Wadsworth's history goes back over a hundred years to the time of it being a two room school in a frame building. A large brick building called the Woodlawn School burned in 1917 and was replaced by Wadsworth, named for the realtor -donor of the site. In 1955 and 1963, additions were made.
     October 28, 1963, marked the division of the schools into an elementary school with kindergarten through sixth grade and a upper grade center taking seventh and eight graders from Carnegie, Dumas, Scott, Tesla and Wadsworth Elementary. Wadsworth's combined schools had approximately 2360 pupils. There were separate staffs.
     When the 1963 addition opened, numbers were reduced to the city average of thirty-two plus and the adding of divisions to provide special two art teachers, a music teacher and a girls' home economics shop was effected. Plans were under way to add a second shop for girls and two for boys.
     The school newspaper, The Wadsworth Review, won the Medalist Award of the Columbia Press Association during the past two years and Certificates of Awards from the local Educational Press Association.
     Democratic methods and procedures were circulated by the Student Council which worked with representatives from both schools.
     Patrols and monitors operated as an active club in the school, presenting colors at all assemblies as well as contributing to safety and order in the school area.
     At Wadsworth Upper Grade Center, the staff was pleased with the effort put forth instilling in their pupils a desire for learning. (Theirs was considered a culturally deprived area.) The staff was organized into departments for the improvement of instruction; the selection and use of materials of instruction ; the exchange of ideas, the more efficient selection and use of audio-visual aids, field trips, demonstrations and assemblies.
     Their philosophy was to remember the dignity and worth of the individual and to do all they could to promote his learning. Because of their high transiency, this was trying, difficult and not too rewarding. To implement their work with the slow individuals in the classroom during the regular day, they used the help of the more able students in the class and used individualized reading materials at high interest but low reading levels, so that youngsters may progress at their own pace without frustration. After school they conducted remedial reading classes two nights a week for the pupils of average intelligence who were a year or more below expected grade level. In addition to this, in spaces both at the Boys' Club, across the street from the school, and at the University of Chicago during hours after school and on Saturday, about one-hundred-fifty of their pupils participated in a tutorial program conducted by University of Chicago students. Pupils, who did this voluntarily and with parental permission, were selected and recommened by the adjustment counselor.
     What thet felt was the greatest need for improvement in their school was the sifting out of potential failures, giving them help and additional attention needed through smaller classes and gifted teachers. They had begun on this with the groups in rooms 316 and 317, but coordinated their efforts with those of the contributing schools.