Malden High School - Maldonian Yearbook (Malden, MA)

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THE FIRST MALDEN HIGH SCHOOL, o magnificent French-rooted structure , built in 1872, stood on Salem Street until l939, when it was demol ished to make room for our present new building. lt was used for mony years as the Monuol Arts building when the brick building was constructed

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city. At last the citizens of Malden had a high school Iding in which they could take great pride. lt is interest- to note that, in spite of the imposing new school building, ails were lust as apt to play truant as in the days of the cabin school house. The truant officer was ordered to est any child between the ages of seven and fifteen nd wandering on any street or public place during ool hours. For his second offense, the child was sent to eighboring city, presumably for the purpose of keeping fair city untainted. Pupils living at any great distance depended for their isportation on the one line horse cars that ran on an equent schedule. ln cases of severe snow, the horses all interest in getting the pupils to school, and only se students with the greatest thirst for knowledge battled elements on foot. In the year 1876, it was reported that the pupils were willing to make a sole business of study . So many the graduates of Malden High, upon looking back on r three years spent in a flurry of activity, from Junior ieties, dance committees, plays and club meetings, might ember this admonition given at that time: Now it it be settled at once by those who enter the high school ' they must give up many of the entertainments enioyed when in grammar school. ln l878, as at the present time, the schools were the first to feel the pinch of economy. Only six years after The High School had been built, the city fathers already were debating the iustice of supporting a high school at public expense . The schoolmen defended the need for a high school. The feeling was that the abolition of the high school would result in a weakening of the grammar schools. After an earnest appeal by the schoolmen, and especially by the superintendent, Mr. William Lambert, nothing more was heard of discontinuing the free high school. ln the short span of thirteen years, the high school had begun to outgrow its accommodations. Before l885, all the pupils had desks in the second floor Assembly Hall where they gathered each morning for opening exercises. ln the center of the room, the principal's desk held a prominent elevated position which afforded him an un- obstructed view of the entire hall. School-boy pranks were nipped in the bud under the watchful eyes ofthe principal and the teachers who were seated in rows on both sides of the room. Four recitation rooms led off the broad first floor corridor, where, each day the students recited their lessons which included such subiects as Anatomy, Physiology, and Temperance. The course in Temperance placed special emphasis on the effect of liquor, tobacco, and other narcotics on the human body. ,rf 1-.vm TEACHERS AND SCHOLARS OF MALDEN HIGH assemble on the school lawn to be photographed in 1878. Mr. Charles A. Daniels, the principal, is seated at the rear left. In back of him can be seen the corner of Park and Salem Streets.

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MR. GEORGE F, GAY, the out- standin educator for whom the served in the Malden school system from 1886 to 1902. Mr. George F. Gay, who was one of the progressive ncators of his time, became principal in the year 1883, :I under his administration, the school increased consider- y in size. Through his eFforts, an exhibition of the work ie in the Malden Public Schools was placed in the Paris position. Included among the exhibitors was Elliot Paul, lQlcnown author who graduated from Malden High School he early 1900's. is Mr. Gay was the first to recommend school telephones, I he introduced typewriting, stenography, hygiene, and sical Culture in the high school course. Among the many :rms which came about during his regime was no closing the high school for storms short of a blizzard. Almost y years later, we are still trying to find an answer to the fling weather question: To close or not to close! So at was the respect and admiration for this forward- king educator that in 1907, the new Assembly Hall was ned Gay Auditorium in his honor. 9 Gay Auditorium was named, THE HOUSES OF SOLOMON P. COREY AND WILLIAM MANN, both built in the early seventeenth century, were removed in 1892 to make room for the high school. An interesting and striking innovation came in 1886 - military drill was introduced. One day a week the boys of the school drilled in the Mountain Avenue Armory. Military Drill was discontinued in 1894 as it was termed a detriment to the school, encroaching on the regular hours of school work .... It was not restored until 1915 when Europe was in the midst of World War I. While the boys were drilling in the Armory, in 1888 the girls were learning posture, practicing with dumbells and Indian clubs, and marching in the Centre School Hall. Because of the growing school population, the city began to make plans for an even larger and more modern school. In 1896, for the first time in the history of the school, Malden had a substantial red-brick building with accom- modations for 512 pupils, and the former home of Malden High became the Manual Arts Building. When Mr, Gay was elected Superintendent of Schools, his position as principal was filled by Mr. William F. Palmer. After only one year in this position, Mr. Palmer resigned to enter the shipping business where he built up the second Palmer fleet of five-masted schooners. ENTIONI Malden High boys 'he drill corps stand erect e on review in front of the ol in 1890. The commanding er was Captain William H. ship, well-known president he Malden Historical Society many years.