The Hughen School

Since 1937, the Hughen School and other related facilities have provided assistance to individuals with disabilities. The school grew out of a vision by the Rotary Club of Port Arthur to start a movement in the interest of children with disabilities. In 1933, the Port Arthur Society for Crippled Children organized, and in 1936, the society was incorporated. In 1937, the society started a school in St. Mary’s hospital. By the end of the year, the community constructed a building at this location. First called the Spastic School, the institution was renamed for benefactor and businessman Thomas W. Hughen and his wife Juliet. To meet community needs, the institution added services, including physical, occupational and speech therapy programs. Additions to the campus allowed special needs students from outside the area to live at Hughen School. The Port Arthur Society for Crippled Children also advocated for change in state legislation, promoting the Texas state education act of 1945, which became law and played a major role in education of children with special needs. Other facilities were later added through donations given during fundraising campaigns. Famed entertainer Bob Hope participated in a telethon co-sponsored by the Fraternal Order of Eagles, which raised $1.2 million to erect a high school on the campus. The school was named for Hope, who also appeared at other Hughen Center fundraisers. By the mid-1980s, funds were donated to construct the Hebert Adult Vocational Training Center to help adults with physical disabilities gain skills to advance their careers. Today, the facilities of the Hughen Center continue to offer needed assistance and care to children and adults with physical disabilities. (2010)

The Hughen School is a historical marker in Port Arthur, Jefferson County, dedicated in 2010. It is one of 109 historical markers documented in Jefferson County in the Texas Historical Commission Atlas, among 137 historic sites cataloged across the county.

The site sits at 29.9154, -93.9312 near Port Arthur. The nearest cataloged historic site is Harry Henry Choates (historical marker), about 0.3 miles away. Others within a short drive include Calvary, Janis Lyn Joplin, and Babe Didrikson Zaharias.

This record corresponds to Texas Historical Commission Atlas #5507016295. Use the map below for its exact position and turn-by-turn directions.