Central Catholic High School - Echo Yearbook (Fort Wayne, IN)

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26 'l' H 13 ECHO the Papal Blessing. VVhile visiting the Holy Father Pius the X. the Right Reverend Bishop secured an auto- graphed blessing for the founder and participants of the school, present and future. The work founded and carried on by Bishop Alerding and the Brothers of Holy Cross has progressed and pros- pered. By their persevering efforts, the school has advanced year by year. Bishop Alerding even used his personal fortune in the equipment and expan- sion of the school. The Bishop cen- tered all his thoughts and endeavors for the good of Central Catholic High School and utilized every opportunity for her benefit. During the intervening years, 191-1 to 1923, the students coached by their able instructors, have brought many honors to the school. In 1919 the Central Catholic High School debating team won the state championship. At all times the school has won high re- cognition in major athletic endeavors. ln May 1924, a silver jubilee was held in Brother Daniels honor. Bro- ther Daniel has spent a quarter of a century almost entirely in the promo- tion of higher Catholic education. A High Mass was celebrated in the Cathedral and a program was held in the school. Central Catholic High School gained national recognition in 1924 when the varsity basketball team won its way to fourth place in the National Catholic Interscholastic Basketball Tourna- ment at Chicago. In appreciation of the varsityls efforts they were given a jubilant home-coming. The students for several years look- ed forward to the jubilee when they could give vent to their appreciation of Bishop Alerding's sacrifices for Cen- tral Catholic High School. As some- times happenes, however, their antici- pations were unfulfilled due to a disas- trous auto accident in which the Bis- hop was fatally injured. The student body was chosen to be guard of honor during the time the Bishop's body remained at the hospital. This year Francis Corbett represent- ed our school in the National High School Oratorical Contest, emerging victoriously against strong opposition in the county. district .and sectional meets. On April 25th, he achieved his greatest triumph, winning the State finals at indianapolis. The above accomplishments remove the school from the experimental stage. During these years it has proved itself on a level with any high school and the future promises even greater achieve- ments. Doyle 8: Disler, '25. ......O An Ode to Mars The essence of our youth and life 1Ye gave thy glory to increase, As the firebrand of VVar and Strife, To burn the shrines of peace. The battles roar: the shrapnel's thud, The carnage of death is on! A doughboys cry, a sea of blood, And another soul is gone. The end is near, the bugle calls To Fame and Victory, They leave for home and endeared halls To dwell in history. And then at last to you, Oh Mars! The war-god of the world, To you with spoils of death and wars, The curse of man is hurled. Edw. Sigl, '26. T Soon Over Our days of school will soon be over, No more these halls we'1l treadg If we have finished well our work, Of life we'll have no dread. R. H., '25.

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THE ECHO .25 year resulted in a victory for the Jun- ior team, composed of Alexander Campbell, James Roy, and Frank Par- rot. The annual junior elocution medal was received by G. Kennerk. Again, james Roy received the scholastic med- al and Thomas Doyle the one for re- ligion. This year our class was active be- fore school reopened. VVe were com- pleting the Two-Thousand-D o 1 1 a r Drive for the athletic fund which was begun two weeks before the opening of school and was carried on with the hope of placing athletics on a more firm foundation. A s h o r t t i m e after school started, the drive was brought to an end. Early in April, Arthur Zuber our class president found it necessary to discontinue studies in the old school and his absence necessitated the choos- ins of another president. The position was given to James Roy. In the line of social activities, our class held two dances this year and their quality is a matter of memory to everyone who attended them. Frank Parrot, '25, -.-O,.., Review of School History The principal aim of the late Bishop Alerding in establishing the Central Catholic High School was to further Catholic education and to enable the Catholic young men of northeastern Indiana to acquire a thorough Catholic education. He earnestly wished to cor- relate religion and the regular high school branches since a purely secular training has failed to persuade men of their duties toward God, their fellow- men and themselves. The sixty per cent increase in juvenile crimes in New York City alone during the first quarter of this year, over the same period of last year confirms this need of embodying Christian principles in our High School course. In 1880 Father Brammer built Li- brary Hall which was used as a library and the Cathedral parish hall for sev- eral years. Some years later a com- mercial school was established. In 1909 the main floor was remodeled and divided into class rooms and a study hall. Excellent facilities for laboratory work in Chemistry and Physics, as well as in other branches of science, were provided. A Central Catholic High School was conceived in 1909 by Bishop Alerding and actually started on September 7th, with an enrollment of forty-two stu- dents, including the commercial stu- dents. Bishop Alerding selected the Brothers of Holy Cross to teach the regular curriculum, and two secu- lar priests were in charge of Christian Doctrine. The maintenance and gen- eral management were placed in charge of a diocesan superintendent. In june 1914, Central Catholic High School was commissioned by the In- diana State Board of Education. Each year the enrollment has steadily in- creased and from time to time the school equipment has been enlarged. The newly-founded school received

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THE ECHO 27 Oratorical Contest The recent National Oratorical con- test on the Constitution of the United States sponsored by various News Publications, brought to the Central Catholic High School, by Francis Cor- bett, the State Championship. Francis E, Corbett lt is a noteworthy event, since 360 Preparatory High Schools with an en- rollment of 32,000 pupils ran the ora- torical race. ln the various elimination contests, of the county, at the Central High School auditoriumg of the l3 Con- gressional District, at the Majestic Theatreg of the Zone, at Manuel High School, lndianapolisg and of the State, at Shortridge High School, Indiana- polis, Francis Corbett won first place. In each of these contests from three to eight participants were entered. The Echo and the students congrat- ulate Frank on his victory. J. McVey, '26. Congratulations VVe cannot find words adequately to con- tey the congratulations which we would ex- irnd to Francis E. Corbett, of this city, on its victory in the Indiana section of the nitional oratorical contest on the Constitu- tim. Fort VVayne is proud of him. She will hope for his continued success in the zone and national eliminations. The competition which young Corbett experienced was keen, bc th in the state contest and in the county ani district preliminaries. That, in itself, is gratifying. Keen competition reflected keen intrest: and interest in the nation's funda- mei tal law, on the part of boys and girls of high school age, is a fact pleasant to con- template. Our congratulations to Corbett and to all those who participated with him in this im- portant study are based principally upon that fact. The prize is of secondary im- portance, when compared with the knowledge acquired by the young people in the pre- paration of their discussions. ' News-Sentinel ll...i01.. Francis Corbett, the winner of the State Gratorical Contest, was the representative entered by Central Catholic of Fort Wayiie. C. C. tas that school is knownl is a sister school of our Central and we wish to con- gratulate both Mr. Corbett and C. C. on their victory, The Spotlight-Fort Wayne H. S. l 1. Prize-Winning Oration on The Constitution The text of the oration on The Constitu- tion by Francis E. Corbett, who, Friday, April 21, won first honors in the Indiana division of the National Oratorical Contest on the Constitution, follows: The government established by the American Constitution is the only one on earth dedicated to the sacred rights of hu- manity. The ancient monarchies refused to recognize or consider the inalienable rights of man. The glory of Greece sprang from the minds of a brilliant few and left untouch- ed the poverty and subjection of many. The power of Rome generated in the imperial privileged classes and the ruling citizenship was a mere handful, while the masses were condemned to inhuman oppression. Slow and Tedious Growth. We have seen the slow and tedious growth of how the authority of a nation came to be lodged in the hands of the common people, instead of an absolute monarchy or a power- ful aristocracy. lt is the termination of the old Saxon principle of human liberty, which took almost 1,000 years to result in the birth of a nation having as its fundamental aim the propagating of human rights. A' nation not based on sovereign rule nor that false politi-