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In railroad speak, a switch is a pair of moveable rails providing a connection which allows a train to go from one track to another. Just such a switch was utilized by the Chicago, Texas and Mexican Central Railway just south of Dallas, Texas in the second half of the nineteenth century. The area originally adopted the name Duncan Switch, named after a lineman who worked for the railroad. Later, in 1882, the community took on the name Duncanville. During World War II the Army Air Corps, later the United States Air Force, built a landing field and Air Force Station specializing in the training of pilots for the war effort. The station has since been closed, leaving behind a monument commemorating the base in front of the city’s library and community center. Known in the area as the “City of Champions” Duncanville is essentially a suburb of Dallas.

The “Champions” motto is best exemplified by the stupendous success of Duncanville’s boys’ and girls’ basketball programs. In fact, the city’s official website has dedicated a page to the “Sports Legacy Virtual Museum” which highlights the accomplishments of coaches and players from Duncanville High School hoops. First, there was Sandra Meadows, not only legendary in Duncanville but throughout Texas, who compiled an astonishing 743-120 record as coach of the Pantherettes. Her teams won four state basketball titles between 1968 and 1993. At one point, Duncanville won 134 games in a row, a Texas state record at the time. In 2000 she was elected to the National High School Sports Hall of Fame. From 1984 to 2009 Coach Phil McNeely established a record of excellence on par with the girls as his boys’ teams rolled up a 704-170 record during his 26-year tenure. During that time the Panthers won three state championships and in 2007 completed an amazing 39-0 season.

Duncanville, however, was not content with those gaudy statistics so, in 2001, they recruited Cathy Self-Morgan to take over the girls’ program. Self-Morgan had already established herself as one of the top coaches in Texas and the nation. During her 36 year-career she has a miraculous record of 1022 wins with only 206 losses. At Duncanville, her teams have won the state championship three times with two more runner-up finishes. Among her many awards, Self-Morgan was named the USA Today National Coach of the Year in 2013.

Although basketball appears to be king in Duncanville, those with a more cerebral outlook on life will appreciate that the city is the home of the Museum of International Cultures. A Duncanville tutor will be able to keep you caught up on your studies so you can visit the museum. Labeled as the only cultural institution of its kind in Texas, the museum features exhibits and interactive videos from Africa, China, Southeast Asia and North America. Presentations from Mexico and the southwest United States focus on Native American cultures, especially the Hopi. Along with the Heard Museum in Phoenix, Arizona, the museum boasts an ample collection of ceremonial Kachina Dolls.