After serving in Germany during WWII as a Lieutenant in the army, Aaron Cornelius Wade became a pioneer in the California Interscholastic Federation Southern Section as a football coach. Aaron Wade moved to Centennial High School in 1953 and became the head football coach when the school opened. He was the first black head football coach in an integrated school in the United States and the first in the California State CIF. He also became the first black Department Chairperson in Southern California. He served as the football coach at Centennial High School for 14 years and was League Champion 12 of those years. He took his teams to the CIF-SS Championship game 3 times and was crowned CIF-SS Football Champions in 1954. Coach Wade’s star running back in 1965 was Mickey Cureton. His overall record was 99 wins 36 losses and 5 titles. in 1955 during his second season he was honored as the coach of the South Team in the annual East–West Shrine Game, a postseason college football all-star game that has been played annually since 1925.  Born in Beaumont, Texas on September 24, 1924. He passed away on March 21, 2003. (ref; CIF SS- 62nd historical “tidbit.” Dr. John S. Dahlem)