During the Cold War, students participated in civil defense drills that followed the advent of atomic and then nuclear weapons.

In a photo dated December 12, 1961 that appeared in the Philadelphia Evening Bulletin, students at Conshohocken Elementary School are shown running home from school as part of Operation Run.

According to the Bulletin’s description of the photo, civil defense and school authorities sought to determine how long it took each child to run home from school. Parents were asked to complete a form with the time.

Anyone remember doing this?

Photo: Courtesy of the Special Collections Research Center. Temple University Libraries. Philadelphia, PA. You can view the collection here.