About Us

Industrial/Roosevelt High School

National Alumni Association and Friends

Our Mission:

The Mission of the Industrial/Roosevelt High School National Alumni Association and Friends Incorporated is to honor the legacy, uplift the legacy, and empower the future of Industrial/Roosevelt High School Alumni by preserving history, fostering meaningful connections, supporting educational community advancement, the development of the African American Research Library and Museum and the African American Research Library & Cultural Center, ensure that our authentic history is preserved for years and generations to come!!!!!!

Our Vision:

Our vision is to be a dynamic, united force of alumni and friends dedicated to preserving our proud past while building bridges to a bold future cultivating a global network that promotes mentorship, scholarship, community service, and cultural pride.

Core Values:

• Legacy: We honor the historical significance and cultural impact of Industrial and Roosevelt High Schools.
• Unity: We foster fellowship among alumni, students, and friends to build lasting bonds and shared purpose.
• Service: We commit to giving back through volunteerism, mentorship, and philanthropy.
• Education: We champion academic achievement, lifelong learning, and youth empowerment.
• Integrity: We act with transparency, honesty, and accountability in all we do.
• Excellence: We strive for high standards in programming, partnerships, and representation of our alumni legacy.
• Cultural Pride: We celebrate the rich heritage and accomplishments of our community as a foundation for progress.

Samuel Bruce McDonald

Samuel Bruce McDonald grew up in West Palm Beach with his mother (the late Mary V. McDonald-Wilson) and brother (Herbert Lawrence McDonald). He graduated from Industrial High School (now U.B. Kinsey-Palmview Elementary School of the Arts) in 1946. He received his Bachelor of Arts Degree in Sociology from Talladega College in Talladega, Alabama. After serving in the United States Army in the European Theater, he returned to West Palm Beach and began his career as an educator. He later received a master’s degree in education from Florida Atlantic University. He continued his religious studies at the Diocese of Southeast Florida School of Ministry. Served as a vestryman at St. Patrick’s and St. Gregory’s Episcopal Churches.

Mr. McDonald, now a retired administrator, served the School District of Palm Beach County for 32 years. He has been a classroom teacher (Roosevelt High School), President of the professional organization of Negro teachers (Palm Beach Teachers Association), administrative assistant (Central Junior High School), assistant principal (Roosevelt High School), initial principal of Boca Raton Middle School, South Area Superintendent as well as adjunct professor at Florida Atlantic University and Palm Beach County Community College.

Mr. McDonald was called out of retirement twice to serve as principal: John F. Kennedy Middle School and later Roosevelt Elementary School. He returned to the presidency in September 1999 to serve as Interim President/CEO of the Urban League. Then, I accepted the responsibilities of the Interim Executive Director at Hope House of the Palm Beaches, Inc.

As an advocate for children, Mr. McDonald has served as an advisor, organizer, board member, and president of various funding, nonprofit, civic, and social organizations. Some of which were: Steering Committee for Children’s Services Council, Board of Directors for the United Way of the Palm Beaches, George Sidney Miles Scholarship Fund, Inc., Pre-natal & Infant Health Care Coalition Board of Directors, Palm Beach County Head Start Policy Council, Palm Beach County Full Service School Oversight Council, Foster Care Citizen Review Steering Committee, Palm Beach County Center of Excellence, Inc., Delray Beach Drug Task Force, HIPPY (Home Instruction Program for Parents of Youngsters), Village Academy School Advisory Committee, Glades Community Development Corporation, Inc., Board of the Community Foundation for Palm Beach & Martin Counties, Mary & Robert Pew Public Education Fund Trustee, Kiwanis Club (Sunrise – Boca Raton), Torch Club International (Boca Raton).

He served as a School District consultant at Boca Raton High School and Congress Middle School.

Mr. McDonald is the founder of the Industrial/Roosevelt High School National Alumni Association and Friends, Inc. He has said, “There is no today with a yesterday,” and saw the need to lay the framework to reestablish a home in the community for the preservation of local Black history.

He is a member of St. Patrick’s Episcopal Church, a Charter member of the West Palm Beach Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, the Urban League, the NAACP, and EPOCH (Expanding and Preserving Our Cultural Heritage, Inc., Spady Cultural Museum in Delray).

Along with championing opportunities for achievement and excellence for all children, Mr. McDonald is a devoted father to Sylvia, Tammy, Bruce, and Delphine, a grandfather to Arthur, Robyn, Bruce, Spenser, and Connor, and a great-grandfather to Rori and Aria.

His philosophy: “One’s purpose in life must be to help others reach beyond their immediate grasp”.