 When its location was changed from M Street, the school was renamed in 1916 for the noted African-American poet, Paul Laurence Dunbar, who died in 1906.As more high schools had been established, Dunbar was designated as the city's academic high school, with other schools providing more vocational or technical training.Dunbar was known for its excellent academics, enough so that some black parents moved to Washington specifically so their children could attend it.