Ipswich High School - Tiger Yearbook (Ipswich, MA)

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Progress in Manning High School Since 1895 By Charles Sayward I N glancing back over the last forty years, one can observe the many changes which have taken place in Manning, not only in the size of the student body and in ath- letic interest but also in the type of subjects taught. In 1895, John P. Marston suc- ceeded Sharrington H. Baker as principal of Manning High School. It was in this year that a four year course was first introduced into the school. Formerly, it had been nec- essary for a student, desiring to enter college, to spend at least one year at a preparatory school after graduating. At the time of Mr. Marston’s appointment there were only fifteen pupils in the graduat- ing class. Indeed, there was so much feeling against a higher edu- cation, that the two rooms on the second floor provided ample space for the high school student body, the rest of the building being given over to the grammar school. There were two teachers besides Principal Marston who taught such subjects as Greek, Latin, botany, geology, astronomy, etc. Such subjects as economics, shorthand, bookkeeping, and mathematics were either disre- garded entirely or taken up for one year only. However, about the years 1915 a gradual change began to make itself felt throughout the schools of the nation, and. Manning, along with many others, cast away such subjects as astronomy, botany, and geology in favor of more practical subjects, such as economics, short- hand, and mathematics, which are considered to be of more direct value to the youth of today. Many people considered this as a symbol of the degeneration of the high schools from institutions of learning to commercial or industrial institu- tions. However, I feel that this way of looking at the change is not a true one, because I think that these people have disregarded the great change v hich has come over our economic world. The security of every person is threatened unless he has a background which enables him to cope with the severe com- petition which he encounters at every turn. This change in the policy of the schools called for an increase in the importance of athletics, so that when Robert Conary, a young grad- uate from Colby, came here in 1921 to teach chemisiry and science and offered to coach athletics also, his offer was gladly accepted. Since then with the aid of Mr. Burke, he has kept athletics up to a high standard in spite of many draw- backs which a lack of funds and lack of interest on the part of many of the townsfolk have created. When Mr. Whipple succeeded Mr. Marston in 1920 the student body had increased to 152 with eight full time teachers and three part time teachers. During Mr. Marston’s time the student body had increased rapidly. About the year 1916, a law was passed which decreed that 23

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No history of high school educa- tion or its equivalent in Ipswich would be complete without mention- ing the Ipswich h ' emale Academy, later known as the Seminary Build- ing. It is impossible to give in the brief time at my disposal, anything but a mere outline of the history of this institution. Up to 1825 but litle attention had been paid to higher education for girls. There were some in Ipswich who keenly felt that this was a mistake. A representative group mot in November 1825 to organize a body to establish an academy of higher education for young women. Sufficient funds were subscribed, and a building was erected on the spot where the church of the Chris- tian Science Society of Ipswich now stands. In April, 1828, Miss Zilpah P. Grant, assisted by Miss Mary Lyon, took charge of the academy and we find from Felt’s History of Ipswnch that as early as 1833, the average number of scholars was 142. Some terms there had been nearly 200. There were eight as- sistant teachers. The board for each pupil, including washing, fuel, and lights, was $1.75 a w eek, ana the tuition was $10.00 for the term of sixteen weeks. At one time, the house now occupied by Dr. Tucker, was a boarding house for both pu- pils and teachers, and at times there were more than forty living there. The fame of the academy soon spread and pupils from all over the country, as well as from New England, came to Ipswich to receive their higher education. So successful was this school that Miss Lyon had an inspiration to erect a large college here in Ipswich and steps were taken to raise money. Ilow ever, the project failed here, and what is now Mount Holyoke College was founded at South Had- ley, instead. The academy was con- tinued in Ipswich with varying success under different educators. As late as 1854 there was an enroll- ment of 214 girls with only 38 of them from Ipswich homes. In 1844 Reverend John P. Cowles and his wife, formerly Eunice Caldwell, took charge of the academy and re- mained in charge until June 1876, when the school closed for good, just fifty years from the time it had started. In conclusion, it should be said that, from the settlement of the town, the people of Ipswich, both by generous appropriations from taxe s and from contributions from many of its citizens, have provided for the education of its children. We, who are graduating tonight, acknowledge and appreciate the educational privileges which have been ours. We trust and believe that the citizens of today and of the future will not only keep up the standard of the past, but will make it even higher for those who are to succeed us. 22

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no child under fourteen years of age should work fo)- a living-. Be- cause of this increase it had been found necessary to add to the Win- throp Building- and to use the Man- ning School exclusively for the use of the high school students. This increase was partly due also to the fact that ideas had changed con- siderably and a high school educa- tion was no longer considered a special privilege of the rich. Since that time, the number of students entering Manning each year in- creased by leaps and bounds, until in 1928 the building was condemned as unsafe by the Board of Public Safety, and although a fire escape was added, it has never yet been approved. This means that if a per- son should receive a serious acci- dent while in Manning such as fall- ing down stairs (a misfortune by the way that happens all too fre- quently) he or she could sue the town of Ipswich for a considerable sum of money. Another result of the increased population of Manning was the need for a good manual training de- partment. Although there had been such a department in operation for a number of years, it had always been considered as rather a hap- hazard and ill conducted course be- cause of the cramped quarters in the basement of the Winthrop building. However, last year the town donated part of the Green Street property to the use of this department, and under the leader- ship of Roderick MacDonald who came here from Leominster a few years ago, the “shop” has grov n in- to a clean and sanitary building which contains many of the latest inventions connected with this work. Two of its latest acquisitions are a printing press, given by the late Arthur Dow, and a turning- lathe, purchased with money earned by the boys themselves. Though the shop is very import- ant to the boys, of no less import- ance to the girls is the domestic science department. There, under the careful tutelage of Miss Whit- ney, the young housewives of to- morrow learn all the secrets of those arts necessary to the comfort and the neat appearance of a mod- ern home. Since for many years there had been felt the need for some sort of music other than vocal, in the spring of 1928 the Rotary Club, which has always shown a keen interest in the school and has con- tributed much to its welfare, decid- ed to organize a school band. They v ent to work and, by obtaining con- tributions from the alumni and many local organizations, they were able to purchase enough instru- ments to start a band. Under the expert guidance of Mr. Tozer the band flourished and at the present time there is not only a band but also a concert and a dance or- chestra. Because of these increasing ad- vantages to be obtained at Man- ning, the number of students has increased to 360 this year which number exceeds the capacity of the school by 160. There are thirteen full time teachers and three part time teachers, which you will notice is an increase of nine more pupils per teacher than in 1920. However, in spite of these cramped conditions each study is carried on with as 24