Fryeburg Academy - Academy Bell Yearbook (Fryeburg, ME)

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1 THE ACADEMY BELL 5 The Man and His School IN September, 1922, as Fryeburg Academy opened for its one hundred and thirty-first year, a newly appointed principal, Elroy O. LaCasce, greeted the students. An unprecedented era in the history of the Acad- emy began. The physical plant which was the Academy was unimpressiveg the main building, Webster Hall, consisted of four classrooms, an assem- bly hall, and an office. Commercial sub jects were taught in Gordon Hallg manual training in what was formerly the stable of the Alumni House, the Alumni House and the Frye House completed the Academy proper- ty and served as homes for the faculty and the few boarding students. The faculty numbered seven full-time teachers, including the princi- pal, and one part-time music instructor. One hundred fourteen students, most of whom were day students-many commuted daily by train- made up the school. In addition to teaching mathematics, directing the activities of the school, and coaching two sports, the principal also kept the books and wrote his own letters in spare moments. Football, long a forgotten sport here, was revivedg Mr. LaCasce worked diligently with a squad of perhaps seventeen or eighteen boys- a squad which surely deserved the appellation green. The significant thing about this is that one characteristic of Mn may have been devel- oped or strengthened, at any rate his patience has never been more pro- nounced than it was as he labored to instill a little knowledge of football into this group. One of the first changes in the physical plant was the construction in 1924. of the Harvey D. Gibson Gymnasium, then one of the large basketball floors in the state. The acquisition of property and construc- tion of buildings has continued from that time to the present, as the needs of the school have dictated, and the end is not yet. As the Harvey D. Gibson Recreational Center nears completion, plans are being made for a new dormitory. Today's faculty, well-balanced and strong, numbers twenty-seven, the student body has increased to two hundred and eighty-eight of whom seventy-one are boarding students. Four buses daily transport students from a wide territory, F ryeburg Academy is definitely an area school. The college preparatory courses fit students for many colleges, the vocational courses are strong: commercial, home economics, shop, and agriculture give students a basic preparation for further study in those fields. The agriculture course affords much of practical value for those of its students who go back to their own farms, particularly in the dairy

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LCMR.77 ELROY O. LACASCE Principal BA. Bowdoin College, MA. CHonoraryJ Bowdoin College We have issues of the ACADEMY BELL on file dated 1883. That means that this student publication is old. The 1955 issue is excellent and is a worthy link in the chain. I congratulate all the people who worked to make this issue a success. Keep your copy. It will be more valuable as the years go by. In a school, town, state, or nation each individual has responsibilities. The strength of the group depends upon the individual. Some years ago, even before my time, Plato said, The strength of a democracy for a schoolj is judged by the quality of the services rendered by its citizens.

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'6 6 THE ACADEIVIY BELL industry, since the school maintains a dairy herd of thirty-eight, home economics prepares for better homemaking. Most recently added are the driver-training and art courses. In addition to the usual classroom instruction, the many extra-curric- ular activities provided a Wide range of interests for the students. Ath- letics are for many students with varsity and junior varsity teams in all organized sports, music is an important activity-both in formal and in- formal groups. Dramatics also have a recognized place. Here is the shadow of a man, a man Whose patience, foresight, under- standing, and love, coupled with an intense belief in the innate good- ness of youth, has built F ryeburg Academy into an outstanding school. There has never been a path too long, a task too difiicult for Mr. if it meant opportunity for some student. To those students and alumni with Whom he has been associated, Mr.l' and F ryeburg Academy are synonymous. Now after thirty-three years of constant supervision, Mn retires. May he and Mrs have many richly deserved years of happiness and contentment in their new home on Main Street. As they leave the Acad- emy, the good wishes, love, and respect of hundreds of friends go with them.