South High School (Salt Lake City)
Encyclopedia
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
in Salt Lake City, Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
, which operated from 1931 to 1988. The school was located on the southern end of Salt Lake City proper, at 1575 S. State Street. The school is now a campus of Salt Lake Community College
Salt Lake Community College
Salt Lake Community College is the largest higher education institution with the most diverse student body in Utah . The College offers and operates throughout the Salt Lake valley. Even with its large student body, the College maintains a student to faculty ratio of just 20 to 1...
.
Beginnings
In 1928 The Salt Lake school district decided to build a new high school to accommodate the increasing population of high school age children. The Great DepressionGreat Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
put a hold on these plans, but when it was learned that the LDS High School
LDS High School
LDS High School was a secondary school located in Salt Lake City, Utah operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The school was closely associated with Latter-day Saints' University, the last vestiges of which are now LDS Business College...
, a private school with about 1,000 students, was to close in 1931 the plan was revived. The South High School building was constructed in 1929-1931 on the site of the "Original Pioneer Nursery" established by John Chamberlain. Land was surveyed on June 16, 1930, and ground was first broken on June 30, 1930. The edifice was erected in the record time of fourteen months at an estimated cost of $1.5 million. South High school opened its doors for the first time in the fall of 1931 (for the class of 1932).
The high school was built with many art deco
Art Deco
Art deco , or deco, is an eclectic artistic and design style that began in Paris in the 1920s and flourished internationally throughout the 1930s, into the World War II era. The style influenced all areas of design, including architecture and interior design, industrial design, fashion and...
features. It was a large school, three stories high, with multiple wings. The three story portion of the original structure formed a rough shape of the letter 'E'. The interior had some unusual features, including: wide double ramps
Inclined plane
The inclined plane is one of the original six simple machines; as the name suggests, it is a flat surface whose endpoints are at different heights. By moving an object up an inclined plane rather than completely vertical, the amount of force required is reduced, at the expense of increasing the...
, instead of stairs, connecting each floor; arched hallways with highly textured plaster
Plaster
Plaster is a building material used for coating walls and ceilings. Plaster starts as a dry powder similar to mortar or cement and like those materials it is mixed with water to form a paste which liberates heat and then hardens. Unlike mortar and cement, plaster remains quite soft after setting,...
work; red and black checkerboard tiled hallway floors. The auditorium
Auditorium
An auditorium is a room built to enable an audience to hear and watch performances at venues such as theatres. For movie theaters, the number of auditoriums is expressed as the number of screens.- Etymology :...
was much the same as a playhouse, complete with balcony and opera alcove
Alcove
Alcove , a vault) is an architectural term for a recess in a room, usually screened off by pillars, balustrades or drapery.In geography and geology, the term Alcove is used for a wind-eroded depression in the side of a cliff of a homogenous rock type, famous from sandstones of the Colorado Plateau...
s on either side of the stage. Extensions were added in the 1950s and early 1960s, including a new large gym
Gym
The word γυμνάσιον was used in Ancient Greece, that mean a locality for both physical and intellectual education of young men...
nasium with seating balconies, with a total seating capacity
Seating capacity
Seating capacity refers to the number of people who can be seated in a specific space, both in terms of the physical space available, and in terms of limitations set by law. Seating capacity can be used in the description of anything ranging from an automobile that seats two to a stadium that seats...
in the thousands.
School mascot
The mascot for South High school was a Bear Cub, and South High students were usually referred to as Cubs. The moniker was given when a local newspaper article about Dr. Devoe Woolf, who was South High's principal at the time, metaphorically referenced the South High students as his "Woolf Cubs", alluding to the newness of the school. It was not long before the mascot was a Bear Cub. Some of the sports uniforms that would be worn by South High teams, especially by baseball teams, would use designs similar to those found on Chicago CubsChicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
uniforms, which also uses a bear cub mascot. Although always popular it would be some time before the cub moniker was official. Pre-dating this change was the official 'Rebel' and 'Southern' theme of the school, linking references to the Antebellum south of the U.S. to the school. Throughout the history of the school depictions of the Cub mascot typically showed the bear cub wearing a Civil War era battle cap, often colored grey and presumably Confederate. Carrying on the southern theme, the school's spring dance was called "Plantation". South High's colors were yale blue and white.
Student body
South High had normal enrollment in its early years, but saw significantly increased numbers in the 1950s and early 1960s, so much so that a major expansion of the South High building was completed in the early 1960s, which included a large new gym, swimming pool, cafeteria and library.From 1931 until the end of the 74/75 school year South High facilitated grade 10 through 12. Starting in the fall of 1975, as part of a School district wide change, South High shifted to also include grade 9. More than 30,000 students have graduated from South High School.
South High students largely came from working class
Working class
Working class is a term used in the social sciences and in ordinary conversation to describe those employed in lower tier jobs , often extending to those in unemployment or otherwise possessing below-average incomes...
families. It was not uncommon for South High students to have parents who came from other countries, such as Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
, or Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. South High was known as the most racially cosmopolitan school in Utah, although the total numbers of African-Americans was quite small compared to most large American cities. The school also had a vibrant Polynesia
Polynesia
Polynesia is a subregion of Oceania, made up of over 1,000 islands scattered over the central and southern Pacific Ocean. The indigenous people who inhabit the islands of Polynesia are termed Polynesians and they share many similar traits including language, culture and beliefs...
n contingent (Tonga
Tonga
Tonga, officially the Kingdom of Tonga , is a state and an archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean, comprising 176 islands scattered over of ocean in the South Pacific...
n and Samoa
Samoa
Samoa , officially the Independent State of Samoa, formerly known as Western Samoa is a country encompassing the western part of the Samoan Islands in the South Pacific Ocean. It became independent from New Zealand in 1962. The two main islands of Samoa are Upolu and one of the biggest islands in...
n), as well as Hispanic
Hispanic
Hispanic is a term that originally denoted a relationship to Hispania, which is to say the Iberian Peninsula: Andorra, Gibraltar, Portugal and Spain. During the Modern Era, Hispanic sometimes takes on a more limited meaning, particularly in the United States, where the term means a person of ...
and South East Asian contingent. The later were largely part of the group sometimes called 'boat people
Boat people
Boat people is a term that usually refers to refugees, illegal immigrants or asylum seekers who emigrate in numbers in boats that are sometimes old and crudely made...
', referring to those who fled communist advances in South East Asia by watercraft. These students started enrolling at South in the late 1970s and early 1980s. During this time, South High saw dwindling enrollment, due in large part to the lack of families with school age children located within its boundaries.
Sports
South High won the following men's state championships:Basketball
- 1950, 1957
Baseball
- 1950, 1955, 1974
Cross Country
- 1977
Track
- 1947, 1948, 1949, 1950, 1952, 1955, 1966, 1968, 1978
South was in class 4a, the top tier of Utah high school sports, through 1977. Afterwards it was demoted to 3a based upon dwidnliling enrollemnt numbers.
Released time and religion
Like most other Utah public high schools, South High gave its students the option of taking a period during the school day called released timeReleased Time
Released Time is a concept used in the United States public school system wherein pupils enrolled in the public schools are permitted by law to receive religious instruction...
. For most who took this option, this meant going to the seminary
Seminary
A seminary, theological college, or divinity school is an institution of secondary or post-secondary education for educating students in theology, generally to prepare them for ordination as clergy or for other ministry...
building owned and operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. This small, four classroom structure was located just outside the north/rear entrance to the school, just outside school property lines. Students would be released during various periods throughout the day to walk the short distance to the seminary building. There, participating students (most of whom were members of the LDS faith) received religious and scriptural instruction. Students used to be able to receive high school credit for going to seminary. However, due to non-sectarianism, this was discontinued. Due to its cosmopolitan nature, in terms of Utah demographics, South High was represented by more varied religious faiths than most other high schools in the state. Besides Roman Catholic and traditional Protestant groups, South High had more Greek Orthodox and Buddhist students than most other Utah high schools. LDS Church President Harold B. Lee
Harold B. Lee
Harold Bingham Lee was eleventh president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from July 1972 until his death.- Early life :...
was considered the very first South High Seminary teacher in 1932. For a time Gordon B. Hinckley
Gordon B. Hinckley
Gordon Bitner Hinckley was an American religious leader and author who served as the 15th President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from March 12, 1995 until his death...
, also a LDS church President, taught at the South High Seminary.
Closure and rebirth
The somewhat humble economic status of the South High geographic area and the cosmopolitan nature of the school in an otherwise ethnically monolithic culture may have been the factor that led South High to be the sacrificial lambSacrificial lamb
A sacrificial lamb is a metaphorical reference to a person or animal sacrificed for the common good. The term is derived from the traditions of Abrahamic religion where a lamb is a highly valued possession, but is offered to God as a sacrifice for the forgiveness of Sin.-In politics:In politics, a...
when the school was closed, due to declining enrollment in all Salt Lake City high schools. At the time of closure, two high schools, West and East
East High School (Salt Lake City)
East High School is a public high school in the Salt Lake City School District in Salt Lake City, Utah, U.S. and serves grades nine through twelve. It also accepts and cares for mentally and physically disabled children. East High School was founded in 1914 and currently has an enrolled student...
, had buildings much older than South High. On February 3, 1987, the school board announced the proposed closure of South High School. Following a period of further evaluation the board of education allowed the school open one additional year. South High closed June 8, 1988, when the 1987-1988 school year ended. After closure The student body of South was divided between East, West, and Highland high schools.
South High was open continuously until its closure as a high school with the graduating class of 1988. In 1992, after several years of renovation, conversion and modification, South High was rechristened as Salt Lake Community College's
Salt Lake Community College
Salt Lake Community College is the largest higher education institution with the most diverse student body in Utah . The College offers and operates throughout the Salt Lake valley. Even with its large student body, the College maintains a student to faculty ratio of just 20 to 1...
South City campus.
South High alumni, as represented by the South High Alumni Association, is one of the most, if not the most active high school alumni associations in the state of Utah, according to the Deseret Morning News
Deseret Morning News
The Deseret News is a newspaper published in Salt Lake City, Utah, and is Utah's oldest continuously published daily newspaper. It has the second largest daily circulation in the state behind The Salt Lake Tribune. The Deseret News is owned by Deseret News Publishing Company, a subsidiary of...
. A room near the main entrance to the South City campus is reserved exclusively for the South High Alumni Association and its associated memorabilia.
Principals, 1931-1988
- DeVoe Woolf, 1931–1948
- Ralph V. Backman, 1948–1969
- Douglas F. Williams, 1969–1975
- LaVar L. Sorensen, 1975–1988
Notable alumni
- Fred GehrkeFred GehrkeFred Gehrke was a National Football League running back for the Cleveland-Los Angeles Rams, San Francisco 49ers and Chicago Cardinals. from 1940 through 1950. He is best remembered for designing the Los Angeles Rams logo in 1948, which was the first painted on the helmets of an NFL team...
, class of 1935, professional football player, credited with desgining the RamsSt. Louis RamsThe St. Louis Rams are a professional American football team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are currently members of the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Rams have won three NFL Championships .The Rams began playing in 1936 in Cleveland,...
football helmet. - Mac SpeedieMac SpeedieMac Speedie was a football player who starred as a wide receiver for the Cleveland Browns in both the All-America Football Conference and National Football League for seven years, and later served for two years as head coach of the American Football League's Denver Broncos.-Early life:Speedie was...
, class of 1938, professional football player - Alfred PupunuAlfred PupunuAlfred Sione Pupunu is a former professional American football tight end who played nine seasons in the National Football League from 1992 to 2000.-High school career:...
professional football player - Barbara B. SmithBarbara B. SmithBarbara Bradshaw Smith was the tenth general president of the Relief Society of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1974 to 1984. She was the first Relief Society president to have been born in the 20th century.A native of Salt Lake City, Utah, Smith graduated from South High...
, class of 1940, former President of the Relief SocietyRelief SocietyThe Relief Society is a philanthropic and educational women's organization and an official auxiliary of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . It was founded in 1842 in Nauvoo, Illinois, USA and has approximately 6 million members in over 170 countries and territories...
(women's organization in the LDS Church) - Vaughn J. Featherstone, class of 1949, emeritus General Authority for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
- Kay Whitmore, class of 1949, former CEO of Eastman KodakEastman KodakEastman Kodak Company is a multinational imaging and photographic equipment, materials and services company headquarted in Rochester, New York, United States. It was founded by George Eastman in 1892....
company from 1990 to 1993. - Ted Wilson, class of 1957, former mayor of Salt Lake City
- W. Dan Hausel, class of 1967, hall of fame martial artist and grandmaster of Shorin-Ryu Karate and author of nearly 600 books and articles on geology and gemstones
- Stanley J. WattsStanley J. WattsStanley J. Watts is an American artist and sculptor, mostly in life size bronzes.-Biography:Watts was born in Salt Lake City, Utah and grew up in the city's Sugarhouse neighborhood...
, class of 1980, noted creator of bronze sculptures
See also
- List of high schools in Utah
- South City campus