KATY, TX [March 3, 2025] – Hundreds gathered tonight to pay tribute to the Freeman family and to dedicate Katy ISD’s newest high school, Freeman High School (FHS), in a poignant ceremony highlighting the family’s service to the community stretching back more than a century.
“The Freeman family has made a lasting and meaningful impact on the Katy community,” said Dr. Ken Gregorski, Katy ISD Superintendent. “Their dedication to education, agriculture and community service has left a legacy that continues to shape both Katy ISD and the City of Katy.”
The program included talented performances by the FHS choir, orchestra and band, recognitions from the City of Katy Mayor William “Dusty” Thiele, Harris County Commissioner Lesley Briones, Texas State Senator Lois Kolkhorst and Texas State Representative Michael Schofield, along with special remarks from students and staff.
Lynn Freeman and Carla Freeman Mattingly spoke on behalf of the family, relaying the history of William Ellsworth and Mae Bell Freeman, who came to Katy in 1898 in a covered wagon with their daughter Mae, to farm, ranch and plant family roots.
Freeman shared that from the beginning, the Freemans ensured that their children knew the importance of an education, as evidenced by the many teachers in the family over the generations. They live on, in many large and small ways, woven into the school’s fabric, from their values to the name of the school’s mascot. She noted that Boss the Golden Eagle is named after Mr. Freeman, who was affectionately nicknamed “Boss.”
“At a time when many children needed to support their families, Boss and Mae Bell sacrificed so that all of their children could go to school,” said Freeman.
Mattingly shared the origin story of the school’s motto, Determined to Succeed, based on the courageous spirit of Jesse Lewis Freeman Jr. Though born without hip sockets, he overcame physical challenges to graduate from seminary, raise a family and become a role model for all who knew him.
“In reflecting on his life, he explained that his success was a result of being determined to succeed,” she said. “Lewis would be honored to know his grit and determination were the inspiration for future students at Freeman High School.”
Members of the FHS choir, orchestra and band closed the program by singing the school’s song, and Principal Gina Cobb, along with campus and district leaders, presented the Freeman family with a gift of appreciation, recognizing that its legacy will be seen far beyond what could have been imagined.
“Thank you for joining us tonight to celebrate the dedication of Freeman High School and to honor our namesakes, the Freeman family,” said Cobb. “Our hope is that when you look at the school, you will remember the moment Freeman High School first opened its doors and became a place that would shape the lives of students, staff and the community for generations to come.”