KILLEEN, Texas — The Killeen ISD Board of Trustees has named a district facility after Joseph L. Searles III, one of the first black graduates from Killeen High School.
Searles, according to the African American Registry, attended the local high school during its first year of integration and was the first black football player.
After graduating from George Washington University Law School, he played for the New York Giants during the late 1960s.
The Fort Hood native also became the first black person to hold a seat on the New York Stock Exchange in 1970 and later pursued a fruitful career in finance.
KISD plans on opening the Joseph L. Searles III Stadium in the backyard of Chaparral High School in August.
The district said it will serve as their second regional stadium.
Searles died at the age of 79 on July 26, 2021, after paving the way for many African Americans in sports and finance.
