McKinley Technical High School - Techite Yearbook (Washington, DC)

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THE HISTORY OF THE SCHOOL HE McKINLEY MANUAL TRAINING SCHOOL was at one time a part of old Central, but this was a long time ago. In 1901 the Technical branch of the school had reached such proportions that it was necessary to obtain larger quarters, so a new High School was formed which was named the McKinley Manual Training School. The new building was ready for use in September, 1902, so Tech moved in and took her place in High School affairs. The original building was not very large; in fact, someone said it consisted of “the front door and the main stairway.” It was bounded on the south by our present Book Exchange, and on the east by room 112, but since that time four additions have been made. The first addition, which included the assembly hall and south stairway, was completed in 1908. The second addition included the part south of the assembly hall, and was completed in 1909. In 1911, the year Mr. Daniel was appointed Principal, the third addition was made; this completed the Rhode Island Avenue side and carried the building as far as Marion Street. The fourth and last addition was the mold shop, in the rear of the school, south end; it was completed in 1919, Conditions in the school as regards space and development are now demanding enlarged facilities. Our present quarters are not large enough. The Greater Tech Committee, appointed by Mr. Daniel, of which Mr. Mattern is chairman, and which is composed of Alumni, Faculty, and Student-Body representatives, has be get our needs attended to, but as yet nothi of Education and the Commissioners ha they are unable to give us what we need. Congress. How long must we wait? en working for some time to ng has been done. The Board ve recognized our needs but The matter is squarely up to The increase in enrollment ust wha scoring year we had 457 and so, as the years ve ro b nti oo he ave net ee lly climbed until we now have Ma ah ton at Tech, in preference to

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Tech has made tremendous strides toward advancement since her birth, in practically every line. Our Chemistry and Physics Departments are second to none; our shops are superior to all. We offer splendid courses in Pattern Making, Molding, Acetylene Welding, Machine Shop work, and Electrical Repair. In Mathematics one can study Elementary Algebra, Plane and Solid Geometry, Trigonometry, College Algebra, and Mechanics. In the Academic line, courses are offered in English, History, Spanish, French, Latin, Civics, Economics, Public Speaking, Com- mercial Law and Journalism. The courses offered in Mechanical Draw- ing, Architectural Drawing, Free-Hand Drawing, and Art Metal are well worth while; and many of our students go directly from the school and obtain positions 4s Draftsmen. And now just a word in regard to the activities of Tech. There are more worth while organizations here than in any other school in the city, and the pleasure and knowledge a student gains through participation in these various activities prove a most valuable asset to him in after life. Our famous General Organization (Government by the students) is known and copied throughout the country. Our Athletics and Cadets have made this school so famous that the name ‘Tech’ is invariably associated with stamina, ability, courage and success. TECH LIFE, our school paper, which has been in existence seven years, is a paper of the students, by the students, and for the students; it gets better every year. Our celebrated Orchestra, led by Mr. Dore Walten, is as zood as any in the city. We are justly proud of our Red Cross, Agora(debating society), Press Club, and last but not least, our organized classes. This article would not be complete without a word about “Tech Spirit.” It is this spirit which makes Tech so famous; which makes our activities, and everything we undertake, a success; which makes all of us proud to say, “Iam a Techite.” It is the kind of spirit which produces co-operation by putting “Tech first” and “self last,” and teaches us to be true ladies and gentlemen or synonymously, “Techites.” 15