Amherst Steele High School - Amherstonian Yearbook (Amherst, OH)

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and teachers, and the whole communtiy became his debtor. For two years after the resignation of Captain Stivers, the position was held by Malcolm Booth and from 1897-1900, Mr. William B. Werthner was principal. He was followed by Charles L. Loos Jr., a man most beloved and greatly respected. In 1895 a deviation in the school's history took place in the introduction of single daily sessions, extending from half past eight to one o'clock. At the first, this was not saticfactory but with some modifications it has proved to be successful and has lasted until the present time. The Physicsulaboratory is doubtless one of the finest in the country. The library, which at that time was comprised of two thousand volumes, has been steadily increased until now we have the benefit and pleasure of a library of between 4500 and 5000 books. V At the suggestion of a pupil, Sherlock Gass, and through the efforts of Miss Elizabeth Evans, a teacher, the Decorative Art Association was organized. This was in 1899 and the society was able, in the following years, to place throughout the building a large number of photographs, paintings, casts, and sculptures. They were aided in their work by small fees collected from students and generous donations from various sources. Their last valuable addition to the school was the statue of The Lion. Athletics have always played a large part in the life of Steele students, both girls and boys. Besides training in ordinary gymnastics we have had our defeats and victories in baseball, basketball, and football. For some years past we have held the State Championship in football and the 1921 Squad carried from the Gridiron the trophies of the Middle-West. Back in the days when Old Central High was still the school there was only one boy's literary society, the old Philomathean which was founded in 1858. In 1856 the Eccritean, the first girl's society was formed and in 1883 the Spur was organized. There -are now many societies, both literary and otherwise, which have been organized and encouraged through able supervision. Along with our activities are the interscholastic debates. These have been held with the high schools of Columbus, Cincinnati, and Indianapolis, and we are proud of their record. -- ' Interest in music has been manifested in our musical societies, our orchestra, and in the presentation of concerts and operas. Steele's curriculum has been modernized and the school has grown and will continue to grow in public interest. New subjects have been introduced, specially trained instructors have been acquired 5 the courses, as far as possible, have been made effective, manual training and the household arts, printing and comercial courses have been instituted. A What Steele has been and the spirit she has displayed in the past are merely harbingers of the future. Her students, under the guiding hand of our present principal, Mr. I. H. Painter, will pull together to make it a greater and nobler Steele. Margaret Kepler '22 PAGE TEN

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'Jr' ll A ' -- ' TMJ it-I lllllllllt T illllllfl lmlllli' 'mmm I'--.nhlwk-nu.--. K History of Steele Dayton has always been noted for the way in which it has fostered education, for even as far back as 1807, there had been founded the Dayton Academy, a private institution. About 1840, a, public school was established. Ten years afterwards, in 1850, our first public High School, one of the earliest in the state, was organized. The first class, which was graduated June 23, 1854, had two graduates. The diploma of one, Hester VVidener. has the signature of the principal, james Campbell, the father of Miss Campbell of the Art Department. This diploma now hangs in our principal's office. p On the site where the Dayton Academy had been, Central High School was built in 1857. It was here that the student of the classics found work in both Latin and Greek, equal to his aspirations. He read, after he had completed a preparatory course, Caesar's Commentaries, the larger part of Virgil's Aeneid, some of the Eclogues, the most famous orations of Cicero, the Odes of Horace, and a large amount of Livy. In Greek, he translated the Iliad, Xenophon's Anabasis, and the orations of Demosthenes. Besides these, prose composition constituted a great portion of his work. French and German were also taught. In mathematics, a student was directed in Arith- metic, Algebra, Geometry and Trigonometry, and some practical exercises in actual surveying, which were greatly enjoyed. Botany and Chemistry were the science subjects taught. The course of study pursued was in every respect equal to the one of the New England Academy, which prepared pupils for college and which imprinted forever upon them the love of higher education, a characteristic of our Anglo-Saxon forefathers. ln 1891 it became necessary to provide for a larger number of students than could be accommodated in Central High School and, acordingly, in the same year, contracts were let for the new school to be built at the intersection of Main Street and Monument Avenue. The building was formally dedicated April 13, 1894. Thus the old Central High School with all the pleasant recollections associated with it, passed into history, and the new Steele. with its beautiful architecture, became the present Alma Mater. The total cost of the school was about 5lS325,000, and at the suggestion of the Alumnal Association the building was named Steele High School to com- memorate the valuable and gratuitous services of Robert VV. Steele in the interests of the public schools of Dayton. It was thought that the building would be large enough for at least twenty years, but in the space of five years it was full to overflowing. Captain Charles B. Stivers held the principalship of the High School from 1872 until 1895. During his term, he drew close to him the love and reverence of the pupils l'.XHl'I NINE

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