History of the
Senior Squares
Las Vegas High School
The original Las Vegas High School campus, located at 315 S. 7th St. in downtown Las Vegas, was built Art Deco style and opened in 1930. It was the first* high school built in the city with that name and has been classified as a protected historic building. LVHS was built on property previously owned by the Union Pacific Rail Road and deeded to the City for use as a public school. In the next year or two, part of the athletic field area, near the tennis courts, will be replaced with a new building. (FYI: Many of the historic trophies and awards earned by our alumni are stored in a room above the old gym, now used as the Graphic Arts building, awaiting final disposition: possible disposal ! !)
In 1993, a new school campus was built on the foothills of Frenchman's Mountain at the East end of Sahara Avenue and, after much political debate, was designated to carry on the proud name and tradition of Las Vegas High School. After 63 years operation as a High School, the old campus was renamed the Las Vegas Academy for the Performing Arts, and remains in operation as such today.
The Original Senior Squares (photo vintage '71)
This group has been formed with the intention of promoting and completing the restoration of the historic "Senior Squares" (AKA "Senior Steps") at the original Las Vegas High School campus. The "Senior Squares" are squares in the concrete area at the bottom of the steps of the main entrance. Each graduating class designed and painted a square to commemorate the occasion of their graduation.
These squares hold a lot of memories for Las Vegas High School graduates, who span the range of society. Unfortunately, these squares have fallen into a sad state of disrepair due to neglect. As can be expected, the students of the "Academy" feel no attachment to the squares and hence ignore them. They are too far away from the new campus, and the squares, and traditions surrounding them, have been forgotten by the "new school". This group hopes to permanently rectify this situation.
So far we have received two versions of their origin:
Version #1
(Dr.) Robbie Robinson said that in 1941 he came to LVHS from Idaho. One night he and his friend Glenn Van Eaton decided to pull a prank and paint the first square. In the morning Robbie was called into the principal's office. He was expressing his innocence when he looked down and saw spatters oh the paint on his shoes...... He thought he was in BIG TROUBLE but instead Principal Maude Fraiser said that she liked the idea, but decided that the project should be given to the Art Guild. From there they put the project and ideas together to create the Senior Squares. Rob did not have any of the drawing materials and that the Art Guild took over the project.
Version #2
In 1946, a few days after their graduation my brother, Walter, and a few friends painted the first Senior Square, a fire ball, surreptitiously under the cover of night. The night watchman came upon the scene and apparently, smiled, and watched the art work in progress. The tradition was thus born without official authorization. I'm not sure of the names of his friends but it may have been Wayne Barnet and Rex Jamieson. Rex went on to a career as an attorney in Las Vegas. Wayne went on to Harvard as a full scholarship student and continued with graduation from the Harvard Law School, again under full scholarship. I'm not sure where he lived after graduation. My brother, now deceased, went to Linfield College in Mc Minnville, Oregon and later Andover Newton Theological University in Boston and was ordained as a Congregational Minister.
The squares with an earlier date were added later when other graduates became aware. I note the 1946 square now is in a location different from the original. It was in the center originally. Of course the original squares were painted, not mosaics.
William A. Bishop, MD
redstork@aol.com
*There is some discussion as to whether LVHS was the "first" Las Vegas High School. Research seems to indicate that "Las Vegas School" had ALL classes K - 12 and was therefore NOT a school dedicated solely to "High School" grades. In addition, there DOES appear to have been an earlier High School, but it was apparently named "Clark County High School".
Patty Haack, LVHS Class of 1956, provided the following information from her research:
"I have a copy of an article from the Las Vegas Evening Review Journal dated January 1, 1931 (which I got at the library on Las Vegas Blvd. South). It is titled: "LAS VEGAS' SCHOOL SYSTEM SHOWS GREAT GROWTH - H.S. Progress Since Pioneer Period Is Told". Here are some extracts:
From a one-room school house in a small, crude tent building on the creek west of the Old Ranch to a school system of eight buildings, including a branch new $350,000 high school plant - that is the history of the Las Vegas school system over the past 25 years.
From a small flock of youngsters who worked all in the same room to an army of about 1200 tutored by more than 50 teachers - that is the growth made by the Las Vegas school.
The first actual school was built in the spring of 1904 by Walter R. Bracken and R. E. Lake, Sr. The building was a small one-room box structure with boards running up and down, located on the creek just east of the Main Street
bridge.
The school trustees first in charge were Bracken, Lake and Mrs. Stewart.
From 1905 to 1910 school was held in a two-room frame building on South Second Street at the location of the present company rooming house.
Senator A. S. Henderson came October 2, 1910 to take over the principalship of the school. Principal Henderson started giving instructions to a few students who had completed the eighth grade and who were willing to go on. This was, in reality, the inception of the Las Vegas High School.
After two weeks of school in October, 1910, the school building caught fire and burned to the ground. The children then had to be marshalled in temporary quarters. The present grammar school had been constructed between Fourth and Fifth and just south of Bridger, having been completed in time for the 1910-11 school term. After the structure had remained idle for the entire school year of 1910-11 certain legal difficulties were straightened out in the autumn of 1911 and the students moved in. When classes were moved into the new grammar school in 1911, Las Vegas High came formally into being when C. E. Iverson and Miss Lester were employed for the preparatory grades. E. L. Bunting, now secretary of the Las Vegas school board was appointed to the board in 1911. The FIRST CLASS to graduate from Las Vegas high received
diplomas in 1913.
"I also have the following recap of the Las Vegas High School history":
1905 - First Las Vegas school was established in a tent on the southwest corner of 2nd and Lewis. It was divided into two rooms, included all grades through high school, and had 200 students. In 1906 the Salt Lake Hotel was remodeled and used for the school. The first high school graduates (three) were in 1907. There were 9 high school students in 1909 and classes were held in the Methodist Church.
A $30,000 bond was approved that year for a combined grammar school/high school. In 1910 building started for Clark County School (again, all grades) (to later be know as Las Vegas School). Property was donated by the Union Pacific Railroad between 4th and 5th, from Lewis to Bridger. In 1911 the Las Vegas School opened with 17 high school students. There were 9 graduates in 1912, 7 in 1914, 6 in 1915 and 7 in 1916. In 1917 plans were made for a separate high school at 4th and Clark.
The "Clark County High School" opened in 1918 at a cost of $42,500. The first year book was published in 1921 (called PAH-RAH-WAH-NA - a Paiute Indian phrase for Rainbow. There were 12 graduates in 1921 and 11 in 1922. In 1928 Frank Butcher was coach and faculty advisor (Butcher Field at the new LVHS was later named in his honor) and the first year book in 7 years was published and called the Boulder Echo. A $5 award was given to the student that named it.
Also in 1928 a new auditorium was built on 4th Street, the first school football team was formed and a new high school was planned for 7th & Bridger (thought to be too far out of town). It was designed for 500 students. The school colors of red and black were chosen (even though the girls wanted old rose and silver). There were 14 graduates in 1928 and 29 in 1929. The new LVHS on 7th and Bridger was dedicated on November 2, 1930.
The cost of the new school was $350,000. That same year the Honor Club was formed and the Desert Breeze started*. Frank Butcher, Head of Athletics, died in a gasoline fire at the age of 26 on December 15. There were 75 graduates in 1932. Also in 1932 Louie Wiener wrote the Alma Mater. In 1933 there were 473 students enrolled at LVHS and "Wildcats" were originated. There were 100 graduates in 1934. There were 775 students enrolled in 1935, and 91 graduates in 1936.
"There's more - but it probably isn't pertinent."
Thank You Patty!!
*This from Gregan Wingert LVHS Class of 200?:
I am writing to you to inform you that The Desert Breeze started before 1929. I know that this isn't related to your site all that much but I just wanted to tell I've seen copies of the Desert Breeze from 1925. I am one of the editors for The Desert Breeze right now and have been writing for the paper for two years. I don't know if there are older copies of the paper out there, but books filled with the papers dating back as far as 1925 were discovered in our press room just this year (2007).
Thank You Gregan!!
Updated info from Patty Haack, LVHS Class of 1956:
The Senior Squares Pre-Project:
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