Lorraine High School - Yearbook (Lorraine, KS)

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before tables laden with good things to eat. . . . Nothing was lacking. The women were there seeing that everyone had all he could eat and that things were going smoothly . . . It is estimated that 1,000 people were fed at the noon hour, and nearly that many stayed for supper. - During the afternoon, the Lorraine girls' basketball team played the Geneseo girls, and the Lorraine boys played the Geneseo b o y s . Both lost to Geneseo. The evening exercises included an expression of thanks from the board, some vocal numbers, a short talk from the county superintendent, and an address by the principal speaker, W. E. Huesner. The new brick structure had many modern conveniences-rest rooms, showers, fountains, steam heat, and electric lighting. BUILDING SHARED BY TWO DISTRICTS The Rural High School, which began opera- tion in the old white frame building, moved into the new building, occupying the second floor and the basement. District No. 26 oc- cupied the first floor. It was agreed by the two boards that the Rural High School would pay an annual rental to District No. 26 for that portion of the building occupied by the high school, plus one half the cost of cer- tain other expenses. No rental was charged for the high school's use of the old building. In the fall of 1923, E. D. Meacham became superintendent of schools and served in that capacity forty years, 1923-63. During the early twenties there was a steady increase in enrollment, and by 1925, fifty-five pupils were enrolled in the high school. School cur- riculum and school activities were expanded to meet the growing' needs of the pupils. Aside from academic achievements, the h igh school received, during the late twenties and early thirties, many trophies, awards, and honors, especially in musical activities, girls' basketball, and track. Later in the thirties, the school received several base- ball trophies. Enrollment continued to increase, and by 1940, sixty-six students were enrolled in the high school. Boys' basketball began to emerge as the dominate sport, and in 191-I-5 the Lorraine boys, playing in state competi- tion, received second-place honors in the semi-finals. Some consideration was enlarging the gymnasium as it was small and inadequate. Since the west side of the gym- nasium and the stage formed an outside wall of the building, the possibility of making the length of the present playing court the width of a new one and extending the build- ing westward to accommodate a new gymnasium was judiciously considered. being given to .l ELWYN DEES Winner of the State Meet in shot in l929-30- 3l. Set a new state record in 1929 of 58 feet 3 l!8 inches. Set a new interscholastic record at the University of Kansas Relays in 1930 of 58 feet 10 inches. On April 12, 19145, a motion was made and carried to appoint a committee to circulate a petition for a new gymnasium and other rooms as needed for school purposes. The idea of extending the present gymnasium was abandoned in favor of a new gymnasium as a separate building with the possibility of a few classrooms, language and chemistry being considered. Bonds amounting to 575,000 were voted. FI FTI ETH ANNIVERSARY Fifty years had passed since the organi- zation of the Lorraine Union School, and on Friday, May 21, 19'-I-8, the last day of school, Mrs. Merle Rathbun, president of the P.T.A, , presided at the fiftieth anniversary cele- bration. Walter Steinberg, son of H. L, Steinberg, represented the f i r s t s ch o o 1 board, Johanna Janssen represented the first teachersg and Emma Mohney Murphy represented the first high school graduates. E. D. Mea- cham, superintendent of schools, challenged 5

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the board to sell the old school building and site, and C10 to form a rural high school district. RURAL HIGH ORGANIZED On June 29, 1920, a meeting was called by H. Coover, the county super- intendent, for the purpose of electing a board of education for the newly organized Rural High School District No. 1. M. M. Rathbun was elected director, Oscar Wilkens, clerk, and V. H. Wagner, treasurer. Satan ,.....rcc ,T x-A-oo SESS? sl I E I 5 2 3 1 I A. C. Adams became the f irs t administrator of the Rural High School, serving three years, 1920- 23. On March 12, 1921, the new building was completed at a cost of 564,11-I-7.36 and was accepted by the board of District No. 26. DEDICATION OF NEW BUILDING The Ellsworth Reporter of March 214-, 1921, reports: IfOnI Thursday, March 17, fl92lJ, at rss: ...Wil S K 1 S 2 Y LORRAINE SCHOOLS - Dedicated March 17, 1921 High school and grade school shared building until 1951. . . . the new 565,000 building was dedicated with fitting ceremonies. School was dismissed for the day, and long before twelve o'clock autos and buggies unloaded their occupants, who had come to participate in the memorable affair. Promptly at twelve o'clock the doors of the building were thrown open, and for several hoursa steady stream of people passed 1 GIRLS' BASKETBALL TEAM - 1924-25 Champions of Central and Southwestern Kansas BACK ROW: Coach E. D. Meacham, Letha Schmidt Swanson, Alberta Weihe Thomas, Margaret Kruse Hunt, Maurine Hays Todd, Marie Weihe Ronan FRONT RCM: Thelma Hays Wilkens, Thelma Janzen Kinner-, Margaret Hays Campbell, Vada Wagner 4 Rolfs, Margaret Sullivan Andersen, Mathilda Heitschmidt Doyle

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LORRAINE RURAL HIGH SCHOOL Completed 1951 the patrons to increase the bonds voted in 1945 for a new gymnasium and vocational building. Everyone present received a piece of the huge birthday cake as they filed onto the playground for games and fun. BUILDING EFFORT RENEWED At a special meeting on December 13, 1948, it was moved and seconded to vote on going ahead with building plans. Results of the vote were 28 and 3 M. It was then moved and seconded to make the gymnasium regula- tion size, 50 feet by B4 feet, It carried. ' 1 J .QNX ,iff D k -L .. 4 Q q lfeev 411, -,Ea-V, S A 'ln 11 of x' ,pfL,'FJ I , ECE!! X, . W, 'J Huskies A petition, dated January 7, 19149, called for a school bond election for the purpose of purchasingaschool site and of construct- ing a high school building. On February 21, 191-I-9, the patrons of the district voted 109 to 28 for school bonds amounting to Sl25,000. Mann and Company was employed as architects, and onwednesday, December 7, 1949, at 2 p.m. bids for the construction of a high school were opened. Of the eight bids for general contractor, Busboom and Rauh of Salina had the low bid of fBl27,000 and was awarded the contract. On January I+, 1950, Rural High School District No. 1, paying 5700, purchased PLACED SECOND IN STATE IN CLASS BB CUMIPETITION - 1957 BACK RCM: Melvin Rolfs, Robert Roth, Ted Rathbun, Melvin Splitter, Gene Mehl MIDDLE RCM: Jerry Rolfs, Arthur Boeken, Raymond Katzenmeier, Ronald Swalley, Richard Janssen FRONT ROW: Larry Schroeder, Arlo Janssen, Ronald Soeken, Larry Kratzer, Ronald 6 Rolfs, Coach Kenneth Pritchett