Green Named High School Principal

W. B. "Sky" Green, principal of Central Elementary School and former vice-principal at R. L. Turner High has been named principal of R. L. Turner High School following the resignation of J. A. Covert, who accepted a position as asst. superintendent of schools in Texarkana.
Newman Smith, superintendent of Carrollton-Farmers Branch Schools, said that he was very happy that Mr. Green had agreed to return to the high school.
"Mr. Green had been offered the position each time it was open but had expressed a desire to move to an elementary principalship. In the interest of the continuing progress for the school system, however, Mr. Green agreed to return to the high school." Smith Said.
Mr. Smith stated that he was confident the school district "had the man who would give the greatest effort and achieve the most progress for the school district."
Mr. Green received his BS degree at Texas Tech. He has been in the teaching profession from 1939 to 1967 with the absence of four years for military service.
Green  has been in the local school district during the years 1947-1967. He was high school head coach for 12 years; vice principal of the high school for 10 years; and principal at Central Elementary for one year.
Mr. and Mrs. Green have two children, Larry, a senior at R. L. Turner, and a daughter. Linda, a sophomore at Turner High.

The Carrollton Chronicle - Thursday, July 27, 1967
Submitted by Edward Lynn Williams

W. B. Green to retire Aug. 1

R. L. Turner High School principal W. B. (Sky) Green has announced his retirement effective August 1. The man, who served for the past ten years as principal of one of the largest high schools in the state, came to the Carrollton-Farmers Branch Independent School District in 1947 when it was known only a the Carrollton School District.
"I came to stay two years, and stayed 30." Green loves to tell people.
Returning to civilian life after serving four and one half years as an Air Force pilot. Green discovered he must brush up on a new techniques and strategies in order to get back in the game of coaching.
In 1947, he accepted a position as coach at the Carrollton High School and planned to stay two years while he got back into the swing of coaching Green, who held a B.S. degree from Texas Tech University where he also played football, stayed on as coach at Carrollton High for the next 12 years. During that time he assumed the added duty of assistant principal.
"I got to liking the people and found me a home," he said.
Green recalls that the population of Carrollton was about 1,000 at the time.
"We've had ninth grade classes at Turner larger than that," he said.
Carrollton High School had approximately 200 students that year with a graduating class of about 46. Nine teachers served the student body and Green coached all sports.
"I coached boys and girls basketball, football, baseball and B. Teams in every sport,
 he said.
When R. L. Turner High School opened in 1962, Green, who now held a M. Ed. degree form North Texas State University, moved to Turner and continued to serve as assistant principal under the school's principal  Dale B. Davis.
Green served in that capacity until 1966 when Central Elementary School opened and Green took the principalship there. In 1967 Green was named principal of R. L. Turner where he stayed until the present.
During the past 10 years as Turner principal, Green said he had seen some stormy times of rebellion in the 60's and then things smoothed out in the 70's. He watched the enrollment grow from some 1800 in 1967 to some 3600 at the height of the school's enrollment in 1974. Present enrollment is 2,655.
In 1973 the quarter system was successfully implemented at Turner under the leadership of Green. New consolers, a vocational wing, and nine temporary buildings were added. Green initiated off-campus lunch for seniors and allowed the Student Senate move freedom to work for change in teh school. Green worked with others to see that four administrators, more counselors and a registrar were added to the school
Many agree with assistant principal J. T. Parrish who says that Green has been a steadying force at R. L. Turner. "I respect the man very very much." said Parrish. "He's been a guiding force in my life. I fell it has been a great honor to have worked with a man of his stature.
Carrollton Chronicle - Thursday, May 5, 1977

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WILMER B. "SKY" GREEN
Coach, educator, administrator
By David Renfrow

In 30 years with the same school district, Wilmer B. "Sky" Green went from tending the football field to shepherding hundreds of high school students.

The coach, educator and administrator died of pneumonia March 11 at Signature Pointe on the Lake retirement community in Dallas. He was 89.

Mr. Green was born Jan. 15, 1917, in Dallas. He graduated from high school in Gainesville.  He attended Texas Tech University, where he was a guard on the football team, playing in the 1938 Sun Bowl and the 1939 Cotton Bowl games, his family said. He earned a master's degree from North Texas State University in 1967.

After graduating from Texas Tech, Mr. Green enlisted in the Army AirCorps where he became a pilot and flight instructor.

After his service Mr. Green was employed by what was then the Carrollton Independent School District. At the time, Carrollton was a largely agricultural community of about 1,600 people.

"He was the only coach in the Carrollton school district when he joined in 1947," said Mr. Green's companion of 32 years, Janette Parker. "He coached football, basketball, baseball and the girl's sports.  He watered and fertilized the football field."  Ms. Parker said Mr. Green also taught history.

By 1965, Carrollton and Farmers Branch were fast-growing suburbs, and the Carrollton-Farmers Branch Independent School District had built a new high school to accommodate the growth.

Mr. Green became assistant principal at the two-year-old R. L. Turner High School.  He then spent a year as principal at the district's Central Elementary before returning to R. L. Turner in 1967.  He served as R. L. Turner's principal for 10 years before retiring in 1977.

R. L. Turner's W. B. Green boys' gymnasium is named in his honor.

Ms. Parker said Mr. Green was respected and remembered by his students.

"Sky wanted every child to succeed, and he would do what it took to help them.  His students responded to him with affection and respect.  Every spring we would get invitations to class reunions, said Ms. Parker.

After retirement, Mr. Green and Ms. Parker enjoyed travel and ocean cruises. Mr. Green officiated area high-school and junior college football games until he was 75.

Mr. Green was a member of the James A. Smith Masonic Lodge and a PTA life member.

In addition to Ms. Parker, Mr. Green is survived by a daughter, Linda Howard of Nacogdoches, Texas; a son, Larry Green of Oklahoma City; seven grandchildren, and seven great-grandchildren.

Services will be at 11 a.m. today at Webb Chapel United Methodist Church in Farmers Branch where a memorial fund has been established.

The Dallas Morning News - March 20, 2006
Submitted by Edward Lynn Williams

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GREEN, WILMER B. ("SKY")
Coach, Teacher, Principal and friend to the community. Born January 15, 1917 in Dallas and deceased March 11, 2006 in Dallas. Sky served the Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD for 35 years as R. L. Turner principal and coach. He graduated from Texas Tech and received his Masters Degree from North Texas University.  He was a pilot and flight instructor during World War II. Sky officiated for area football games until he was 75.  The boy's gymnasium at R. L. Turner was named in his honor.  Sky is predeceased by Wyleta Green in 1974. He is survived by his loving companion of 32 years, Janette Parker. Also by daughter Linda Howard and her 5 children, son Larry Green and wife Davida and their two children, Steve Parker and wife Susan and three children, and Chris Parker and wife Jeanne and their three children. 7 great grandchildren also survive him. Visitation will be at Rhoton Funeral Home in Carrollton from 5-7 PM on Sunday March 19. The Service will be at Webb Chapel United Methodist Church in Farmers Branch on March 20 11:00 AM; Rev. Joyce Cravens will conduct the service. A memorial fund has been established at Webb Chapel UMC
Rhoton Funeral Home - I35 at Crosby Rd. Carrollton.

The Dallas Morning News - March 17, 2006
Submitted by Edward Lynn Williams