Appleton High School - Clarion Yearbook (Appleton, WI)

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THE CLARION Our Chiefs lprctst and Present While I have known the Appleton High School I have particularly admired the wholesome enthusiasm of the group for the finer things in student life. To me that is the Spirit of the Appleton High School. It is at once a tribute and an inspiration to the students, teachers, and the homes that are represented. Cn the occasion of this anniversary I could do no better than to urge the continu- ation of such commendable enthusiasm. Greetings and best wishes! The inexorable Law of Life is GROVVTH. Nature says to Man, Grow, or -n Die. This is as true of Civilizations and Institutions as it is of Man. The Institution which has ceased growing, has begun to decay and die. Our Alma Mater--the institution we all know and love-now faces this problem of continued growth. Youth, which believes in the truth of this natural law, will help solve this problem. This is particularly true of our alumni, sons and daughters of Appleton High. In my six years of experience with Appleton High School, this factor of growth has been noticeable above others. Students and faculty have ever been eager to ad- vance, to progress. Space does not permit recital of this progress here. The Clarion Annual is an imperishable living record of the onward march of our school. Youth believes in climbing Upward and Onwardg never Downward and Backward. May this be the message to be carried to the world by our twenty-fifth anniversary class- the Class of l929. f UML 74.,dt.r Z. 7 1117110 l1i!1l'f4't'H Q I

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SIl.l'lflf .lNNll'lf1fS.lfi'l' Our Chielfs lpast and Present It was late in the fall of l897 that I came to Apple- ton as principal of the Second School District, which included the Ryan High School. At that time there were three other schools doing high-school work: the first offered one yearg the fourth had two years: and the third ward had a four-year high school. The burning of the Ryan building seemed to be the event that was needed to start a movement for a union high school. Soon after the Appleton High School was organized, l was asked to take the principalship. To organize the work of the new high school, and especially to bring together the two rival schools with their various societies and activities, was a most interesting task. The teachers that were retained from the faculties of the two old schools worked hard to forestall all kinds of friction and misunderstandings: and this part of the work was a complete success. lVluch care was exercised to retain the names of societies and organizations in equal number. The Clarion was inherited from the old Ryan High School. But there seemed to be no way of combining the colors of the schools with any kind of artistic effect: hence they were abandoned and new colors, Orange and Blue, agreed upon. ln less than a year every vestige of the old feeling had disappeared. I have always looked back to my work and life in Appleton as a delightful period: and it is a pleasure to return, as we occasionally do, to see our friends. Q7f6tWa7.Z Twenty years ago it was my pleasure to begin my eleven years of service in Appleton High School. But, what is time! The memory of the youth of Appleton High during this period-their work, their play, their joy-their sorrows-these are the worth-while things. This period included the World War, in which many of our boys gave their all to their countryg and one hero, Wm. Heiss, stood out. He is the Known Soldier who is typical of what youth gave to the world then. In my treasure library l still have the many letters written to the school by the boys over there . Those of Wm. Heiss are especially preci- ous. It occurred to me that possibly Appleton High School would like to make up a memorial folder of some of these letters. If so, I would be pleased to send some of them. The joys of students, the happy labors of the faculty who made even hard sub- jects a pleasure, my own G.l.B. group, a splendid Board of Education at Appleton, all these give me a thrill and inspiration even now in my work, the work I dearly love. D Q91 jr Z, Page i'lg1l1I1'i'1z

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Tllli CLARION The Bnirnzing of Ryan High School To some, especially to those who are particularly averse to going to school day in and day out, the burning of the school at which they regularly assemble would seem to be a rather unusual stroke of good fortune. To others, who perhaps are a trifle more broadminded or have a better conception of what a school is for, it would be more of a catastrophe or at least something to stir the emotions. But disregarding the emotions aroused I think it would prove to be an exciting time for all. Think of leaving for school on some cold wintry morning. As you came near to the school you saw the heavy cloud of smoke and flames rising from the school. Natur- ally excited, you hurried on until you could plainly see the building. There stood what was left of the former school-a great roaring mass of smoke and flames. The firemen rush about like ice-coated maniacsftheir efforts long since have proved to be futile. People standing in awe, watching the destructive work of the demon, Fire. Watching a good fire would stir the soul of any man, even if he had the profoundly simple soul of an angleworm. ln january of l904 the students of Ryan High School, which stood on the site of the present High School, and the residents of Appleton experienced all the thrills and excitement of a good fire. The fire was first discovered by the janitor, who, on account of the severe cold, had been coming to the school at four o'clock in the morning in order to get the building warm. He was about to enter the building when he noticed flames shooting out of one of the the windows. He sent in a call immediately for the fire department. Although the department responded quickly, by the time they arrived they could not get into the building because of the thick smoke. It was said that the fire originated in the furnace room and spread through the Ventilating system. By eighi o'clock nothing but two brick walls of the building was left standing. These were ready to fall at any moment. The firemen were greatly hampered by the sixteen degree below zero weather. Although it was not a windy day, pieces of burned paper and book leaves were found as far away as St. Elizabethls Hospital. All the records, textbooks. manual training equipment, physical equipment, etc. were burned. The entire loss was estimated at 550,000 At this time Appleton still had the District System of schools. By this system each district had a high school of its own. After the fire, plans were immediately made for a new Union High School, that is one large high school for all the district schools. ln a few months work was begun on the present Appleton High School. -WRUSSELL WICHMAN, '30, l'ugft' licwify