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

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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 Six days later the Board met and rescinded their res- olution.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

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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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CLASS OF 1872 JOHN B. CLARKE EDMUND CONROY THOMAS FITZPATRICK JAMES GLENNON MEYER JACOBS CLASS OF 1873 EDWIN BOOTH EDWIN COWELS ARTHUR HAYNE WILLIAM MORRISON WARREN S. PALMER WILLIAM SHAW CHARLES YOUNG CLASS OF 1874 MYER CAHNA CARLTON EVERETYT JOSEPH HUTCHINSON FIESCO MANDLEBAUM CHARLES OVERTON WILLIE SOULE WILI.ILAM STINSON FRANK WHITCOMB CLASS OF MAY, 1875 W. C BRUNS JAMES O. CALLAGHAN THOMAS J. CONROY WALLACE A. CURRIER EDWARD W. CUSHEON HERBERT FOLGER WILLIAM F. FONDA BRYON J. HORTON HERMANN F. JANTZEN HENRY I. KILHEIMER H. W. M. LANDSBERGER GEORGE MASTICK EDWARD W. MCNALLY GEORGE P. MORROW FREMONT MORSE EDWARD M. MOTT EDMUND O'NEILL 'GEORGE T. RUDDOCK MOSES TICHNER GEORGE B. WILLCUTT GEORGE L. WILSON CLASS OF MAY, 1876 SIGMUND ACKERMAN WALTER CARY EDGAR CHAPMAN LOUIS B. CHAPMAN ABRAHAM A. D'ANCONA JOHN DAVIS MILTON EISNER JOSEPH B. EMMAL SAMUEL FABIAN CHARLES JACKSON HERMANN LIEKER JAMES K. LYNCH SOLOMON D. MAGNES CHARLES MOON MARK PLATSHEK WILLIAM SAWYER MICHAEL SEELIGSOHN JOHN M. SMITH CHARLES TUTTLE ALEXANDER WEIL XVILLIAM C. XVHITEHEAD CLASS OF MAY, 1877 WILLIAM ADAMS CHARLES O, ALEXANDER FELIX BETTELHEIM ANTOINE BOURNONVILLE HENRY DODGE DAVID EISEMAN DAVID FELSENTHAL WILLIAM KEEFE GEORGE LYMAN HENRY MANHEIM SETH MANN WILLIAM A. MCGREGORY RICHARD J. MURRAY I.EO J. NEWMARK EDWARD O'CONNOR OSGODD PUTMAN HENRY RAUFT EDWARD ROWELL BENJAMIN RUDDOCK LOUIS SLOSS JAMES A. SMITH LOUIS STRAUS DANIEL SUTER WILLIAM TAIT CHARLES VAIL FRANK WIDBER WILLIAM WIGGINS 26 with geometry, ancient geography, ancient history, physiology and hygiene, astronomy, and geology. Sec- ond term-geometry, ancient geography, modern his- tory, p-hysiology and hygiene, astronomy, and botony. Fourth Year. Trigonometry, modern history, botony alternating with natural history, intellectual philosophy alternating with moral philosophy, rhetoric alternating with logic, and Constitution of the United States alter- nating with political economy. Second term-same ex- cept botony, themes and forensics once a fortnight, French, Spanish, German, and declamation-each scholar once a month. QThere is some doubt as to how much foreign language was actually taught as certain members of the Board of Education vetoed a motion to hire a teacher of foreign language in August, 1856j. From the beginning, the citizens and newspapers al- ways referred to the Union Grammar School as the high school and there was no doubt in anyone's mind that its teaching was on the secondary level. On Janu- ary 8, 1858 the Board of Education ofiicially changed the name to San Francisco High School. By this time the school had survived initial criticisms that had threatened its existence. Those in opposition to the school had been exploiting the per pupil cost of the high school, 310 per month, against the figure of 33 per pupil per month, cost of the grammar schools. However, solid support from many of the leading citizens and Thomas S. King's Evening Bulletin the was the brother of the former editor, James King of Williams, whose death in 1856 led to the formation of the second San Francisco Vigilance Committee which freed the city from hoodlum rule once againj assured the continuation of the high school. Interest in the high school became more intense among the citizens of San Francisco as the day drew near for the graduation of the first class. During the month of December, 1859, when the annual examina- tions were given, huge crowds flocked to the Powell Street school to watch final examinations which were open to the public viewing. On December 14 the first class was graduated from the San Francisco High School. An impressive cere- mony took place with all of the graduates getting a chance to recite. Principal Holmes gave a short talk. He mentioned that the class originally included 13 girls and 27 boys. He added that it was not lack of scholarship that had reduced the class to 11 graduates but marriages and the fact that a number of students had dropped out to accept available teaching positions in the grammar schools of the city. i Former City Superintendent Harry B. James pre- sented the diplomas after a speech by State Superin- tendent of Public Instruction Andrew Moulder. Mr. Moulder claimed that the high school's course of study was equal to and more practical than that of most Eastern colleges. Two days later the school held its first graduation ball at San Francisco's Turn Verein Hall with nu- merous school and city ofiicials present, and a fine band furnished waltzes, polkas, and quadrilles to which the happy company kept time. The next important date in the school's history was the dedication of the new school building on Septem- ber 19, 1860, on the site of the old church building, which had been moved to the rear of the lot. A con- temporary account in the Evening Bulletin of that date stated, At one o'clock today a large company gathered in the High School Building on Powell Street, near Clay, which had just been rebuilt, enlarged and beau- tified. Our readers must remember now how the build- ing looked last fall--half brick, half wood, ungainly, inconvenient and no particular credit to the site it oc- cupied. It was erected originally for a church and for that purpose answered very well and looked well, until city improvements came with their new grades and marvelous changes, and this old house, revamped, was Panoramic view of San Francisco, taken in 1870, showing the high school in the foreground. , , . .i f -1.,,,gf1z.fJ 2211551 52,1-if ' v . . ,.,.f...wwefisi5ssa4eggei5t:?ij?:iv . . .. . , .. .Ma iaffia- -f will 2 i 'z-if ' . if . .