Austin High School - Comet Yearbook (Austin, TX)

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ORDER OF BOOKS I. ADMINISTRATION 2. CLASSES 3. SCHOOL YEAR 4. FAVORITES 5. ORGANIZATIONS 6. ATHLETICS 7. HUMOR --.,..

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FORE CRD The unprecedented growth and development of our beautiful violet crowned city is a subject of pride and pleasure. One of the most important features of this development is the enlargement and improvement of the city park system. There is a close connection between the public schools and the parks of this city. The three men who have contributed most to the park system of Austin were also vitally interested in its schools. To Governor Elisha M. Pease we are indebted for our present State public school system. Governor Pease, with great wisdom and foresight, had the Legislature in 1856 set aside public lands for the support ofthe schools. He was thus responsible for the establishment of the State permanent school fund. With prophetic vision he Paw tl? fpture need for public playgrounds, and gave to Austin twentyriive acres on Shoal Creek, now known as ease ar . Colonel E. M. House, an Austin citizen of international fame, donated to Austin a tract of land, situated on Twelfth Street and Shoal Creek, to be used for athletics by boys and girls under twentyfone years of age. This is known as House Park, and is a meetin place for or anized competition in all major league sports. These sports include baseball, football, soccer, speedball, junior Teague baseball, and also exhibition games and celebrations. Colonel A. P. Wooldridge, a beloved citizen of Austin, the first president of the School Board, and one of Austin's ablest mayors, demonstrated what could be done with an acre of land used as a city dumping ground. This once unsightly block of ground is now a beautiful park, named for Mayor Wooldridge, which, because of its central location, is available for many public gatherings. The largest, and destined to be the most beautiful, of our parks is Zilker Park, a three hundred acre tract on the I Bee Cave Road. lt has been given the name of one of Aus' tin's greatest philanthropists, Colonel Andrew-I. Zilker. Mr. Zilker was greatly interested in the teaching of man- ual trainin and home economics to boys and girls. A trust fund for this purpose had previously been given the Austin schools by Judge John T. Allan. In Grder to in' crease the resources for the teaching of these practical courses in the high schools, Mr. Zilker made a proposal to the City Council of Austin, the generosity of which shall never be forgotten. In 1917 Mr. Zilker proposed to give the Board of Trustees of the Austin Public Schools, hfty acres of land including Barton Springs, provided the City of Austin would purchase this tract from the Board of Trustees and ay into the school treasury S100,000. In 1931, Mr. Zilkjer submitted an additional proposition to the Board of Trustees, offering them about three hundred acres adoining Barton Springs and facing the Colorado River fiom Deep Eddy to Barton Creek, ro- vided the City of Austin would ay into the school treasury 5200,000 in twenty annual installments, bear- ing six per cent interest, to be used for industrial education in our city schools. Both of these propositions were submitted to the voters of Austin and approved by them. The schools received from this fund about fifteen thousand dollars annually for the maintenance of the manual train- ing and home economics departments of the high schools. In addition to the parks already mentioned, the city has purchased and maintains various play rounds situated in different sections of the city, some of which are set aside for ne oes. More than five hundred acres, worth more than a Eilf million dollars, make up the parks and playgrounds of Austin. The elhcient superintendent of recreation in these parks is Mr. james A. Garrison. He has not only a thorough understanding of his work, but also a personality which wins the cooperation of both young and old alike. ' The city schools and the public playgrounds work together hand in hand. Both contribute to the youth of today the physical and mental development which will make them the leaders of tomorrow. 9

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TO THE HONORABLE E. M. HOUSE, NATIVE TBXAN, WORLD CITIZEN, ADVISER AND CONFIDANT os Woonnow WILSON, AND Douon or 'House PARK T0 Tm: YOUTH or AUSTIN, Tms ISSUE or THE COMET IS DEDICATED I I I E