A Bit About Central High School "Salemite" Yearbooks & Periodicals/Newspapers

During the early years (1930s) of Purdys Central High School, "The Salemite" was a quarterly periodical (newspaper and literary magazine) published during the school year by students and faculty. What has been variously called "Issue 4", "Number 4", "Senior Issue", "Commencement Issue" or "Commencement Number", usually published in June of the school year, was generally focused on the senior class - what eventually evolved into the annual yearbook as we know it today. Both the newspaper periodical and the yearbook kept the same name until 1962 when it appears that the newspaper became known as "The Clarion".

Once-a-year, picture-filled, senior-oriented "Salemite yearbooks" became the norm by the mid-to-late 1930s. This change becomes obvious in 1936 when photography played a much larger role in the annual senior (June) issue. In the late 1950s and early 1960s I recall seeing and reading the separate Salemite "newspaper". An example and a very professional looking issue was produced by the Class of 1957 (shown here). Alternately, "mimeographed" versions were also published as evidenced by the June, 1958 issue shown in the following web pages, and by the class of 1962 publication also shown on this website.

I am sure there were many other issues beyond what this website contains. All available samples have a "Volume & Number" identification scheme - "Volume" relates to the publication/class year, and "Number" indicates that there were up to 4 published per year.

If you have or know of any Salemite publications that you would like to share on this website, and consequently preserve for history, please select the "CONTACT" menu item, above.

Pier "Peter" Guidi, '62
Website editor, Nov. 2013