The Spirit of Central: 100 Years of a South Bend High School
Leighton Gallery
March 6 - September 12, 2010

The Spirit of Central: 100 Years of a South Bend High School,opening on March 6 at the Center for History, chronicles Central High School people and events that launched an enduring legacy. The exhibit is sponsored by Teachers Credit Union.

Visitors may be awestruck to learn how many nationally-known individuals got their start at Central High School. Names like John Brademas, Edwin Ehlers, Robert Grant, Judd Leighton, Sydney Pollack, Michael Warren, and John Wooden are among the many who are spotlighted. Trophies–including baseball, wrestling, swimming, golf, tennis, track and field, band, and debate--can be seen in nearly every display case in the exhibit and give credence to the school’s reputation for being one of the best in Indiana. The school is thought to have won more awards in the fields of science, mathematics, poetry, drama, debate and English composition than any other high school in the state. Especially during the 1950s, its athletic prowess became well established as the school continued to achieve state championships in basketball, swimming, golf, wrestling, track and field, and three "mythical" football championships (called such because formal championship play-offs in that sport did not exist at the time). Central’s art and music programs were unparalleled in northern Indiana, and the drama program gained not only a state-wide reputation, but also national recognition, especially under the long tenure of James Lewis Casaday.

A football uniform, band uniform, letter sweater, and cheerleader uniform serve as a reminder of the students. Student clubs and organizations, including the Smilers (boys) and Handy Andy (girls) social clubs, are chronicled through photographs. There were also service groups like the Ushers Clubs and clubs promoting occupational aspirations, including Future Farmers of America, and the Junior Engineering and Technological Society.

Nearby, yearbooks trigger memories of the school’s motto "I will keep faith," traditions like "meeting under the clock," dating back to 1913, and school dances, which often took place at the Palais Royale, Indiana Club, Progress Club, or Playland Park Pavilion.

Established in 1870 as South Bend High School, the city’s only high school was renamed Central High School in 1929 upon the addition of a second high school, Riley. In 1913, a new state-of-the-art, four-story building, including a gymnasium, swimming pool, auditorium, and "Little Theatre," replaced an earlier building. Today, this complex houses the Central High School Apartments with the high school’s basketball court, swimming pool area, and much of its woodwork preserved.