Wallace Wally M Ginn

Emmie Lou Ginn was born in Uckfield, Sussex, England, and immigrated to Canada with her family in 1905. She met her husband, Carl, while attending Barnes Business College where he was a teacher. She was most active in the community- serving as President of the Columbian P.T. A., Co-President of the Skinner P.T.A., and Chairwoman for Publicity of the Denver County P.T.A. She was also a member of the Board of Directors of the Colorado Crippled Children’s Society; President of the Women of St. John’s; and a member of the alpha Kappa Psi Mothers. She supported the activities at North High including teaching dancing with Carl to a group of North High students to prepare them for the Senior Prom.

Carl L. Ginn was born in Los Angeles, California, and moved to North Denver when he was six. The family lived in a rental near the present North High. He recalls watching the excavation for the building of North High. Carl’s career as an administrator in the Denver Public Schools spanned forty-two years. He began his career as a teacher at West High School, later serving as Boys’ Advisor at Morey Junior High School. He was subsequently Principal of Smiley Junior High School, and completed his career as Principal of Merrill Junior High school.

Carl served as an usher at St. John’s Cathedral for twenty-three years, and was a member of the Executive Board of Directors of the Boy Scouts of Denver for eighteen years. He was active in the Masonic Order, and was a 32nd Degree Mason. He quit school during World War I to serve in the Navy. He was a gun pointer of the forward turret on the U.S.S. Oregon. He returned to North High to complete requirement for his high school diploma.

Carl supported North High activities including one year taking 16mm motion pictures of North football games which were processed in time to be shown the following Friday night at the Federal Theatre.

Wally Ginn was born in Denver in 1926. He attended neighborhood schools, graduating from North High on D-Day (June 6, 1944). He was drafted into the Army of the United States, and spent the next several months training to be a radar mechanic. Shortly after the dropping of the second atomic bomb, and the surrender of Japan, Wally was sent overseas as a replacement of the 313th Bombardment Wing (VH) a B-29 unit attached to the 20th Air Force. Wally was appointed Wing Personnel Sergeant Major. The wing was originally based on Tinian, but later transferred to the 13th Air Force at Clark Field in the Philippines.

After his discharge from the army, Wally matriculated at the University of Denver, graduating in 1951 with a Bachelor of Arts Degree. He earned a Master of Arts Degree from the University of Colorado in 1959.

Wally’s teaching career began at Morey Junior High School, and continued at Hill Junior High School. In 1959, Wally accepted a teaching assignment in England with Department of Defense Dependents’ Schools. He taught in Germany and England for D.O.D.D.S. until he retired in 1986. Since then he has volunteered at North High.