Printed on front: Central School, Tacoma, Wash.

Printed on front: Central School, Tacoma, Wash.

Printed on front: Central School, Tacoma, Wash.

• Located at 601 So. 8th St., the current Central School was built in 1912. circa 1920.
• Printed on front: The Central School, Tacoma, U.S.A.

School principals and directors for the Tacoma School District are all smiles as they pose for a group portrait on August 31, 1954, prior to the start of the 1954-55 school year. The names of these individuals are listed in a brief News Tribune article dated September 8, 1954. (TNT 9-8-54, p. 12)

Tacoma Public Schools (Tacoma); Group portraits; School principals--Tacoma--1950-1960; Central School (Tacoma);

ca. 1979. Tacoma Central School, 601 So. 8th St. (Now houses administrative offices.) Central School was built in 1912 and designed by the architectural firm of Heath and Gove.

Central School (Tacoma);

1924's eighth grade class at Central School. The eighth grade girls wore fashionably bobbed hair and nearly calf-length dresses while the boys either wore suits with knickers or comfortably worn shirts. The eight-story Central School, located at 601 South 8th St., opened in 1913; local newspapers considered it to be one of the largest and the best in the West. G46.1-050

Central School (Tacoma); Public schools--Tacoma--1920-1930; School children--Tacoma--1920-1930;

A packed classroom of children gaze at a new radio at Central School on September 19, 1930. TPL-3232; G46.1-051

Central School (Tacoma); Public schools--Tacoma--1930-1940; School children--Tacoma--1930-1940; Radios;

ca. 1935. School boy patrol at Central School, circa 1935. In a Tacoma school safety program initiated in 1929, responsible students were selected to assist their fellow students in safely crossing busy streets. The chest crossing belt and the hand held stop sign designated a student as a patrol member and were considered badges of honor. (Photograph courtesy of the collection of William T. Case)

School safety patrols--Tacoma--1930-1940; School children--Tacoma--1930-1940; Public schools--Tacoma--1930-1940; Central School (Tacoma); Case, William L.;

ca. 1913. This is the newly built Central School, 601 South 8th St., circa 1913. Located on the site of the former Washington College and Tacoma High School, it replaced the original 12-room wooden structure with 90-foot belltower at South 11th & "G" Sts. The former Central School had opened in 1883 serving grades one through eighth. On September 13, 1913, the new Central School opened under the guidance of principal George Stanley. 1000 elementary students moved into the grand $165,000 building at South 8th & Tacoma Avenue South. Walker Cut Stone Co. furnished the stonework on the multi-storied structure which had windows commanding splendid views of Mount Tahoma (Rainier). Generations of Tacomans were educated at Central School until the end of the 1967-68 school year when the building was converted to Tacoma School District's administrative offices. (Olsen: For the Record, p. 47-48, alt. photographs)

Central School (Tacoma); Public schools--Tacoma--1910-1920;

Guth Lighting fixtures, Room 11, Central School, Edwin Guth Co. A view of the interior of Room 11, Central School, when the teacher and students are gone, featuring the florescent lights and fixtures. The blackboards line three walls of the classroom. Students have individual seats spaced closely together and the teacher has two small tables in the front. An American flag hangs near the door to the hall way.

Central School (Tacoma); Public schools--Tacoma--1940-1950; Classrooms--Tacoma--1940-1950; Blackboards; Chairs; Electric lighting--Tacoma; Edwin T. Guth Co.; Light fixtures;

Guth Lighting fixtures, Room 11, Central School, Edwin Guth Co. A view of the interior of Room 11, Central School, when the teacher and students are gone, featuring the florescent lights and fixtures. Blackboards line three walls of the classroom and windows nearly fill the fourth wall. Students have individual seats with writing arms that can be brought up for students to take notes. The teacher has two small tables in the front and a large cupboard.A clock and framed picture hang over the blackboard in the back.

Central School (Tacoma); Public schools--Tacoma--1940-1950; Classrooms--Tacoma--1940-1950; Blackboards; Chairs; Electric lighting--Tacoma; Edwin T. Guth Co.; Light fixtures;

Tacoma Public School District's Central School building was originally built in 1883. When that building was demolished in 1914, the new Central School building had already been built two years earlier in 1912 at 601 South 8th Street. Interior view of classrooms, desks are lined up in rows and blackboard in background, at Central School building; new "Columbia" lighting fixtures installed by General Electric Supply Corporation.

Electric lighting--Tacoma; Light fixtures; Desks; Blackboards; Electrical apparatus industry--Tacoma; Classrooms--Tacoma; Central School (Tacoma); Public schools--Tacoma--1940-1950; General Electric Supply Corp. (Tacoma);

Tacoma Public Schools were remodeling and modernizing many of their schools and administration building in the 1940s; they were also constructing new schools, which would allow them to serve the Tacoma community better. Interior view of classrooms in Central School building, desks are lined up in rows, blackboard and George Washington print in background; new "Columbia" lighting fixtures installed by General Electric Supply Corporation.

Electric lighting--Tacoma; Light fixtures; Desks; Blackboards; Electrical apparatus industry--Tacoma; Classrooms--Tacoma; Central School (Tacoma); Public schools--Tacoma--1940-1950; General Electric Supply Corp. (Tacoma);

Tacoma Public Schools Central School building was built at the site of the Washington College. The 8-story high structure later became Tacoma High School. Tacoma Public Schools had selected General Electric Supply Corporation to work on the Central School building. Interior view of classrooms in Central School building, desks are lined up in rows, George Washington picture and refinished and resurfaced blackboard in background; new "Columbia" lighting fixtures installed by General Electric Supply Corporation. TPL-9365

Electric lighting--Tacoma; Light fixtures; Desks; Blackboards; Electrical apparatus industry--Tacoma; Classrooms--Tacoma; Central School (Tacoma); Public schools--Tacoma--1940-1950; General Electric Supply Corp. (Tacoma);

In April of 1939, the All-City Elementary School Orchestra posed in front of a massive doorway at Central School. The young musicians came from area schools and were between the ages of 9 and 12. The group had formed in February and rehearsed on Saturdays. They were under the direction of Delwyn B. Jones, assisted by N. Walter Anderberg and Leslie Potter. (filed with Argentum) (T. Times 5/12/1939, pg. 2- names in caption)

Children playing musical instruments; Youth orchestras--Tacoma--1930-1940; Central School (Tacoma); Public schools--Tacoma--1930-1940;

Howard Goold, Tacoma Public Schools superintendent, accepts a $1000 check from George Childs, auditor for the Young Men's Business Club, on March 25, 1940 at Central School. The check was for funds raised by the YMBC and Tacoma public schools to send 40 selected musicians to the National Music Educators Music Festival in Los Angeles March 30-April 6th. From left to right are: George Childs (seated); Louis Wersen, supervisor of music for Tacoma schools; Superintendent Howard Goold and Milt J. Evans, chrm. of the YMBC "On to Los Angeles" committee. (T.Times 3-27-1940, p. 1-cropped photograph; TNT 3-27-1940, p. 1-alt. photo)

Young Men's Business Club (Tacoma); Shaking hands--Tacoma; Central School (Tacoma); Checks; Fund raising--Tacoma--1940-1950; Goold, Howard R., 1886-1971; Wersen, Louis; Childs, George F.; Evans, Milton J.;

A class in singing is being held at Central School in January of 1941. The instructor, on the right, plays the accompaniment on the accordion while the choir, in front, leads the singing. Singers in the choir are, front row, Donna Emeott, Janey Harris, Keuzo Moriguchi, David Gimlett, Fred Raphael, and Keiko Fugii. Second row: Stewart Gilbreath, Joyce Powers, Kay Swanson, Barbara Guilmette, Barbara Putnam and Carol Stratton. Musical instruction was a key feature at the school with training given in singing, rhythm, sight reading, piano, strings, band and orchestra instruments. An effort was made to match the student with the right instrument. (T. Times 1/17/1941, pg. 13)

Central School (Tacoma); Music education--Tacoma--1940-1950;

In January 1941, the music activities at Central School, 601 So. 8th Street, included this class for learning guitar, ukulele, and banjo. Joseph Lento is teaching: (l to r) front row - Ruth St. Clair, Eleanor Nelson, Betty Lou Fyke, and Jean Perella; middle row - Beverly Chistopherson, Jimmie Hutton, David Mottley, Kenneth Kennett, and Jane Maddon; back row - Billy Crom, Rosamond Fraser, Kay Fraser, Euleen Isaacson. Every Monday morning at 8:30 am the "pick string" students met in the school's basement playroom for an informal concert. At Central School they endeavored to provide every child an opportunity to learn to play some instrument or to sing. Instruction was given in singing, sight reading, piano and virtually all the band and orchestra instruments. The "pick string" instruments were those that did not use a bow, such as the banjo, guitar, mandolin and ukelele.(T. Times 1/17/1941 p. 13)

Central School (Tacoma); Music education--Tacoma--1940-1950; Guitars; Ukuleles;

In the 1940s, Tacoma's Central School had a strong emphasis on music. Instruction was given in singing, sight reading, piano and virtually all band and orchestra instruments. Joseph Lento, pictured with guitar in January of 1941, taught a class on how to play guitar, ukulele, and banjo. Every Monday morning at 8:30 his "pick string" students met in the school's basement playroom for an informal concert. Musicians usually numbered 20-25, while audiences could reach over 100. (T. Times 1/17/1941, pg. 13-article & alt. photograph)

Central School (Tacoma); Public schools--Tacoma--1940-1950; Music education--Tacoma--1940-1950; School children--Tacoma--1940-1950; Lento, Joseph; Teachers--Tacoma--1940-1950; Ukuleles;

In this photograph from January, 1941, Lennard Anderson, the head of the music program at Central School, uses a ruler to point to the short list of music questions that he wrote on the blackboard. The five attentive violin students are (l to r) Janice Wardle, Lila Lee Wright, Pearl Mehalick, Fred Remmen and Patricia Baldwin. The Central School staff believed that every student should have the opportunity to learn to sing or play a musical instrument. (T. Times 1/17/1941 p.13)

Central School (Tacoma); Public schools--Tacoma--1940-1950; Violins; Music education--Tacoma--1940-1950; Anderson, Lennard; Teachers--Tacoma--1940-1950; Wardle, Janice; Wright, Lila Lee; Mehalick, Pearl; Remmen, Fred; Baldwin, Patricia;

Tower of Central School Building, Heath and Gove, Architects; 1912. Building is now headquarters of the Tacoma School District. (T. Times)

Central School (Tacoma); Public schools--Tacoma;

Tower of Central School Building. The eight story Gothic structure was built in 1912 from a design by the architectural firm of Heath and Gove. In the 1940's, it was still serving as a primary school. It is now the headquarters of the Tacoma School District. (T. Times 1/17/1941, pg. 13)

Central School (Tacoma); Public schools--Tacoma;

Rhythm class in drumming at Central School. Four small children study the intricacies of drumming on March 6, 1942, while under the steady gaze of their teacher. Central School, located at 601 South 8th St., emphasized music education for its small pupils.

Central School (Tacoma); Public schools--Tacoma--1940-1950; Music education--Tacoma--1940-1950; School children--Tacoma--1940-1950; Teachers--Tacoma--1940-1950;

1942 Rhythm class in drumming at Central School. Nearly 40 students stand by their desks with music books open and drumsticks in hand. Music was an integral part of Central School's curriculum as the school believed that every student should have the chance to learn to play an instrument or to sing. Lennard Anderson was the director of music at Central School for many years.

Central School (Tacoma); Public schools--Tacoma--1940-1950; School children--Tacoma--1940-1950; Music education--Tacoma--1940-1950; Classrooms--Tacoma--1940-1950;

Four marble players at Central School exchanging marbles. Left to right: Sun Chow Ling, Vertis Barrett, Earl Carroll and Carl Jackson. The quartet was practicing for the Tacoma Times All City marble championship meet. (T. Times, 5/3/43, p.3)

Children playing with marbles--Tacoma--1940-1950; School children--Tacoma--1940-1950; Central School (Tacoma);

In 1943, Miss Mildred Vaught's first grade pupils at Central School abandoned the usual Easter festivities in favor of learning about preparing nutritious foods. The children, using materials and cookbooks provided by the Washington Dairy Council, studied a unit entitled "Helping to Win the War by Keeping Well." As many mothers left home to work in defense plants, filling shifts as needed, children were required to care for and feed themselves at younger ages. The children are lined up to receive supplies from Billie McDonald for their cooking lesson, which incorporated lessons in reading, writing, math and hygiene. From left to right: Kay Francis, Verle Wagner, Don Clarkson, Billy York, Rose Marie Guillaume, Bennie Deschington and Jack Heath. (T. Times 4/24/1943, pg. 5)

Elementary schools--Tacoma--1940-1950; Central School (Tacoma); World War, 1939-1945--Children--Tacoma; Children cooking--Tacoma--1940-1950; School children--Tacoma--1940-1950;

Central School. 1B Class. (T.Times) [Also dated 04-17-1943]

Elementary schools--Tacoma; Public schools--Tacoma--1940-1950; World War, 1939-1945--Children--Tacoma; Central School (Tacoma); Children cooking--Tacoma--1940-1950; School children--Tacoma--1940-1950;