THE HISTORY OF
VASHON HIGH SCHOOL
Late in the first quarter of the 20th Century, Sumner High School was the only high school, due to the laws of segregation, that African-American students could attend. Located just west of the Ville neighborhood, Sumner was suffering from severe overcrowding. It was also a high school that was a good distance from the growing Mill Creek Valley Area. In 1922, a group of diligent citizens called The Central School Patron Association, with Rev. George Stevens, and several other community alliances started plans for a second high school that would be built and designated for African-American students. It took several years, but finally they convinced the St. Louis Board of Education to build a new high school east of Grand Avenue.
3026 LACLEDE AVENUE
A proud family dating back three generations gave their name to the new high school. It would be known as Vashon High School. It was the culmination of struggles and sacrifices made for the sake of education and dedicated to the importance of that education and the battles to secure both civil and human rights for African Americans. Specifically, it was named for George Boyer Vashon (1824-1878), the very first African-American graduate of Oberlin College (Ohio) in 1844 and his son, John B. Vashon (1854-1924), an outstanding educator in the City of St. Louis for over 34 years. Ground-breaking for the new high school was in 1925. On September 6, 1927, Vashon High School opened at 3026 Laclede Avenue, on budget ($1,180, 790) and on time... READ MORE
3405 BELL AVENUE
Vashon High School’s history was to continue. It would now be transferred to its second location at 3405 Bell Avenue at the beginning of the 1963-64 school year. This controversial move created deep, harsh feelings that would last for years. The ensuing classes of 64, 65 and 66 dealt with leaving the original building with mixed emotions. After all they had been expelled from a building that was built for them and placed in a second hand structure that had housed whites only - Hadley Technical School. But, the indomitable Vashon Spirit still surged in the staff, students and faculty who had brought with them the high educational standards, drive and determination that prevailed on Laclede Avenue. This resulted in the first complete four-year class to graduate from this site in 1967... READ MORE
3035 CASS AVENUE
The ground-breaking ceremony for the new Vashon was held on May 3, 1999. After 15 years of struggle and waiting, On September 3, 2002, Vashon High School opened in its third location, 3035 Cass Avenue with Dorothy Ludgood as principal. The 40-million-dollar, state-of-the- art complex houses 1,300 students, has 13 science and computer labs, 4 early childhood rooms, an attractively spacious library and media resource center surrounding the sky-lighted rotunda. For basketball there are competition and practice courts, and a 25-meter swimming pool for aquatics programs. Classrooms of varying shapes added to the rotunda theme branch out to for an efficient layout with spacious halls and no wasted space... READ MORE