Fairmont High School - Maple Leaves Yearbook (Fairmont, WV)

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CONTENTS ADMINISTRATION CLASSES ORGANIZATION ATHLETICS FEATURES ADVERTISING

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DEDICATION HREE years ago, there came into our midst one who has since shown to us in many ways his true ability, bj his leadership, help, suggestions, and en- couragement. He has strived in every way to improve our school system and to make our work a more pleasant task. This man whom we now know as our super- intendent of schools, was educated at Dickinson College, in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, where he re- ceived his Bachelor of Arts degree, and at Co- lumbia University, in New York City, where he was awarded a Master of Arts degree. He served faithfully for twelve years as the superintendent of the Parkersburg schools, before coming to Fairmont. During the time he has been with us, his help has been silently administered, without being realized by the students directly; yet always his guiding presence is felt. This year, more than ever before, we have .noticed the many contribu- tions of this helper, for he has been in closer contact with us continually, since the offices of the board of education have been moved to our own school building. We of the junior class think of this adminis- trator as the knights thought of Merlin. The knights did the actual deeds, met the foe and received the glory, if the winners; but back of the act was the steady, unerring direction of Merlin, who, sure of his action, expected no par- ticular attention or praise, and did not receive it. It is, therefore, with great pleasure and pride that we, the 1934 Class of Fairmont Senior High School, respectfully dedicate this pictorial record of our junior year to Mr. Harry E. Odgers.

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OUR CASTLE AAA HE CASTLE originated in the de- sire for a safe place in which to dwell and in which to store valu- able possessions. Here leaders gathered their forces about them and were prepared to protect their properties and to war upon their opponents. There is striking simil- arity in those castles of old and our own castle of today—Fairmont Senior High School. In this castle are stored the most precious possessions of the world—Char- acter, Knowledge, Service. Here, gathered under the ablest of leaders, are the forces to protect and increase those wealths, forces to assimilate them that they may be propagated and intensified throughout the domain, forces that annihilate all that is detrimental to them. In building a castle every advantage was taken of position. Sometimes a castle would be built upon almost inaccessible crags to insure against invaders, and al- though we have no need of mountains and moats, the situation of the castle has in- deed exerted an influence upon the un- conquerable spirit of its inhabitants. No heavy drawbridge spans a deep moat threatening invaders, but instead stone and rustic bridges span shallow streams, and tiny hills and valleys surround the fort. Just as King Arthur gathered about him the Youth of all countries to defend the ideals and the principles of his court and spread them to the rest of the world, so were we brought together by our su- periors to uphold the standards of the court of our own castle, to further its prin- ciples, and to attain all that toward which we have been striving.