In 1943, a little-known photographer Esther Bubley entered Woodrow Wilson High School and captured exactly what life was like at the time. In the collection, which can be found on the Library of Congress website, she encapsulated the fashion, architecture, and people of Wilson in the 40s.
In the 1940s, when she was most active, Bubley defied the norm of photography by capturing the mundane of everyday life. She did just that at the young Woodrow Wilson High School, where she tailed students Walter Spangenburg and Sally Dessez. Bubley also caught early glimpses of The Beacon as she followed English teacher Norma Kale to her home where pioneering staff members of the paper congregated.
Spangenburg was the perfect student: captain of the Cadet Corps, first seat in the orchestra, and taking flight lessons at the nearby Stevens Airport in Hansonville, Maryland. After graduating, Spangenburg spent three years at the Naval Academy. After two years as a cruiser deck and engineering officer, he entered the US Navy. Spangenburg served in missions in the Korean and Vietnam Wars and retired thereafter.
Dessez was a popular girl. She played sports in physical education class (a trend gaining popularity at the time), enjoyed spending time with friends, and practiced piano in the sanctuary of her home. After graduation, she attended George Washington University. Dessez spent the rest of her life in DC, summering in Stone Harbor, New Jersey, where she was an active member of the yacht club. She was happily married for 45 years and passed away at 69 years old on October 14, 1995.
Not only did Bubley capture the daily endeavors of students, she also captured a longgone tradition: the regimental ball. Following a competitive football game that much of the student body attended to root on the Tigers, students prepared for the dance dressing in their finest gowns and tuxedos and gathering under the watchful (yet judgemental) eye of their teachers in late October. Sound familiar? It’s now known as homecoming.
The history of our school runs deep. Tens of thousands of students have walked the halls, each leading their lives in different directions. So much is in store for you, just the same as there was for these young students in 1943.
