Central High School - Red and Black Yearbook (St Louis, MO)

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C: THE RED AND BLACK N pl M kxLliLl,L1fALSALfy gil!Vilwtrflwr ilwrilwrllwV311Vile 4 T A 1 - A On june 8, IS69, Mr. F. Louis Soldan, afterwards Principal of the High and Normal School, was appointed teacher of German and French. In the report of the Teachers' Committee of this date, the establishment of an Intermediate School was recommended for such pupils as had failed to make the required per cent in their examinations for the High School, but had found themselves so efficient in the more important branches taught in the district schools as to make it inadvisable for them to continue another year reviewing the same studies. For this school rooms were fitted up in the O'Fallon Polytechnical Institute on the southwest corner of Seventh and Chestnut Streets, which heretofore had been used by the Polytechnic School at night. POLYTECHNIC SCHOOL BUILDING, 7TH AND CHESTNUT An lntermediate School after l869g also Original Home of Public Library ln june, l870, it was recommended to transfer the membership of the Intermediate School to the second year of the High School, unconditionally, Thirty- three

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ve- On July I4, I868, the committee recommended that a portion of the large hall on the third floor, which served as an auditorium, be fitted with suitable desks and blackboards for the use of the drawing department. This was an evidence of the overcrowding of the school, which continued with increasing discomfort and detriment for many years, though relief was sought in various ways, until it was at length obtained in September, IS93, when the new building was opened on Grand and Windsor Place. The report of the Principal, Mr. H. H. Morgan, for year IS67-l868, dwells on the amount of home study required as shown by reports of pupils of each of the four years. It shows both the expectation of the school as to the appli- cation of students and the care taken not to impose too heavy a burden on them, but one that could be borne without detriment or hardship. The hours prescribed were from 9:00 a. m. to 2:30 p. m., including thirty minutes for lunch, and were divided into six periods of fifty minutes each. The years were not divided into two parts until ten years later. ln the first year there were three five-day subjects and one four-day sub- ject. This left more than an hour and a half daily for study in school in addition to two hours and a half of home study. The average age was l4.9 years. ln the second year, there were three five-day subjects and one four-day subject. This again left more than an hour and a half daily for study in school, in addition to three hours of home study. The average age was l5.8 years. ln the third year, there were four five-day recitations and one four-day. This left an hour a day for study in school in addition to three and one-fourth hours at home. The average age was l6.6. In the fourth year, there were iive daily recitations beside the rhetorical work in connection with an assembly hour. This left less than one hour a day for study in school and the average home study was three and one-fourth hours. The average age was l7.6 years. The rhetorical work mentioned consisted in the giving of orations by the boys and of essays by the girls before the entire school asembled in the auditorium or large hall on the third floor, and for these orations and essays very serious preparation was required and, on their delivery, much pains was spent. There was ambition to excel both in thought content and effective presentation, and also in elocutionary effect. It may be pertinent to say in this connection that, in those days, an exami- nation was required at the end of the year in every subject, covering a year's work, and that failure in one subject made it necessary to go over the entire year's work in all subjects. Promotion by subjects was not then allowed and the required per cent for passing was 65. Thirzy-two

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THE RED, AND . BLACK, sqynlsgyl if they made 60 per cent in their examinations: with conditions if they averaged 60 per cent or over, but fell below in one or two subjects, and to the first year on trial if their average was below 60 per cent: and to admit to the intermediate School applicants for admission to the High School who made an average of 50 per cent but less than 65 per cent. Of 30l applicants, 131 made 65 per cent and were admitted to the High School. On August 9, I870, Mr. F. Louis Soldan was appointed Assistant Superin- tendent. October l l, 1870, the High School Committee suggested the removal of all the pupils of the Junior or First Year Class from the High School to the Intermediate School and the establishment of two more intermediate schools, one in the southern and one in the northern part of the city. It called attention to the powerful influence of the High School upon all the other departments of the school system and to the increase of this influence by the establishment of intermediate schools, and cited the service rendered by the High School in the preparation of pupils for the Normal School and the work of teaching. In the report of the Superintendent for the year IB69-70, there appears a convincing discussion of the problem of co-education giving the history of the movement in St. Louis, which in fifteen years completely remodeled all its buildings so that they could be used by both boys and girls. The High School was the first experiment upon this plan above the primary grades, but gradually it extended throughout all the grades and justified itself on the grounds of economy, improved discipline, completeness of educational methods, sound and healthy individual development--each sex learning to esteem what is essential at its true value, each sex comparing itself with the other on an intellectual plane and forming sane judgments on the basis of association in the experiences and activities of the school. In the report of the Superintendent of instruction for the year 1870-7l, under date of May I3, l87l, there appears a letter from James E.. Yeatman, President of the Western Sanitary Commission, informing the Superintendent of the establishment of twenty perpetual scholarships in Washington Univer- sity to be filled under the direction of the trustees of the Washington Uni- versity, first from the children of Union soldiers in the late fthe Civil, warg and, in default of applications from this source, the scholarships as far as vacant to be filled by such students from the St. Louis Public Schools as may be recommended by the Superintendent of Public Schools and the Principal of the High School and appointed by the Board of Directors of the University. The letter further stated that the sum of 310,000.00 has been paid over to Washington University, to be held in trust as a sustentation fund, the interest of which shall be appropriated to aid deserving students, first for the benefit Thirty-four