La Porte High School - El Pe Yearbook (La Porte, IN)

Page 9 text:

The cornerstone for the new building was laid during impressive services on June 23, 1923. The city band played several selections and Attorney K. M. Smith, a local man, was the featured speaker. His message to the group was one which would be appropriate at such a function regardless of the year. He said: Too many of us think that we have done our full duty when we build a fine school and equip it with a corps of teachers. In reality, our real duty is just beginning. What the educational system of the county of LaPorte needs is real interest in the welfare and prog- ress on the part of the citizens of the com- munity. Too few of us ever take the trouble to visit the school we are supporting. There have been several important changes since the building was completed. The annex wits added in 1931 to house the music, indus- trial arts, and commercial departments of the school. It also raised the maximum capacity from eight hundred to eleven hundred stu- dents. Another major addition was made to the school in 1955 when the gymnasium was enlarged and modernized. It was equipped with separate showers for the boys and girls, offices for gym instructors, a room for wres- tling and one for hand ball. In 1957 the court surrounding the auditorium was converted into classrooms, new counselor’s offices and a pleasant lounge for teachers. The library was also remodeled and enlarged at this time. The building to the east of the school was purchased for the office of the superintendent and his staff. The Halls of Ivy will be replaced in the fall of 1962 by a new modern building. THE NEW ADMINISTRATION BUILDING is located next door to the school. THE LIBRARY, always a scene of much research and study, is on the second floor of the main building.

Page 8 text:

THE MODEL OF THE NEW LPHS, designed by Perkins Will of Chicago, is shown above in a photograph by Hube, Henry, Hedrich-Blessing. fiadt. ftie ettt, future MJi. HAROLD HARGRAVE, superintendent, Mr. George Boklund and Mr. Merlin Porter, school board members, proudly watch a representative from Perkins and Will, architects for the new school, lay the cornerstone. For the school board and the citizens of LaPorte, November 7, 1921, was a momentous day. It was on that day that the decision was made to build a new school. Possible sites were considered when the board met again on February 23 of the following year. Though many favored the site located at the south end of Michigan Avenue in the vicinity now oc- cupied by the Beechwood Golf Course, the decision was made in favor of the present site on April 3, 1922. The firm of Larson and Danielson—architects from LaPorte—was se- lected to design the building. The total cost of the land and building, designed to accom- modate eight hundred students, was estimated at $290,000. 4

Page 10 text:

THE FIRST SWING CHOIR, directed by David E. Simpson, (lower left corner), consisted of the following students—Row I: Anita Me- Calment, Sharlene Moeller, Sara Jane Keel, Dale Burkhardt, Marti Darst, Carol Porter, Everett Gorden. Row 2: Kay Pantelis, Mary Jo Predd, Sherry Satkoski, Nancy Nell Frye, Sherry Sirois, Nancy Nicklas. Row 5: Janice Brown, Roland Hockett. Dave Reeiie, Linda Armstrong. Bill Carbon, Dave Palm, Frances Huge. Row I: Herb Ramp, Dennis Barden, Steve Grove. Roger Wilson, Dennis Bowen, Jerry E. Jacobs, Tom Miller. The orchestra, under the direction of Amos G. Wessler, along with the Girl’s Glee Club, represented LaPorte High School’s first ef- forts in organized music in the new school. By 1927, a band, a Boys’ Glee Club, and a piano ensemble class had been instituted by Mr. Wessler and Mrs. Lola Vawter, who had ley as speech director. The Music Department began to branch out and give other operettas, such as Amahl and the Night Visitors. In the late thirties Gerald Doty, now a professor of music at Indiana University, came to direct the band, orchestra and Boys’ Glee Club; Bert Boggs was band instrument in- joined the music staff. During the next few years, rapid expansion occurred in the music department. Other choral groups were formed and the Junior Amateur Music Club, fore- runner of Modern Music Masters, was begun. structor at this time. An able director of in- strumental music was Anthony Guerrera, who followed Mr. Doty. Mr. Guerrera later joined Fred Waring. Hagin Harper, Joseph Lanese, and Mrs. Vawter constituted the music de- The plan of producing annual Gilbert and Sullivan operettas was begun under the direc- tion of Mrs. Vawter with Miss Thelma Bees- partment during the early forties. Mr. Harper and Mr. Uanese were succeeded by directors Paul LcRcsche and Mrs. Wayne D. Williams. 6