Kimball opened its doors in 1958, graduating its first class in 1960 with 165 students. Dr. W.P. Durrett served as the founding principal of the school. His tenure of 16 years ran from 1958 until his retirement in 1974, and was longer than that of any subsequent principal. Through his inspiring and dynamic leadership, the student body established the traditions and values of the school. An annual scholarship award in his name is granted each year by the Kimball Alumni Association to two outstanding students who demonstrate academic and leadership success.
Although Dallas ISD began integrating high school campuses in the 1965–1966 school year, Kimball's student body was primarily Caucasian until the late 1970s. The ethnic makeup of the student body changed gradually during the 1980s, and by 1990 Kimball's students were almost entirely Black. Today, Kimball is roughly 70% Hispanic and 30% Black. When Moisés E. Molina High School opened in 1996, attendance boundaries were redrawn, and many areas that had attended Kimball for decades were rezoned to the new school.
Since its founding in 1958, the school has graduated over 20,000 students. Kimball graduates have contributed in many fields - athletics, politics, entertainment, music, health, business, cultural, arts, science, and engineering. A number of Kimball students have won appointments to various military service academies through the years.
