Edison High School - Edisonian Yearbook (Lake Station, IN)

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HISTORY OF EDISON All great institutions like all great men have their small beginnings and Edison High School is no exception. We sometimes think of Edison as a small school, but we have come a long way in the thirteen years since the first high school classes were organized in East Gary, Much water can flow under the bridge in that time, but much progress can also be made in the same length of time. We have made some mistakes and we have made some very successful achievements in the history of our school; however, let us have a glimpse of the beginning. The eastern portion of the Central School building was built in 1914, but the west half was not added until 1928. It had been the custom of the School Town to pay the trans- fer tuition of the high school students of East Gary to send them to Emerson of Gary. This procedure was followed until the Central Building was remodeled. The first high school classes were therefore organized in September, 1928 when the 9th grade was added to the traditional eight-grade system. Mr. Kenneth J. Wright was the principal of the Central School in 1928-29 and Mr. Harry Condon became the first high school teacher. This first freshmen class left a land mark by which they may long be remembered when they gave the tall flagpole which stands in front of the Central Building as a parting gift when they transferred to the Emerson School at the close of their Sophomore year. The following year the tenth grade was added to the high school and Mr. Condon succeeded Mr. Wright as principal. This year is also memorable in the history of our school as it brought Miss Hilda I. Eshelman, Edison ' s beloved Dean of Girls to East Gary as a teacher. Mrs. Hazel Crawford was also employed as a part time teacher that year. The ninth and tenth grade were located in the two west rooms and one of the east rooms upstairs in the Central Building. Yes, they had a basketball team that year and several games were played, but in order to have a team it was necessary to use some of the bo-js from the 8th grade. Mr. George B. Garland, who is now the principal and teacher of 7th and 8th grades at Ainsworth, was the coach of that first team. Mr. Willis H. McAllister, who is now a teacher in the Merrillville High School was a member of the faculty of that year, Mr, A. E. Steele succeeded Mr. Harry Condon as principal in 1931-32 and Mr. Ralph Napier joined the faculty this year as coach of the basketball team and a teacher in the high school. The present high school building was under construction at this time and everyone was anxious- ly looking forward to the time when they could occupy the new building. The school was organized as a junior high school in 1932-33 and the 11th grade was added when the school moved into the Edison Building in September of that year. Miss

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Mary E. Mason and Mr. Paul Steele we re added to the faculty, and the East Gary School had added Home Economics and In- dustrial Arts. The 7th and 8th grades were returned to the Central Building in the fall of 1935-34 and the first Senior class in the history of the school very proudly laid down tradi- tion for future graduating classes. Mr. Virgil Bailey succeeded Mr. A. E. Steele as principal in 1933-34, and per- haps the most important thing that happened during the year was the addition of Mr. Reeder Stroube to the faculty as science teacher and coach of girl ' s physical education and basketball. Mr. Stroube succeeded Mr. Bailey as principal of the high school in 1935-36 and has served in that capacity since. Miss Hazel Hartley joined the faculty in the middle of the year 1934-35, while Mr. Doyle D. Baliff, Josephine Chapman, and Hilda Woollard were also new members. Mr. Baliff became the coach the next year and has done much to give Edison a favorable position in athletics in this part of the state. Miss Hartley has developed the commercial de- partment until at present it is almost double its size in 1934-35. The commercial department does excellent work and many girls and a few boys have received valuable training in this field. Alfred Schara, dynamic toacher of shop and coach of track joined the East Gary faculty at the second semester of 1935-36; Elizabeth Mills v as also a faculty mem- ber in that year, and Miss Carol Nuss succeeded Miss Woollard, and Miss Chrystelle Hoar became music superivisor. Miss Viola C. Englehardt came in 1937-58. Mr. Wenger did much to im- prove the English department and did especially fine work in public speaking and dramatics. Harold F. Weber, Louise Pemberton and Bruce Brubaker became members in 1938-39. Mr. Weber has done some fine work in the wood shop, and Miss Pemberton’s work in Art has been outstanding. The progress of band work in East Gary has been remarkable under the able guidance of Mr. Brubaker, who had to start without even the nucleus of a band when he came. The band has been very solidly supported by the community through the Band Boosters organization. Miss Dorcas Anderson and Miss Thelma Carr came to East Gary in 1939-40, Miss Carr’s work in girl’s physical education has been very good. In 1940-41 a school library was organized and Mrs. Dana Brown became our first Librarian. Mrs. Brown was not new to the East Gary system, but was transferred to Edison from Columbus school where for many years she had been a success- ful teacher. Miss Evelyn Leberer is our most recent addition to the faculty, having succeeded Miss Car r who resigned to accept a position in Niles, Michigan. The progress of some of our departments has been gradual but very sure. The policy of the Board of Trustees has had to be one of conservation because of lack of finance. How- ever, the woodshop is now in very good shape, having several