Richmond High School - Shield Yearbook (Richmond, CA)

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-L, Firs+ church - Mefhodisf l90l Sfandard Oil i902 i f N Lf .kj J 5 it GG if T' i fo? I ,W-125: UL: Q I dll C! ,' Ci! , fi Firs+ lelephone exchange I90I Firsf felephone direclory l906 .7Volun+eer Fire- Depl. ISVORGZTLK-Tlli I f K ..L'..L..l-'QALLL 4 I I'-, -L f 'LL f 1 1,14 f ..1Z ,',LL-,Y--?i:TJ,-ff ,6 TC' air FIFTY YEARS OF Richmond Union High School is far differenl from The fhree-room former grammar school on S+andard Avenue 'rhal served fhe high school s+uden+s l'iHy years ago. This early school had fhree feachers, Mr. Berf X. Tucker, Miss Rulh Peierson, and Miss Alberla Bell, and a iolal enrollmenl' of forly-Five sfudenfs. H was eslablished as a +emporary high school, while plans for a new high school were be- ing made. The proposed high school became an obiecl of discussion. Some cifizens lhoughl' Richmond capable of suppor+ing a school of i+s own and opposed fhe esfablishmenl' of a high school dislricf. Wal- 'ler T. Helms, principal of fhe femporary high school andisupervising principal of Siege, San Pablo, and Poini' Richmond disfricls, fel+, however, +ha+ Siege and San Pablo should share lhe benefils fhe new high school would afford. Thus H' was decided l'ha'l fhe new school would be a union high school. Pelilions were +hen made up by lhe heads of families in 'lhe lhree dislricls and were filed wi+h fhe Counly Superinlendenl' of Schools in January of l907. An elecfion was held, and resulls show +ha+ ihe public was unanimously in favor of lhe esfablishmenl' of 'lhe high school. Bonds for fhe new school were fhen vo+ed upon and passed. ln May of l907, archilecfs prepared plans for fhe new building and on 'lhe 23rd of +he same mon+h consfrucfion was begun on lhe building which is now Longfellow Junior High School . By Febru- ary l2 of +he nexi' year, 'rhe school was compleled al' a cosl' of 585,- 000. The Sfandard Avenue school moved fo i'rs permanenf quarfers, and on April I5 RUHS, hailed as a Hmagnificenl' s+ruc+ure of s+eel and brick and dedicaied lo +he cause of learning, was opened lo 1'he public. ln May of l908, Waller Smallwood, +he 'lirsi' presideni' of fhe Associaied S+uden1' Body of RUHS, became 'rhe firsl sl'uden'l' +0 graduafe from fhe school. Since lhe new school laclced an audi- lorium, commencemenl' exercises were held in The Poinl Richmond Opera House. Richmond High grew rapidly. By l9l4 il' was evidenl' 'lhal' addi- lions fo 'lhe school were needed. A cafeferia, an assembly hall, and several classrooms were conslrucled. ln I92l more rooms were added. The school which had been buill' for 400 sfudenfs now had nearly lwice lhal' number. The Board of Educalion decided fhal' a new high school was needed. ln I925 an eleclion was held 'ro vole on 'rhe bonds for +he new high school. The bonds were passed and conslruclion of our pres- enl' high school was begun in November of l926. The new school, which consisled of 1'he Academic, 'rhe Science, +he Home Economics, 'rhe Commercial buildings, +he shops and fhe gyms, was occupied

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GUR CQLDEN YEAR Q 5:::::: ' ' E -1- E i i W- 2 Wg ' ff: , -. , 'if 4 f hf I fanniii i nw ' f ' Ax WOT -' X957

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RICHMOND I-II H in Augusl' of l928. A number of addi+ions +o 'rhe school were con- sl'ruc+ed during +he nerd' few years. ln l93l 'rhe clubhouse, chris+ened The S'l'uden+ Union, was buil1'. The nexf year 'rhe Social Science build- ing was comple+ed +o accommodafe 'l'he increased numberof s'l'u- den+s. ln 'l'he Fall of I934, gridders happily saw The addifion oi a new +ur'li. Two years la+er foofball fans welcomed 'rhe consfrucfion of bleachers. World War II broughl' more changes +o RUHS. ln The Fall of I94I, +he prin+ shop was moved from Room 400 +o i+s presen+ sire, 'Phe former S+uden'l' Union, so +ha+ 'lhe room, which 'Formerly housed +he prin+ shop, could be used 'ro +rain employees for shipyard jobs. ln l942 ihe aHendance of Richmond High increased 'fo l558, as fhe greal' +ide of people came 'lo Richmond 'ro aid in war produc+ion. By l945 enrollmenl' was close +o 2200. Tha+ year +he old lcni'H'ing mill, +he presenl' 800 building, was purchased and remodeled info classrooms. The increased populafion of +he ci+y of Richmond was clearly re- flec'l'ed in Richmond Union High School. The Universi+y of Calif- ornia survey recommended RUHS go on double session, buf +he faculfy and adminisfrafion fell' 'Phe school could slay on single session by using all space available. For 'rhis reason classes were held in 'rhe shop lec'l'ure rooms, 'lhe cafeferia, The s+age, +he loclcer room in +he boys' gym, and in fhe Li+'I'le Theafer. During I946 and I947 eigh+ por+ables, rooms 820, 830, and 70I- 705, au+o shop, room 900, and +he mechanical drawing room, 905, were added. The year of l95I saw six more por+ables, rooms 2Ol +o 205 and 'l'he Girls' P. E.annex, moved in +o accommodafe more s+uden'l's. Room I0 was remodeled and made +he home of +he deans and counselors. By l953 +he enrollmen+ of RUHS had increased 'I'o 3,596 and l35 +eachers, which gave 'The school +he honor of being rhe second larg- es'l' senior high school in The Unifed S+afes. Seven more por+ables, Rooms 206 fhrough 209, 840, 850, 860, were added and 'Phe new Girls' Gym was builf. Early in i954 'Irhe band and orches+ra leH 'rheir cramped quar'lers in Room 6l and moved 'ro fhe newly cons'l'ruc+ed music building. Tennis en'I'husias+s welcomed fhe sighl of enlarged and newly surfaced cour+s in 'l'he same year. ln I955 RUHS reached +he maximum en- rollmenf of 3,700 and l5l +eachers. Due io 'l'he es+ablishmen+ of De Anza and Harry Ells as high schools in l955, foday Richmond High srands wi+h a decreased enrollmenl' of 2,693, has l24 +eachers and a classified personnel s+aFf of 42. Li'H'le in i+s s+ruc+ure reminds one of fhe +hree-room school house on Sfandard Avenue where +hree 'Teachers +augh+ forfy-five s+udenl's Fiffy years ago. sv? ..-,J To O so K' g . y I . W f . , W ' x -' 1 I l 1 1 6 'Z ' -'- W e 'V f 2 ' ' ' 15 , l ,al if if ixl l, f lx ll f ' K if Xqx Firs' Polfce Dept. I . ! g ilsilllfiin if - if .. N ig ll ll U3 E? : I- E- 'gr X f 3 F'-K ef:Eiii .ie? ' e' , ' 1-' he .. - - V,- Flrsi' siie of R. U. H. S. l908 23rd and McDonald . Q 8, X T it C El 0 U l':-L e I -A -2 .- AF-ag s - V Z ,. W- - r -71,7 i A :,V - t- g- ,-, A f 1- '- ' f L -- ,-..-.. k. 7 , , ,. -.. ,- 1 - '- -.V -7x .f i A ' - .. , -. , - 5 J 'x,, - F McDonald Avenue paved l909 JJ ci Ulm! 9 li-es-, 'iisgiiie -: 'if NQSSE Firs+ ferry boaf, Ellen, makes crossing l9I5