A 1963 photograph of Wayne Pierce. Photography courtesy of Woodrow Wilson High School
Former Woodrow Wilson High School principal Wayne Pierce died Tuesday. He was 95 years old.
Pierce served as Woodrow’s principal from 1971 to 1987. Before that, he was an assistant principal at Woodrow.
He was one of the school’s most popular principals and sometimes went by the name “Mr. Wildcat.” Even after he retired, he remained “principal emeritus.” He often participated in Woodrow’s homecoming parade.
He was known for his 1967 green Mustang that he drove to school each day for 17 years. In 1995, it was stolen from his driveway and then returned in less-than-mint condition.
He was inducted into the Woodrow Wilson Hall of Fame in 2009.
Pierce grew up in Mount Vernon and served in World War II before coming back to coach his alma mater, according to a Dallas Morning News feature from 2015. He moved to Dallas for a job at Hillcrest, where he coached basketball and worked in administration, before taking over at Woodrow.
