C.M. Washington High School, the first public high school for African-American students in Thibodaux, was dedicated on December 18, 1950. The school included grades 1-12. It was named for Cordelia Mathews Washington, a pioneer and leader in African-American education in the Thibodaux area. Prof. Robert M. Harris was the first principal of the high school, and Mrs. Leola A. Washington was the first elementary school principal.