BYB: All Broncho, All the Time

A century of pride and tradition will be on display as Odessa High School celebrates its centennial in grand fashion.

It is fitting that graduates of all ages and from all walks of life have returned to their roots for two days of fun and festivities.

For the past 50 years, Odessa’s original high school has had to share the limelight with cross-town rival Permian, but that just means that the Bronchos have seniority. OHS was here first and has had twice the time to collect an impressive array of achievements and send proud Bronchos out into the world to succeed in everything from sports to academics to fine arts.

Parade video here.


As exhibited elsewhere on this page, fond memories of all kinds are fostered by one-time Bronchos. The Gatlin Brothers — Larry, Steve and Rudy — forged their early reputations at OHS in sports, but ended up gaining fame on stages around the world with their popular music.

Hayden Fry was the quarterback who helped OHS to its 1946 state football championship, but ended up earning lasting fame as one of the nation’s best football coaches. One of his distinctions was breaking the color barrier by recruiting the first black player in the Southwest Conference.

Other Bronchos have excelled in quieter but often more profound ways. Academians usually don’t receive the same public accolades as athletes and music performers, but they achieve in fields that reap other rewards. For instance, 1961 graduate John Belcher is a professor at MIT and played integral roles in the nation’s space program.

But that typifies what Odessa High expects of its students. Teachers do their best to inspire their students to go forth and make the school proud. And the pupils have been doing just that for 100 years.

Here’s to the red and white. May many more achievers wear those colors on the way to making their own marks in the world.