Dr. Bonner Frizzell

Bonner Frizzell was born in the Pine Grove Community, near Athens, in 1882. He was the son of William Asachel and Frances Missouri (Knight) Frizzell. Bonner attended high school at Bruce Academy in Athens and then moved to Tyler to attend Tyler Commercial College. At eighteen, he began his career in education by teaching algebra and geometry to a pair of children. He then entered Texas Christian University (then in Waco), where he graduated in 1909 with both B.A. and M.A. degrees. He later attended the Pulitzer School of Journalism at Columbia University 1910-1911. After teaching for a few years at Texas A&M University, Frizzell accepted a position in 1913 as principal at Rusk Grade School in Palestine; that same year, he married Jennie Elizabeth Keller. In 1919, Bonner was named superintendent and business manager of Palestine Schools, a position he would hold for the next 31 years. Bonner went on to complete doctoral studies at the University of Texas during the summers of 1925 and 1926. Frizzell was involved in many civic endeavors. He served as president of the Palestine Rotary Club, the Chamber of Commerce and the Y.M.C.A. He was also a life member of the Texas State Teachers Association, where he served as vice president in 1925. In 1951, after Frizzell’s retirement, the student-produced Arc Light paid tribute to him with these words: “the students of Palestine High School admire him for his great knowledge, respect him for his fine sense of sportsmanship and fair play, love him for his kindness and sympathy and above all, count him as their friend.” Dr. Frizzell remained a tireless promoter of public education until his death in 1968. (2010)

Dr. Bonner Frizzell is a historical marker in Palestine, Anderson County, dedicated in 2010. It is one of 115 historical markers documented in Anderson County in the Texas Historical Commission Atlas, among 229 historic sites cataloged across the county.

The site sits at 31.7582, -95.6275 near Palestine. The nearest cataloged historic site is Robert (Bob) Knight (historical marker), about under a tenth of a mile away. Others within a short drive include Roy B. Wallace, Palestine High School, and John H. Reagan.

This record corresponds to Texas Historical Commission Atlas #5507016336. Use the map below for its exact position and turn-by-turn directions.