Jacksonville High School - Crimson J Yearbook (Jacksonville, IL)

Page 8 text:

Top: The staff of the Crimson J in 1911 posed for this very formal shot. The members of the staff, as listed in the annual, are Lewis Osborne, Florence Spruit, Blanche Perry, Josephine Ross. Ruth Raylor, Esther Vasey, Davis Martin, William Hadden, and Charles Withee. Bottom: The first high school building in Jacksonville that the Crimsons J served was this building on West State Street. The school burned one night just after midnight in 1918. With this edition of the 1985 yearbook, we celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Crimson J, the high school annual which was first published in 1910. Although we do not have at this time a copy of the 1910 edition, the media center at the school does have one copy of Volume Two, which was published in 1911. In its reserved section the media center has at least one copy of the Crimson J for each year since 1911. The Crimson J has evolved over the years in its format, meeting the needs of the changing times. The 1911 edition is a rectangular paperback with eighty pages and minimal photographs compared to the modern hardback copies of 200 pages or more with ample pictures. The 1947 J cost two dollars while this volume is $15. Throughout the history, the Crimson J has provided the same essential service of recording the names and faces of the classes and faculty, a catalogue of organizations, the activities, and the sports and scores for each year. The scope of the J has changed as the school has evolved. The J has served three high school buildings. The first building burned in 1918 and was replaced by the building on West State Street in 1922. The new high school on North Diamond was occupied in 1982. Not only have the buildings changed, but the size of the classes have altered as well with 61 seniors listed in the 1913 yearbook compared to 289 seniors in the 1985 roster. The Crimson J is one of the best sources for information about the school’s past. In 1935, for example, Jacksonville lost the district basketball championship to Mur-rayville High School (that’s right . .. Murrayville High School) by 44-32. Over the years the J has covered the activities of a wide range of clubs which' reflect the interest of each generation. Some of the clubs in the past include: the Ushers Club, the Bird Club, the Hunting and Fishing Club, the Knitting Club, the Projectionist Club, the Baby Sitters Club, the Future Teachers Club, and the Commercial Club. Better than any other document, the Crimson J has recorded for future generations the full range of the history of Jacksonville High School. 4 Opening

Page 7 text:

Opening 3

Page 9 text:

Top: The members of the 1984-85 Crimson J staff pose in a classic fashion. They are, seated left to right, Tracy O’Brien, Leslie Willard, Amy Hess, David Ravn, Sandy Pahlmann, and Debbie Petefish. Standing left to right are Kellie Hubbert, Andy Shanahan. Brenda Hamilton, Shelley Midden-dorf, Sabrina Wanless and Celeste Hill. Bottom left: Debbie Petefish and Sandy Pahlmann research old J’s (right). Opening 5