Central High School - Wakitan Yearbook (St Joseph, MO)

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S'I'. -IUSICPII HIGH SCHOOL NIEIXIIIERS OF THE BOARD OF EDVCATION OF ST. JOSEPH XY. IIVRKIE, Prcsiclcm C. I.. CONNFTIVI' I. I'. STRUNG, VICE-IIITSIKIQAIII XY. Ii. XVARRICK II. H. SMITII, Secretary 1. A. MCEVOV C. I , ENRIGH'1','I'I'6ZlS1JT6l' I.. O. WEAKLEV HIGH SCHOOI. COMMITTEE J. I'. STRONG XV. IC. XVARRICK I. A, XYIIITIIZFORII, SIIPCYIIIISYKICHI of Public Schools

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DEDICATION IN due appreciation of his un- tiring energy for our best interests this book is repect- fully dedicated to our principal RIVERDA HARDING JORDAN it

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dd., sr. JOSEPH HIGH SCHOOL 1 A HISTORY N the fall of 1864, a High School department of the St. joseph public schools was opened in the small building which still stands at the rear of the lot on the north- east corner of Tenth and Felix Streets. Supt. Neely acted as Principal, with Mr. ww N. Wilbur as assistant. Owing to the fact that the pupils had to pay tuition, and that the instructors could not devote their entire time to the high school work, the date generally assigned to the founding of the St. joseph High School is 1866, for in the fallkof that year. the fine, newl' High School building was completed and opened, with Mr. john S. Crosby as Principal and exclusive high school teacher. Supt. Neely assisted by instructing the classes in Latin and Greek. As only two rooms of the Fine, new buildingn were needed for high school work, the other two rooms and the office were used for grammar school instruction. But the school grew, and six years later the grammar grades were removed to another building, the High School pupils filling the entire five rooms. The following year. 1874, Mr. C. E. Miller, a graduate of the Class of 1871, was appointed a teacher, and began his long and valuable service in the school. In 1877, Mr. Crosby was succeeded as Principal by Mr. W. D. Rusk, who served until 1882, when he resigned and his place was taken by his brother, Mr. Frank T. Rusk. During this period, although there were no highly organized student activities as are known in the school today, yet the athletics were in advance of the average of the time. Parallel bars, a turning pole, and other pieces of apparatus were installed on the play ground, football and shinney were played enthusiastically, while the baseball team was the champion team of the city. During a part of the time, a school paper was conducted, known as the Wasp Friday afternoons were given over to literary exercises, when the school met in a society similar to the Fresh- man Literary Society of today. In the fall of 1887, Mr. Rusk resigned as principal, and Mr. Frank Strong, now Chan- cellor of Kansas University, was made principal. He instituted many new and popular features in the school. Classes were for the first time known by their numerals, and class colors, yells, flowers, songs and the like were first adopted. The Class of '88 published the first Class Book, called the Experiment, They instituted Class Night Exercises, held a class picnic, elected class officers and made a beginning in other activities which are now fixed customs in the school. The increase of attendance resulting made an addition to the building necessary, and in the summer of 1888 two more rooms were added to the east side of the building. A science laboratory was installed, and a science teacher was employed, Miss Etta L. Knowles being chosen. Up to this time the building had been heated bysoft coal stoves, which produced much smoke and gas, but did not always give out heat, especially when the boys turned the grate,', and let the burning coal into the ash box, or smothered the fire by piling on too much fine coal. In such cases a half holiday resulted, for in those days there were two sessions each day, as in the grammar schools. But now a steam plant was installed, and things went better, except for two or three fires, which were caused by overheated pipes. The Class Book of '89 relates how one of these fires broke out during the session, but was quenched by the efforts of Principal Strong, jordan, Mosman, Cstudentsj and the janitor, without causing dismissal of school. The following year, the students had better luck, for fire destroyed the upper part of the building, and gave the school a monthys holiday, which had to be made up by attending into the following July.