Carson High School opened before the city was incorporated
Posted on August 22, 2015 by Sam Gnerre
Carson High School. (August 2015 Daily Breeze photo)
By the end of the 1950s, overcrowding had become an increasingly hard-to-ignore problem in the booming South Bay.
Population had increased, and school facilities in areas such as Redondo Beach, Torrance and Carson were being taxed to their limits.
Artist's rendition of Carson High School, from the Torrance Herald, July 23, 1961, Page7. (Credit: Torrance Public Library, Historical Newspaper Archives database)
In Carson, the Los Angeles Unified School District had seen the need for a new senior high school. The community was in the midst of a long incorporation battle, which would not resolve itself until its cityhood became official in 1968. Then, as now, Carson did not have its own school district, and its schools fell under the auspices of LAUSD.
In January 1960, LAUSD commissioned the services of the architectural firm Austin, Field & Fry to design the new school. The Los Angeles firm specialized in school projects. One of its principals, John F. Austin, had designed the original iconic Los Angeles High School building in 1916, and the firm had also designed several community colleges in Southern California, including Chaffey College, Mt. SAC and Compton College.
The district was able to move fairly quickly on the project when area voters approved a school bond issue in the November 1960 election.
Carson High School was planned to accommodate 2,500 students, with the capacity to add 500 more students if needed. The school's original cost was estimated at $4.5 million, though it would end up costing closer to $5 million.
It would be built on a 27-acre site at 22328 South Main Street, bounded by 223rd Street to the north, 227th Street to the south and Dolores Street to the east.
Carson High from the air. Main Street at left center, 223rd Street at top, 228th Street at bottom. (Credit: Google Maps)
Construction began in August 1961, with an eye toward opening the school for the start of classes in September 1962. Students from nearby overcrowded Narbonne, Gardena and especially Banning high schools who lived in the Carson area would be moved to the new school.
Construction ran slightly behind schedule, and the opening date for the school had to be moved to 1963. In late 1962, the school's first administrators were named: Bernard J. Donahue was named principal, with Clarice F. Brown and Donald Pelton named girls and boys vice principals. More than 60 faculty members were hired to handle teaching duties.
Carson High School's opening was set for Monday, Feb. 4, 1963, with 1,200 students in attendance. (The school would expand its capacity further beginning with the full 1963-64 school year.) Opening day had the expected air of confusion as the students flooded the main office to get registered properly and wandered the new campus in search of the right classrooms.
The school's official dedication was held on April 24, 1963.
The school grew quickly. By the second semester of the 1963-64 year, its enrollment had grown to 1,962 students.
From the beginning, sports played a role in establishing Carson High's identity. The school hired Gene Vollnogle to be its football coach in 1963. After going 2-6 and 3-5 in his first two seasons, Vollnogle would go on to win 310 games and 10 L.A. City Section championships as Carson's coach during a storied career. Vollnogle retired from the Carson head job in 1990. Fittingly, his Colts team went 12-1 in his final season.
Carson's football rivalry with Banning reached epic proportions in the 1970s and 1980s, with Vollnogle's duels with Banning Coach Chris Ferragamo drawing thousands to the games.
Former Carson football coach Gene Vollnogle gives his acceptance speech during San Pedro Sportswalk induction ceremony in 2009. Vollnogle passed away on Sept. 6th, 2012. (Scott Varley / Staff Photographer)
"If I had to choose one person who meant the most to me in my career, he would be at the top of the list," said New York Jets three-time All-Pro wide receiver, Wesley Walker, who played on Vollnogle's legendary undefeated 1971 team.
Vollnogle died on Sept. 6, 2012.
Carson's girls tennis teams went 12 years, from 1998 to 2010, without losing a match. They were 129-0 during the streak.
Carson High School unveiled its windmill in 2012, a research project by students in the Energy and Environmental Learning Program. The small farm area at the school, has fruit trees, garden beds and chickens as well. (Brad Graverson / Staff Photographer)
The school "Blue Thunder" marching band, drill team and flag squad have won dozens of awards over the years.
A $5.5 million improvement project begun in 2009 brought a new administration building annex, electronic marquee and dozens of other modifications and improvements to the campus.
Carson has had its share of troubles over the years. Its test scores dropped low enough in 2010 that the school found itself added to the state of California's list of "persistently lowest-achieving" schools.
New principal Windy Warren was brought in to make changes starting with the 2011-12 school year, and instituted a variety of measures to help revitalize the school, including the establishment of three separate schools – the Academy of Medical Arts and Academies of Education and Empowerment – at the Main Street campus.
She also worked to improve relations between different ethnic groups after a brawl involving 40 students that broke out in March 2012 drew attention to racial unrest at the school.
School test scores have risen since the reforms were implemented, and the Academy of Medical Arts has become an especially strong academic performer.
Carson High celebrated its 50th anniversary in October 2013.
Daily Breeze files
Torrance Herald files.