Lowell High School - Red and White Yearbook (San Francisco, CA)

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THE FIRST GRADUATING CLASS OF THE SAN FRANCISCO HIGH SCHOOL Top row: John Carrol, David R. McKee, James R. Estill, Robert Wilson, Frederick Elliott, Henry Gibbons, Jr., Patrick O. Bary. Botlom Row: Emma J. Swasey, Virginia Rosa Rabe, Adelia B, Kimbal, Mary A. Casebolt. The Histor of Lowell High School-1856-1956 The San Francisco of 1847, following the Mexican War which saw 'California transferred from Mexican rule to American control, was a tiny village with an official population of 458. However, forces were al- ready at work to provide an education for the hand- ful of children in this community which had just changed its name from Yerba Buena to the more im- posing t-itle of San Francisco. Samuel Brannan, owner of the San Francisco Slat, published an editorial noting that the village contained 56 children between the ages of five and fifteen who should be receiving some schooling. His advice was heeded, on April 3, 1848, the first public elementary school opened its doors. Thus began the story of public education in San Fran- cisco. Another event took place in 1848 which was to change the destiny of the entire West as well as San Francisco-the discovery of gold by james Marshall in January of that year. During the next few years the population of San Francisco was to take tremendous upward jumps so that by 1852 the population had passed the 56,000 mark. San Francisco had become a great city, growing so fast that it hardly had time to stop and catch its breath. San Francisco was also a city of many problems. People from all of the states of the Union and all of the countries of the world were descending upon this city which had become the gateway to the gold fields. This polyglot of humanity ran the gamut from edu- cators, clergymen, doctors, lawyers, and skilled crafts- men-who came to settle and grow with the west- to criminals, vagabonds, and other unprincipled ad- venturers whose only interest was to get their hands on some of the newly discovered gold, Even with all of the problems confronting the city, the educational movement continued to go forward. In 1851 the city elected its first superintendent of schools, Colonel Thomas J. Nevins, and before the end of the year had established three free public schools. In the following year four more schools were placed in operation. These educational steps had been taken in spite of the fact that many of the new arrivals were from coun- tries whose traditions regarded free public schools as charityi' schools, progress was made in spite of the fact that the city was swept by six major fires during this period, with one fire destroying 1500 buildings and doing more than 310,000,000 worth of damage, progress was made even though the criminal elements had seized control of the city government and it was necessary for the Vigilance Committee of 1851 to forcefully evict certain officials and restore law and order to the community. Yes, even in spite of the fact that San Francisco had barely enough funds to keep the wheels of government in motion, the campaign for better educational facilities went forward. In 1853 Superintendent Nevins made the bold sug- gestion that the time had arrived to consider the estab- lishment of a high school for boys and a seminary for girls. Those in opposition to the plan pointed out that even in the old established cities of the East, the free public high school was not an established institution.

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ames Russell Lowell Lowell High School is proud to be named after such a distinguished American poet, educator, and diplomat as james Russell Lowell, Lowell was born in Cambridge Massachusetts in 1819 the descendant of a lon line 1 i , 8 of notable ancestors, and he was reared in surroundings favorable to the development of his gifts of intellectual power and high ideals of manhood. Lowell spent his childhood on his father's country estate, Elmwood on the Charles River. He attended Harvard University and Harvard Law School and was admitted to the bar at the age of 21. After the death of his wife in 1853, Lowell became professor of literature and modern languages at Harvard and held this position for over 20 years. During this time he was editor of the Allantir Monthly and joint editor of the North American Review. In 1875 Lowell resigned from Harvard to accept the position of Minister to Spain and in 1880 was transferred to London. He held this position until 1885. Through his poems and prose, especially the Bigelow papers, Lowell exerted a tre- mendous influence against the evils of slavery and as a literary critic he had few equals. Lowell died in 1891 at the age of 73.

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Boston, with its hundreds of years of educational tra- ditions, led the way by opening a public high school in 1821. Other communities were slow to follow the lead. New York City waited until 1847 before extending its educational system up to the high school level, and St. Louis in this year of 1853 had just ventured into the Held of secondary education. In 1854 Superintendent Nevins had sufhciently con- vinced the Board of Education that a high school was necessary, they issued a statement saying that a high school would be established the following year, but waited until July 10, 1856, before actually passing the resolution that set machinery in motion for oper- ating the school. Six days later the Board met and rescinded their res- olution. Certain Board members were convinced that a high school could not be legally made a part of the San Francisco Common School System. A compromise action taken was to continue with the plans to open the school, with no change in the course of study, but to change the name from The San Francisco High School and Ladies' Seminary to the Union Grammar School. The same admission rules were to remain in elfect. Recommended students from the city's grammar schools were to be admitted after successfully passing a Board of Education examination in orthography, reading, writing, vocal music, arithmetic, geography, English grammar, Spanish grammar, elocution, nat- ural philosophy, use of globes, and the history of the United States. Students were to be between the ages of 10 and 20 years of age. A student was to be allowed to complete a course started between these ages even though he might pass his twentieth birthday. On July 24 the Board of Education announced that teaching positions were open for the proposed high school and accepted 22 teaching applications. One month later 11 students from Principal Swett's Gram- mar School No. 1, 11 students from Principal Den- man's Grammar School No. 2, 25 students from Principal Holmes, Grammar School No. 3, 14 students from Principal Hammill's Grammar School No. 4, and two students from Principal Carleton's Gram- mar School No. 7 received notification that they had been promoted to the Union Grammar School. On August 25 the school opened its doors in rented quarters that belonged to the Wesleyan Church of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, located on Powell Street between Clay and Sacramento. Ellis H. Holmes had been selected as principal and teacher of mathematics. Two teachers had been hired fat 3550 per monthj to assist him. George W. Mimms was to be the instructor in natural science and Miss Anna C. Park was to be the female assisiant for the lower division. The day after the opening of the school Mr. Ewer of the Board of Education submitted the report defin- ing the course of study to be followed. Provisions had been made for this four year program: First year, first term. Reading alternating with gram- mar and analysis, writing alternating with drawing, arithmetic, geography, modern and mathematical, history of the United States, and natural philosophy. Second term same as first. Second year. This year was to include all of the sub- jects taught during the first year with arithmetic alter- nating with algebra, bookkeeping alternating with physical geography, plus ancient history, chemistry, and agriculture. In the second term algebra was to completely replace arithmetic. Third year. This year was to have algebra alternating The San Francisco High Sch00l's new building was constructed on the site of the school's temporary church quarters and dedicated In 1860. CLASS OF DECEMBER 15, 1859 PATRICK BARRY JOHN CARROLL MARY CASEBOLT FREDERICK ELLIOTT JAMES R. ESTILL HENRY GIBBONS JR. DELIA B. KIMBALL DAVID R. McKEE VIRGINIA R. RABE EMMA J. SWASEY ROBERT WILSON CLASS OF 1864 ANNA BARNARD TERESA BUCKMAN E. c. BURR AGNES CHALMERS FANNY M. CHENEY KATIE B. CHILDS GEORGE M. CIPRICO GEORGIANA E. COERAN CLARA A. CUMMINGS MARY GOLDSMITH W. HALE, JR. W. E. KING MARY F. KNOWLES LOUISA MORGAN ALBERTINA PLUMMER PHILENA s. SAWYER JANE SMITH CHARLES s. TILTON MARGARET M. WADE E. M. WILEY CLASS OF 1866 LOUIS FELSENTHAL EDWARD KNOWLES JAMES LANKERSHIM DAVID MALLOY MAURICE SCHMITT CLASS OF 1867 ABRAHAM P. BENJAMIN HENRY R. COLEMAN ROBERT COULTER FRANK McLENNAN HENRY MORTON STANLEY P. NEWSHAM FRANK PILLINGS JAMES STEIN FRANK SUMNER CLASS OF 1868 WILLIAM O. BANKS WILLIAM W. GAILHWAITE WILLIAM C. GIBBS ARTHUR A. HOOPER JOHN E. INCE EDWARD R. LAIDLEY EDWIN MASTICK DUNCAN MCNEE ALBERT MICI-IAELSEN NATHAN NEWMARK FRANK OTIS CHARLES PREBLE JOHN H. RYAN ADELBERT SHELDON BRADFORD W. SMITH JOHN C. WHITE ALFRED H. YOUNG CLASS OF 1869 THOMAS F. BARRY GEORGE A. BORDWELL WILLIAM CARSON WILLIAM DONOVAN SAMUEL FELLOWS ALBERT GERBERDING HARRISON A. JONES WALTER MALLOY JOSEPH MCCLOSKEY WILLIAM MOTT SIMON C. SCHEELINE HENRY SCHMITT FRANK STOHR WILLIAM WADE CLASS OF 1870 GEORGE BEAVER SAMUEL B. CHRISTY JOHN R. FARRELL ISAAC FREUD ROBERT Y. HAYNE JOSEPH O. HIRSCHFELDER FRANK HOLMES DWIGHT B. HUNTLEY A. WENDELL JACKSON JACOB REINSTEIN JOSEPH L. ROSS JOSEPH C. ROWELL ISAAC H. SOLOMON JOHN M. STILLMAN CHARLES STONE LOUIS TOBIAS 25