Tour Jefferson High School
1319 E. 41st St., Los Angeles, California
Quad
Library
Auditorium
Athletic
Field
The
Quad area is where students gather for
nutrition, lunch and
ocassional lunch-time dances. The environmental organization Tree
People has assisted teachers and students in planting more trees here
in recent years.
The
library and main office building were rebuilt after the 1933
earthquake. Recently computers have been installed. Some were donated
by one of Jefferson's active parents, Mrs. Spears. Presently two
computers are connected to the Internet via a phone line. Eventually
several computers will be networked with Internet access.
A
four-panel mural was painted in the library in 1937 by Ross Dickinson
through the Federal Works Project. The panels depict the history of
printing. Each panel is 11 ft. by 5.5 ft. The subjects of the panels
include Heiroglyphs, Manuscripts, The First Printer, and Modern
Printing. After six months of research, Mr. Dickinson painted the mural
in five weeks.
The
entrance to the auditorium depicts the art deco style of Los Angeles in
the 1930s. The lobby includes photos of notable Jefferson Alumni, such
as diplomat Ralph Bunche, coreographer Alvin Ailey, and jazz
saxophonist Dexter Grodon.
Many jazz artists
emerged out of south central Los Angeles during the era from the '20s
to the '50s. For more information, read Central Avenue Sounds:
Jazz in Los Angeles,
University of California Press. Mr. Bunche grew up in house just across
the street from the stadium. In high school he was also an accomplished
athlete. We went on to attend UCLA, where there is a building named
after him now, and eventually worked for the United Nations. His work
there in promoting peace in the Middle East earned him a Nobel Prize.
Fulton-Littlefield
field is the site of many victories for the Jefferson track and field
team in the 1930s. During that time Jefferson won several California
state championships. Football coach Mr. Hank Johnson was voted Coach of
the Year for LAUSD for 2000.
Depicting
many of the clubs and activities sponsored at Jefferson H.S., this
mural was completed by students in 1995 under the direction of Ms.
Milene Rodriquez.