I was in Chem-Bio at Cass Tech in the 70's. You cannot imagine how impressive that school was back in the day. It brings back so many memories. I would ride two city buses every weekday to and from school, but it was worth it.
From a visual art graduate of 1965... many thanks! Room 622, before which you briefly stopped, was my home for 2 years. Its reigning art teacher, Mr. Leonard Johnson baptized me in the waters of art and visual culture Thank you for making this final tour on my behalf! A.T.
My Dad (1923 - 1984) went to Cass Tech. He was a fine arts major. Ended up being a principal in various Detroit elementary schools; in the late 1960s he worked in the W. Bloomfield School District. Thanks so much for posting. I love the 6th floor tour; kept imaging my Dad walking through the halls.
I only went to Cass Tech for one semester from 1969 to 70 then transferred to Northern High where I graduated in 1972. I remember at least once or twice a week my friend and I would sneak out of class, walk aside the John C Lodge side street and go to White Castle. I remember the Black Panthers used to have gatherings on the football field. But joining never interested me. I was in the Junior ROTC as well. One time I remember the principal called me to his office and excoriated me about my low grades (I ended up going to summer school to make them up - had to. He gave me an ultimatum. Either pass them all or get expelled. I passed all of them but left anyway) then something came up about my ROTC uniform and I said to him "I ain't got no dye." That ticked them off because he repeated what I said the same way I said it; ebonics and all. Guess he said it like that to say 'how in the world did I get into Cast Tech?' We had a pretty nice basketball team. The only players name I remember was one of the guards whose name was Larry Scott. Seems like every highschool team had a player named either Larry Scott or Joe Johnson or Jackson on their team. Can't remember the other guard's name. He was a fairly light-skinned fella about 5 10' or 11.' Nowadays they talk about how all basketball players need to know how to shoot the floater as if Tony Parker invented it; but this guy shot almost nothing but floaters about 10-15 feet from the basket. I remember once we had to draw the inside of the engineering shop. I remember guys were walking around with paper and pencil looking up at the walls, the floor and the ceiling with red pipes going across it and drawing. I remember thinking "what in the heck are they doing?" Obviously I flunked that course. I didn't know what I was doing then and still wouldn't know how to do it today. The shop teacher's name was Mister Weiss. I know this is rather long but this is just some of my experiences at Cass Tech. "Stop look and listen we're Mighty Technicians!"
Thank you! Didn't hear what year you graduated, or your name. I was from the class of '83, but moved to Arizona, Science and Arts. So good to see the old halls and classrooms, even in its final form.
I live in a castle that stood abandoned for 40 years in the middle of a city. It barely needed any attention when I moved in. What kind of people would do such a thing to a nice school like that.
Yea, class of 1982 Architecture Civil Construction Technology (ACCT). I learned a lot about myself at Cass🤔 Ended up getting several General Studies, Liberal Arts, and Business degrees🤔 Had a Japanese Professor in college who was shocked that an African American man could be so serious about his studies. I got a 4.0 in his class🤔
It needed updating in every mechanical category, roof windows doors; it needed to made energy efficient. It was 1920 energy efficient. Can you imagine trying to renovate that massive structure? And what else is hiding behind the walls? An electrician/ plumber would charge MORE to renovate that building then to plumb/rewire a new structure. That's why no one wanted to buy it after its a money pit. A shame it had to go sure, but financially it was doomed to the claw.
I was in Chem-Bio at Cass Tech in the 70's. You cannot imagine how impressive that school was back in the day. It brings back so many memories. I would ride two city buses every weekday to and from school, but it was worth it.
From a visual art graduate of 1965... many thanks!
Room 622, before which you briefly stopped, was my home for 2 years. Its reigning art teacher, Mr. Leonard Johnson baptized me in the waters of art and visual culture
Thank you for making this final tour on my behalf!
A.T.
My Dad (1923 - 1984) went to Cass Tech. He was a fine arts major. Ended up being a principal in various Detroit elementary schools; in the late 1960s he worked in the W. Bloomfield School District. Thanks so much for posting. I love the 6th floor tour; kept imaging my Dad walking through the halls.
Thank you for the memories! How true! Class of 1975!
It's always bittersweet to see the ruins but the memories are preserved forever. Class of '87, Commercial Art. The 6th floor was my home!
What a walk down memory lane. Class of 1970 No school like Cass anywhere
I only went to Cass Tech for one semester from 1969 to 70 then transferred to Northern High where I graduated in 1972. I remember at least once or twice a week my friend and I would sneak out of class, walk aside the John C Lodge side street and go to White Castle. I remember the Black Panthers used to have gatherings on the football field. But joining never interested me. I was in the Junior ROTC as well.
One time I remember the principal called me to his office and excoriated me about my low grades (I ended up going to summer school to make them up - had to. He gave me an ultimatum. Either pass them all or get expelled. I passed all of them but left anyway) then something came up about my ROTC uniform and I said to him "I ain't got no dye." That ticked them off because he repeated what I said the same way I said it; ebonics and all. Guess he said it like that to say 'how in the world did I get into Cast Tech?'
We had a pretty nice basketball team. The only players name I remember was one of the guards whose name was Larry Scott. Seems like every highschool team had a player named either Larry Scott or Joe Johnson or Jackson on their team. Can't remember the other guard's name. He was a fairly light-skinned fella about 5 10' or 11.'
Nowadays they talk about how all basketball players need to know how to shoot the floater as if Tony Parker invented it; but this guy shot almost nothing but floaters about 10-15 feet from the basket.
I remember once we had to draw the inside of the engineering shop. I remember guys were walking around with paper and pencil looking up at the walls, the floor and the ceiling with red pipes going across it and drawing. I remember thinking "what in the heck are they doing?" Obviously I flunked that course. I didn't know what I was doing then and still wouldn't know how to do it today. The shop teacher's name was Mister Weiss. I know this is rather long but this is just some of my experiences at Cass Tech.
"Stop look and listen we're Mighty Technicians!"
Thank you! Didn't hear what year you graduated, or your name. I was from the class of '83, but moved to Arizona, Science and Arts. So good to see the old halls and classrooms, even in its final form.
Alex.. Class of 1981...my classmate!
He is so correct What a wonderful high school experience!!!!
I live in a castle that stood abandoned for 40 years in the middle of a city. It barely needed any attention when I moved in. What kind of people would do such a thing to a nice school like that.
Last class was in 2005? Wtf?! What kind of building goes to hell that quickly?
My classmate Alex guiding the tour! CT '81
Tearing down the original Cass Tech building was a crime! CT was THE best high school ever.
me-- P.A. class of 1983 --thanks for the clip!
Even though I don't live in Detroit or USA, it still sucks to see it go.
Remember the old elevators with a woman who would operate them manually!
Yes ❤❤
why did they close it in the first place
Building maintenance failing & lack of enrollment
Class of 1991 here
So wait... the ceiling on the earlier part of this video was
two stories high??
suzukir123 the building had 8 floors
Do you know if the letterpress stuff was still in there?
Yea, class of 1982 Architecture Civil Construction Technology (ACCT). I learned a lot about myself at Cass🤔 Ended up getting several General Studies, Liberal Arts, and Business degrees🤔 Had a Japanese Professor in college who was shocked that an African American man could be so serious about his studies. I got a 4.0 in his class🤔
It needed updating in every mechanical category, roof windows doors; it needed to made energy efficient. It was 1920 energy efficient. Can you imagine trying to renovate that massive structure? And what else is hiding behind the walls? An electrician/ plumber would charge MORE to renovate that building then to plumb/rewire a new structure. That's why no one wanted to buy it after its a money pit. A shame it had to go sure, but financially it was doomed to the claw.
Scumbag electricians I've seen it a thousand times. They aren't so high and mighty as they think
He’s from the Class of 1981. My sister’s classmate😉
why the hell did a city that is broke build a state of the art new cass tech if this one was just fine
How did you guys get in?
well people break in and steal things and make a mess
Rock that '78
the letter press stuff is still in there. The VANDERCOOK presses are still in there. Pity. Pity. Waste!
C/o '02'!
CT!
they built a new one calm down
He did a HORRIBLE job with the camera.