Alumni group launches scholarship fund drive

August 26, 2009

Alumni of the former Central and Courter Tech high schools in Clifton have launched a scholarship fund for students at the institution that now occupies the site, Cincinnati State Technical and Community College.

Members of the Central High/Courter Tech Alumni Group (an affiliate of the Cincinnati State Alumni Association) gathered today at Cincinnati State to announce details of efforts to raise money for the project. Those efforts include a founding contribution from Central High alum Gus Perdikakis, the 1962 class president.

The alumni group, which includes musician Bootsy Collins and former Cincinnati Reds great Dave Parker (both members of the Courter Tech class of 1970), is also planning to host a fund-raising dance at Cincinnati State starting at 7:30 p.m. on Sept. 19. The dance will feature tunes chosen by the Music Doctor. Tickets will be $25 per individual, $45 a couple, with hors d’oeurves provided and a cash bar. Parking is free.

According to records on view in a display case in the Main Building at Cincinnati State, Central High School was in operation from 1953 to 1966 and represented an effort to consolidate technical education offerings at several Cincinnati Public School buildings, as well as academic courses.

From 1966 to 1974 the building was called Claude V. Courter Technical High School, and in 1966 Cincinnati Public Schools began offering post-secondary technical education classes at a portion of the site known as the Cincinnati Cooperative School of Technology. It became a state-affiliated institution known as Cincinnati Technical Institute in 1969, and Courter Tech was phased out in 1974.

Anyone interested in purchasing tickets for the Sept. 19 fund-raising scholarship dance may contact Carolemarie Stock in the Cincinnati State Alumni Office at 3520 Central Parkway, Cincinnati, OH, 45223, 513-569-1236 or carolmarie.stock@cincinnatistate.edu. Make checks out to the Cincinnati State Alumni Association.