Before World War II, if you weren’t going for a four-year college degree, a few private colleges and trade schools offered alternatives. Many private schools closed during the Great Depression.
Spokane’s community college system took root just before World War II.
Spokane Trade School was established in July 1940 with a $70,000 state grant. A former North Central shop teacher, Edward J. Griffin, was the principal. There were 1,500 students signed up by Thanksgiving of that year, including 300 servicemen who were taking classes related to their military specialties.
The Spokane school district would oversee the classes, which were held at the former Hawthorne Elementary and wherever space was
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