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Lincoln School History

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 Lincoln Elementary School is one of the oldest schools in Oklahoma.  It was founded in 1895 as a private school to serve the African American Community of Chickasha before Oklahoma statehood in 1907.  Lincoln initially was housed in the First Baptist Church located at 1^st and Dakota Avenue.  The first principal of Lincoln School was Oscar Spencer, who was recruited from Gainesville, Texas to help guide and develop the educational structure of Lincoln.

Since its beginning in 1895, Lincoln has undergone many building transitions and renovations.  In 1929, the center portion of the campus, which houses the gym and cafeteria, was completed; 1937 saw the construction of the East Wing which has the office and classrooms; 1991, the addition of six classrooms.  In 2001, the Lincoln Media Center was constructed.

Lincoln Elementary School is renowned for being the school that graduated an Oklahoma and United States Civil Rights icon, Dr. Ada Lois Sipuel Fisher.  Dr. Fisher, a 1941 graduate of Lincoln School, was one of the first African Americans to integrate the University of Oklahoma School of Law.  Her United States Supreme Court Case, Sipuel v. Sipuel v. Board of Regents, in which the U. S. Supreme Court on January 12, 1948, ruled unanimously (9-0), to force the University of Oklahoma law school to admit Ada Lois Sipuel, the school’s first African American student.  This case served as a precursor for the 1954 Supreme Court case, Brown v. Board of Regents which ended racial segregation in the United States. 

In 1960, Lincoln School became a 1^st–9^th grade educational center for African American students.  After Lincoln students completed the 9^th grade, they were enrolled at Chickasha High School.  In 1965, Lincoln School’s configuration changed from 1^st–9^th to 1^st–6^th.  In 1974, Lincoln was converted to a District Wide 4^th grade center.  Since 1965, Lincoln School has continued to be a part of the Chickasha Public Schools Educational Plan and Mission.  Presently, Lincoln Elementary serves students in grades 5-6.