Miller Junior High School exterior — 10/8/1931 — #12544_1
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Photograph Copyright Anderson & Middleton Company
United States — Washington (State)
Naramore, Floyd A.
Thanks to Sam Talley, who writes: "During the mid-1950’s there was a right of passage for the graduating 9th grade boys. The boys were met at the front door of the school on graduation day by groups of high school boys, who would hold us down as we fought to get away, and cut off our hair with scissors or hand clippers. I and some friends sneaked out the back door seen in photo #15401_1 and got away unscathed. We later cut off our own hair so we did not have to sneak around town to avoid being 'clipped', the term that was used. Neither parents, police, nor teachers attempted to stop this dangerous hazing practice.”
Additional thanks to Susan Larson who notes: "In the 1950's, the larger portion of the building on the right was the Miller Auditorium. All classes met there for pep rallies and school meetings. There were three sections: The left side for 7th graders, the middle for 9th graders and the right for 8th graders. Every student had a seat assigned alphabetically by last name. Since the high school was located across the street, they also used the same building with the same seating assignments. So you could go through 7th to 12th grades and sit by the same two people all through the years. During the lunch hour, movies were offered for 5 cents a showing. A movie might take 3 days to completely view start to finish. Teachers were always walking up and down the aisles to prevent any 'making out' by the students. If you didn't want to attend the movie or the dance, during nice weather, some students sat on the retaining walls to watch the other students walk around and around the school block. The boys walked clockwise and the girls counter clockwise."
