To celebrate the start of the Spring 2018 semester, we thought we’d bring you a flashback from UW’s past.

The Preparatory School at UW was organized “for the benefit of students from counties not provided with complete high school courses.”

Preparatory School class, undated. Samuel H. Knight Collection, Accession #400044

The 1887-1898 University Catalogue also states, “As soon as the various towns of the state possess well equipped high schools, this department of the University will be abolished.”

The Preparatory School became the Training High School in September 1913, and the name was changed to University High School the following year.

Photograph labeled “Training School, Potato Club, Oct. 12,1916, Miss Adsit, Supervisor.”       Samuel H. Knight Collection, Accession #400044

According to the June 1915 issues of the University of Wyoming Bulletin, “This high school is maintained for the purpose of affording opportunities for training teachers for the high schools of the State.”

2nd and 4th grade children playing in the “store”, 1921. Ludwig-Svenson Studio Collection, Accession #00167

Students performing reenactment for Washington’s Birthday, February 1907. B. C. Buffum Papers, Accession #400055

It was variously known as the Training Preparatory School, the Secondary Training School, and the University High School.

Though the University High School ceased in 1973, the University Lab School, with a kindergarten and grades 1-9, continues to operate in the UW College of Education and is now part of Albany County School District #1.

Text courtesy: University of Wyoming by Rick Ewig and Tamsen Hert (Arcadia Press, 2012), p. 61.