Abilene High School - Orange and Brown Yearbook (Abilene, KS)

Page 14 text:

l 1 I i' 4 Board of Education U. YV. TAYLOR H. A. SNIDER S. R. HELLER H. VV. KEEL YV, C. GRIGG L. B. STANTZ O CHANGE was made in the membership of the Board of Education this year. Those on the board are: President C. W. Taylor, H. A. Snider, H. W. Keel, S. R. Heller, W. C. Grigg, L. B. Stantz. Laura Coulson, Supt. F. C. Gardner's secretary, is clerk. A committee on Buildings and Grounds is composed of Mr. Snider, chair- man, Mr. Keel and Mr. Stantz. Mr. Taylor, chairman, Mr. Heller and Mr. Grigg are the members of the Education and Finance committee. Regular meetings are held each month and special meetings are called when necessary during the school year. Last spring a tract of land about a block wide and a block and a half long was purchased for the benefit of the schools of the city. It was used for the first time this year for football and is rapidly being transformed into an ideal play-ground with tennis courts, a baseball diamond and such equipment as is suited for children of the grade schools. This is the first time that the schools of Abilene have had an athletic field of their own. ltJD.4,'z5z, .mQ.'b'm2.Ta

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Abilene Schools ERHAPS the schools have been the most influential element in building up Abilene, as in 1880 only five students graduated from the High Scho,ol, while today, 1927, including this year's graduation class, over 1600 students have received their diplomas. Similarly, the first High School had only one person for the entire faculty force, but now twenty-four in- structors are employed by the school. ln I87O the gm first public school house was erected in Abilene on vga., X78 South Walnut Street. This building was a small .-:v in 'I stone structure, and had for its teacher W. C. Wiley. Z :lf .7 ',- Part of the'Garfield school was built in the '7O,S. Lat- .. 1 ,4 . er the building was enlarged to its present proportions. Vi' . . 'rf No High School was incorporated until 1880 when fg, 17.6 179 N one room of the Garfield school was used for that 0 AER H9 purpose. The schools were organized under laws reg'- Ai '3 9 ulating schools of the second class in 1885. Q As the enrollment of the schools increased, the Garfield quarters proved inadequate, so all eyes were turned to the City Hall. This was used for fourteen years. ln 1904 Principal Biggart, of the High School, had under his direction three teachers and 120 pupils, Principal Grubbs of Garfield, nine teachers and 520 pupilsg Principal McCormick of the Lincoln School, three teachers and 200 pupils, Miss Snider of the McKinley School, 25 pupils-a total of IQ teach- ers and 865 pupils. However, there are 1505 students enrolled in all the schools of Abilene today, 23 years later, and there are SQ instructors. The City Hall became crowded as more students came in so in 1907 a high school building, which is the present Junior High School, was erected. For twelve years this building served the growing needs. The present high school building was built in 1919. Kindergartens had been operated in connection with the schools since 1913, but it was not until April, 1915. that a formal contract for this depart- ment was finally signed by the Board of Education. Today two kindergar- tens are in use, in the Library building and in a new kindergarten building on the McKinley school grounds. ln these kindergartens are 104 children. At first only two courses were available in the High School, at present five courses are offered: Professional, Industrial Arts, Home Economics, Commercial, Normal Training. Proficient instructors are provided in all five courses. Graduates from the Abilene High School have shown the excellence of their educational training by the fine records made in college and university as well as in their activities in business and home life. The High School is proud of the success its alumni have attained and of honors they have re- ceived. Accomplishments of the graduates reflect credit on the city of Abilene which has so loyally supported the efficient High Scihool. ff ESQ-g7f:?'Dm.?, .mS.fb'farJ32

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F, C. GARDNER, Superintendent F. C. Gardner, superintendent, has been at the head of the Abilene city schools for the past two years. He was high school principal for the two years preceding his superinten- dency. Mr. Gardner was a student at the Kansas State Teachers College at Emporia for two years, and received his B. S. degree from the University of Kansas. He has had teaching experience in rural schools and as high school principal and has been a superin- tendent of schools for twelve years. He will complete his third year of graduate work at Columbia Uni- versity, New York, this summer. l l M. R. GRAY, Principal A. H. S. M. R. Gray, principal of the High School, is a graduate of Dartmouth College and has completed his work for his Master's Degree at the Uni- versity of Chicago, with the excep- tion of his thesis, which he has worked out this year. He has se- cured his thesis material from a comparative survey of the princi- pal's offices of fifteen of the largest high schools in Kansas. During the World War, Mr. Gray was overseas with the 318th Aero Squadron at Doncaster, England, and in I923 he made a study of the English secondary schools by per- sonal visits. 5a'0mf,p, .mQ.93mz.? N-4?-f '