Technical High School (Omaha, Nebraska)
Encyclopedia
Technical High School was a public high school
that was located at 3215 Cuming Street in Omaha, Nebraska
. Opened in 1923, the school was said to be the largest high school west of Chicago. It was the largest in the Omaha area before it was closed in 1984. Today the building serves as the headquarters of Omaha Public Schools
.
As a high school focused on technical education, Tech had many amenities designed to teach students in specific areas. For athletics, there were 2 large gymnasiums and a swimming pool, which was for many years the only pool in any Omaha public school. The roof of the building featured a deck with a canopy that housed an exercise area.
For home economics
there was an entire floor dedicated to classrooms. There were extensive wood and metal shops, as well as scientific laboratories, and a greenhouse. The building had 124 rooms. As early as 1947, there were 2,700 students and 100 teachers. Developed with high academic standards
the school was a forerunner in vocational high schools by offering students that largely choose not to continue on to college the opportunity to learn a trade
or profession
.
There was a high school radio
station at Tech in the 1920s, whose call letters were KFOX.
The auditorium at the school was built to accommodate 2600 people. John Philip Sousa
and his marching band appeared in October 1928. Cornelia Otis Skinner
made her first high school appearance at Tech in January 1930. In November 1926 the Metropolitan Opera Company of New York gave a performance. Helen Hayes
and Douglas Fairbanks Jr. also gave performances at Tech.
In the 1960s the Black Association for Nationalism Through Unity
was unsuccessful at starting a chapter at Tech, although one of its leaders became a student government official.
central office. It also serves as a home for the Career Center and Adult Education programs, serving 700-plus students daily.
Opera Omaha
performed at Tech before they had facilities at the Orpheum Theater
.
coach for 25+ years.
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....
that was located at 3215 Cuming Street in Omaha, Nebraska
Omaha, Nebraska
Omaha is the largest city in the state of Nebraska, United States, and is the county seat of Douglas County. It is located in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about 20 miles north of the mouth of the Platte River...
. Opened in 1923, the school was said to be the largest high school west of Chicago. It was the largest in the Omaha area before it was closed in 1984. Today the building serves as the headquarters of Omaha Public Schools
Omaha Public Schools
Omaha Public Schools is the largest school district in the state of Nebraska. This public school district serves a diverse community of more than 46,000 students at over 80 elementary and secondary schools in Omaha, Nebraska...
.
About
The five-winged building and large athletic field occupied 3 city blocks between Burt and Cuming Streets, from 30th to 33rd Streets in North Omaha. The new school opened on October 15, 1923, with nearly 2,400 pupils. By 1940 enrollment had reached 3,684.As a high school focused on technical education, Tech had many amenities designed to teach students in specific areas. For athletics, there were 2 large gymnasiums and a swimming pool, which was for many years the only pool in any Omaha public school. The roof of the building featured a deck with a canopy that housed an exercise area.
For home economics
Home Economics
Home economics is the profession and field of study that deals with the economics and management of the home and community...
there was an entire floor dedicated to classrooms. There were extensive wood and metal shops, as well as scientific laboratories, and a greenhouse. The building had 124 rooms. As early as 1947, there were 2,700 students and 100 teachers. Developed with high academic standards
Academic standards
Academic standards are the benchmarks of quality and excellence in education such as the rigour of curricula and the difficulty of examinations...
the school was a forerunner in vocational high schools by offering students that largely choose not to continue on to college the opportunity to learn a trade
Trade
Trade is the transfer of ownership of goods and services from one person or entity to another. Trade is sometimes loosely called commerce or financial transaction or barter. A network that allows trade is called a market. The original form of trade was barter, the direct exchange of goods and...
or profession
Profession
A profession is a vocation founded upon specialized educational training, the purpose of which is to supply disinterested counsel and service to others, for a direct and definite compensation, wholly apart from expectation of other business gain....
.
There was a high school radio
High school radio
High school radio within the United States is almost as old as radio broadcasting itself. Simply defined as a radio station, with its studios located at a high school and usually operated by its students with faculty supervision, stations fitting this description existed in the mid-1920s...
station at Tech in the 1920s, whose call letters were KFOX.
The auditorium at the school was built to accommodate 2600 people. John Philip Sousa
John Philip Sousa
John Philip Sousa was an American composer and conductor of the late Romantic era, known particularly for American military and patriotic marches. Because of his mastery of march composition, he is known as "The March King" or the "American March King" due to his British counterpart Kenneth J....
and his marching band appeared in October 1928. Cornelia Otis Skinner
Cornelia Otis Skinner
Cornelia Otis Skinner was an American author and actress.-Biography:Skinner was the daughter of the actor Otis Skinner and his wife Maud Skinner. After attending the all-girls' Baldwin School and Bryn Mawr College and studying theatre at the Sorbonne in Paris, she began her career on the stage...
made her first high school appearance at Tech in January 1930. In November 1926 the Metropolitan Opera Company of New York gave a performance. Helen Hayes
Helen Hayes
Helen Hayes Brown was an American actress whose career spanned almost 70 years. She eventually garnered the nickname "First Lady of the American Theatre" and was one of twelve people who have won an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar and a Tony Award...
and Douglas Fairbanks Jr. also gave performances at Tech.
In the 1960s the Black Association for Nationalism Through Unity
Black Association for Nationalism Through Unity
The Black Association for Nationalism Through Unity, or BANTU, was a youth activism group focused on black power and nationalism in Omaha, Nebraska in the 1960s....
was unsuccessful at starting a chapter at Tech, although one of its leaders became a student government official.
Present
After the school closed in 1984, the building was completely renovated for use as the Omaha Public SchoolsOmaha Public Schools
Omaha Public Schools is the largest school district in the state of Nebraska. This public school district serves a diverse community of more than 46,000 students at over 80 elementary and secondary schools in Omaha, Nebraska...
central office. It also serves as a home for the Career Center and Adult Education programs, serving 700-plus students daily.
Opera Omaha
Opera Omaha
Opera Omaha is an opera company in Omaha, Nebraska. It is well known for premiering Wakonda's Dream, a contemporary opera about Native Americans set in the Niobrara....
performed at Tech before they had facilities at the Orpheum Theater
Orpheum Theater (Omaha)
The Orpheum Theater is located at 409 South 16th Street in downtown Omaha, Nebraska. The Orpheum hosts programs best served by a more theatrical setting, including the Broadway Across America-Omaha series and Opera Omaha...
.
Notable graduates
- Johnny RodgersJohnny RodgersJohnny Steven Rodgers is a former American college football player voted the University of Nebraska's "Player of the Century" and the winner of the 1972 Heisman Trophy.-College career:...
, college footballCollege footballCollege football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
superstar, Heisman TrophyHeisman TrophyThe Heisman Memorial Trophy Award , is awarded annually to the player deemed the most outstanding player in collegiate football. It was created in 1935 as the Downtown Athletic Club trophy and renamed in 1936 following the death of the Club's athletic director, John Heisman The Heisman Memorial...
winner, and voted the University of Nebraska's "Player of the Century." - Thomas Warren, Omaha's first African AmericanAfrican AmericanAfrican Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
police chief - Captain Alfonza W. DavisAlfonza W. DavisAlfonza W. Davis was the first African-American aviator from North Omaha, Nebraska to be awarded his "wings." He was a member of the Tuskegee Airmen, a recipient of the Purple Heart, Distinguished Flying Cross and the Distinguished Unit Citation...
, Tuskegee Airman - US Senator Roman HruskaRoman HruskaRoman Lee Hruska was a Republican U.S. Senator from the state of Nebraska. Hruska was known as one of the most vocal conservatives in the United States Senate during the 1960s and 1970s.-Life and career:...
- Omaha Mayor Johnny Rosenblatt
- Omaha Mayor James Dworak
- Omaha Police Chief C. Harold Ostler
- A.F. Jacobson, former president of Northwestern BellNorthwestern BellNorthwestern Bell Telephone Company served the states just north of the Southwestern Bell area, including: Iowa, Minnesota, South Dakota, North Dakota, and Nebraska.- Early beginnings :Northwestern Bell's earliest roots begin in Deadwood, South Dakota...
- Eugene Skinner, Omaha District’s first black teacher who rose to the position of Assistant Superintendent.
- Les Webster, college and professional football player for the Cincinnati BengalsCincinnati BengalsThe Cincinnati Bengals are a professional football team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the AFC's North Division in the National Football League . The Bengals began play in 1968 as an expansion team in the American Football League , and joined the NFL in 1970 in the AFL-NFL...
- Phil Wise, college and professional football player for the New York JetsNew York JetsThe New York Jets are a professional football team headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, representing the New York metropolitan area. The team is a member of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
- Bob BoozerBob BoozerRobert Louis "Bob" Boozer is a retired American professional basketball player. Boozer was born and raised in North Omaha, Nebraska and graduated from Tech High in Omaha....
, college and professional basketball player and Olympic Gold Medalist in 1960 - Ron BooneRon BooneRonald Bruce Boone is a retired American Basketball Association player.During his years at Tech High in North Omaha, Nebraska, Boone stood 6'2" and weighed 175 pounds....
, professional basketball player - Bob GibsonBob GibsonRobert "Bob" Gibson is a retired American professional baseball player. Nicknamed "Hoot" and "Gibby", he was a right-handed pitcher who played his entire 17-year Major League Baseball career with St. Louis Cardinals...
, Baseball Hall of Famer for the St. Louis CardinalsSt. Louis CardinalsThe St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
and Creighton University stand-out. - Jim Houston, national rodeo champion
- Lucille Wilson, three times United States women’s track team in the Olympics.
- Ray Novak, college football player
- Mel HarderMel HarderMelvin Leroy Harder , nicknamed "Chief", was an American, right-handed, starting pitcher and coach in Major League Baseball, who played his entire career with the Cleveland Indians. He spent 36 seasons overall with the Indians, as a player from 1928 to 1947 and as one of the game's most highly...
, professional baseball player - Fred Hare, college and professional basketball player
- Louis HartzLouis HartzLouis Hartz was an American political scientist and influential liberal proponent of the idea of American exceptionalism....
, an American political scientistPolitical sciencePolitical Science is a social science discipline concerned with the study of the state, government and politics. Aristotle defined it as the study of the state. It deals extensively with the theory and practice of politics, and the analysis of political systems and political behavior...
and influential proponent of the idea of American exceptionalismAmerican exceptionalismAmerican exceptionalism refers to the theory that the United States is qualitatively different from other countries. In this view, America's exceptionalism stems from its emergence from a revolution, becoming "the first new nation," and developing a uniquely American ideology, based on liberty,...
.
Notable staff
Neal Mosser was a college basketball and baseball player who went on to coach some of the greatest names in Omaha sports history at Tech, including Fred Hare, Bob Boozer and Bob Gibson. Dutch White was a remarkable track and fieldTrack and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
coach for 25+ years.
External links
Related publications
- Brookins, J. (1925) "Drama in a Technical High School," Peabody Journal of Education. 2(4) pp. 190-196