Former School Building in Austin Demolished September 2024
University Junior High School, Austin Texas
The University Junior High School, a joint project of the University of Texas and the Austin Public School System, opened in late September 1933. Situated on the southeast corner of the UT campus, the school served a dual purpose, benefiting the University as a facility for practice teachers, and accommodating the growing school-age population in Austin. George Dahl of the firm of Herbert M. Greene, LaRoche, and Dahl served as the architect, with the aid of the consulting architect, Paul Philippe Cret.
The University of Texas celebrated its Semi-Centennial anniversary during the construction of the University Junior High School in 1933. In 1876 the constitution of the state of Texas was adopted, ordering the legislature to establish a "university of the first class, to be located by a vote of the people of this state." On September 6th, 1881 the Texas legislature established the site in Austin for the University of Texas' main campus. Seton College Hill north of the Capitol, the University first formally opened on September 15th, 1883. At this point, the campus consisted of forty acres of land.
The Board of Regents determined that the income of the University's Available Fund was to be used for the construction of school buildings. This fund included student fees, rents, and the income of the Permanent Fund, an endowment derived from the sale of land and its oil and gas proceeds. The University's Gothic-style Main Building was located at the top of the hill amidst the University's forty acres of land. Built by F.E. Ruffini in 1883 and eventually containing three sections, it was the first permanent building on campus and was utilized for various purposes. Since the Legislature opted to direct money toward teaching and equipment, the construction of other new buildings was ignored. Money was used to erect temporary unpainted wood frame structures instead, establishing a "shackeresque," as described by some, architectural style for the campus.
Before the turn of the century, buildings were designed without the aid of a campus master plan. In 1910 UT selected Cass Gilbert, a nationally known architect to design a master plan and a library. Gilbert, architect of New York's Woolworth Building (1911-13) designed Sutton Hall (1918), faced with stone and brick, and the Beaux Art cream-colored limestone Old Library (1910), now known as Battle Hall. Constructed of local materials and displaying red tile roofs and broad detailed cornices, these buildings reflect Texas' Spanish tradition as a former part of Mexico. Although Gilbert's entire plan was not implemented, his buildings established the precedent of a Mediterranean style for the UT campus.
The discovery of oil on University pastures in 1923 allowed money from the Available Fund to be directed towards construction. The University recognized that its campus needed physical improvement, and it urged the state legislature to pass an act devoting the income from endowment solely to the erection of buildings. This act was enforced between 1925 and 1933, a period during which the University spent six million dollars on construction and improvement of buildings.
Herbert M. Greene of the Dallas firm Greene, LaRoche, and Dahl served as University architect between 1923 and 1931. In 1931 the University hired Paul Philippe Cret of Philadelphia, a former student of the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris, as consulting architect. Sensitive to the spaces between buildings, he defined the open lawns of the campus. He created a new general plan of development in 1933, organizing the campus buildings into several groups. According to the plan, a science area was designed in the northeast section, and an area for law, social sciences, and business administration was planned in the southeast corner. The northwest corner was to contain the Hogg Auditorium, the Union, and a women's dormitory, while the Old Library, Sutton Hall, and the new Architecture building were located in the southwest portion of campus.
While the University spent money to improve its campus, many others in the community still withstood the effects of the Depression and lacked financial resources. In the 1930s Texas suffered as an agricultural state, and farmers abandoned rural areas, moving into the emerging cities. While the entire state witnessed a 10 percent growth rate between 1930 and 1940, Austin's population increased by 65 percent. Although the city of Austin was growing in 1931, the public school system eliminated seven kindergartens and four supervisor positions due to lack of funds. The school board had to turn to an outside source to help house its growing secondary enrollment.
Concurrently, Austin's population growth required the building of a new junior high school and UT's Department of Education needed a secondary school for observation, demonstration, and experimentation. According to Dr. B.F. Pittenger, Dean of the UT School of Education, "A laboratory school is urgently needed here since the University of Texas is recognized as the leading institution for graduate students in the Southwest, east of California. As the majority of graduate students are teachers or prospective teachers, the University may properly claim as one of its chief purposes the training of highly selected and permanent teachers, leaders of the profession in the Southwest." He described a laboratory school as "a model school … used for experimentation in developing improved methods of organization and teaching, for demonstration of the best practices in administration, supervision, teaching, and for a limited amount of practice teaching by advanced students."
The city of Austin could not afford to build a new school, and the University had funds to build the school, but lacked resources to pay for its operation. In 1933, the city of Austin and the University of Texas collaborated to build a model school, called University Junior High, as a laboratory for the UT School of Education. The agreement, which operated on a five-year plan but was open to renewal, allowed University students to observe classes and practice teach, and met the needs of Austin's growing school-age population. Dean Pittenger considered the UJH project "an innovation in laboratory schools." A.N. McCallum, superintendent of the Austin Public Schools described a laboratory school as "a model school … used for experimentation in developing improved methods of organization and teaching, for demonstrations of the best practices in administration, supervision, and teaching." He further explained that "the plan offers much promise, and with the cordial relations that exist between the School of Education and the public schools there is no reason why this school cannot be operated to the advantages of both the University and the city."
George Leighton Dahl was the junior high school's architect. As a Harvard fellow a few years before, he had studied at the American Academy at Rome's finishing school in architecture. When he returned to the United States, he worked in New York, particularly on school buildings, such as Bronxville High School. He headed west towards a more favorable climate, and worked for Chambers and Myron Hunt on projects in California, including the Rose Bowl in Pasadena and banks and hotels in San Francisco. One year after he arrived in California, Herbert Greene of Dallas contacted him. Greene had just received a ten-year contract from the University of Texas, and he needed assistance in designing buildings for the university's great expansion. After Greene's death in 1932, Dahl took an active primary role in designing UT campus buildings, such as UJH.
J.J. Wattinger was hired to be the school's contractor, offering an initial base bid of $233,595. David Vickers of Sweetwater, Texas handled the heating and ventilating work, while Jud & Omond of Austin was chosen for the plumbing work. Prossels Sash & Door Company of San Antonio provided laboratory equipment, and the Martin-Wright Electric Company of San Antonio received the electrical contract.
Dr. Ira Irl Nelson, UJH's first principal, recalled that many compromises were reached during the school's design stages. The architects opted for a half-sized auditorium with acoustical treatment on the ceilings, as opposed to a full-sized auditorium with little acoustical treatment. The original plans had called for a full-sized auditorium, which would have seated 1,000 people, placed directly above the basement-level cafeteria. When the auditorium was reduced, the architects had not realized that the cafeteria was too small. Construction of the school began in January 1933. According to Dr. Nelson, there was no trouble finding labor. "It was a real depression. Men lined up for two blocks and waited for work." Shortly after construction began, heavy rain flooded the excavated area. A hard freeze turned the lake into a "skating rink," in areas where men needed to work.
At 11:00 A.M. on April 29th, 1933, the University of Texas held its dedication ceremony for the Littlefield Memorial Entrance and new buildings: Architecture, Brackenridge Hail, Engineering, Geology, Hogg Memorial Auditorium, Home Economics, Library, Physics, Union, and University Junior High School. University President H.Y. Benedict offered the welcome address, and was followed by W.J. Battle, the chairman of the Faculty Building Committee. R.L. Batts, former chairman of the Board of Regents gave the address of dedication before the Longhorn Band played "The Eyes of Texas."
By May 1933, construction of UJH at Neches and Red River streets was progressing according to schedule. The estimated cost for construction and equipment was $350,000, in addition to $15,000 for furniture. The date of intended completion was August 15th, 1933. According to the contract, the University agreed to furnish the building, and the Austin Public School Board agreed to maintain and repair it. The Austin trustees agreed to pay and appoint 40 schoolteachers, but the principal was to be appointed and paid by the Board of Regents and the public school board together. While 2100 junior high school students lived in Austin at the time, UJH was built to accommodate 900 students. The plans established an institution containing "14 general classrooms, three science rooms, a science projection room … four home economics rooms, two business administration rooms, one art room, five shops, girls' gymnasium and a boys' gymnasium … a cafeteria, an auditorium, administration rooms, and an experimental room."
Registration for UJH classes was held on September 18th, 1933. Enrollment figures showed that the total attendance at Austin public schools was 9,641, an increase of 289 students from the year before. After final completion at a cost of $375,000, UJH opened on September 26th, 1933, one week later than other Austin public schools. The first assembly was held in the gymnasium, since the auditorium chairs had not yet arrived. Dr. I.I. Nelson mounted a ladder, and organized all of the students at the new school, who sat on the floor."
Elizabeth Carpenter, former press secretary to Lady Bird Johnson recalls, "The first year University Junior High School opened was the year I went … I was so thrilled to be in a brand-new--the newest school in town and to have the laboratory facility of University of Texas teachers, which was the idea of the University Junior High School. They got more practice teachers, and so they were younger and prettier than the teachers we had had at Wooldridge School, and it had a patio."
The permanent incised letters above the main entrance declare that the school is called University High School, omitting the word "Junior." The school was designed to house a six-year secondary school, but the 1933 school-age demographics forced alterations in the plan. School board Officials attempted to relieve overcrowding in the lower grade levels by adding another junior high school, and changing from a 6-2-3 to a 5-3-3-grade system. When the school actually opened in September 1933, sixth, seventh, and eighth graders attended.
University Junior High School meets Criterion C at the local level in the area of Architecture, representing a modern public school design within the context of a university campus. According to Carol Whitcraft, President, 1966-67 UJH Parent-Teachers Association, "In an age when most city schoolhouses offered the community a forbidding facade of brick, grated windows, fences, and padlocked gates, University Junior High School was constructed from the blueprint of an educator's dream. It incorporated new concepts of open spaces, split levels, courtyard vistas and functional but aesthetically lovely arcades. The blueprint-dream went beyond the material construction of the building. It called for building into the curriculum of University Junior High, new concepts of teaching and learning theories.
William J. Battle, Chairman of the Building Committee of the Faculty, described UJH as a "low building covering a great extent of ground after the type so common in California." When UJH was constructed, it was considered an innovative sprawling facility. Its general plan centralized school activities, and concentrated noise in specific areas towards the building's edges. The auditorium and cafeteria sections could be separated from the rest of the building by closing wooden folding doors. The band room in the tower area above the main foyer could also be used independently of the rest of the building. The gymnasium and manual training areas were planned to be isolated from the classrooms by connecting shower and locker rooms. The gymnasium featured floors made of pine block cut crosswise, which absorbed vibrations and had a glare free surface. The school's shop area was also modern, and was the first in Austin to be planned as a part of the school, rather than added on at a later date. The basement level rooms provided ample space for woodwork, drawing, printing, auto mechanics, and metal work. The science wing was innovative as well, noted by its main laboratory and lecture room with raised seats in an amphitheater plan. The lecture room featured sound screens and a soundproof projection room. The art area was well planned, characterized by its large space and built-in cabinets. An innovation in Austin, UJH's Homemaking Suite contained a dining room, living room, and fitting room for sewing rooms. The Social Studies Center located near the library had specific areas for work, reading, and supplementary materials. The school's hallways were wide, and included half-flights of stairs and inclines to minimize stair climbing and conform to the topography of the site. The campus included two courtyards, a patio, and a covered arcade leading to the gymnasium wing.
Between 1948 and 1967, students admired an addition to the school, a mural depicting Texas history painted by former UT architecture professor Raymond Everett. According to Rizer Everett, Raymond Everett's son, the frieze painted on hardboard sections were originally hung in the Everett family home. After Raymond Everett died in 1948, his sons loaned the mural to University Junior High School. It was placed in the library in memory of Raymond Everett's son Jack, who died while he was a student at UJH. When the Austin Public Schools decided to vacate University Junior High School, school district officials found a place to display it in the library at Webb Junior High, at 601 East St. Johns Avenue. Since junior high school students learned about Texas history in their classes, the mural served an artistic as well as an educational purpose.
During its thirty-four year history, the school offered many exploratory courses, affording pupils a broad education. UJH Sixth-graders were required to take six-week courses in elementary shop, home arts, and science. Seventh-graders took classes in business training, foreign languages, and science. In 1936 the University operated a free summer school for continued observation and practice teaching at UJH. Three hundred seventh and eighth grade students studied courses in reading, social studies, mathematics, foreign languages, and science, taught by the regular UJH staff.
The "Time to Teach" program began in 1949, under Herbert LaGrone's supervision, implementing time-saving techniques such as dittoing papers. That same year, UJH offered a remedial reading program, allowing teachers to work with small groups of students at their appropriate levels. The first UJH Summer Program for the Academically Talented was in operation in 1959, setting an example for other school districts. In the fall of 1961 UJH instituted an innovative teaching program called machine teaching. Mrs. Katherine Kinniell, UJH math teacher supervised students working with individual programmed materials provided by Encyclopedia Films, Inc. The program clearly identified individual learning progress, allowing better students to continue with their work while slower students met with the teacher in groups. In 1962, UJH's "Drop Out Program" attracted national attention, by providing a special curriculum for potential dropouts, and giving them the opportunity to earn money while remaining in school.
In addition to offering creative courses, teachers supervised extracurricular activities. A club program began in the spring of 1934, and students were expected to actively participate in the school community. A safety patrol was established in conjunction with the Austin Police Department and the Austin Chamber of Commerce, since heavily traveled streets surrounded the school. The first UJH school newspaper, The Pioneer, appeared in December, 1933, and was followed by The Reporter later that month. In February, 1934 The Junior Texan was first published, imitating the name of UT's student newspaper. The school colors, blue and gold, were derived from the colors of the curtains and drapes in the auditorium. Students represented the blue and gold "Eagles" in athletic competitions in football, basketball, and track.
According to Dr. Nelson, "the prospective teachers work with the most modern of materials and teaching aids." Modern equipment included visual instruction tools, radios connected to a central broadcasting system in the principal's office, and microphones. The loudspeaker system allowed students in each classroom to hear broadcasts, phonograph records, and speeches. According to Margaret (Penn) Manroe, who attended the school as a seventh-grader in its first year, Bible readings were broadcast from the main office each morning. UJH had a modern bell system with separate circuits, which allowed for multiple scheduling of school activities. The auditorium was equipped with a projection booth wired for sound at the front, permitting the viewing of movies. In order for UT students to observe junior high school classes in progress, UJH was connected to UT's School of Education by closed circuit television. Excellent facilities made UJH a source of pride for the public school system.
In its early days, UJH alleviated some of the crowded conditions of the Austin schools, but by 1939, enrollment greatly increased again. A federal grant, provided $1,386,000 for the construction elsewhere of two new junior high schools and a new annex to the senior high. Five new elementary schools were built, since school enrollment for 1939 totaled 15,304.
In 1947, an Austin Public School Board report studied the four existing junior high schools: Fulmore, Allan, University Junior High, and Baker. According to the report, an ideal school plant should accommodate no fewer than 800 students, nor more than 1200, and should have 12 acres of land for athletic fields and playgrounds. University Junior High had a population of 850 students, accommodating the appropriate amount, but its property was insufficient for building expansion or for athletic facilities.
In 1950, an eighth grade class at UJH nominated the school's first principal Dr. I.I. Nelson to be Austin's Most Worthy Citizen. He won the award, showing that his influence on the young minds at UJH had been felt throughout the community. According to Herbert LaGrone, UJH principal at the time, "much of the happiness, helpfulness, efficiency and joy which we have in University High was inspired by its first principal, Dr. Nelson … He has urged more than one wavering student to stay in school. In his quiet way, he has helped both teachers and students to solve their problems and to be better people."
Due to the fire in the Allan Junior High School building in mid-March 1956, the Austin Public School Board implemented double shifts at University Junior High. UJH students, numbering 862, attended class between 7:45 a.m. and 12:15 p.m., and 1,062 Allan students met between 12:45 and 5:15 p.m. Workmen from the School plant division installed temporary partitions in the cafeteria to create space for four additional classrooms. UJH students evacuated half of the lockers, allowing each school use of one floor of lockers. Classes were shortened from 55 to 40 minutes, which required students to complete more work at home. The cafeteria ended its service, forcing students to eat at home before or after their shifts.
While construction continued on the new Allan Junior High on Shady Lane at Gonzales Street in Southeast Austin, school board members considered alternate plans for the 1956-57 academic year. Director of pupil personnel, Arthur Cunningham Jr. identified three important factors to be considered, including the maintenance of "a good curriculum organization and student body rapport," the limit to spending for an emergency situation, and the concentration of "discomfort and congestion" in one school, as opposed to many schools throughout the city. One option was to build portable classrooms on the property of other schools, but this would have been expensive, amounting to $176,000. Although the double session was not ideal, it seemed to be the most practical and economical solution. Most parents who attended a meeting at the Bickler Administration Building preferred to continue sending their children to UJH for a shorter session, rather than transferring them to different schools.
The double-shifts at University Junior High School carried on throughout the next year. On the first anniversary of the fire, Allan students offered UJH a cake and flowers to express their gratitude for the use of the facilities. In the winter of 1956, the two schools co-sponsored a Christmas drive, showing a spirit of cooperation. The double-shift at the school limited extra-curricular activities, altering normal schedules for band, football, speech, and play practice. In May 1957, UJH and Allan representatives exchanged plaques, showing their appreciation for the cooperation between the two schools. One of the principals stated, "Although all of us will welcome a return to normal conditions and a slower, more relaxed academic pace, we will miss our friendships. We are humbled by the willingness on the part of everyone school officials, city officials, teachers, students and parents to make this emergency a success."
In the 1940s and early 1950s, UJH students came from a long but narrow district, from 14th Street on the south end to the northern edge of the district, and from the lake on the west side to the Govalle area on the east side. The population had normal demographics for Austin, with an upper-middle-class slant. During the mid-1950s, UJH's student body was mainly Anglo-American, with an increasing Latin American population. And as the district's geographic boundaries changed, the socio-economic background widened. Students lived in area bounded by Lamar Boulevard to the west, Thirty-eighth Street to the north, and Comal Street to the east, and the Colorado River to the south. According to Marshal Ashley, principal from 1956-1965, UJH was no longer the socially elite junior high school in Austin.
During the 1957-58 school year, UJH was the first junior high school in Austin to integrate. The student body included three races, blacks, Latin Americans, and Anglo Americans in its closing years. Joe Stepan, principal between 1965 and 1967, carefully noted the school demographics. In the early 1960s, the school was seventy percent Anglo-American, twenty percent Latin American, and ten percent black. The black students' parents were doctors, teachers, business people, and skilled workers. The Anglo and Latin American groups came from homes of University workers, business people, government workers, and unskilled laborers. Both wealthy and poor students attended the school. When Reagan High School opened in 1965, school boundary lines were rewritten, changing the distribution at UJH. In the school's last year of operation, UJH had a population that was forty-eight percent Latin American, thirty-three percent black, and nineteen percent Anglo-American. The socio-economic level of the black students had changed, with many of their parents working unskilled jobs or on welfare. In the eyes of the principal, students worked together as a team, and were not concerned about race. Joe Stepan found that UJH was a great setting for integration, in which students had a common goal, "to make University Junior High School the best school in the city."
In 1967, use of UJH property was reverted from the Austin Public School System to the University of Texas, requiring students to transfer to other schools. On a Sunday afternoon that spring, an open house was held to bid farewell to the 33-year-old school. Three former principals, Dr. I.I. Nelson, Marshel Ashley, and Joe Stepan autographed the compilation entitled "Golden Memories: A History of UJH." The booklet contains poetry, pictures, letters, and drawings. The school officially closed as a junior high school that spring, but remained open through the summer for enrichment programs. Former UJH principal Marshel Ashley explained, "UJH is more than a school, more than a campus and building-- it is a symbol of educational growth and development for students, staff, and parents. The doors to the building may close, but the spirit of UJH will live on for many generations."
On August 16th, 1967, the UT music department began moving into the junior high school building from its temporary headquarters in three different apartment units. Dr. Bryce Jordan, music department chairman stated, "The move to UJH will allow us to centralize many of our functions around the library … We have long since outgrown the Music Building. When built in 1942, it was designed for 200 students. We expect our enrollment to exceed 500 this fall." The move was not planned to be a permanent solution, and a new music building located between the UT Law School and the Texas Memorial Museum was designed. Once the new music building was finished, the UJH facilities housed part of the College of Education. Later the Division for Continuing Education used the building for its Extension Materials and Instruction Center, Industrial Education Department, and Correspondence Courses Office and Film Library.
In 1991, the first state-operated childcare center for state employees opened on the UJH site, in the area formerly used as the Home Economics wing. In 1994, the UT School of Social Work relocated to the building. These occupants still utilize the facilities today. After four years in the building, the School of Social Work added its name above the main entrance, signifying its goal to remain there in the future. Although the building is surrounded by UT athletic facilities, the new label give hope that UJH will not be converted for recreational use. Since UT has recently refurbished Gregory Gymnasium, School of Social Work staff members believe that UJH will continue to be devoted to education.
As stated by Herbert LaGrone, UJH principal from 1949-1954, "UJH was a school for boys and girls who were no longer children or not yet adults, could work and play, love and hate, be thrilled and disappointed, and in general, experience the kinds of problems that they will experience as they become older." The sprawling facility on San Jacinto Street known as University Junior High School prepared thousands of Austin youths for their adult lives. Inspired by modern facilities and close ties with the University of Texas, UJH students have made an impact on the local community in Austin, and the world beyond. Although the experiment ended in 1967, the legacy of the school remains as clear as the incised letters above the main entrance. The building maintains historic integrity in its exterior appearance, location, setting and feeling. As the University Junior High School song celebrates, "In all our golden memories, a school so great, so grand, our University Junior High is the best school in the land. The truest golden memories in fond hearts never die. That's why we shall remember thee, University Junior High."
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Building Description
The University Junior High School (UJH), built in 1933 on the southeast corner of the University of Texas (UT) campus in Austin, currently holds the UT School of Social Work and the UT Child Care Center. The building is organized according to compartmentalized wings in a modified U-shaped plan, containing two main stories above a partially exposed basement. Its main elevation faces west onto San Jacinto Street and Waller Creek, and is flanked by an auditorium on the north end and a former gymnasium on the south end. Two perpendicular corridors lead east from the northern and southern sections of the main corridor. A cloister on the east side of the building, parallel to the main corridor, connects these two smaller wings. Supported by a concrete frame, the school's curtain walls are faced in buff-to-orange brick. Eclectic in style, the asymmetrical school building features Spanish Revival hipped and flat-roofed units with parapets. A boiler house built in 1956 stands on the northern section of the property in the small courtyard framed by the former Home Economics wing, classroom wing, and auditorium. As a separate building, the boiler house replaced the former boiler room south of the cafeteria in the basement, allowing for new use of that room.
At the time of construction, University Junior High School stood on a 4.5-acre lot in a residential area, south of the former Gould Street, east of Neches Street, north of the former Loomis Street, and west of the former Red River Street. A semicircular driveway connected the west entrance to San Jacinto Boulevard. Although the block immediately south of the school was cleared for playing fields, the blocks north of the building and south of the driveway were filled with homes. The closest structures on the UT campus were the Texas Memorial Stadium, located two blocks north, and Brackenridge Hall, the men's dormitory, located one block north, west of Waller Creek. Sidewalks surrounded the school, leading from the entrances to the nearby streets. Two service drives also connected the auditorium and gymnasium areas with the main roads. Oak trees adorned the property around the grand entrance stairway and in the large courtyard to the east of the building near the arcade.
The former UJH is currently surrounded by other University buildings. The former playing fields immediately south of the school have been eliminated by the erection of the Jamail Texas Swimming Center. The residential block north of the school has been replaced by UT's Moncrief-Neuhaus Athletic Center, currently under construction, and the Recreational Sports Center. Many of the surrounding streets have been renamed, and a large parking lot now connects the building to East Campus Drive and Red River Street on the east side.
Excluding the addition of parking signs, the view of the former junior high school from the west appears much as it did in the 1930s. The sidewalk leading north and south from the main entrance staircase is still separated from the building by a deteriorating low-stacked stonewall. The property now has concrete tables and benches beneath a tree on its southwest corner, encouraging students to relax in the shade. A tan brick wall aligned with landscaping separates the high grounds from the lower sidewalk along San Jacinto Street.
The building has a concrete frame, surrounded by a buff-to-orange brick veneer, supplied by the Acme Company of Elgin, Texas. The facades are embellished with stucco panels and terra cotta ornamentation, with metal framing the doors and windows. The sections of the building containing a third floor are topped by a low pitch hipped red tile roof, with a flat roof covered in tar and gravel lies above the auditorium, former gymnasiums, former locker room areas, and part of the former Home Economics wing.
In the early 1930s, shortly before Texas' centennial birthday, UT supervising architect Professor Robert Leon White suggested that consulting architect Paul Philippe Cret express the colorful history of the state in the new buildings on campus. Based upon Cass Gilbert's Renaissance, Cret effectively combined the historic flare of Spanish and French Renaissance motifs with local materials and modern functional Beaux Arts plans. UJH's design, as with other post-1917 campus buildings, was influenced by Sutton Hall, the former Education Building, with its Spanish red tile roof, random buff-to-orange brick exterior, wide cornice, arched entries and windows, and terra cotta designs. Whereas the exterior wall of Sutton Hall's bottom level is covered in limestone, University Junior High relies on an exposed concrete facing for its lower levels. UJH exhibits additional Spanish Revival characteristics not found in Sutton Hall, such as an asymmetric entrance tower and a large courtyard. Nonetheless, UJH lacks arches and the limestone veneer found in the Texas Union, Architecture Building, and former Home Economics building.
At the extreme northwest corner of the former junior high school building is the old auditorium, now called the Utopia Theater. The bottom level of its exterior is concrete, with inset horizontal lines evident, spaced six inches apart from each other. The stage is located to the north end of the building, and its property room projects forward from the main west elevation, while its dressing room projects toward the east. Since the property room is not as tall as the auditorium itself, it is clearly separated on the building's exterior from the auditorium by its own half-hipped red tile roof aligned with metal flashing. The basement level of this projection has three symmetrical windows, framed with wood painted brick red. A horizontal brick panel separates the basement from the level above, which features a vertical window between two rectangular stucco panels of similar size. Vertical brick-faced piers protrude from the edges of the wall. A plain, light-yellow cornice lies beneath the roof, as a simple ornamentation.
Slightly south of this small section is the main west facade of the auditorium. Its basement level is finished in reinforced concrete, but two windows and three sets of doors punctuate the exterior. The concrete is not completely smooth, as three horizontal indented lines pierce the facade. A protruding water table separates the concrete from the brick above. The brick section, spanning the first and second stories, has five tall vertical windows, evenly spaced. Sparsely placed above the windows are metal ventilators, and flashing brickwork adorns the auditorium's flat roof.
Since the auditorium is a symmetrical structure facing north, its east elevation mimics the west facade previously described. Slight differences in appearance are due to the grading of the land, which rises to the east. The east wall contains a door and staircase leading from the stage to the ground, and has a railing along the ground in front of the basement level. The north facade of the auditorium is symmetrical, with a central door on the lower cement level framed by pilasters and set between three windows on each side. A wooden door is centered in the upper brick section of the wall directly above the lower door. A removable low grille, forming a small balcony, originally protected this higher door but this ornamentation no longer exists. A semi-circular brick pattern above the door decorates the plain brick wall.
South of the auditorium is University Junior High School's main entrance, a focal point of the west elevation, below the building's fourth-floor tower room. A grand staircase leads down from the main entrance to a circular driveway, extending to San Jacinto Boulevard. Although a single handrail originally led from the door to the top landing, metal rails currently stand on all three levels of the cement stairs, which widen progressively as they reach the ground. The center of the landing has red brick patterned floors, which relate to the red paint around the windowsills and door frames. Cement plant holders added ornamentation to the stairs.
The entrance contains four metal-framed glass doors, with three light bulbs recessed into a projecting concrete canopy illuminating the area from above. A recent addition of brass letters between the canopy and windows above label the building "The School of Social Work." Three casement windows are placed symmetrically above the canopy, with vertical terra cotta geometric designs between, resembling sections of octagonal columns. Although the windows originally aided in the building's ventilation when opened, they are now painted shut due to the inhabitants' preference for air conditioning. Above the three windows are three vertical stucco panels of equal size. A raised brick design separates the panels from each other. The two outer panels are enhanced by terra cotta floral designs in small rectangles in their centers, while the middle panel holds a seal of the University in relief, and the words "University High School" incised below. Similar to the western facade of the auditorium, two vertical brick-covered piers protrude near the corners. A simple cornice separates the brick from the red tile roof, while brackets define the right angle.
Areas of the building have symmetrical characteristics, but the building as a whole is asymmetrical. Although the horizontal wall lying south of the main entrance is much longer than the wall to the north, the building's west facade is balanced. The basement level of the original science wing is faced in concrete, and its windows face a small concrete patio, with a painted metal railing blocking that area from the grass. The four windows towards the south of this area are glazed with frosted glass, possibly to provide additional privacy to the offices originally located within
those walls. A thick concrete cornice separates the basement level from the two levels above. The first and second stories each have ten rectangular windows, separated by raised brick vertical panels. Three repeating spandrel patterns lie between the first and second floors, including checkerboard, herringbone, and recessed vertical line styles. This wing has a red tile hipped roof, with copper dormer-shaped ventilators.
South of this section, the concrete level meets the ground, and an accessible door leads outside from the basement. Above this door is a projecting bay, containing a small frosted glass sash window. The bottom level of the west facade south of this area, contains five windows of alternating size set into the concrete. The seven small sash windows in the brick section of the first story are recessed, revealing evidence of the boys' locker room originally placed in that area. Above the second, fourth, and sixth windows are small, square terra cotta floral designs, and small copper roof ventilators remain above the third and fifth windows. Towards the parapet, a corbelled brick pattern forms a dentil course.
At the extreme south end of the building lies the former gymnasium wing. The concrete level has horizontal windows, while the large windows in the brick section are tall and vertical, which allowed natural light to penetrate the rooms during physical education classes and athletic competitions. As on the facade of the former science wing, small patterned spandrels lie above the water table, while a terra cotta scupper sits above the middle window in the center of the facade. The gymnasium also has a flat roof, but it rises beyond the parapets above the boys' and girls' locker rooms. University Junior High School's east wing contains two gymnasiums, and its south elevation repeats and elongates the pattern seen on the western facade of the boys' gymnasium, with the addition of a door and steps leading to the ground below.
The girls' locker room once occupied the eastern section of the south wing, and its facade is similar to that covering the boys' locker room, with small recessed, frosted, sashes windows with wood frames. The girls' locker area does not have a basement below, and its brick facade blends into the hillside. An additional entrance has been placed between the former girls' locker room and gymnasium area, providing access to the Social Work Building from the south side.
A red tile roof cloister leads from the south wing to the north wing of the building, enclosing a large courtyard on the east side of the former junior high school, facing Red River Street. Supported by a wooden truss, the cloister's buff-to-orange brick columns connect to low concrete walls. Metal flashing marks its roof where entrance doorways connect to the wings of the main building. This courtyard is currently used as a playground for children at the UT Child Care Center, and it holds colorful play equipment. A wire fence separates the courtyard from the land to the east, with its sharply rising slope.
The facades of the building's sections facing the courtyard repeat window patterns seen elsewhere in the building. The north facade of the building's south wing contains vertical windows for classrooms, while larger windows punctuate the walls of the girls' gymnasium. The east facade of the main wing contains classroom-sized windows, since the social science laboratory and science rooms were planned in that section. The south facade of the wider north wing, now mainly occupied by the UT Child Care Center, also has typical classroom windows.
The extreme east end of the former Home Economics wing balances the large auditorium by extending to the north of the corridor from the main section of the building. This wing lacks a basement, but has a hipped red tile roof with dormer ventilator grilles and a symmetrical east elevation. Entrance is gained through the door beneath a blue awning, centered between six classroom-sized casement windows. These windows can be opened, and are set behind painted brick red air conditioning units. Although most of the window sills are metal, those found on the slightly recessed facade outside the former dining room and living room work areas still contain wood sills. The level above contains four typical classroom-sized windows in its center, but has large horizontal stucco panels where one might expect to find additional windows. The panels add a decorative element to the facade, and aim to protect the classrooms within from the rising morning sun.
A single-story section of the building projects north from the Home Economics wing, providing additional classroom space. Typical Classroom windows appear on its north facade, featuring exterior air conditioning units. A door with transom lights and sidelights meets the ground with a small staircase leading outside from the corridor.
The west side of the former Home Economics wing consists of one brick level above a cement level. Its recessed section towards the south and its segmentation of window groupings notes the facade. Small spandrels occur below the three double windows towards the north end of this wall, but the three pairs of single windows towards the south end have no brick ornamentation. This west elevation forms a courtyard with the auditorium to the west, and a classroom wing to the south. The facades of the west and south walls repeat the typical classroom style. A boiler house erected in 1956 stands in the center of this courtyard.
While the exterior of the former University Junior High School has experienced little alteration since its construction, its interior has been remodeled to accommodate new uses. The building had minor renovations in 1956, but was closed as a junior high school in 1967 and was soon occupied by the UT Music Department. The building's first true restoration project occurred in 1969, when it became the Education Annex for the University of Texas. Later UT's Division of Continuing Education as the Extension Instruction and Materials Center, Industrial Education Department, Correspondence Courses Office and Film Library used it. In the fall of 1991 the UT Child Care Center first occupied the Home Economics wing and north wing of the building, but the next major restructuring took place in 1994 before the School of Social Work relocated to the facility. The original numbering system labeled the school's levels as the basement, first, and second stories. This has been changed under the current UT system, and the basement level is now identified as level one, the first story as level two, and the second story as level three.
The basement, now known as level one, only occupied the western section of the building, leading from north to south. The cafeteria, accessed by two wide doors, occupied the extreme north end of the basement, directly below the stage of the auditorium. Immediately south of the cafeteria, on the west side, were the kitchen and serving room. A corridor along the east side of this section led from the cafeteria to a staircase leading towards the first floor, now known as level two. According to the original plans, a boiler room separated the cafeteria from the south end of the basement, but this room changed after the construction of the boiler house in 1956.
Initially, the south section of the basement was accessed through a staircase on the east side, or the door that still leads outside the building today. Between the auto mechanics room to the south and the staircase to the north, were an office and the electrical and sheet metal room, on the basement's east side. On the west side, from south to north between the woodworking shop and the boiler room stood the mechanical drawing room, a small corridor with an entrance door, storage space, offices, and a print shop.
Today the south end of the first floor of the Social Work Building (formerly known as the basement) contains The Learning Resource Center with a computer classroom, reference room, printer room, and computer workroom. Directly north of the stairs and outside entrance, the corridor in the first level has a rubber tile ramp, and is surrounded by white-painted tile walls. Piping and plumbing systems are evident in the corridor's gray-colored ceiling, which has not been covered. West of the corridor is an area containing vending machines, student offices, restrooms and an elevator. Further north, the corridor has another ramp, leading to a small hallway towards the west side. A student lounge is located to the west, while the space formerly occupied by the cafeteria now contains the Central Duplicating offices, and mechanical and electrical rooms.
The auditorium was located at the extreme northwest corner of the second level, (formerly known as the first story). Doors opened from the building's main foyer into a smaller foyer, with steps leading towards the auditorium. The seating area was immediately ahead, with chairs facing the stage to the north. With a total capacity of five-hundred and seven occupants, the seating area was divided into three sections, with the largest area in the center, and two long sections along the east and west walls. The stage was on the north end of the auditorium, between the property room to the west and dressing rooms to the east. The projection booth was located behind the large windows facing outdoors. The ceiling featured long hanging lamps and acoustic plaster panels, decorated with a painted geometric pattern along the edges. The panels were an added expense that forced the architects to compromise and design a smaller seating area. The walls were adorned with wood wainscot, trim, and jambs. A raised grille is found on upper part of the wall to the east of the stage, revealing evidence of air conditioning in this section of the building.
The auditorium remains in its original location, but it is now known as the Utopia Theater. Currently the doors leading to the auditorium from the entrance foyer are painted gray, matching the other doors on the second level, but they retain their original kick plates, locks, and metal grilles. Beyond the doors are wooden walls and carpeted ramps, with entrances to the seating area from both sides. The floor of the stage on the north end of the building is painted black, and its front is covered with wood panels, which blend in with other parts of the room. The sides of the stage protrude forward diagonally, with the outer edges closest to the audience. Five small steps lead from the ground level to the stage. The east and west walls by the seating area are painted tan, and are partially covered by wood panels. The designs on the ceiling have been covered with paint, and the floor has been covered with gray carpet. The eight original hanging lamps remain and continue to illuminate the auditorium with the aid of additional lights projecting from the surface of the ceiling. Orange cushioned seats in two full sections, one behind the other has replaced the chairs. Groups from the UT Law School frequently use the auditorium for lectures and productions.
Immediately south of the auditorium is the main foyer, which serves as the "welcome" area. As in most of the building, the original pine block floor has been replaced with tile. The west side of the foyer contains a double set of doors, which forms a smaller entryway. Original arched niches remain in the walls on both sides of this area, and still have their small square tan tiles and black tile lining. Flat semicircular black counters fit into the niches, above heaters hidden behind detailed metal grilles. The grilles are painted gray and have intertwined floral designs similar to those found in the building's exterior terra cotta details. Similar grilles can be found near the entrance to Painter Hall, a UT building dedicated at the same time as UJH. The foyer itself is an open rectangular space, which leads to the staircase on its east side, and a long corridor on its south side.
In May of 1933, the Paul Horn Folding Partition Company of Fort Dodge, Iowa proposed folding doors. These wood folding doors are now folded against the walls, framing the entrances to the corridors. In the past, they allowed for separate use of different parts of the building. The corridor leading south from the foyer on this first level originally led to the science laboratory rooms and lecture rooms. The wide hallway was faced with tan-colored tile, but its upper portion revealed plaster. The doors leading to classrooms had windowpanes and bottom panels, as well as single transom lights above. The boys' locker room, offices, and a janitor's closet were located at the extreme south end of this hallway.
Today, classrooms still line both sides of the main hallway on the second level's west side. The tile walls have been painted white with a row of dark brown tiles lining the floor, acoustic tile panels adorn the ceiling and the doors have been painted gray. Square tiles cover the floor, except for the slanted ramps, which are covered in rubber to prevent slips. Large fabric colored bulletin boards adorns the walls, displaying posters, flyers, and artwork. In the classroom previously used as the boys' locker and shower area, knobs in the wall have been painted over, revealing remains of the former plumbing system. Other rooms in this section have been converted into seminar rooms, a conference room, and a telelearning classroom.
This hallway leads to the south wing of the building, which previously contained the boys' gymnasium at its west end. The original gymnasium floors were made of pine block, cut crosswise to form different patterns. Immediately east of the boys' gymnasium was the girls' gym, which connected to the girls' locker and shower room on its east side. On the north side of this south wing, classrooms faced the courtyard.
Today, the south wing of the Social Work Building includes an elevator, the Dean's administrative offices, a conference room, mail room, communication room, and the office of academic programs and student services towards the east end.
The northern hallway parallel to this wing originally led from the foyer area on the west to the Home Economics wing on the east side. Three classrooms were located on the south side of the hallway, facing the courtyard. The northern side of this hallway consisted of two classrooms, an office, and a restroom.
Currently, doors separate the northern hallway from the main part of the building, which belongs to the UT School of Social Work. The UT Child Care Center uses this part of the building, so two, three, and four-year-old children occupy its classrooms instead of junior high school students. Since this area does not have central air conditioning, the casement windows can be opened to allow the air to circulate.
Further east of this hallway was the Home Economics Wing, which balanced the auditorium by projecting towards the north. The area north of the corridor and outside sewing rooms, were the food laboratories, and simulated living and dining areas. Immediately south of the corridor on the side facing the courtyard was a waiting area, principal's office, restroom, conference room, experiment room and an additional office.
Now the Home Economics wing consists of a resource room, an area designated for "rainy day play," and classrooms for toddlers. The former office area near the courtyard still serves a similar purpose, with the waiting room converted to a referral desk and office of the referral manager. The corridor throughout this section has been extended from the north to the south wall, and an entrance doorway now leads outside. As a result of this change, fewer offices now occupy the south end of this section, and only a classroom for toddlers and a director's office remain. The original experiment room has been converted into two rooms, for the assistant and the room for office services.
According to original plans, only one staircase led from the second level up to the third level (formerly labeled the second level). The main staircase was located east of the second level's entry foyer, directly south of the auditorium.
A classroom stood directly above the entrance foyer on the west side of the third floor, with two classrooms adjacent. Directly across from the classrooms was the social science laboratory, a specialized room with large tables for groups of students. The corridor ended at the library, which was separated from the gymnasium to the south by the low flat roof above the boys' locker room. The library embraced the east and west sides of that hallway, offering views of the courtyard and Red River Street to the east and the University of Texas tower and state capitol to the west.
In 1948 four separate murals depicting Texas history, painted by Raymond Everett, were placed in the library, and remained there until UJH's closing.
The west section of the third floor has been modified under its current use. The area that contained the library now holds an elevator and staircase. The once-wide hallway has been divided by the addition of new bulletin board covered walls, which project forward at diagonal angles and contain smaller offices within. A bright colorful mural of contrasting themes adorns the walls of the main staircase at the north end of this hallway. The north end depicts violence and sorrow, revealing men holding guns, babies crying, a skeleton smoking, and men in jail. On the east and south walls, the painting expresses hope and optimism. In those painted scenes, children dance, a child reads, a girl frees a dove, and people hug and hold their hands high together in unity.
The wing leading east, immediately south of this staircase, was initially comprised of classrooms, an office, a restroom, and a closet. A short flight of stairs at the end of this hallway led directly to the typewriting room past the landing. The north side of the landing opened to the art room, while the south end opened to the general business area. A restroom was also located upstairs.
This wing now appears similar to the other third-floor wing, with the addition of new walls creating a narrow meandering hallway. The stairs at the east end of the hallway lead to a large foyer, with offices replacing the former rooms.
The top level of the gymnasiums at the extreme south end of the building has been converted for a new use as a third level. A new staircase has been added to the second level of the west wing, immediately before the elevator. The stairs lead up to the center for social work research and the area for rescue assistance.
The main staircase east of the foyer on the second level eventually reached a single band room on the fourth level. Located beneath the highest part of the roof, the room towers over the auditorium to its north. Currently, the room is inaccessible to visitors.
The boiler room located to the north of UJH is the only other building on the property. While it attempts to blend with the main building, its brick veneer stands out with greater color variation. The north elevation of the boiler house contains two doors, flanked by a small canopy, which meets the ground with two thin columns at its ends. The faded red painted door is set between two vertical glass windows with brick sills. Clay tile coping aligns the flat roof, while an exhaust stack is centered at the south end of the boiler room.
The exterior of the University Junior High School has experienced little alteration since the school first opened in 1933. Although the School of Social Work recently added new labels above the canopy and along the wall adjacent to the sidewalk, the incised letters above the main entrance still identifies the property as "University High School." These words remind visitors of the school's history, while recognizing necessary modifications that allow for the building's reuse.
West facade (1934)
West facade (1998)
West facade, aerial view (1998)
West facade, Auditorium (1998)
East facade (1998)
East facade, north end of courtyard (1998)
East facade (1998)
Foyer (1998)
