Library History

Searching through documents in the library archives, we have found artifacts, photographs, and articles from The Advocate that tell the story of how the library has grown from one small classroom to the beautiful, expansive facility we work in today.

We hope to digitize the materials in our files so students will have the opportunity to browse through pages from an old library handbook (created by Catherine Nicholson in September, 1948), read articles about changes made during the last 58 years, and view photos which reflect student life from the 1950’s to the present. We will also include a brief history of Hinsdale Central High School beginning with the graduating class of 1883, written by Mr. George Miller from the Business Department.

This page is a work in progress. We have invited retired teachers to help tell the story of the Hinsdale Central Library. Please let us know if you have items that may be digitized for viewing. Many students enrolled at Hinsdale Central today have relatives who attended in the past. We welcome your family’s participation in this historical project.

Famous Visitors

Dr. Preston Bradley, famous theologian, spoke February 11, 1935, at 8 p.m. His topic was Hitlerism and War.

Famous baseball player and former manager of the Chicago White Sox, Lew Fonseca, spoke about baseball on February 13, 1938.

Pulitzer Prize winning poet, Robert Frost, discussed his poetry on April 17, 1940.  He was the guest of the Junior Class.

The Harlem Globetrotters, world famous basketball team, played in the gymnasium on October 29, 1952.

World famous jazz trumpeter, Louis Armstrong, gave a concert on March 20, 1957 in the gymnasium.  This event was sponsored by the Hinsdale Youth Center.

Sir Edmund Hillary, spoke in the auditorium September 19, 1962.  Sir Hillary, a world famous explorer, is noted for his exploration of the Antarctic. 

In 1965, famous comedian, Morey Amsterdam, appeared.

Charles V. Hamilton, noted civil rights author, spoke in the auditorium March 4, 1969, on Black Power in America.

Geraldine Ferraro, Democratic Vice Presidential Candidate spoke in the gymnasium as a part of an Eleanor Roosevelt Centennial Celebration on October 12, 1985.  Also speaking was Julianna Roosevelt, great-grandaughter of Eleanor and Franklin Roosevelt.

From the Archives

In 1935, after a several years, Depression-related hiatus, a school newspaper returned to Hinsdale Township High School. The following are a few bits of news from Volume One of The High Times, predecessor of today’s Devil’s Advocate.

A pep rally was held October 4, 1935, with band and chorus on hand. The light weight and heavy weight squads demonstrated in full regalia. The Old Oaken Bucket, prepared by our school’s Manual Training Department, was shown for the first time. The idea was to encourage good sportsmanship.

The high school Parent-Teacher Association will sponsor a card party at the gymnasium on November 6, to raise money to benefit the school. Contract and auction bridge, 500, and keno will be played.

A new teacher, Mr. L. M. Collins was hired to teach the new course, Introduction to Business, in the Commercial Department.