President Lyndon B. Johnson seen in Tennessee in 1964

November 1964

Many people go their whole lives without seeing one of the Presidents of the United States. In October of 1964, roughly 35,000 people had the privilege of seeing President Lyndon B. Johnson give a speech at Lovell Field. The audience was made up of many young people who listened to the 20 minute speech. During the speech, Johnson shared his views on foreign policy, the Tennessee Valley Authority, and encouraged people to vote in the upcoming election. In 2020, an election is taking place within the next few months. Central students that turn 18 before November are encouraged to vote.

Students Identify Neglected Responsibilities

November 1964

After the first nine weeks of the 1964-65 school year, students realized they were not where they needed to be academically. Receiving low first quarter grades made many students aware that they were only completing the minimum amount of work on their assignments. A Central Digest staff member in 1964 wrote “Too many students work only for a passing grade and do just enough to get by…” This relates to many students today as the first few weeks of school are ending, and students may find themselves in a similar predicament

Survey Shows Student Activities outside of school

March 1965

A survey conducted by the Digest showed that students spent a lot of time doing things outside of school. For girls, the most common activities were watching television and talking on the telephone. According to the survey, girls claim to have spent an average of eight hours watching television and six hours on the telephone per week. For boys, television was also ranked in the top, averaging ten hours a week. Alongside that, boys claim to spend an average of ten hours working per week. The survey concluded that students spend roughly 30 hours on out of school activities each week. If students spend an average of 45 hours travelling to and attending school and an average of 36 hours sleeping, this leaves them with few hours for other activities for essentials such as eating, as well as other hobbies.

An Accident Thankfully Leaves Staff and Students Unharmed

April 1965

Fifty-five years ago, a section of plaster fell from the ceiling of Central High School. This accident occurred during the break between third and fourth period while students were in the hallway. Thankfully, no one was injured. An eye-witness claimed that when she saw it occur, she sprung into action, “Dropping my books, I ran to the north end of the floor and helped a boy away from the scene.” According to the administration, the students acted in a mature manner during and after the incident.

A Central Junior Became a Hero

April 1965

When a Central junior, named Chuck, was enjoying a drink at a cafe, a lady ran in saying she needed help. She claimed that a man in a car down the street was having a heart attack. Chuck quickly got up to see if he could help. When he got to the scene, he smelt something unusual. Chuck loosened the man’s tie and helped him breathe. The unusual smell was carbon dioxide, which caused the man, Dr. Fox, to blackout in his vehicle.

Many aspects of Central High School’s history, including past physical copies of the Central Digest can be found at the Preservation of Chattanooga Central website.