Central High School - Blackhawk Yearbook (Davenport, IA)

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4 Mrs. Norma Post. Secretary Mr. A. I. Naumann. Principal 9tiieAAueAArinCf, THE following facts and figures about Davenport High School were gathered in a chat- ty interview with our principal, Mr. A. I. Naumann. Campus Shadow. In what year did Davonport High graduato its first class? Mr. Naumann. In 1864. The graduating class consisted of two boys. Q. Are thero any members of this class living? A. No. Q. Where was D. H. S. originally located? A. The original site was at 6th and Warren streets, where now is tho Jefferson school. Q. How many teachers wero omployed at that time? A. Only four. Q. When was tho Homo Economics building acquired? A. It was purchased in 1902. Q. Whot has the Oral Doaf School Building boen used for? Q. What percentage of the boys take R. O. T. C.? A. About 50 percent. O. How mony students go to college after graduating from D. H. S.? A. About 28 percent. Q. How does Davonport High School compore with other schools in scholarship? A. Class A. It has a high scholastic rating. Q. Who is the oldest living graduate? A. Mrs. Thomas L. Marshall now living at Painesville. Ohio, is tho oldest living alumna. Sho was graduated in tho class of 1866. Alice French who wrote under the pen name of Octave Thanet was one of the sevon members of this class. A. First it servod as the residence of tho president of Iowa Collego and later as the Administration Building for high school. Q. Who was our first principal? A. Mr. A. S. Kissel. Q. When woro the Administration Building and tho gym constructed and what was the cost? A. They were built in 1930 at a cost of $350,000. Q. How many students are now attending D. H. S.? A. About 2.100. Q. How many faculty members do we now have? A. At present there are 75 teochers. Q. Whot is the cost of educating each high school pupil? A. $117.64 por yeor. 9n the lffice — Hortha Hauptmann and Viola Volkons 9

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As MEMBERS of the class sponsoring this yoarbook you oro about to leave us. Have you ever paused to ask yourselves the question. Why does our community erect and maintain schools which wo are privileged to attend free of charge? Why do the people of Davenport impose upon themselves a sizeablo financial burden to offer us a chance to go to school up to the age of sovontoon or eighteen? I suspect your first impulse will causo you to reply. Schools are oporated and maintained to give young people an opportunity to increaso thoir chances of being economically successful. When I started out more than twenty years ago as a teacher. I attempted to sell youngsters the idea of going through high school on the basis of monetary gains. Figuros were presented to show how one increased his chances of making money by finish- ing high school. Perhaps some of you havo heard other reasons ad- vanced. Among them is one which is much more impor- tant than tho one I took for granted most of you would givo. It is this. We beliove that we have the best kind of government yet devisod to provide for the genorel welfare of the people. Under it a maximum number of its members may live happy and successful lives. To protect it from dangers within and without, to preserve and improve it. tho members of a society such as ours must be trained to approcioto and understand moro freely the wonderful heritage our far seoing founders passed down to us. That is why schools were established in America. In no other country does youth enjoy the educational opportunities you are privileged to havo. In many coun- tries the people do not enjoy the freedom wo Americans claim as an inalienable right. We sometimes tako good things for granted, especially if we have not fought for thorn. Becouso they were here for a long while be- fore we camo, we assumo that liko the air and the sun- shine and the rain, they will somohow continue indefi- nitely. Among them is our present form of social control which we call democracy. Many sound thinkers have come to odmit that wo may no longer take that for granted. When we observo what has happened in other countries, we cannot safely remain smug about it. You are coming into young manhood and womanhood and about to face tho realitios of life when the outlook is none too bright. A great contemporary Amorican who has faith in this country and in its people, whilo recogniz- ing the dangers, is hopeful. In a talk to youth over the radio recently he said. True, the world we have made is a pretty bad botch. Obviously a couple of centuries of hard work noods to be done in it boforo Amorica is finishod in millonial beauty. But with all those inoquitios. tho old thing does hold togothor—which is something. Today, as never beforo. various tyrannies are moving across Europe, oach challenging liberty in its own way. That they will attack no one can doubt. He then advances some sound advice: How can we Americans immunize ourselves? The thing that has bound America into ono nation is toleranco and patience, up- held by a sense of duty. Your fethors. mothers, and remote ancestors beliovod in tho reality of duty. Upon that madness they built the world. Do you not see in the foregoing an implication for education? It is there. While the school does aim to givo you training to help you to succeed individually, it also attompts to croato within you a senso of respon- sibility for tho wolfaro of others. Education strives to make you socially minded. The President of the United States stressed this point of view when he wrote. In spite of the porploxities, one thing stands out cloarly. No lasting solution of the cru- cial issues confronting us is possible except as tho people will to live in the interest of the common good. To bring about that will is the supreme function of the schools. We thus seo that there is much unfinished work to do. We havo not realized fully tho democratic ideal, the con- tinuance of what we have achieved to date cannot bo guaranteed, and many crucial problems and issues are confronting us. That the task is incomplete is the significant thing. You who are soon to participato in tho social scone should havo acquirod and must continue to acquire ossentiol attitudes, appreciations and skills so that you may per- form your duty well. Education purports to supply the essentials and we who are responsible for it hope that the school has dono a croditablo job. It is not so much the achievement in subject matter that counts although that is necessary as a means to an end. Here is a test of the real education. Have you found satisfactory answers to the questions? How shall wo care for our bodies? How shall we rear our children? How shall we work together? How shall we live with our fellowmon? How shall wo play? To what ends shall we live? We are coming more and more to believe that the ultimate goal of education is to assist young people in answering such questions as theso. Irvin H. Schmitt Superintendent 8

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FLORENCE E ANDERSON. Gorman: FLOSSIE BATES. Latin. English: DOROTHY BLACKMAN. French: ENID BURNS. Journalism. English: MINNIE E. ESKELSON. Latin. English; HORTENSE FINCH. English: MABEL JOHNSTONE. English. GAIL H. LAPHAM. English: JEAN W. MeDONALD. English: FRANK L. MADDEN. English; JOSEPHINE MIRFIELD. English: DELIZIA RINDONE. French. English. Spanish: MARGARET E. WEST. English In addition to the straight English grammar course, Davenport High offers English and Amer- ican Literature, journalism, Latin, French. Ger- man, and. this year for the first time. Spanish. Every student is required to take one year of English and one year of literature. Foreign correspondence lends interest to the romance languages, and besides editing the Blackhawk newspaper, the journalism students make trips to newspaper offices in connection with their work. 10