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

Page 12 text:

Jn Jflemon ' am 11 The English High School was saddened by the passing of Edward F. Bell, during the summer of 1963. Mr. Bell was an outstanding member of the School ' s Business Edu- cation Department, and contributed greatly to the expedition of various school activities. Upon the completion of his A.B. and A.M., both of which he re- ceived at Boston College, he was appointed to the Boston School System. He taught at English High from 1925 to 1963, and was the Acting Head of the Business Education Department in 1961. Both the faculty and the students wish to express their deepest sorrow at the passing of this admirable man.

Page 11 text:

Mcritagi In 1820, the town of Boston felt that the time had arrived to supplement its secondary school system, which at that time consisted of only the Latin School. A subcommittee, consisting of clergy, merchants, and jurists, was appointed to consider the subject of providing advanced schooling for boys not pursuing a college career. This committee presented a report which recommended the estabhshment of a school to be called the Enghsh Classical School (a title that was eventually changed permanently to the English High School in 1833) with admittance obtainable thru ' suitable examination. This committee further stated that the course should be spread over a period of three years, vdth subjects including English, Math, and Natural Philosophy. The school was opened in a building on Derne Street (in the rear of the State House, the site now commemorated by a plaque, gift of the Class of 1874) in the year 1821. George Barrold Emerson, a famous New England educator and botanist, was appointed the first headmaster. Mr. Emerson served until 1823, resigning at that time to open a fashionable academy for girls. Shortly after the appointment of Solomon P. Miles as headmaster, the school was moved from Derne to Pickney Street where it remained until 1844. Mr. Miles retired because of ill health in 1837 and was succeeded by Thomas Sherwin, a master in the school since 1829. Mr. Sherwin, a great and beloved headmaster, and a famous author of math text-books, presided over the school until his death at the age of 70 in 1869. Dinning his regime such famous men as J. P. Morgan, the great financier, and Samuel P. Langley, inventor of the airplane engine, were graduated from the school. In 1844, the English High School was moved to a building on Bedford Street, which was also to house the Latin School. There the school remained until 1881 when English was moved to an elaborate new building on Montgomery Street, a building regarded in its time as one of the finest educational edifices in the country. Mr. Cumston, a master in the school for over 20 years, was appointed headmaster at Sherwin ' s death. He continued in this post until 1874, when he retired to pursue a business career. Edwin Pliny Seaver, an instructor of mathematics at Harvard, was his successor, resigning in 1881 to accept the position of Superintendent of Schools in Boston, the second teacher at English High to be honored so, — John D. Philbrick having held the position previously. Francis A- Waterhouse, a graduate of Bowdoin and headmaster of Newton High School, was his successor, continuing in that oflfice until his untimely death in Europe, while on leave of absence in 1894. Mr. Robert Babson, a teacher of German since 1864, was appointed his successor. Mr. Babson retired because of ill health in 1901; it was during his time that the system of departmental heads was established. Mr. John F. Casey, his successor, had been a teacher of mathematics in the school since 1872 and was held in the greatest of esteem by the alumni and student body. Mr. Casey retired reluctantly in 1915, because of the age limit and was succeeded by William B. Snow, then head of the French Department. During Mr. Snow ' s regime, the English High School celebrated its centenary. In 1922, the School Committee elected Mr. Snow Assistant Superintendent of Boston public schools, whereupon he was succeeded by Mr. Walter F. Downey, who had been a teacher of mathematics in the school for 12 years. On Mr. Downey ' s retirement in 1954, Mr. M. Henry Mclnemey was named headmaster. It was in Mr. Mclnerney ' s time that English High School moved from the old building on Montgomery Street to the High School of Commerce building on Avenue Louis Pasteur. Since the appointment of Mr. Joseph L. Malone as headmaster in 1956, many new honors have been brought to the school. I I ' • 11 n

Page 13 text:

ELLIOTT Doc FRAZIER S.B. 1913 Dartmouth Ed.M. 1925 Harvard JOSEPH L. KENNEY A.B. 1919 Holy Cross Ed.M. 1928 Harvard Appointed January 1934 THOMAS G. ECCLES A.B. 1923 Boston College Ed.M. 1934 Harvard Appointed May 1936 Zothe ' Dedicated ROBERT G. SIMMONS A. B. 1919. Ed.M. 1923 Boston College Appointed September 1923 JOSEPH F. SHEEHAN A.B. 1929. A.M. 1930 Boston College Appointed March 1931 FRANK A. REPETTO Ph.B. Boston College Ed.NL Boston College Appointed September 1931