(WESTWOOD) JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL/MIDDLE SCHOOL

This building was originally to be called Westwood Hills Junior High, as it was built on part of 30 acres of the Westwood Hills Golf Course.  The land was purchased from the Murrimac Co. after a referendum was passed in the spring of 1958. Groundbreaking was held in August 1958, attended by Queen of the Lakes (and Miss St. Louis Park) Sharon Bigalke. The school opened its doors in September 1959 and 2,000 people attended its dedication on November 1, 1959.  The address is 2025 Texas Ave. So.  Paul Schroeder was principal from day 1 until 1983.

The school was built to supplement Central Jr. High and was designed to serve up to 1,200 students. That first year, enrollment was 757. The school originally had 28 classrooms, special rooms for industrial arts and home ec, and a “cafetorium” that featured lunch tables that folded into the wall to create an auditorium-type space.

In 1967, additional classrooms and a second pool were added.

In 1970, the school went to modular scheduling at a cost of $100,000. The high school followed.

Hubert Humphrey came to the junior high to speak and answer questions from students. His presentation was in the school cafeteria, which also had a stage. Walter Mondale also spoke at Westwood about that time. He spoke in the gymnasium.

Jeff Kleinbaum "acquired" these Westwood hall passes in the '70s, but apparently missed his opportunity to cash them in.  That was before ebay..

An April 1975 Westwinds reported that the Shop Club, open to boys and girls, had 40 members. 

In a sad turn of events, the "Westwinds" newspaper reported that a girls' "weight club" was started in January 1976.  Not only was it just for girls, but kids in the '70s did not generally have weight problems.  Dancing, walking, "playing" should have made this hardly necessary.

In 1980 the school became St. Louis Park Junior High when the Central building no longer functioned as a junior high school.

Some of the most famous students to attend Westwood are Senator Al Franken and Joel and Ethan Coen.

In 2012 the school became St. Louis Park Middle School, serving students from Grades 6-8.

See the school’s web site at http://www.slpschools.org/jh/jhhome.html

2001

The SLP Historical Society has copies of the 1982-1983 and 1986-1987 yearbooks.




 

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This information comes from a variety of sources: newspapers, books, yearbooks, phone directories, interviews, etc. Given the varied sources, we cannot guarantee that all of this information is correct, and welcome any additions and corrections. Please contact us with your contributions and comments.