Killeen High School - Kangaroo Yearbook (Killeen, TX)

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— — ' I : ' ifi K-A Attending the fourth school (1902-1923) was considered an honor: it was the finest building in town. Wooden structures like this one were the basic design of Killeen schools until 1902, when the first brick school was built. English and Math across the hall? That is the dream of anyone who has had to make a mad dash from the English wing to the Math wing in less than 7 minutes flat. Of course, this floor plan is from 1964, and shows the original layout of the present high school. The reunion of the class of 1924 in 1957 was a remarkable achievement to a pessimistic point of view; the class had to survive many things, among them the Great Depression, World War II, and McCarthyism. Seated: Lila Wilkinson, Josephine Rancier Massey, Estelline Adams, Ruby McBride, Mrs. Minor (teacher) . Standing: Lowella Carroll, Mable Swope, Mable Norman. Standing: Roy Reynolds, Ben Norman, Leo Pollard, David Norman, Gilbert Jackson, Clifford Dockery, R. L. Pettit, Mr. Minor. HISTORY— 23

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Growing to Meet the Need Like the old woman who lived in a shoe, Killeen had so many children it didn ' t know what to do except build. In the first 60 years of expansion, Killeen went through 5 school buildings to house its slowly growing population. The first, a one- room wooden structure, located near what is now Fourth and Avenue C, held the com- plete school; 20 students in all. In 1884, another, larger, school was built. This edifice was also of wood and painted red. Three years later, however, it was destroyed by a tornado. The third learning facility was built on Avenue D, and remained in use for 15 years. In 1902, on a different site on Avenue D, the fourth school was created of red brick and white limestone facing. Considered a major architectural achievement, the 2 ' 72 story building had Roman arches, Greek col- umns, and a Moorish dome (later replaced by a bell tower) . This structure was ravaged by fire in 1923, and the remainder of the year was finished out in various churches. The fifth school opened its doors in 1925 and still there, across from the Santa Fe railroad station and Avenue D Elementary, although no longer in use as a school. The year 1943 saw a huge leap in the growth of Killeen. Camp Hood— and World War Two— had come to Texas. Killeen ' s population of just over 1200 shot up to over 7000, and the average number of students went from 500 to 1300. For the first time, it became necessary to separate primary, middle, and high schools. The high school remained on Avenue D, and the middle school moved to the newly constructed brick building at the corner of Rancier and 10th, in 1944. The high school took over this facility (now Rancier Middle School) five years later. Fort Hood schools consolidated in August of 1952 and a new school, the first one to be built exclusively for the high school, was located on Garth and Whitlow, and was occupied by 1955. Nine years later, in 1964, KHS moved to its present site on North 38th, and the former school became Fairway Middle School. Through all the uprootings, Killeen High School has kept up with its need and its spirit has multiplied along with its shoe. KlUEtM H»«« SCHOOL O ' i MfcjiiK KHS has been located at 500 North 38th street since 1964 Freddy Nichols, a 1980 graduate of KHS. demonstrates his Roo spirit. Nichols is now atten- ding S.M.U. 22 — HISTORY

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