English High School - Blue and Blue / Record Yearbook (Boston, MA)

Page 27 text:

oem When first we came we asked ourselves What many had asked before. What shall we strive and toil to learn? What does the future hold in store? Shall I become a counsellor, A man of great renown? Shall I sit like Croesus in a bank, A leader in the town? Whatever life may trace for us As time goes fleeting by, We know we ' ll all be better men For knowing English High. Charles F. McGonaglEj ' 58

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1958 Stanza I We, the class of ' 58 About to say good-bye All promise our fidelity To dear old. English High Though now we bid a last farewell And go our sep ' rate ways, In years to come to shall relive Our happy English days. REFRAIN English High, our English High Your name we ' ll e ' er revere; Always in our hearts shall be Our Alma Mater dear. Stanza II Time will pass and we ' ll recall The days that once we knew; In memory we ' ll ne ' er forget Our pledge of love to you ; And when at times we meet again To sing and cheer and dine. We ' ll hail the name of English High And part with Auld Lang Syne. by Jay Porter Richard Gas kins

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Our The History of the English High School BY Edward J. Kelley ' 58 The English High School was founded in 1821, the year after the old town of Boston became a city. In 1821 the city of Boston was inhabited by some 50,000 people. The streets were narrow and the people were prospering from the trade over- seas. In this setting English High was founded. Believing that the existing facilities were inade- quate for handling the education of the students prop erly, a sub-committee was formed to explore the feasibility of establishing a higher institution of learning. The founding of the school was authorized in 1820 in a committee report on education. It was named English Classical School and remained so designated until 1833 when it became known as English High School. This was truly to be a higher institution of learning and only those stu- dents who passed a suitable examination would b° admitted. PART TWO Mr. George Barrell Emerson was the first head erituae master, or headmaster. Examinations for admis- sion were held in the Latin School building on School Street and in May the school opened in the building on Derne Street with a membership pf one hundred and one pupils. The first school building stood on the southerly side of Derne Street, covering a portion of the ground now occupied by the State House exten- tion. The easterly portion of the ground floor was occupied on the quarters of the Town Watch, forerunners of the Police Department; the west- erly portion as the house of Hero Fire Engine 6. The boys in attendance at this school were expected to complete a course of study much more rigorous than at present in less than three years. The course consisted of; intellectual and written arithmetic, ancient and modern geography, history, elements of arts and sciences, sacred geography reading, grammar, bookkeeping algebra, rhetoric and composition, geometry, natural philosophy, English literature and forensics, natural theology, moral philosophy, evidences of Christianity, practi- cal mathematics, comprehending navigation, sur- veying, mensuration, astronomical calculations, and construction, and use of mathematical instru- ments.