Central Vocational High School - Pendulum Yearbook (Cincinnati, OH)

Page 10 text:

MAIN BUILDING IE5!

Page 9 text:

$eclication vocational education, we respectfully dedicate this volume. Out of our regard for him we review here a few of the numerous contributions he has made to vocational education TO Mr. Ray Forest Kuns, in sincere appreciation of his outstanding contributions to He was born in Montgomery County, Ohio, and reared on a farmi He graduated from Madison Township High School in. 1905 and Teachers' College, Miami University, in 1910. Mrt Kuns first gained the respect of his fellow teachers as a resourceful and capable instructar in industrial arts at Lincoln Memorial University, Cumberland Gap, Tennessee, and in the high school at Newcastle, Indiana. Coming to Oyier School in Cincinnati in 1912, he distinguished himself through his pioneering efforts in general shop work. His department soon became a mecca for numerous visitors from many parts of the United States and foreign lands seeking successful new educational tech- niques and teaching procedures. His projects were as varied as the needs of his pupils and as practical as they were varied. The records show use of the printed and illus- trated job sheet as a teaching aid as early as 1913. Because he believed in and loved the thing he was doing; because of his fine craftsmanship and of his lifelong conviction that a boy kept constantly busy with Whole- some occupation is a most desirable chap, he was able to maintain rigid classroom discipline and render an exceptionatly valuable educational service to the youth who came under his tutelage. As a result of his work at Oyler School, Mr. Kuns was chosen to direct the training of soldiers in World War I. At the close of the war, he was named principal of the new venture in education which presently developed into the Automotive Vocational High School. Under his guidance and leadership, this school became favorably known and highly regarded throughout the world. When there were no satisfactory textbooks available, he wrote his own. These books became standards and were adopted as texts by educators in many great Cities. They have done much to further vocational education and to bring recognition to Cincinnati Public Schools. For this tine work he won national recognition and a place in Who's Who Mr. Kuns is now doing a series of AutoeMechanics books for the United States Armed Forces Institute. Thousands of copies of these are already in use and are contributing much in facilitating the war program. In the summer of 1941 he was assigned to organize and direct National Defense Training in the Cincinnati district. At the peak of this training program in 1942 there were 224 classes with over 3,000 men and women in training. In the fall of 1942, he was reassigned to leadership in local vocational education, this time as principal of the newly organized Central Vocational High School. As is quite fitting in the case of a vocational educator interested in solving the problems of employment and management, Mr. Kuns has gained helpful information and experience through tirst hand contacts. He has been an active member of the Society of Automotive Engineers and holds a number of patents for improvements in the field. Yet, it is not only for these fine achievements that we dedicate this volume to him. In a much larger measure it is for his patient devotion to duty, his love of craftsman- ship, for his sincere devotion to that education which teaches a boy how to think logically and to work skillfully, for his sympathy when needed most, for his kindly advice and inspiration to both teachers and pupils, for his friendliness, and finally for his ability to work harder and accomplish more than any other person we know. THE EDITORS. 1 5 1

Page 11 text:

SENIORS