TISD remembers 40 year career of former teacher, coach, administrator, and A.D. Billy Hall

TYLER –Tyler ISD has announced the death of a TISD legend, Billy Hall. On Monday, Robert E. Lee Principal Dr. Dan Crawford told KTBB, “A lot of the parents of the kids that I have right now at Lee had him as principal and they said he had an ability to make tough decisions, but they all still really loved him. You can tell he had a passion for what he did. He didn’t have a job, alright, he had a life calling.”

“Billy Hall is a TISD icon both on and off the field,” Superintendent Dr. Marty Crawford said. “We are both former Baylor baseball letter winners. I enjoyed swapping old baseball stories and talking about our alma mater’s growth and success with Billy. He will be missed by our Tyler ISD family.”

Principal Crawford continued, “It’s hard being an educator already, but we are talking about a guy that served a long time, in arguably, two of the hardest roles in the school district, as a high school principal and the athletic director.”

Mr. Hall graduated from Tyler High School in 1956 and returned to the District in 1960. Mr. Hall served a vast majority of his career at Robert E. Lee High School, where he moved from his health and physical education teaching role into an assistant principal role in 1974. Mr. Hall would then lead the campus as principal from 1979 through 1988. Later in 1988, he led the district athletic programs serving as athletic director until his retirement in 2000.

In 2013, Mr. Hall joined other Tyler ISD legends, such as Earl Campbell, Mike Carter, and Aaron Ross, in forming the inaugural class of the Tyler ISD Athletic Hall of Fame for his high level of achievements before and after high school graduation.

“I am saddened to hear the news of the passing of Billy Hall,” Tyler ISD Athletic Director Greg Priest said. “He was one of Tyler ISD’s all-time greats from a player to a coach and then to an administrator. I am truly honored that our paths crossed and will miss our talks about athletics and the Tyler ISD Athletic Hall of Fame. He will be missed.”