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OGDEN — A multimillion-dollar campaign to preserve the historic Ogden High School hit a major milestone Wednesday night. The newly restored auditorium was shown off to a full house.
In the midst of the Great Depression, a community came together to build the nation's first $1-million high school. So far, alumni from the school have raised nearly $9 million to keep this building looking the way they remember it.
"There is no other high school, I think in the United States, that has the glory that this building has," says Alan Hall, co-chairman of the Restore Ogden High campaign.
Its unique art-deco look made it stand out and still does. The auditorium once served the whole city of Ogden. Today, some would say it looks better than new.
"The auditorium still looks the same to me, but that's been a long time ago," Hall said Wednesday. "Tonight it glistens, it glows; it's magnificent."
He says these marble halls are filled with generations of memories. "My favorite memory happens to be around some of the pretty girls that were here. And now I still see them and think of them as 18 years old."
An alumnus himself, Lt. Gov. Greg Bell attended Wednesday's event. He said this one-of-a-kind school represents history for both Ogden High School grads and the state of Utah.
"I graduated; my parents, all my brothers and sisters (graduated from Ogden High). Even back then, we knew this was a stunning building," Bell said.
Now it's preserved for many more generations, thanks to a community that wouldn't let go.
"When you think about the energy and effort of a community like Ogden to do this, it's remarkable," Hall said.
In order to complete the historical renovations, the Restore Ogden High group is looking for another $200,000 in donations. About $70 million was covered in a bond, approved by voters to make structural improvements.
Email: manderson@ksl.com