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

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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.

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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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In rebuilding, the entire building was altered, and a room was added for library pur- poses. The school continuing to grow, in 1891 more rooms were built, including an assembly room seating three hundred students. The next year, Mr. Strong resigned, and Mr. Miller became principal. Under his direction, the school continued its growth, and it became apparent to the people that the old building would no longer accommodate the increasing enrollment. So in 1894, bonds were voted for a new building. This was finished in 1895, and the old structure turned over to the grammar school system, and re-christened the Robidoux School. With its destruction this fall to make way for a new and modern structure, the old High School becomes but a memory, and the time is soon coming when it will be forgotten that there was ever a High School building at Tenth and Edmond Streets. The fiourishing days in the new building are of comparatively recent history. and familiar to most of us. Better organization in all lines resulted. with better facilities. In YQ4, the first football team was organized to play other High Schools. In-'98, the first track team was trained, and defeated the Y. M. C. A. on the first field day: In 1899, Mr. Jordan took the track team for the first out of town trip, and the first great athletic victory followed, when the team cleaned up the state championship at Columbia. In 1900 the Missouri Valley Interscholastic was formed in St. Joseph. and the first great meet was held at the ball park. St. joseph has held the meet twice since that time, in 1902, when we won the championship, and in 1906, which many of us remember. Basketball was played first in 1901 as a gymnasium game, and class series were played every year, until in 1906, we began the series of outside contests which culminated in the splendid carnival in the Auditorium this winter. In 1899, the Clio Club was organized, and immediately following, the A. N. P. Society came into existence. The Dianthians came into being in 1901, and the Philomathics in 1904. For many years the seniors had conducted a chorus, and in 1900, IQOI and IQO2, this was a very pretentious organization, under the direction of Mr. Ralph Dunbar. In 1903, Mr. F. F. Beale directed, and in 1904, Mr. J. Marshall Williams. In 1905,the school was called upon to assist the seniors in organizing a Glee Club, and this was maintained for two years by Mr. Williams, some very successful operettas being given. In 1907. Miss Rogers was assigned by the Board of Education to take charge. and the organization has grown and fiourished since that time. The Forum entered upon its long and successful career in 1899, and is now one of the oldest school papers in the United States. It is hardly necessary to touch upon the changes in direction of the school in later years-the resignation of Mr. Miller in 1903, the one year regime of Mr. W. F. Ellis. and the election in 1904-5 of Mr. R. H. Jordan, who still holds the place of authority. In like manner, the remodeling of the basement, the addition of the boiler house, and the other physical changes of the last four years are known to us all. The addition of the manual training and domestic science courses of study, the formation of the Dolad Nun and the Freshman societies, the competition at Columbia in essay and debate each year, with the victories won at that contest, the formation of the splendid orchestra and the fine band we now have, the lunch room with its attendant joys CU and many other features of our life might be dwelt upon, but it is sufficient to say that never in its history have the various activities of the school been so well organized or so Hourishing as now. The class of 1909 wonders how the school can ever be better than in this, the last and greatest year of her history. .,.-f.4..