis                                        Wilbert Carroll                             Willie Edwards

Alvin Brown                                         Lionel Walls                               Freddie Brown                                      

Russell Hill                                            Larry Smith                                Samuel Robertson

Donald Ray Trusclair                           Jessie Thymes                          Donald R. Thymes                                

Ernest “June” Woolfolk                       Jeffery Wesley                          Elton Anderson

John Thymes