L. A. History 1873 - 1882


L.A.Highway

"A knowledge of the past makes
understandable the present, and
serves as a guide to the future."
Vernal, Utah, Natural History Museum



1873

September 1: First High School in Southern California opened on second floor of "elegant new school on Telegraph Hill" (according to a newspaper of the day). It was on the southwest corner of Temple and Broadway, a two story frame building with a squat white tower.

1874

Professor W. T. Luckey, the first principal, allowed his upper grade students a study hall without teacher supervision (beginning of Mastery of Self). From the windows, pupils could see to the east, the Los Angeles River, to the south, the city whose business district began to "thin out" at Second and Spring. Below, they could see the separate steps for boys and girls winding up the hill; and in the yard, a fence to keep boys and girls separated.

1875

First graduating class of seven. Their final examinations were all oral and were held in front of their parents and friends. All spoke at commencement.

L.A.Highway

1879

Star and Crescent founded. First president was Miss Mary Foy, 1879, our oldest living graduate today (1951).

1881

Alumni Association formed to combat a move to abolish the high school on the grounds that only the wealthy could afford to go and that the poorer classes were helping to pay for the school. Anyway, why did girls need education beyond eighth grade?

1882

High school moved to Normal School building, on the present library site. From then until 1891, the school had several temporary homes.


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