Joliet Junior College - Shield Yearbook (Joliet, IL)

Page 12 text:

Th en an d N n ow. dl F THE story of the life of any man, however humble Jlli his station, were completely written, it would be im- mortal. If the full and true history of the Joliet High School could be fully pictured in words, the story would become a classic in the coming ages. No human life was ever thus portrayed ; no such history of the Joliet High School can ever be written. The story could commence with the first log school- house built in New England by the first pioneers, for a free district school. Less than eighty years ago this land was as unbroken as was that found by the Pilgrims when they landed at Plymouth Rock. Our pioneers brought the free school idea with them. Two of our present Circuit Judges attended school in the same log school-house. The actual settlement of Will County can be said to have commenced at the end of the Black Hawk War, in 1832. In sixty years Joliet had grown from a pioneer village to a goodly sized interior city. Its public schools were primitive. In 1892, against my earnest protest, I was placed upon the school board. There was considerable school debt and not room in the buildings for the pupils of the grade schools. The then High School, then only occupied the upper half of what was barely an eight-room school building. While the High School needs were pressing, those of the grade schools were more so. From the apparent conditions, the situation was hopeless. There came, however, an inspiration, which said nothing is impossible. Call it the unseen, unspoken force of public opinion if you wish, I simply say it was the hand of Providence, which directed the work of those ten years. The old school debt was paid, many new, modern, grade schools were built, and then this most magnificent High School. Changing from old to new ideas or policies, always brings conflict of opinion. There were, in the days of transformation, many incidents, trifling and important, comical and earnest. Politicians chafed at being ignored. Attempts were made to make good people believe that their rights of opinion and belief were involved. The President ordered a communication from a strong secret society returned without being presented to the Board. Threaten- ing letters were burned without further notice. Nothing serious occurred. In time, all the people discovered that the work being done was only for the good of the public schools, and from that time until the new High School building was completed, no people ever stood more loyally in support of their public officials than the people of Joliet did by its school officials. Politics Were ignored and all stood together to give our people the best school grounds and buildings obtainable. At an election, held on April 4 1899, the people of the Township voted to establish a Township High School, by a vote of 2,725 for, and 329 against. On May 13, 1899. the

Page 11 text:

JOLIET HIGH SCHOOL 1880.

Page 13 text:

first Board of Education was elected. On June 6, 1899, three propositions were voted for: To purchase a high school site, to erect a high school building, and to select a high school site. At this election 1,447 votes were cast; only one vote against the purchase of the ground and one against erecting a building; there being only three votes against the present location. Arrangements for funds and plans were completed during that year. The building was erected during the year 1900 and dedicated April 4-5, 1901. The total cost was $220,382, of which $17,800 was for grounds. At the completion of the work, Mr. Mason, now President of the Board, and then Secretary of the Board, and first-assistant to the President, estimated that it could not be duplicated for less than $50,000 more. His estimate was too low. The present grounds and building could not now be duplicated for less than $300,000. In its equipment and completeness it has no superiors and but few equals. Up to this time I have discovered but one mistake of the first Board of Education. One hundred thousand dollars was borrowed at S 1 -? per cent, with a premium reducing the interest to 3% per cent. The balance was paid by the tax levy of 1899 and 1900. The people did not feel the burden of taxes greater then than now. By continuing the same rate during the years of 1901 and 1902. the entire amount would have been paid. Before 1914, when the last of the debt will have been paid, another high school will be needed. In a rapidly growing town, the wise policy in school finances is to pay as you go. The future will have its own burdens to bear. To the credit of those who served with me, I may state that of the million and more dollars of school money paid out while I was President of the Joliet School Board, not one dollar was improperly used. This only relates to the building. The more important part, the work in the school rooms, its unexcelled success under the masterful direction of Supt. Brown, whom Brother Higgins described as a past master in solving the hard problems of school management, and efficient aid of Prof. Spicer and other teachers, must be told at another time. A. O. MARSHALL.