Hammond Technical Vocational High School - Chart Yearbook (Hammond, IN)

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Mr. Ted Flack, the 1966 Industrial Coordinator, and Mr. R.M. Wilson, 1966 coach and health and safety instructor, talk with Mr. Hal Snyder (center), the “father” of the Tech Tiger and former track and assistant football coach, who had come for a visit. The following is reprinted from a 1966 issue of the Tech Times: COACH HAL SYNDER WAS ‘FATHER’ OF TECH TIGER by Jim Wojciehowski Did you ever wonder how Tech was given the name Tiger? Well, to find out, let’s go back to the year 1 925 when Tech was still on Russell Street. Mr. Hal Snyder, track and assistant football coach at the time, was writing sports stories for the Hammond Times. But Mr. Snyder had a problem; every time he wanted to say something about what Tech did, he had to use a pronoun such as they, them, or those boys. So, being the good coach that he was, Coach Snyder set out to find an appropriate nickname for Tech. This did not prove easy. Then one day in 1926, while looking through a sports magazine, he saw a tiger which was gold with brown stripes, and since Tech’s colors have always been Brown and Gold, Mr. Snyder thought this would be an appropriate symbol and nickname for Tech. To see what the students’ reactions would be, he asked his class and they enthusiastically gave their approval. Then he got the approval of Mr. Fred Bar- rows, the principal at the time, and of the superinten- dent of schools, Mr. Lee L. Caldwell. It was done! Tech finally had a nickname and the new Tech Tigers were proud of it! That Special Spirit A Tech Tradition For 63 Years — Has Been Called Tiger Spirit! Tech’s Story, One Might Say, Has Been The Tale Of The Tiger! Indeed, In 1982 — It Was The Tiger’s Last Tale.

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1919 to 1922 The Tiger Tale Began As Students Eagerly Responded To What Tech Had To Offer! Tech students, right from the school’s first days, seemed eager to train for jobs in this industrial community. When planners presented new courses, quick response for enroll- ment caused school population to grow from one student in 1919 to nearly 2000 students in the 1960’s. Course work was at first just part time to assist students who had to work. First offerings included such classes as blueprint reading and typing. Then came others — forge and foundry, machine shop, shorthand, business ma- chines. Also flourishing over the years was an impressive array of academic classes, required and elective. On and on classes and shops were added until at its peak Tech offered nearly twice as much as the ordinary high school. Tech also developed a highly successful athletic pro- gram. Its social life was enhanced by many extra-curricu- lar organizations. A chronology of important times in Tech ' s history fol- lows on this and other theme pages: 1893 — Hammond Central School was built on the corner of Hohman and Fayette where the Calumet National Bank now stands. It housed elementary . . . also high school students. When the high school outgrew this building, it moved to a new building on Calumet Ave- nue and was called Hammond Industrial High School, later shortened to Hammond High School. 1919 — Great need for a vocational school also became apparent. Mr. F.S. Barrows started a vocational school later called Tech in an attic room of the Cen- tral School. To begin with’, there was only one teacher, Mary Dwyer, and one student. Max Dcmps. Demand for enrollment grew and so classes were organized for girls in the afternoons and for boys in the mornings. In those early days students went part time, two days a week. Mr. Max Dcmps. Tech ' s first student as he was pictured in the 1 959 Chart.