Serving West Tulsa since

1938

The Art Deco Webster campus opened in September 1938.

National Register listing

2021

The historic district was added to the National Register on June 10, 2021.

Historic Webster Warrior emblem with a portrait and the letter W inside a diamond

A symbol of school history

The diamond Warrior emblem

The diamond Warrior emblem is part of Webster’s history and the memories shared by generations of alumni. Frances Lowery designed the emblem, combining a Warrior portrait and the letter W in a diamond motif.

Historical source: City of Tulsa’s Southwest Tulsa planning history.

Daniel Webster is part of the story of West Tulsa. Before the school opened, Red Fork grew around the Frisco railroad, which arrived in 1883. Tulsa County's first oil well, Sue Bland No. 1, was completed in Red Fork in 1901. Red Fork incorporated the following year and became part of Tulsa in 1927.

Webster opened in September 1938 on a 20-acre campus, bringing together students from West Tulsa, Red Fork, and Carbondale. The school was named for American statesman Daniel Webster, and generations of students have made the Warriors name their own.

Aerial view showing Webster’s school buildings, grounds and stadium.
Aerial view of Webster campus, 1952

The supplied image is labeled 1952 and credits Duane McElhaney.
From the collection supplied by the Daniel Webster Alumni Foundation.

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Brick school buildings seen across concrete steps, handrails and a tree-lined lawn.
A later view of the campus

A later exterior view supplied by the foundation. The photograph’s exact date is not established.
From the collection supplied by the Daniel Webster Alumni Foundation.

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The Art Deco main building and gymnasium were completed through the Public Works Administration in 1938. The Works Progress Administration added the stadium in 1941. Their craftsmanship made the campus both a neighborhood landmark and an important example of New Deal-era public architecture in Oklahoma.

A glowing ceiling fixture with layered rectangular glass and metal shapes.
A geometric ceiling light

A distinctive geometric light inside Webster. The room and photograph date are not identified in the supplied collection.
From the collection supplied by the Daniel Webster Alumni Foundation.

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A geometric metal light with vertical GYM lettering mounted on a brick wall.
Art Deco at the gym entrance

The gym entrance light combines lettering with geometric metalwork.
From the collection supplied by the Daniel Webster Alumni Foundation.

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Webster also holds an important place in Tulsa's educational history. It participated in an experimental Progressive Education program during the 1930s and 1940s. In the fall of 1955, Webster welcomed its first Black students and became the first Tulsa Public Schools campus—and possibly the first public school in northeastern Oklahoma—to integrate after the Brown v. Board of Education decision.

Yearbook page headed Integration at Webster High School, with student photographs and a separately captioned tree-planting photograph below.
Integration at Webster High School

The supplied collection identifies this as a 1956 yearbook page. Its text describes integration at Webster. The lower photograph records a separate Arbor Day tree planting.
From the collection supplied by the Daniel Webster Alumni Foundation.

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In 2021, the Daniel Webster High School Historic District was added to the National Register of Historic Places, with a documented period of significance from 1938 through 1970. The designation recognizes the campus's architecture and its role in education and civil rights.

That history is still being written. Webster continues to serve multiple generations of Westside families while welcoming students from across Tulsa. The school is also home to the district's only agricultural education and digital media broadcasting programs. Alumni carry forward the same westside spirit by supporting students, preserving memories, and investing in the campus that connects them.

Explore the archives

More of Webster’s story

Webster campus & Art Deco

Explore the campus through aerial views, architectural details and familiar school spaces. Photograph dates are noted where known.

11 images

Opening & dedication, 1938

Newspaper coverage of Webster’s opening in September and dedication in November 1938. This selection includes six readable pages from the November 4 Tulsa School Life issue and two additional clippings. Pages 4 and 6 await replacement scans.

8 images

Early graduates, 1939–1940

Commencement newspaper pages and the senior classes of 1939 and 1940. Open each page to read the original reporting and class rosters.

8 images

Tulsa schools in LIFE, 1942

Excerpts from the April 13, 1942 LIFE feature on progressive education in Tulsa. The article covers several schools, including Webster and Central; captions distinguish the schools where the source identifies them. These are historical excerpts, not a complete magazine issue.

7 images

Keep the story going

West Tulsa shaped Webster. Alumni shape what comes next.

Share your memories, reconnect with classmates, or help create opportunities for today's students.