High School of Commerce - Caravel Yearbook (New York, NY)

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QUMlXfl.liRClQ YEAR BO0K,1912 TEN YEARS CF CQMMERCE HISTQRY T is now ten years since the High School ofCommerce started on its eventful career, and there is no doubt that these ten years have justified the Board of Education in forming it. Beginning in 1902 with a total register of 650 students, the school has grown so rapidly that the building which in 1903 was considered far too large for such a small register is now too small to hold the register of 2500. In 1902 the idea was conceived of forming a high school that should prepare young men not only to become efficient stenographers and book- keepers, but also to assume the responsibilities attendant upon the management of big business concerns. With this end in view the Board of Education established, in September, 1902, the New York High School of Commerce-the Hrst high school of its kind in the country. Dr. James Sheppard, head of the History department of De Witt Clinton High School, was placed in charge of the 650 students and 28 teachers that claimed the top floor of PI S. 67, at 46th St. and Broadway, for their home. . The majority of the students, as well as of the faculty, had come from De VVitt Clinton, yet, -as soon as the school had settled down to work, an antagonism toward Clinton was developed which still exists. Commerce Spirit sprang up like mushrooms in the night. Two literary societies were immediately' formed: the Carnegie and the Webster. When the school as a result of its rapid growth, sent a portion of its students to a building in 52nd Street, near 2nd Avenue, the Webster immediately established an annex in that building. ' In athletics, too, the students were all enthusiasm. The school had no sooner begun work than a football team was formed, then a basketball team, a track and a baseball team, all under the guidance of the Athletic Asso- ciation. 1 , 5 When the school year was nearly over the upper termers established the precedent which is responsible for this volume: the publication of a year book. It was a modest little volume, that first year book, about the size of the present-day Caravel, but it served its purpose well. 1 In September, 1903, the High School of Commerce began the second year of its existence in the present building in 65th Street. The students were for a long time severely handicapped by a lack of proper .working facilities, but they were nevertheless proud of their new home. The activity in the school continued, two language clubs were formed: the Cercle Francais and the Deutscher Verein, and as the membership of the literary societies was increasing too rapidly, the Junior and the Senior Literary Societies were organized. ln this year, too, a Glee Club was formed, which won much praise throughout the school. A 1 7

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I BD ITO PA UL 512011441 I Cf Q HEN the Board of Editors began considering plans for a year book that Would meet the requirements of a Decennial Numberl' they encountered a difficult problem: HOW were they to Write a book that would give a complete history of all the various branches of the school's activities, and at the same time incur no risk of making the book so large and costly that it would be a Hnancial failure? The Board has en- deavored 'to solve this problem by condensing the ancient history as much as possible Without converting it into an uninteresting outline. The Board encountered another problem Which, however, Was insur- mountable. ln past years the YEAR BOOK has been issued about the beginning of June, and all the athletic events which took place during the months of Nlay and June had to remain unrecorded. The succeeding YEAR BOOK made no record of these events, nor has the Athletic Association kept an account of them. Unable to obtain these facts, We have been forced to omit them. We offer this brief explanation to those of our readers Who are inclined to be critical, hoping that it will answer their criticisms to their entire satis- faction. ' We Wish to extend our heartiest thanks to those members of the Faculty who have assisted us in the publication of this volume, in particular, to Messrs. Heydrick and Carleton for their valuable suggestions and general supervision of the literary department, to hir. Carter for his aid in the art department, and to Nlr. Koopman for his valuable assistance in regard to the business management. ' ,I 16

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c0MMERcE YEAR B0014, 1912 When the school year began in Sepfembelk 1904, COYTIITICYCC Was a fully developed school, in June it sent out its first graduating class, and the class immediately formed an Alumni ASSOCi2l'fi0U, which WHS en- larged by the February class, and has been well supported ever since. Inside the school two new societies were formed, the Chess Club and the Dramatic Society, both of which made very promising beginnings. In athletics the school was also prosperous, especially in the case of the rifle team, which became the proud possessor of a sub-target gun presented by General Wingate. It was in 1906, however, that athletics were especially successful. The football team of that year won undisputed claim to the high school football championship of the East. The basketball team defeated all its opponents in the league, and was tied with Boys' High for the championship. This year also marked the formation of the Camera Club, the Tennis Club, and the German singing societity, Fidelitas. The Dramatic Society produced a play in Berkeley Lyceum Theatre, which was so successful that, although entitled For One Night Qnly, it ran for two nights, the proceeds of the second presentation being donated to the fund for the survivors of the San Francisco Fire. 1907 marked not only the fifth year of the school's existence, but also the beginning of the Commerce Cara1JeZ,'which was the result of a desire felt by many of the students of the school for a publication that would keep a permanent record of the minor events in the school's activities that could not be treated in the YEAR BOOK., This book, on its part, had developed in five yearsinto a handsome cloth-bound volume , and in 1907 the graduating class published the largest edition up to the present: a book of about 168 pages. The year 1908 started a new era for the High School of Commerce. It marked the organization of the Commercial Club, the Strollers, and the Chem- istry Club. The school was especially pleased li not from any selfish motivesj by the appointment of Dr. James Sullivan as Principal' of the Brooklyn. Boys' High School. In 1910 the faculty suffered the loss of another of their number by the same route, the appointmentof Dr. John' L. Tildsley as Principal of De Witt Clinton High School. g Within the last few years Commerce has broadened out in all spheres of work. The organizations have multiplied and increased in size, the Athletic Association has never been so successful as in the last two or three years, the Commerce Carafvel has been named the best high school monthly in the United States, the faculty has increased to a present total of about 90, while the student body now numbers nearly 2500. This large increase in the register has resulted in the formation, in February, 1912, under the supervision of Dr. Alfred C. Bryan, of an Annex in the same building in which Commerce started its career ten years ago. D Let us hope Commerce will continue its efforts, and that the history of its second decade may be even more illustrious than its first. 18