Wakefield High School - Oracle Yearbook (Wakefield, MA)

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PEESENT HIGH SCHOOL HISTORICAL 1872 1922 The Building and Dedication of the Wakefield High School How many pupils in our school realize that our (lospisctl, old high school Iniikling was oDco fresh and now, and tlie pride of the town? The story of the beginnings and the dedication of the present building forms an iiitpresting bit of history. At the town meeting of April 3, 1871, Hon- orable B. H. Sweetser, Chairman of the 8cliool Board, introduced an article under which action might be taken towards the pur- chasing of land as a site for a new high school l)nilding. A committee of five, con- sisting of Mr. Cyrus Wakefield, Honorable Lucius Beebe, Mr. Oliver Perkins, Honorable Richard Britton, and Mr. George Packard, was appointed to act in the matter. The result was the buying of a tract of land at the corner of Common and Lafayette Streets, containing 28,754 square feet, and costing .$9,854. John Stevens, Esquire, a citi- zen of Wakefield, who had charge of the building of the town hall and the Wakefield mansion, was chosen architect and Mr. George Packard was builder. The ground was broken September IC, 1871. Great care was taken in constructing the Imilding, and the choicest materials were used. The woodwork both inside and out is excellent and is seldom equalled in modern public l)uildings. The doors of bird ' s-eye maple are remarkal)le for their massiveness and beauty of grain. The doors in Rooms . ? and 4 are especially lieautiful. It is doubt- ful if tliey can be equalled for beauty in any buililing in town. Tlie high school was com- pleted at a cost of approximately forty-three thousand dollars. On Tiiursday afternoon, October 10, 1872, a large audience assembled to dedicate the new High School. Honorable Ricliard Brit- ton, Oliairman of the building committee, ])iea( ' iited the keys to Mr. John S. Eaton, who in turn presented them to the Reverend Mr. Bliss, pastor of the Baptist Church, who made a brief address and then gave the keys to Mr. M. J. Hill, principal of the High School. Professor B. F. Tweed of Charlestown, deliv- ered the address of tlie day. Sacli in brief was the dedication of the High Scliool fifty years ago. Tlie new High School liuihling, mucli larger than tlie old 6

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a century principal of the school. It Was also voted to raise, if possible, a thousand dollais for the jiurchase of books for the library. The members of the association be- lieve that the alumni will welcome this op- portunity to express tlieir appreciation of Mr. Howe and of his faithful service to the town. SWEETSER LECTURE COURSE Tlie Swectscr Lecture Course was founded in 1S87 l)y the late Cornelius Sweetser. The course is endowed by a bequest of $10,000 made by Mr. Sweetser, the interest of which is used to bring the best lecturers in the country to our town. Five lectures are g ven every year, and the admission fee Is 50e for the entire course. The net proceeds of each year ' s income and lecture receipts are turned over to local charitable work, administered l)y tlie Sweetser Charitable Committee. • The sympathy of the entire school goes out to Carleton R. Thresher, whose mother died during the winter term, and to Miss Margaret L. Laburn, whose sister died as the result of a distressing street car accident. The Class of 1922 extend their cordial greeting to the Class of 1925, and congratu- late them that tlirce years of their high school course will be si:)ent in the new build- ing. We are glad to note an increase in school spirit. Now that the new high school is no longer a dream, we shall look for an awaken- ing of interest in all the sports of the school. The Debater Staff wishes to thank Miss Laughton and all those who have worked hard to make this issue a success. More cliangcs occurred in the faculty last year than is usual. Five members of the faculty resigned to accept positions in other schools. Miss Bigelow, commercial teacher, went to Stamford, (Conn.) High; Miss Elmer went to Hartford (Conn.) High; Miss Butler, teacher of French, accepted a position in New Jersey; Miss Cushing, Latin teacher, went to the West for her health; Mr. Pur- rington, teacher of American History, went to the Commercial High School, Springfield. Their places were filled by new teachers, who already have won the respect of the pu- pils. Miss Constance G. Schwab came here from Tilton Seminary, N. H.; Miss Gladys Frost came from Walpole (N. H.) High ; Miss Euth Hiatt came from Plainsville (Mass.) High; Miss Marie M. Menard came from Bates College; Miss Harriett L. Sweetser came from Bangor (Me.) High; Mrs. Elvira C. Cosnian, a graduate of Boston University, is supervisor of the Freshman study hall; Mr. R. Edgar Fisher came from Punchard High School, Andover. Miss Irene F. Laughton was appointed sec- rotary in place of Miss Mildred Ashley, who resigned in June. OUR TOWN Fair Wiikefichl, best of towns in all the land, First settled by a true and loyal band. They loved thy lakes and hills as we now do; IMay we live up to standards kept so true. Our birthplace, home,, the town of all most dear, Roloved alike by friends both far and near. If fate decree that we shall wander far. Thee, we still will love; thy name we ' ll never mar. GERTRUDE McKIE, ' 25. THE SEASONS First of all the seasons Comes gay and joyous spring. When flowers begin to blossom And l)irds begin to sing. After spring comes summer, Time of sunshine and flowers; Ijaughter fills our hearts and minds Pleasure fills our hours. Next comes gorgeous autumn, Harvest time is here; Time of joy and plenty. Time of song and cheer. Last of all comes winter. With gales and storms and snows; Nature mourns a daughter, A year is at its close. FLORENCE BUTLER, ' 24.

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building, and equipped with all modern edu- cational devices will soon be ready for use. It will be interesting to compare the dedi- cations of the two buildings which will be in point of time, just fifty years apart. KATHEEYN CAENEY, ' 23. OUR PRINCIPALS If tlic excellence of a school can in any de- gree be determined by the terms of office of its i)rincipals, the Wakefield High School de- serves a liigh place among the schools of the state. During a period of fifty years tliis school has had but eight principals. The average term of office to tlie time of Mr. HoAVc ' s death, omitting that of one who re- mained only one term, is eight years and two months. This is a remarkable record for a town in which the salaries have never been large and in which for ton years at least, the High School accommodations have been far from adequate. The first principal in the present build- iug was Melvin J. Hill, a native of Bid- deford, Maine, and a graduate of Bowdoin MELVIN .1. HILL Principal of the present High Scliool from 1872-1879 College. He was elected in 1869 and received the keys of the new High School at the dedi- cation in 1872. Mr. Hill had one assistant. Miss Abbie F. Nye, and the school numbered about sixty pupils. In the room now known as Eoom 10 . an Advanced Grammar School was formed for the younger and less profi- cient ijupils who were given an additional year ' s training for the High School by Mrs. M. E. Wentworth, one of the ablest teachers the town of Wakefield ever had. While Mr. Hill was principal money was raised for the purchase of the piano, the telescope, about fifteen pictures, and a considerable nu7iiber of books. Mr. Hill resigned in 1879 to take charge of the department of mathe- matics in Bryant and Stratton ' s Commercial Scliool, Boston. In 1884 he became Junior Master of the English High School, Boston, and in 189G he became Master of this school. He retired from teaching in 1907. Mr. Hill has lived in Wakefield since 18G9 and has taken an active j ' fi ' t in church and town affairs. Abbott Sanford was the second principal. He was elected in 1879 and resigned in 1881 to study medicine. David W. Putney was elected principal in 1881 and served one term. Walter C. Hill of Stoneham, a Harvard graduate, was elected in December, 1881, and resigned in 1886. E. D. Enssell, also a Harvard graduate, was principal from 1886 to 1888. C. T. C. Whitcomb, a graduate of Amherst College, was elected in-incipal in 1888 and served seven years, resigning in 1895 to ac- cept the position of Head Master in the new English High School, Somerville, Mass. Charles H. Howe, a gradu;ite of Dartmouth College, was elected in 189.5 and continued principal of the school until his death, De- cember 20, 1918. During Mr. Howe ' s admin CHAELES H. HOWE Principal 1895-1918 istration the school grew from a little over one hundred pupils to six hundred pupils. This remarkable increa-se was due in a great