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

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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

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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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York Ray Bohl Ruth Cole Harold R. Rorick, Akron University Wooster College Supt. 0. w. u. Mary Fisher Mary Thompson Wooster College Kent