Mechanic Art's High School was a high school in Saint Paul, Minnesota, which operated from 1911 to 1976. The school was part of the

Saint Paul Public Schools Saint Paul Public Schools (SPPS) is a school district (ISD #625) that operates in Saint Paul, Minnesota. Saint Paul Public Schools is the state's largest school district and serves approximately 38,380 students. The district runs 67 different sc ...

district. Located near the Rondo neighborhood, it was a prominent school for Saint Paul's black students.

History

Started as the Manual Training Program at St. Paul High School in 1886, the program moved to the former Madison Elementary School building as Mechanical Arts High School. Land was purchased in 1907 for the new Mechanic Arts High School building, and construction was completed in 1911. The former locations land was sold and the building demolished in 1914 as part of the construction of the

Minnesota Historical Society Building The Minnesota Judicial Center, adjacent to the State Capitol, houses the state's Supreme Court and Court of Appeals, as well as the Workers' Compensation Court of Appeals and the state law library. Its address is 25 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, J ...

(renamed the Minnesota Judicial Center in 1992). In 1929, land was purchased for a new gym addition that was completed in 1930. MinnesotaJudicialCenter

Due to a declining student population and the integration of schools, the last graduating class was in 1976 with the remaining students being consolidated between Washington Tech High School and Central High School. The building was used to house the Open School as well as the learning centers, which was developed to integrate the student populous. These programs continued until the building was demolished in 1980.

Notable alumni

* Ray Jerome Baker, photographer and filmmaker * Horace LaBissoniere, American football player and Minnesota politician *

Harry Blackmun Harry Andrew Blackmun (November 12, 1908 – March 4, 1999) was an American lawyer and jurist who served as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from 1970 to 1994. Appointed by Republican President Richard Nixon, Blac ...

, United States Supreme Court Justice *

Milton Halberstadt Milton Halberstadt (1919–2000) was a US photographer in fine art and commercial photography who left a body of work covering genres from abstract art to commercial photography. Early life and education Halberstadt grew up in Boston, Massachuset ...

, photographer"Oral history interview with Ernst Halberstadt, 1979 Feb. 16"
Smithsonian Institution, Reference Department, Archives of American Art, Washington. D.C. *

Arthur T. Gibbons Arthur Thomas Gibbons Sr. (February 2, 1903 – April 19, 1986) was an American businessman and politician. Gibbons was born in Oelwein, Iowa and he moved with his family to Saint Paul, Ramsey County, Minnesota in 1903. Gibbons graduated from ...

, Minnesota legislator * Phoebe Omlie,early female aviatorAlt URL
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Ervin Harold Schulz Ervin Harold Schulz (April 21, 1911 – February 25, 1978) was an American newspaper editor, businessman, and politician. Schulz was born in Mankato, Blue Earth, Minnesota. He lived in Saint Paul, Minnesota and went to the Saint Paul Mechanic A ...

, Minnesota legislator * Mabel Seeley, mystery writer *

Stanford J. Shaw Stanford Jay Shaw (5 May 1930 – 16 December 2006) was an American historian, best known for his works on the late Ottoman Empire, Turkish Jews, and the early Turkish Republic. Shaw's works have been criticized for their lack of factual accurac ...

, historianProfile of Prof. Shaw
.

Bilkent University Bilkent University ( tr, Bilkent Üniversitesi) is a private university located in Ankara, Turkey. It was founded by Prof. İhsan Doğramacı in 1984, with the aim of creating a center of excellence in higher education and research. It is constan ...

. Accessed 9 June 2011. * Joe Shiely Sr, construction contractor * William Bushnell Stout, automotive and aviation engineer * Roy Wilkins, civil rights activist *

Fredrick Arthur Willius Fredrick Arthur Willius (November 24, 1888 – October 19, 1972) was an American research cardiologist and medical historian who was the founding director of the Cardiology section at the Mayo Clinic. Life Early life and education Fredrick ...

, cardiologist

Notable teachers

* Mary Colter, architect and designer

References

{{Reflist Defunct schools in Minnesota High schools in Saint Paul, Minnesota Public high schools in Minnesota 1886 establishments in Minnesota 1976 disestablishments in Minnesota Educational institutions established in 1886 Saint Paul Public Schools