University Junior High School
historic place
University Junior High School, located in Austin, Travis County, opened in September 1933. This Spanish Revival-style structure was a joint project of the University of Texas at Austin and the Austin Independent School District. Architects George Dahl and Paul Philippe Cret designed the building. It served as both a public junior high school and a laboratory school for the university's Department of Education. A significant part of its history is its role in desegregation. University Junior High was one of Austin's first public junior high schools to voluntarily integrate, accepting non-white students beginning in 1957. The school operated until 1967, when it closed as a junior high and the facility was transferred to the University of Texas. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2001. The building later housed the Steve Hicks School of Social Work. In September 2024, the University Junior High building was demolished. This site is historically important for its architectural design, its innovative educational model, and its pioneering role in school desegregation in Austin.