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The decision
to build Torrance High School came out of need. The ground
work for this new community was already underway with many
companies like Llewellyn Iron, Union Tool Plant, and the
Pacific Electric Railway moving their factories and shops to
Torrance; however, many wives of the workmen were reluctant
to move because there was no school in the area. It did not
seem to matter that homes were constructed or that more
roads were paved because people wanted a school. Unless they
got a school, many workers were willing to continue on,
commuting from Los Angeles. The only thing Torrance could do
was build a school, so they did. If they did not, money
would continue to be generated in the community but none
would be filtered back into the community. This seemed like
too great of a loss, since Torrance, at this time, was
making money left and right. World War 1 was nice to the
community of Torrance because many of the factories profited
from the war. The many jobs and the prospect of making money
were reasons that drove people to Torrance for work. Like in
most of the country, industry in Torrance was thriving. Also
during this time the population and land costs in Los
Angeles were rising and people were looking for new
communities to move to in order to escape these problems.
With the building of a new school, it was thought that
people would then choose to settle and live in
Torrance.
Torrance
High School has a long history. It first opened its doors on
September 11, 1917, and was the first unit of the public
school system to be provided by Los Angeles. Classes
included kindergarten for children four to six years of age,
eight grades of elementary school, and four grades of high
school. It costs $40,000 to build, and provided seven
classrooms, a principal's office, and a makeshift
auditorium. It was a two story cement structure and was
designed so that it could be raised an additional story and
have an annex added on. It was build on the highest and most
picturesque portion of the city. The first annual
commencement took place June 18, 1918, and saw two students
receive their diplomas. Later in 1923, the school cafeteria
was opened, and was greatly appreciated by the rapidly
growing school population. The influx of students was due to
the oil boom of the 1920-30's. Also, this year elementary
students stopped attending the high school because a new
elementary school was opened. Two years later in 1925 the
Torrance News Torch, schools paper, was started. Later that
year the first yearbook was published and called The Torch.
In this yearbook, the Senior Patio is first seen. It is not
noted in the original plans; however, it can be assumed that
the patio area was constructed between 1925 and 1927. Today
it is called the "Senior Patio." Many other firsts happen in
the twenties like the first sell of doughnuts on campus for
way of raising money for activities, the first Open House,
and the first Senior Luncheon in 1928.
The thirties
saw the grand opening of the new remodeled cafeteria (1931),
and the destruction of the top portion of the main building
and the whole auditorium, both results of the 1933
earthquake. Also in 1934, the school started their own
miniature Hoover Dam. They attempted to go at the real one's
pace. Next came the forties, and that decade started off
with the opening of Assembly Hall (1940) which replaced the
old and damaged auditorium destroyed in the earthquake. Also
in 1940, Torrance High held their first variety show and
introduced their first uniformed Marching Band on November
8, 1940. In 1947, four-foot palm trees were placed around
the Senior Patio. Today they reach well above the main
building. Also this year control of Torrance High transfers
from Los Angeles School District to Redondo Union High
School District. Then, after Torrance voters elect to become
a unified school district, Torrance High becomes a part of
its own school district on July 1, 1948. Enrollment at
Torrance High skyrockets from 1948 through 1963. The fifties
bring about two events. A new gym is built in 1952 and the
first foreign exchange student arrives in 1955. The sixties
bring many more firsts.
The school
has their first Disneyland All-Night Party in 1965 and their
first Sweethearts Dance in 1967. There are so many students
in 1967 that the yearbooks now have an index and the faculty
pages are reduced. Next comes the seventies, and only one
event is noted and that is the first free concert given on
campus in 1973. This probably coincided with other free
festivals and concerts around the country at this time. The
eighties brought the first colored senior pictures in the
yearbook in 1981. Also this decade, Torrance High becomes
the first Torrance property to be placed on the National
Register of Historical Places in 1983. The eighties also
sees Torrance High getting recognized on film; however, it
does not reach the peak until the early nineties. In 1990,
the weekly teen drama begins filming on campus "90210". In
1993, there is a bomb scare on one of the show sets on
campus. Local news choppers fly overhead as a result. The
bomb was a hoax. Also this year fast food chains come on
campus selling their products. In the fall of 1994, Torrance
closes its campus at lunch and gates are put up all around
the school as people start questioning safety. Soda machines
now appear on campus as well. Two years later in 1996,
"Buffy the Vampire Slayer" begins filming on campus. The
year of 1997 saw the schools 80th anniversary, and the movie
"She's All That" being filmed at Torrance. The nineties also
represented an great increase in minorities at Torrance, and
as of now, the campus is more diverse than it ever
was.
The history
of Torrance High School clearly reflects the history of the
community, state, and nation. First, the progress the school
has made in terms of expansion or social aspects clearly
mirrors Torrance as a city and its progress in ways of
expansion and social progress. One can just look in the
school's yearbooks over the years and see how the school
went from mainly white population to having quite a few
other ethnicity's attending now. This is just like the city
of Torrance. There was a time when Torrance was mainly
white, but now look at it. As far as state history goes, the
increase in the population of California can be seen as well
by looking at the yearbooks. Last the nation's history is
reflected again by looking at the yearbooks. For example,
the yearbooks made during World War II were very skinny.
They were not skinny the years before the war. Why were they
then? This is simple, for there was rationing going on
during the war; therefore, the amount of materials used to
make the yearbooks was limited. Imagine that the history of
our nation reflected in the size of a school yearbook. Also,
clothes and trends can be seen in these yearbooks. Yearbooks
are great sources of history.
Torrance
High School is Torrance history. It offers too much as far
as architecture and beauty to be destroyed. Just knowing
that it withstood an earthquake, and was the set of many
television shows as well as movies are proofs of its value.
It cannot be expressed enough how much pride one gets by
attending such a school as Torrance High. Torrance High is a
very unique and special school.
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