El Reno High School - Boomer Yearbook (El Reno, OK)

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tHMMMiaitlMimiMMItltltlMMMiaiaiMMIMMMM' IMMMMtMMMMMIMMMMttlMl THE BOOMER, 1936 young people have begun to realize that a worth while position demands an education, more and more of them are attempting to secure at least a high school education. Because the majority of young people are striving toward this goal, the number of teachers has necessarily been increased The El Reno High School faculty has grown in number from two teachers to thirty-six, five of whom have M. A. degrees. Today, our high school is proud to boast of an enrollment of one thousand, one hundred and fifty, one hundred and thirty-eight of these being graduating seniors. In addition to the regular read- ing, ’riting and ’rithmetic. we have in our present day curriculum, home economic courses, manual training classes, physical education for boys and girls, an outstanding music de- partment, and a varied selection of commercial subjects. For the pur- pose of offering students the oppor- tunity of studying those subjects which are the most helpful and inter- esting to them, the El Reno High School now offers four different types of diplomas. It is possible for the students to comply with college entrance requirements and at the same time qualify for either a Com- mercial, Manual Arts, Home Econom- ics, or Academic Diploma. We have hopes that by another year a Music Diploma will be offered for students interested in that type of work. This plan makes it possible not only for the college-bound student to secure the training he needs, but also for the student who plans to enter some field of activity immediately after gradua- tion to be better trained for his work. To qualify for any diploma one must include in his course of study four units of English, one unit of mathe- matics. one unit of laboratory science, and one unit of American history. Six- teen units are necessary for gradua- tion. To qualify for a Commercial Diploma five units must be selected from the commercial department. These units must be Shorthand I and II, Typewriting I and II, and an elec- tive commercial subject. To secure a Home Economics Diploma, a stu- dent must take two courses in cooking, two in sew- ing, and one in interior decorating. Those interest- ed in qualifying for a Manual Arts Diploma are re- quired to have five units selected from the manual training and mechanical drawing departments, eith- er two manual training and three mechanical draw- ing courses, or two mechanical drawing and three manual training courses. For an Academic Diplo- ma, four units of English, two of history, two of mathematics, two of foreign language, and two units of science are required. In the fall of 1935, Mr. Paul R. Taylor came to us as our new superintendent. Pro ”ng his elec- tion here, he was superintendent at I Oklaho- Mr. Paul H. Taylor .Mr. Walter P. Mnr h Mihm Uohc Witcher Mr. C. U McGill Ml May Slianklin Mi JoN4 |)tl l|| II.1.1||,'tt Ml Joxcphlne Kilward Mr. M. I- Bant. ma, for ten years. Mr. Taylor has his M. A. degree from Oklahoma Agricultural and Mechanical Col- lege. Those who have been fortunate enough to know Mr. Taylor personally have found that he is indeed an inspiration. Everything that culture and refinement demand, he has to offer-dignity, poise, tactfulness, cleanliness and sincerity. Although new in our community, he has already acquired a host of friends who admire him very much. El Reno is fortunate in having this type of man at the head of her school system. We are indeed glad that he will be with us again next year. Also last fall, a new principal, Mr. Walter P. Marsh, assumed duties in El Reno High School. Because of his good nature and mirth, Mr. Marsh injects happiness into all who are around him. He also has been re- sponsible for adding “wim, wigor and witality” to our pep assemblies. Mr. Marsh, previous to his coming to El Reno, served as assistant superin- tendent of the State School for Boys at Pauls Valley, Oklahoma. He, like- wise, served as principal of the Elk City High School for eleven years, and also was registrar at Northwest- ern State Teachers’ College at Alva, Oklahoma, for three years. He re- ceived his M. A. degree from Okla- homa Agricultural and Mechanical College. Miss Rose Witcher, dean of girls and curriculum director of El Reno High School, has served in the El Re- no High School for twenty-three years, both as teacher and executive. She has spent the last two summers studying at Columbia University in New York City and expects to com- plete her work for a M. A. degree this summer. Miss Witcher has gained the goodwill and friendship of every- one, liecause she so willingly gives of her time and advice to assist anyone who needs help. She is respected by all who work with her. Mr. C. L. McGill, dean of boys and vocational guidance director, has been a member of the El Reno High School faculty for sixteen years. In 192'1, Mr. McGill was appointed as vice-principal of the high school. It was in the fall of 1930 that he was assigned to the position of guidance director. It is the ultimate aim of Mr. McGill to aid young people in properly solving life’s problems. It is his belief that the purpose of a guidance program is to assist the student in making an intelligent choice of his vo- cation, particularly the student who will never have the educational opportunities provided by a college education. Mr. McGill has completed all of his course work for a master’s degree and will receive this degree from the University of Oklahoma upon the completion of his thesis. The establishment of home rooms according to (Continued on pajee 31)

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• iMMltlllMMIIIHMIMllHMMtltMIIMIIMIMIIIItMIMIIllMMMIIMMIMIIIMIItlMIHHMIllliMIIIMMMHIIIMMmMHMIimilMmMtlMlllimMlimillllltlimMlimimMMMmMMMII THE BOOMER. 19 3 6 OUR HIGH SCHOOL By Dorothy Shncklott Far oui on the western prairie, Standing plain to view 18 our dear El Reno High School, Towering toward the blue. THE sturdy fathers and modest mothers who came to El Reno in the early days, after establishing homes, turned their attention to the educating of their boys and girls. This led to the establishment in 1893-94 of our first high school. A small one- room building located at 700 South Rock Island Avenue housed the first group of high school stu- dents. Mr. F. N. Hopkins, selected as the first su perintendent of the El Reno public schools, used as an office a small room attached to the back of the high school. Resides Mr. Hopkins there was one other teacher, Miss Duna Cobb. Four years la- ter, in 1897, how proud El Reno was of her first graduating class consisting of four students, all girls, Anna Hughes, Stella Dixon, Ina Gainer, and Mabel Jensen. The next year there were five mem- bers in the Senior Class, two girls, Ruth Warren and Fantine Samuels, and three boys, Lloyd Kelly, Jesse Johnson and Will Brown. From that modest beginning our high school has grown until now it covers an entire block. Brick has displaced wood, making our high school as at- tractive a building as may be found in this section of the country. The present building consists of thirty-six class rooms, an auditorium, a gymnasium, a store room, and two offices. Our auditorium adds much to the attraction of our school. The new blue velvet curtain with the gold E. H. S. letters on it lends beauty to that large room. The Seniore of the past have left their school many needed gifts which express their loyalty and love for their school. The pictures in the auditorium, the telephone booth, the statue of Abraham Lincoln, the electric score board, the electric clock, the loud speaker, and the cyclorama are only a few of these thoughtful re- membrances. A new administration building, which includes the superintendent’s office and the Board of Education room, has been built this year. The completion of this much-needed building fulfilled a long felt need of the El Reno community. It not only provides the school with official headquarters but makes it possible for the Dean of Girls to have an office in the high school building. In the last forty-three years the enrollment in El Reno High School has grown rapidly. Since TUB CLASS OF 1SS8 Left to Right—Lloyd Kelly, Ruth Warren. Jc e Johnson, Fantine Samuel and Will Brown.

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IMmMMMMHHtM.IMMMIMMMMHMHIMMMmtMmi SENIOR CLASS HISTORY By Barbara Gamble. On a bright September morn, With their hearts all filled with song. Mothers sent their little freshmen Off to join the high school throng. WHEN, in September, 1932, two hundred and twelve enthusiastic youngsters, with the proper amount of freshman humility, enter- ed the El Reno High School, many, perhaps, did not foresee the unusual opportunities for service that lay in the future of this class or recognize the abun- dance of talent and leadership in the group. Evidence of this leadership was shown even in the freshman year. With Hardy Payne as presi- dent, Leonard Weyrick, vice-president, and Dorothy Shacklett, secretary, the class perfected its organ- ization—a typical class, sponsored by Mr. Richard Horton and Miss Christene Schuh. We worked hard that year, laying the foundation for our future suc- cess. We passed through the freshman year safely, (most of us), and in September, 1933, we bobbed up serenely as sophomores, sensing to the great- est degree our dignity and import- ance. We made great progress, and our originality was surprising. Our Latin teacher was amazed at the ingenuity displayed in our translations of Caesar. Many of his Commentaries were translated as never before. Our geometry teacher also recognized our origi- nality and declared that our demonstrations were among the newest discoveries of the century. She was even compelled to discourage us in our new solutions of the difficult corollaries and theorems of geometry. There were instances, however, when our origi- nality and industry proved invaluable. Sophomore dues were collected from our class, and this was the first time in several years that a Sophomore class had collected dues. The whole class worked together and elected its candidate, Lela Morris, as Football Queen. Worthy of mention, also, were the miscel- laneous assembly program which we presented and the assistance we gave to the juniors in serving the Junior-Senior Banquet. That year the class was led by Otto Hess, with Helen Barnhart, vice-presi- dent. Mary Clara Dix, secrotary. and Miss May Shanklin, sponsor. Although we were only soph- omores, a member of the class that year entered El Reno’s hall of fame in basketball. Harvey Slade was chosen as a member of the All-State Team. The year slipped by, and then we were juniors. Juniors, worldly wise and with happy, care-free air, happy because our sophomores dues gave us the ad- vantage of beginning the year with a balance in the bank. Since we now held the important position of Junior Class, we felt that we must distinguish our- selves even more than in the the past. We were am- bitious to present an excellent junior play and to give a Junior-Senior Banquet unequaled before. With Otto Hess again serving as president, Eva Mae Miles, vice-president, Mary Clara Dix, secretary, and Miss May Shanklin and Miss Josephine Hodnett, sponsors, we began a most enjoyable and an ex- tremely busy year. The class was justly proud of its presentation of the play, “The Goose Hangs High”. Mr. H. E. Wrinkle, who was superintend- ent of the school at that time, pronounced it the best high school production he had ever seen. The re- joicing over the suuccess of the play was rudely stopped, however, by the startling information that all students, good, bad, and indifferent, would be required to take semester examinations in all sub- jects. This bit of sad news put a temporary end to all school activities; but when all the studious juniors, who had by hard work, or otherwise, sur- vived this dreaded ordeal, were asked to elect a new secretary, since Mary Clara Dix was moving to Ok- lahoma City, we again took heart, elected Dorothy Shacklett, secre- tary, and Marion Hensley, treas- urer of the class, and moved for- ward with accustomed zeal. The year 1935 marked the three hundredth anniversary of the free public high school in America, and in commemoration of this event the Kiwanis Club sponsored an essay contest in the high school. In this contest Barbara Gamble won first place, and Dorothy Hessen flow placed fifth. Then in April were held the district contests at Central State Teachers’ College, Edmond, and in these the junior class was well represented. Wide in scope were the individual triumphs, and with pride do we record the honoro won by the members of the class. Leonard Weyrick proved his ability by winning first place in spelling, and Orlene Rob- inson placed second in algebra. Lillian Canon won second place in dramatic reading and also won the distinction of being named the best actress in the one-act play contest. Later in the same month Leonard Weyrick won second place in a short story writing contest at Ok- lahoma University. Then competing with a large number of boys, Ruth Reed, the only girl contestant, won third place in mechanical drawing at Oklahoma A. M. College. Stillwater. Harvey Slade again proved his basketball ability by securing a place on the All-State team. In May one of the greatest events of the year took place. The seniors and juniors took a trip to Fairy Land. A...ong wishing-wells, butterflies, fair- ies, and castles, nearly three hundred students filled the Masonic Temple for the Junior Senior Banquet. (Continued on i a«e 38) :: :: CLASS OFFICERS I President . . Otto Hess | Vice President Victor Hackney | j Secretary . Dorothy Shacklett 1 Treasurer . . Marion Hensley r SPONSORS Miss May Shanklin Miss Josephine Hodnett Miss Josephine Edwards Mr. C. L. McGill Mr. M. L. Bast. :: ::