CENTRAL HIGH SCHOOL
The original Central High School was built in 1906 at Fourth Street and Boston Avenue. A new building was built in 1917 and subsequently enlarged at Sixth Street and Cincinnati Avenue. At the time, it was said to be the second-largest high school in the country. It was built in the zigzag style of Art Deco by Coleman, Ervin and Associates.
The school included an Olympic-sized lap pool, an indoor track and an extensive art collection.
Central was the only public school for white students in Tulsa. Booker T. Washington high school, built in 1913, was a separate school with separate funding until schools were integrated in the 1950s.
The construction of the inner-dispersal loop created problems for the school: there was no direct access to tennis courts and other outside activities; and a lack of free parking. A new Central High School was built in north Tulsa. The old building was leased by Public Service of Oklahoma (PSO). After extensive renovation, the building now houses the headquarters of PSO.
Adah Robinson, who is credited with the design of Boston Avenue Methodist Church, was an art teacher at Central in the late 1910s. Two of her students were Bruce Goff and Joseph Koberling, two notable Tulsa architects.
Notable alumni include actor Tony Randall, radio personality Paul Harvey and Danny Dark, the voiceover artist for the original “Sorry, Charlie” Starkist Tuna advertisements.
For more info on the history of Central High School and it's alumni visit here!