A lot has happened in the half-century that Air Academy High School has been open. If you’re anything like me, it’s crazy to think that the students who went to Air Academy over 50 years ago walked the same halls we do today. I tend to wonder what it was like to be a student at Air Academy in the early years. After digging through old yearbooks and studying the Air Academy museum, here’s what I found:

The Carlton Mansion

Air Academy High School opened on September 3, 1957. For the first year, the school was located in the Carlton Mansion. The mansion was built in 1931 by Mr. and Mrs. Carlton and had 15 rooms; 8 of which were used for classes. The property was given to the school board for free because it had been unused. The School started as both a junior high and high school (grades 7-12). During the first year, Air Academy consisted of a principal, nine teachers and staff, and 132 students. In the year of 1958, nine of the 132 students graduated from Air Academy High School. The following year, Air Academy was moved to its current building.

Classes

The students at Air Academy were required to take English, social studies, science, and math in grades 7-9. Students also had the opportunity to take electives, which included speech, business, instrumental music, home economics, and industrial arts. There were 6, 55 minute periods every day with a 5 minute passing period between each. Instead of bells, the superintendent would bang on a trash can lid when class started. The kitchen of the mansion was used as a cafeteria and the pantry was used as the library.

Sports

Despite the small class sizes, Air Academy managed to have teams in football, basketball, and track. In the early years of Air Academy, the football team used discarded uniforms and shared 11 helmets. As for the basketball team, practices were held in a gravel parking lot. Luckily for the track team, they were given permission to use the Air Force Academy’s facilities. Most of the students had never played an organized sport before, so some of the teams struggled, in the beginning, to make themselves known. In the first season, the football team only played three games; one against Manitou, Cheyenne Mountain, and Widefield. They beat Manitou but lost to Cheyenne Mountain and Widefield. The basketball team won 8 of their 19 games and ended their season with a dance. Although girls weren’t involved in athletics at the time, sports were a big part of Air Academy and continue to be today.

Prom

The junior and senior prom was the highlight of the first year. The Prom occurred in May at the school itself. Its theme was “Stairway to the Stars” and the classrooms were turned into “heaven.” The banquet before the dance was held in the dining room followed by a dance in the grand Salon. According to the yearbook, the night “will long be remembered by all who attended.”

The Jetstream Journal!

The Jetstream Journal has been around ever since the opening of Air Academy. Instead of publishing twice a month electronically, the Jetstream Journal was published four times a year. It was printed on 5-7 pages of standard typing paper.

Other interesting facts

• Students loved to square dance.
• Student council selected the school’s colors and mascot. They selected the Kadet to differentiate the students from the Cadets.
• The first yearbook was named Vapor Trails which still appears on our yearbooks today.
• Every Friday there was an activity period the last hour of the day. In this time, students enjoyed clubs, got extra help on work, and socialized.
• Cheerleading consisted of four girls who called themselves “Kadet Girls.”
• During the first year, the band had 14 members; 3 trombones, 3 trumpets, 2 saxophones, 4 clarinets, 1 flute, and 1 drum.