GRANITE CITY – The memories captured in Granite City High School’s newspaper, “Granite High World,” during the years of 1935-1953 have now been found, digitized and made publicly available thanks to a collaborative effort among the Six Mile Regional Library District (SMRLD), Granite City High School Media Center Librarian Paul Macios, and Madison Historical: The Online Encyclopedia and Digital Archive for Madison County, Illinois.
Assisting in the effort was the innovative digital repository management team of Madison Historical, including Southern Illinois University Edwardsville College of Arts and Sciences’ Department of Historical Studies professor Jason Stacy, PhD, and associate professor Jeffrey Manuel, PhD, and faculty emeritus and former interim chancellor Stephen Hansen, PhD, along with graduate students Brendon Floyd, Lesley Thomson and Kelli West, and developer and alumnus Ben Ostermeier.
“We are excited to have the opportunity to help the Six Mile Regional Library digitize these important documents,” said Stacy. “The “Granite High World” provides a snapshot of Granite City high school students in the midst of one of the country’s most historically significant eras, including the Great Depression, the Second World War and the earliest years of the Cold War.”
Approximately 100 years of Granite City High School yearbooks are available online at history.smrld.org/yearbooks. Previously, the 1931-1953 editions were unavailable. Now, 18 volumes spanning the 1935-36 school year to the 1955-56 school year are available, too, at Madison-historical.siue.edu/archive/collections/show/10.
The SMRLD is still searching for information regarding senior photos/yearbooks for 1931-1934. Additionally, it is missing physical yearbooks for the years 1912, 1921-24, 1926 and 2010. If anyone has information regarding copies of the missing years, contact the SMRLD Research Team at 618-452-6238, extension 730 or RT@smrld.org.
Madison Historical: The Online Encyclopedia and Digital Archive for Madison County, Illinois is publicly available for use in research, teaching and private study. It documents, preserves and shares the rich history of Madison County, Illinois and is coordinated by the Department of Historical studies at SIUE.
Central to SIUE’s exceptional and comprehensive education, the College of Arts and Sciences offers degree programs in the natural sciences, humanities, arts, social sciences, and communications. The College touches the lives of all SIUE students helping them explore diverse ideas and experiences, while learning to think and live as fulfilled, productive members of the global community. Study abroad, service-learning, internships, and other experiential learning opportunities better prepare SIUE students not only to succeed in our region’s workplaces, but also to become valuable leaders who make important contributions to our communities.
