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History

Campbell High School History



A hundred years ago, Campbell was a small farm town surrounded by orchards and open fields. A town government had been formed, but the
city was still a half century away from formal incorporation. The town also had a high school district that is now celebrating its centennial year.



Before the district existed, most students did not continue their education past the middle school level. Those that did were forced to
travel long distances to high schools, since there were none in the immediate area.



Original Campbell Union High School building
Photograph courtesy of Campbell Historical Museum

Old School: The original Campbell Union High School building opened in 1904.



When Campbell High School opened on Sept. 14, 1900, there were 35 students: 23 girls and 12 boys, according to Campbell: The Orchard
City
by Jeanette Watson. The school was located on the second floor of Campbell Grammar School and there were only three teachers responsible for educating the children.



The first graduating class consisted of one student, Charles Beardsley. Beardsley helped the district establish itself as a serious
academic institution, and continued his education at Stanford. This was no small accomplishment, as it meant Campbell High School had been recognized as an accredited school capable of producing top
students. Beardsley eventually became a lawyer and went on to serve as president of the California Bar Association and, later, of the American Bar Association.



Second Campbell Union High School building
Photograph courtesy of Campbell Historical Museum

Growing: The second Campbell Union High School building (shown in about 1940) dominated the intersection of Campbell
Avenue and Winchester Boulevard, before both roads were widened.



By 1903, the small quarters above the grammar school were beginning to feel a little confining, and Campbell High School Principal J. Fred
Smith set his sights on a new building for the high school. The site he selected was at the southeast corner of what is now Campbell Avenue and Winchester Boulevard.



To call attention to the need for a new high school, Smith convinced President Theodore Roosevelt to visit the site and plant a redwood
tree on the potential school grounds. The shovel Roosevelt used, which is engraved with his name and the date, is one of the items on display at the historical museum.



Smith must have made a convincing case, because only one year later, the school was built and students began attending classes. Parking
wasn't an issue for the new school, which had a horse shed out back to house the student's transportation.



Over the next 30 years, as student enrollment swelled, the new school building began to seem too small. The district began looking for a
new building as early as 1927, and in 1936, a new building, located at the northwest corner of Campbell and Winchester and the current site of Campbell Community Center, was built.







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