Place
Thomas Jefferson High School
Located near the Central Avenue jazz scene, Thomas Jefferson High School was responsible for nurturing some of Los Angeles' most accomplished jazz musicians.
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This exquisite聽Streamline Moderne school was designed聽by the noted architectural firm of Morgan, Walls, and Clements. Notable features include the horizontal banding, rounded corners, and distinctive聽鈥淏roadway Script鈥 lettering.
Built as a replacement for an earlier聽Colonial Revival聽style high school campus in 1936, Thomas Jefferson High School served a聽primarily African聽American student body聽and had a dedicated corps of African聽American teachers, some of whom were nationally recognized educators. The original facility opened聽in 1916, making it the fourth oldest public high school in Los Angeles.聽
The school's聽proximity to the Central Avenue jazz scene, which peaked in the 1930s,聽meant that聽an impressive number of graduates went on to become renowned jazz musicians and performers.聽
