Central High School

"The class of ’45 has lived its high school days entirely in the war years. We have put forth our best efforts to help bring the war to an end. At the same time we have been laying foundations for our part in the post-war world."

With its imposing Big Ben-style clock tower and intricate sandstone architecture, Central High School in Duluth, Minnesota more closely resembled a university campus than it did a traditional secondary school. Indeed, with the wide variety of activities offered to its sizable student population – skiing, swimming, archery, multiple orchestras – the 1945 Zenith yearbook looks even less like the record of a high school senior year. Despite these many advantages, however, awareness of and contribution to the war effort was just as big a focus for students at Central High as clubs and extra-curricular activities; incorporating volunteer work in Victory Gardens and holding student-led auctions to raise money for the Red Cross. What other examples can you find of students giving of themselves and volunteering their time to aid the war effort?