Argentine High School - Mustang Yearbook (Kansas City, KS)

Page 10 text:

Jtt IE muriam DR. D. E. CLOPPER Through the passing of Dr. D. E. Clopper, March 15, Argentine lost one of its truest friends. He was constantly working for the welfare of the community and the advancement of the high school. He was instrumental in obtaining the athletic field for the school and was one of a group of citizens whose efforts brought about the building of the gymnasium. At the time of his death he was a member of a com- mittee to discuss the possibility of adding an industrial unit to the school. As a member of the Board of Education he had the welfare of the school system at heart, but his special interest was Argentine High School. Six

Page 9 text:

ARGENTINE HIGH SCHOOL have carried on a struggle for the education of every American youth for three centuries. This struggle will not slacken. Argentine High School has also taken an active part in the system of education. It, too, has progressed as the other high schools of the United States have gone forward. In 1908 it had an enrollment of approximately one hun- dred students, and was proud of its six rooms and auditorium, and its faculty of six teachers. The courses offered by Argentine High School in 1908 were: algebra, geometry (plain and solid), four years of Latin, two years of German, three of English, botany, physics and chemistry on alternate years, American his- tory, ancient history, and general science. In the graduating class that year there were eighteen members. Then in about two years typewriting, book- keeping, penmanship, shorthand, music, do- mestic science, and manual training were add- ed. The school then had athletics, but coaching was done as a side line by one of the regular teachers, without special training in this field. There were no extracurricular activities. All the school had was general assemblies and a senior play at the end of the year. The enrollment was increased to two hun- dred by the fall of 1918. Argentine had the largest gymnasium in Kansas City, and had made other progress, too. Scenery and foot- lights had been installed for its stage, and it had an orchestra; it had begun limited cafe- teria service; and it was also beginning to win honors. Then in the fall of 1919, Argentine made .its big start in athletics. This began with the adding of a coach. Also during this year a school paper was established, an annual was published, Camp Fire was organized, and other extracurricular activities were introduced. In 1921 the school had ten teachers and an enrollment of 225. In 1923 a large addition con- taining eleven classrooms and the present auditorium was built on, ten teachers were added to the faculty, and the school was changed to a junior-senior high school. And still the enrollment increased. In 1930 another addition was made to the building. The addition contains the gymnasium and eight more classrooms. The enrollment at that time was 809. Today the school is still going forward. It has an enrollment of 1,130 students, and a fac- ulty of twenty-nine teachers. Many extracurri- cular activities are carried on, and the courses of the school have been enlarged to meet the ever increasing demands of the social world. Argentine High School joins with the other high schools in celebrating this tercentenary of the American high schools, and rejoicing in the three hundredth anniversary of the founding of the school which was to change the future of the youth of America. Five

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I---------------------------------------------------------- 1 By 1735 «ho Amorican high school had been founded for one hundred years. Its curriculum had boon little modifiod during its century of existence. It was still in a large measure confinod to the study of Latin and Grook. and still remained true to its program of pre- paring the student for his work in college. This type of school did not meet the demands of the generation. Tho Latin grammar schools wero losing their hold on the group which had previously patronized thorn, for interest was waning in the theological controversy. Tho loadorship in the com- munity. too. had changed. It was no longer with the clergy, but was now with the rising industrial and commercial executives. Thus the eighteenth century was marked by these religious, political, social economic, and scientific changes as one of the greatest in history. A new type of secondary school was formed because of these conditions. This school was hotter fitted to the needs of the time than had been the school with the Latin grammar-college combination. It was the Amer- ican academy.