Ball High School is a public secondary school in Galveston, Texas, United States. Ball, which covers grades 9 through 12, is a part of Galveston Independent School District. Ball High School serves the cities of Galveston and Jamaica Beach and the unincorporated communities of Port Bolivar and Crystal Beach on the Bolivar Peninsula. The school mascot is the Tornado, named "Tuffy Tor." History Founding In 1881, the citizens of Galveston, authorized by the legislative act of 1879 which specified that all cities of a certain size could initiate and maintain their own school system, organized a public school district, restricted to "white or caucasian" students and elected a board of trustees. Some 20 teachers were employed to teach students in grades one through seven. Prior to this time, all education in Galveston was private or parochial. In the summer of 1883, a local dry goods businessman, George Ball, communicated his intention to support the establishment of a public high school in Galveston via a brief and simple note to the Galveston City Council. It read: "If the authorities of this city will furnish appropriate and sufficient grounds centrally located, I will contribute $50,000 for the erection of a building to be permanently dedicated to the use of the public free schools of the City of Galveston...I will be pleased to carry [this proposal] into the earliest effect with the hope that it may prove useful to the community with which I have been long identified and whose future welfare I most earnestly desire." Ball's offer was accepted, and the cornerstone for what would become Ball High School in Galveston was laid on February 15, 1884. Contrary to custom, which places the cornerstone in the northeast corner of the building, it was placed at the southwest corner of the main portion of the building. It is a block of Dupree stone, upon the open sides of which are carved simply the words, "George Ball to the Children of Galveston." Articles placed in the cornerstone included photos of Mr. and Mrs. George Ball, autographs of the children attending public schools, the city directory, photos of the teachers, and a floor plan of Ball High School. Ball died on March 11, 1884, without seeing his gift completed. The new public high school in Galveston opened its doors to 200 pupils on October 1, 1884, with a building consisting of 12 classrooms, two offices