East High School - Orient Yearbook (Rochester, NY)

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and eight! The library, gymnasium and lunchroom were items which had not been considered in the original plan of the school. However, Mr. Wilcox was able to persuade the Board of Education that these facilities were entirely necessary. They were, therefore, incorporated into the plans. The library, which was located in a small room in the office, contained few books, which were to be in the charge of Mr. Wilcox's secretary. There were accommodations for a thousand bicycles, since most students and teachers rode them to school in those days. The new school was regarded as a marvel of perfection, and visitors from all parts of the United States came to be shown around it. The subjects taught had all an academic aim. There was no shop, no com- mercial work, and practically no art or music. The girls were provided with a regular gymnasium teacher hired by the Board, but the boys were for the most part taught their gym work by University of Rochester students. Once a week the girls had a choir practice under the direction of the chemistry Z X ROCHESTER FREE ACADEMY Anyone ran ree at a glanre what an anti- quated, badbf planned, P0070 lighted, illy ventilated, tottering, unmnitarj manrtrarity thi: building ix. teacher. As a result of the students' effort-and willingness to payfan orchestra leader was hired. Extra-curricular activities were not encouraged by the Board of Education then as they are today. The Students' Association financed all the student enterprises. The debating team and the Roman State, which was founded in 1905 by Dr. Gray, were among the more active clubs at the beginning of East High. There were no departmental or club newspapers, but the Roman State and the German Club instead preempted a page of the Clarion The Clarion was a twelve-page newspaper published each week by the students. It was financed entirely by the pupils, through advertising and sales. The average cost of publishing it at this time was 51570 an issue, the price, Sc. 9

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HISTORY OF EAST HIGH Eighteen ninety-eight: Conditions in the Rochester schools were so dis- graceful, so poor, that the boys and girls studying in the schools protested, the adult citizens agitated, and Governor Theodore Roosevelt threatened to withhold the State monies if something were not done about the situation quickly. The inadequacy had developed because of an antiquated system of arrangement of the Board of Education. Each ward had one representative on the Board, supposed to see to it that his ward was taken care of properly in matters educational. This kept the board from having an integratgd view of the city's needs, and fostered rivalry and incompetence. The Rochester High School building was especially bad. Agitation for a new high school building was being carried on by almost all citizens, sup- ported by the local newspapers. The school paper, the Clarion, published by the pupils of the Rochester High School, published an editorial describing their school building on South Fitzhugh Street in these terms: The faults of the school are so obvious that anyone enjoying the use of his eyesight can see at a glance what an antiquated, badly planned, poorly lighted, illy ventilated, tottering unsanitary monstrosity this building is. There was no gymnasium, lunchroom, or assembly hall. The staircases were perpendicular, poorly lighted, dangerous. In fact, there was an elevator in use for those delicate girls who were unable to climb the stairs. In general, everyone was agreed upon the need for a new school. Determined to accomplish the renovation of the school system, Dr. Andrew J. Townson, president of the Board of Education, initiated a new form of Board. Five representatives were elected from the city at large, eliminating the old narrowness of view. The new board was more efficient and cooperative. After a great deal of discussion, it was decided to build two new high schools. This extravangance was roundly denounced by those citizens who could not see the need, then or in the future, of more than one high school. Since East High was to be built first, a location as near central as possible, to be con- venient for all pupils until West High should be built, was chosen. Mr. Albert H. Wilcox, who, after graduating from the University of Rochester, had recently completed extension work at the University of Chicago, was brought to Rochester in 1900 to be principal of the Rochester High School. The Construction of East High School was begun in 1901. It progressed at a normal pace until April, 1903. At that time the finishing touches were being put on it. However, conditions at the old school had become so bad that it was decided that the difficulties encountered in staying there were greater than would be those connected with moving into the unfinished building. Accordingly, 2100 students moved into an unfinished building, finding, as Mr. Wilcox has phrased it, that masons to right of them, plumb- ers to left of them, electricians in front of them volley'd and thunder'd! Twenty-one hundred students, in a building built to accommodate a thousand 8

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Because dramatic productions were considered disorganizing to school life, the assembly platform had been built expressly for speaking purposes. How- ever, the senior classes, wishing to present senior plays, rented the Lyceum Theater for their production. Besides enterprising thus, the class of 1904 decided, within six weeks of graduation, that they wanted to publish an annual. Because of the shortness of the time to the end of the term, it was thought to be impossible. The class did edit an Orient. It is an interesting book. The first page announces that the Harvard Livery Stables are the best in Rochester. The practice of printing a separate picture of each senior' had not yet started, and the seniors were pictured en masse. Group pictures of the clubs, fraternities, sororities, athletic teams, and the faculty were printed. There was also a special literary section in the book. The six weeks spent in preparing it must have been exceptionally full for those on the staff. Track, baseball, football, and basketball were the original sports. The GOODMAN ANNEX Behold the noble Chirle fartory Where frexhman Impex and dreamt were Jtored. 'Tumi here our ClJirklet.r inrubaied Mid!! lrummeringx mm' beaver-board. teams' schedules included high schools in Western New York and the fresh- men teams ofthe University of Rochester and several other colleges. All the teams were supported directly by the students themselves, with no aid from the board, until 1906, when the Board first began portioning money for athletics. The Webster Avenue ball park was rented for football games. By 1909 football had grown far beyond its rightful importance. The rivalry between East and West was tremendous, extending beyond the twotschools to the city at large, gamblers took it up as a ripe field for betting, and, to the boys, making the team was infinitely more important than studies or grades. So the Board of Education took a vote among the parents and found them overwhelmingly in favor of eliminating football. It was accordingly done away with. Rochester boys, savagely disgusted at this piece of effemin- acy, retaliated by conducting a marbel tournament on their schools' front lawns. 10