Corry Area High School - Corrian Yearbook (Corry, PA)

Page 11 text:

ffum' MIIIIllIlII!lIIIl!lIlIIIM . JDDLllIIlIlIl1lIIlllWHMM QS ' A RALPH S. DEWEY Superintendent

Page 10 text:

. Xi .. i ZWWDPJIIIHHINIIIIIIIIIIIIIMW lHlllllllllllllllllllkllkkll ffQ'T'2'Z.f' SUPERINTENDENT'S MESSAGE TO SENIORS The Class of 1934 is the Centennial Class of free public schools in the State of Pennsylvania, as the first Free School Act was signed on April 1, 1834. For one hundred years, the boys and girls in this Common-wealth have had the privilege of an education at public expense. The length of the school term was not long in the early years nor was attendance compulsory until 1895. After one hundred years, one would think that the value of free public schools, including high schools, would have been permanently established but there are forces working today that would abandon the free public high school and require a tuition fee from all who attend. It would be interesting to know how many of the members of this class would be graduating if a personal tuition fee had been required. An old adage says, uYou never miss the water until the well runs dry. I hope that the members of this splendid class appreciate the opportunities they have had for a high school education. I hope that each of you has profited much from the time you have spent in Corry High School. Whether you have been fully imbued with the ideals of your Alma Mater will depend on the future lives of each individual. My wish is that the fates may be kind to you and that peace, prosperity, and happiness may attend you in whatever pathway of lifels labors you may find opportunity for service. Cordially yours, Ralph S. Dewey. 4 3 ,x it i

Page 12 text:

THE ONE HUNDREDTH ANNIVERSARY We are now celebrating the anniversary of one hundred years of free public schools in Pennsylvania. During the past 100 years, great strides have been made in the education of the children of Pennsylvania. It was in 1834 that the first free public schools were established, more than 150 years after William Penn landed at New Castle. The evolution of the Pennsylvania public school system has been slow but thorough. Language and church barriers had to be overcome, as well as financial problems. The early type of school-the church took an active part-frequently used its pastor as the teacher. Another type of school was the pay or sub- scription school. Most of the early schools of Pennsylvania consisted of one room and were made of logs. Sometimes they were of a simple oblong type and at other times an octagonal form was built. From these beginnings the evolution continued until we have today modern Junior and Senior High Schools as well as Junior Colleges. Indeed, it has been 100 years of great achievement. What has been done in Pennsylvania, has also been done in other states of the Union, with the ultimate result that we have in the United States one of the best school systems of the world. We should be proud of the fact that we are living and attending.schools in such an era of educational advancement. True, we may have our temporary set- backs caused by financial stress and strain, but in the past 100 years there have been many of them and all of them have been successfully overcome. It is our duty, as students, to do our part in tl1e advancement of educa- tion in Pennsylvania by keeping our standards high, and, upon graduation, to further the high aims of education by demanding the same educational stand- ards for the next generation. You students will be the citizens of tomorrow. It is your right and the right of your chldren to demand the same high type of education for the next fifty years that we have had in the past one hundred. -o 1 WWW lllllllllllllllllllllmkkw Q' 1 lWllllIllllllllllllllllmkkl 5 viumnu1uwI11 - Q1 .A yy wiw,f.1.1. J'