School children are enjoying using the library at Jennie Reed School. The new school was opened in 1951 and an addition was completed in 1952.

Jennie Reed Elementary School (Tacoma); Public schools--Tacoma--1950-1960; Libraries--Tacoma;

Workmen are finishing the interior of one of the classrooms at the new Edison School. The April 1949 earthquake severely damaged the earlier school and it was condemned as unsafe and ordered closed in 1950 (along with Whitman and Willard). (For the Record, Winnifred L. Olsen)

Edison Elementary School (Tacoma); Public schools--Tacoma;

The Lowell School PTA and Preschool were preparing for the upcoming February 7, 1953 Mardi Gras/Carnival. Helping out were: (left to right) Mrs. James Byers, general co-chairperson Mrs. George Loring; Sharon Buxton; Mrs. Charles Longstreth; and general co-chair Mrs. Lars Jensen. Sign painter was Davy Wright. Balloons, clowns and games would serve as entertainment with the "New Orleans Court Cafe" open for sandwiches and pastries and a school talent show offered hourly. (TNT 2-4-1953, p. 20)

Lowell Elementary School (Tacoma); Parent-Teacher Association (Tacoma); Byers, James--Family; Loring, George--Family; Buxton, Sharon; Longstreth, Charles--Family; Jensen, Lars--Family; Wright, Davy;

DeLong Elementary, at So. 12th and Moorlands, was designed by Lance, McGuire & Muri to accomodate 280 students. It would serve the area north and east of Fircrest and relieve overcrowding at Franklin and Jefferson. The one story school was of wood framing with brick veneer facing. It had eight classrooms plus a cafeteria, 65x66 ft playroom, clinic, administrative offices, teachers' lounge, kitchen, boiler room and 3 storerooms. (TNT 8/9/1953, pg. C-12)

DeLong Elementary School (Tacoma); Public schools--Tacoma--1950-1960; Building construction--Tacoma--1950-1960; Progress photographs--1950-1960;

Construction of DeLong School. DeLong was planned and named in 1949 after Arctic explorer George Washington DeLong. The school opened in February of 1954 and students from the overcrowded Franklin and Jefferson schools moved into the new glass and brick school. The school accommodated about 60 children from Jefferson and 100 from Franklin. Parents protested that some of these students would have to walk over one mile through brush, bushes, a swamp and a completely undeveloped area without the benefit and safety of sidewalks.The school opened despite the lack of promised streets and sidewalks in the undeveloped area. The school was enlarged in 1959. Photo ordered by St. Paul & Tacoma Lumber Co. ("For the Record," by Winnifred Olsen, TNT 8/27/1953, pg. B-2 & TNT 8/28/1953, pg. 1)

DeLong Elementary School (Tacoma); Public schools--Tacoma--1950-1960; Building construction--Tacoma--1950-1960; Progress photographs--1950-1960;

Progress photographs of DeLong School, for the DFPA. The school was one story of wooden frame construction with a brick veneer facing. It was built to accomodate 280 students and was needed to relieve overcrowding. The school would serve the area north and east of Fircrest. The school was projected to open in February of 1954. The transfer of students to DeLong was protested by parents in two key areas bordered by 6th Ave., So. 9th, So. Proctor and So. Monroe, and 6th Ave., So 8th, So. Monroe and So. Mason. These children would be walking almost twice as far to get to DeLong as to their current school through rough terrain. No school busses were scheduled on this route. (TNT 8/9/1953, pg. C-12)

DeLong Elementary School (Tacoma); Public schools--Tacoma--1950-1960; Building construction--Tacoma--1950-1960; Progress photographs--1950-1960;

Progress photographs of DeLong School, for DFPA. DeLong, unlike the other new schools built at this time, featured a unique sloping roof of aluminum coated mineral build up with an aluminum continuous skylight that provided natural light to the school. Additional lighting was fluorescent. Warter Constructions served as general contractor. The school was at the center of controversy, since some students would be transferred from their closest school Jefferson to DeLong. The walk to DeLong would be over one mile through rough undeveloped terrain where students would walk in the streets because there were no sidewalks on So. 12th. (TNT 8-9-1953, pg. C-12. TNT 8/27/1953, pg. B-2 & TNT 8/28/1953, pg. 1)

DeLong Elementary School (Tacoma); Public schools--Tacoma--1950-1960; Building construction--Tacoma--1950-1960; Progress photographs--1950-1960;

Lowell students and their principal prepare for a howling good time at the '53 Halloween Carnival. The Lowell School Parent-Teacher and Preschool Association sponsored a school carnival on Friday October 23, 1953. Pictured left to right are Sammie Warren, Nancy Conly, principal Clarence Monson, Andy Levesque, Tommy Rowland and Judith Sleep.With his chef's hat and apron, Principal Monson looks as if he'll be manning the hot dog grill. The carnival midway had over 30 booths including fun booths where students could throw darts at balloons or shoes at stuffed animals; food booths with ice cream, hot dogs and pop corn; and craft booths where they could make decorations or put on make-up. (TNT 10/20/1953, pg. A-11)

Lowell Elementary School (Tacoma); School children--Tacoma--1950-1960; Public schools--Tacoma--1950-1960; Halloween--Social life; Monson, Clarence; Warren, Sammie; Conly, Nancy; Levesque, Andy; Rowland, Tommy; Sleep, Judith;

View of Lowell Elementary School. The roots of Lowell School run deep as it is the Tacoma School District's oldest school. Established in 1869, and originally known as the First Ward School, it served families living west of Division Avenue in Old Tacoma. After moving to several locations, it was renamed Lowell after the American poet James Russell Lowell in 1890. A new Lowell School was built in 1950 on North 13th & Yakima Sts. as the nearly sixty year old Lowell, located a block away, was condemned following the 1949 earthquake. Students were moved into the new classrooms in November, 1950, although total construction was not completed until February, 1951. Photograph ordered by Bonnell Construction. (Olsen: For the Record, p. 43)

Lowell Elementary School (Tacoma)--Buildings; Public schools--Tacoma--1950-1960;

Idlewild Elementary School was located in Lakewood at 10806 Idlewild Rd. S.W. , a part of the Clover Park School District. James E. Rediske was listed as principal in the 1958 Tacoma Suburban Directory. The school's buildings were clustered together; they all seemed to be of modern style and one-story in nature. The largest building with a steep roof shown in this March 4, 1958, photograph appeared to be the auditorium. Idlewild followed the new trend in wood framing and glue-lam beams for school construction. 70,000 feet of fir plywood was used for roof decking. Donald Burr was the architect for the project; Strom Construction was the contractor. Photograph ordered by Penman Neil, Inc. (TNT 2-9-58, A-19)

Idlewild Elementary School (Lakewood); Public schools--Lakewood;

This Brookdale Elementary School teacher appears to have called upon one little longhaired girl for her response to the "Bossy R" lesson in this Valentine Day, 1962, photograph. Children in this classroom were seated in the new portable building built extensively out of wood. Brookdale Elementary was built for the Franklin Pierce School District in 1957; classrooms could be added at a reasonable cost using wooden portables that were both modern and appealing to the eye. Photograph ordered by Douglas Fir Plywood Association.

Brookdale Elementary School (Parkland); Public schools--Parkland--1960-1970; Classrooms--Parkland; School children--Parkland--1960-1970; Teachers--Parkland;

Cheerful wooden cut-outs of children playing greet the pupils of Brookdale Elementary School who attend classes in the new portable building on February 16, 1962. Wide wooden steps with hand railings lead to the classroom door. Brookdale Elementary is in the Franklin Pierce School District and located at 611 - 132nd St. So. in Parkland. The new portable is situated close to the original brick buildings and next to the school playground. It was built with the assistance of Douglas Fir Plywood Association. A portable classroom was constructed about the same time at James Sales Elementary; the units were built with different methods and time and motion studies taken to compare scientifically. Photograph ordered by Douglas Fir Plywood Association. (TNT 11-22-61, p. 12)

Brookdale Elementary School (Parkland); Public schools--Parkland--1960-1970;

Side-and-rear view of new portable classroom at Brookdale Elementary School on February 16, 1962. Small shrubs have been planted at the corners of the classroom which is located next to the school's fenced playground. The portable, in contrast to the original 1957 school buildings, is made extensively of wood. There is no concrete foundation and the overall look is very contemporary and sleek. A wooden overhang guards the classroom from too-bright sunshine, and some of the windows are louvered. Photograph ordered by Douglas Fir Plywood Association. (TNT 11-22-61, p. 12)

Brookdale Elementary School (Parkland); Public schools--Parkland--1960-1970;

Portable building at Brookdale Elementary School. Brookdale Elementary is part of the Franklin Pierce School District and located in the Parkland area at 611 - 132nd St. So. It was built in 1957. Several years later, the Douglas Fir Plywood Association assisted in building a new portable for the school to handle the growing enrollment. The classroom would fulfill the need for remedial instruction and music class space. The portable could easily be moved and would accommodate 30 students. View of newly completed portable taken on February 16, 1962, shows extensive use of wood in contrast to original brick school in the rear. Photograph ordered by Douglas Fir Plywood Association. (TNT 11-22-61, p. 12)

Brookdale Elementary School (Parkland); Public schools--Parkland--1960-1970;

View of new portable classroom at Brookdale Elementary School, taken on February 16, 1962. The new structure, to the farthest right, is built extensively out of wood. It includes an overhang to provide shade on one side of the portable. Brookdale Elementary, located in the Franklin Pierce School District, was built in 1957, primarily out of brick. Douglas Fir Plywood Association helped in the building of the portable for Brookdale as well as one for James Sales Elementary. The units could hold 30 students and could be used until permanent structures could be built. Photograph ordered by Douglas Fir Plywood Association. (TNT 11-22-61, p. 12)

Brookdale Elementary School (Parkland); Public schools--Parkland--1960-1970;

A Brookdale Elementary School teacher happily accepts a bouquet of posies from a young student at the doorway of a new portable classroom in August, 1962. Two buzz-cut boys holding books await their turn to greet the teacher. The portable building is colorfully decorated in bright, vibrant shades of blue and pink with brown cutouts of children playing on the school walls. Portable buildings were a welcome addition to schools coping with growing populations.

Brookdale Elementary School (Parkland); Public schools--Parkland; School children--Parkland; Teachers--Parkland;

Back of Photo:
Students who live in Puyallup's South Hill area are riding their school bus to the South Hill school called Woodland Elementary.
Bruce Kellman/Photo

Diverse group of schoolchildren posing next to buses in front of the First Assembly of God Church.