Medina County High Schools - Mecoan Yearbook (Medina, OH)

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Wadsworth Lillian Ringler Ashland College Florence Critz Kent E. J. Sorna 0. S. U. J. B. VlNING, Supt. Kent

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History of Spencer School Spencer has maintained a high school for thirty seven years. Our president of the Board of Education was the first superintendent. In 1914 the village and township centralized into one district. In 1916 the present high school building was completed, and in 1924 the present grade building and gymnasium was finished. We now have sufficient room and equipment to adequately take care of the growth of the grades and junior and senior high school for several years. School opened in September with an enrollment of two hundred and twenty-seven pupils in all grades. We had only a week to prepare our school exhibit for the county fair. Although we were competing with schools all larger than ours, we were able to carry off a number of prizes. The next important event of the year was our school fair which was held at the buildings here in October. There was a display representing every department of our system. It was well attended and a financial success. During Educational Week, one evening was given to a session of reg- ular school work from seven-thirty to nine o’clock. This gave the parents who have no other time to visit the schools, an opportunity to see the pupils in all grades doing every day school work. That the community appreciated this opportunity is evidenced by the fact that there were about one hundred and fifty parents and patrons present during the evening. We have had a very successful year in athletics as our scores show ' . However, our success is not measured by victories. Clean sportsmanship, discipline, and scholarship are the things we aim to develop in all of our athletics. The members of the board of education whose names appear below are all very much interested in the school. They stand ready to do their part in maintaining the highest standard. Dr. Stroup has served on the board for thirty-four years, and most of the time as president. Through all the years he has served the school both as superintendent and board member, his interest has never slackened. He has been an inspiration to teachers and pupils, and whatever progress the school has made, much credit must be given to him. Members of the Spencer Village Board of Education Dr. W. H. Stroup, President E. W. Brown P. J. White C. F. Fuller E. E. Awkerman N. J. Walters, Clerk

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T fc(5 M€.COQDH. History of Wadsworth Centralized School The present site of Wadsworth Centralized School has, since 1887, been used for the advancement of education. John McGregor, a native of Scotland, started Wadsworth Academy. Then in Civil War times came Prof. aVnder Smissen with hopes and a vision which culminated in the founding of the first Mennonite College in America. 1864 marked the beginning of the three-story brick structure on the land donated by Rev. Ephram Hunsberger, a trustee, and a colleague of Van der Smissen. After his departure, the school passed under the direc- tion of Profs. Shirmer and Shelley, and was controlled by Mennoniate un- til 1873, then becoming known as Prof. Dague’s Institute, and later a Nor- mal School under the tutelage of J. B. Eberly. The building for a time was used for village school purposes and later as an apartment house. Then in 1915, under the direction of E. J. Wuchter, District Super- intendent, Wadsworth Township was centralized for school purposes with an initial enrollment of 156, four teachers, and eight grades. E. F. Bault was head of the school in 1919, and M. M. Lehmann in 1920 and 1921. In 1922, Supt. J. B. Vining took charge of the school. Music and Drawing were immediately installed. These proved very popular with pupils, and now about 75 pupils are taking instrumental lessons and some 400 vocal music. In the spring of 1923, the old building was torn away and is now replaced by a modern school plant which was entered September 1924. The Junior High School, with an enrollment of 115 was started this year. Music, Home Economics, Manual training and Physical Education now play a prominent part in the organization of the school. The building is now filled to capacity and with an increase of some thirty -five pupils for the coming year, the Board of Education is con- fronted with the problem of expansion. The total enrollment is now 400 including pupils from all Wadsworth Township and the East part of Guil- ford. Members of the Wadsworth Township Board of Education E. F. Hoerger, President D. R. Kreider Harry Wilson A. G. Abbott Earl Frase W. L. Good, Clerk