East Junior (the original name) was built in 1972 to lighten the overcrowded conditions at North Junior and Central Junior High Schools. The first faculty meeting was held at Thompson Retreat Center because the final inspection had not been done and no one was allowed into the building. When the school first opened, the lunchroom was called the Great Hall and the bathrooms were called Comfort Stations. Male students were sometimes trained to be “servers” for events such as the Appreciation Dinner, for which they dressed in the red vests handsewn by East Junior mothers.
SCHOOL AWARDS: Vikings Missouri Gold Star School: 1987 U. S. Blue Ribbon School: 1987 Missouri School of Character: 2022 National School of Character: 2022
TRIVIA:
School’s first mascot was a golden eagle and colors were red and gold.
In 1989, East was selected a “Gold All State Honor Council” at the Association of Student Councils.
East Junior celebrated their 15th anniversary by selling cookbooks. There were over 300 recipes from parents, students, staff and celebrities such as President and Mrs. Reagan, Missouri Lieutenant Governor, the St. Louis County Executive, and the Mayor of St. Louis.