Emporia High School - Re Echo Yearbook (Emporia, KS)

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i. I Q , . , X The Principals At the Emporia High School in the last twenty-five years there have been four principals, Messrs. Charles Wagner, S. U. Pett, R. R. Cook, and R. E. Brown. Mr. Wglgner was a student of the Kansas University from which he obtained his A. B. He was principal of Emporia High from 1910 to 1912. Not only was he principal but he also taught mathematics. Mr. S. U. Pett became principal in 1912. He obtained his Bachelor of Arts degree in 1900 at the Michigan State Normal. He was instructor of agriculture and psychology in Emporia High while Mr. Wiigner was principal. Mr. R. R. Cook obtained his A. B. at the University of Kansas and became principal in 1915. In the fall of 1918, Mr. Cook went to Topeka and Mr. Brown became principal. Mr. Brown graduated from Emporia High School in 1904. He went from there to the College of Emporia where he was a member of the graduating class of 1908, obtaining his Bachelor of Arts degree. During the last year at C. of E., he taught Latin at Emporia High. l14l I Later he taught history and English classes. He became vice-principal in Emporia in 1916. Part of his work as vice-principal was to be financial manager. During this time Mr. Brown attended the University of Kansas several summer terms. He obtained his master's degree in 1923. Wliile at K. U. he became a member of the Phi Delta Kappa, an honorary educational fra- ternity and national organization. Mr. Brown is a member of the Rotary Club and of the Schoolmasters Club which is made up of principals and superintendents from many first and second class cities all over the state. It is the oldest club of its kind. Mr. Brown is also one of the Y. M. C. A. Board of Directors in Emporia, a member of the Athena Honor Society Qscholasticj of the College of Emporia, and a member of the C. of E. chapter of the Phi Mu Alpha National Music Fraternity. When Mr. Brown started teaching, the grad- uating classes were much smaller, many being less than 50. Now the classes are three or four times that large. 4 Mr. Brown has witnessed many changes in the years he has been principal. The National Honor Society was organized and other activi- ties, such as band, orchestra, glee club, and dra- matics have been brought into the school as units of credit.

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193 S-W. M. RICHARDS-19 ur uperintendents Mr. Lowther, former superintendent, came to Emporia to serve as head of the city schools in November 1896. He served for thirty-eight years until his retirement in the spring of 1935. He had the longest record of continuous service to one school system of any one school head in Kansas. The Lowther Junior High School building. erected in 1923, is named in Mr. Lowther's honor. 4 Mr. Lowther attended the University of West Virginia and the University of Kansas where he graduated in 1894. He studied at Clark University and at the Uni- versity of Chicago. He was a member of the State Schoolmasters Club, the Masons in Emporia and he was a 32ml degree in the Scottish Rite consistory of Topeka. The Modern W'oodmen, and Sigma Xi, national honorary society of the University of Kansas, were organizations in which he held mem- bership. He was a member of the Emporia Chamber of Commerce, served several years on the board of directors of the Y. M. C. A. and for twenty-five years was a member of the city library board trustees. Mr. Lowther supervised the introduction of many of the present changes in the curriculum beginning with a manual training de- partment in 1903. Home economics, commercial training, ath- letic training, art, library, and music courses have kept pace with the changing times. In 1912 the people of Emporia voted bonds for the present Senior High building and it was erected on the school block just north of the old Garfield building. Completed in 1914 it was a 4-year high school. At this time the high school course was divided into Junior and Senior High Schools. lt was necessary to divide the days-the Senior High classes meeting in the mornings and the Junior High in the afternoons. This continued for several years until the present junior High building was completed in 1925. Mr. Richards, the present superintendent, was appointed in August 1935. Mr. Richards is a native Kansan, having spent his early boy- hood on a farm in Elk County near Howard. He attended the rural schools in Elk County through the eighth grade. At the age of 18 he obtained a teacher's certificate and began teaching in a rural school in Elk County. He taught two years at Severy, Kansas, before he went to college. After he had completed college he went back to the Severy High School as superintendent. fContinued on Page 74D 1896-L. A. LOXVTHER-1935 I 13 I

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SENIOR OFFICERS I.oREN MILLER ,A,7,,,. , .,,,,. ,,,,,,,,,,,,, ,,,, , Prvsidwzf LENORE FLETCHER ,,,,, .,,L,,, S ccretary GEORGE KING ,L,,... . .VY... Treasurer' JIM SLATTERY ,,7,, , View-Prcxiflwzt enior Class Time Marches On, and the uncertain sophomores of a few years ago have become tlie aggressive Senior Class of 1937. These Seniors have endeavored to make their class outstanding and have indeed succeeded. Its members have excelled in scholarship, sports, dramatics, leadership, and all other fields of activity which they have entered. They began their last year in good form by first electing a group of very competent officers. Loren Miller was elected president, Jim Slattery, vice-president, Lenore Fletch- er, secretary, and George King, treasurer. These officers, with the aid of the Senior sponsors, Miss Hancock, Miss Jackson, Miss Howard, Miss Rodewald, and Mr. James, planned a varied group of activities for the year, all of which were successful. Probably the most elaborate one was the Senior Banquet which drew a big crowd and was enjoyed by everyone who could attend. The crowning of the King and Queen was another important affair, especially to the seniors because all but two of those nominated were members of this class. The class of 1937 is one of the largest that has ever graduated from Emporia High School. T151