Mendota High School - Atodnem Yearbook (Mendota, IL)

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FOR THE CHRISTMAS season the glass panels oi our entrance were decorated by Mr. Hagen with colored, translucent mosaics depict- ing the Nativity. The effect was especially beautiful at night. Gia? Qi t,. S LQ V' Q C ug IN! AIINIQIRIECIIATIIQINI SOMETIMES credit lines and thank-you's are tacked on at the end of the final page We prefer, however, to express our gratitude here to the many groups and individuals who have helped to make this special edition possible. Without their encouragement, help and coopera tion we should not have been able to complete our very ambitious task. 1 , serze s With sincere appreciation we say thank-you- E To the Board of Education for their endorsement oi our Golden Anniversary edition. El To our principal, Mr. Price, for his continued encour- agement and very real help. El To the several groups who met with Mr. Price and the Atodnem sponsor to formulate plans and otfer sug- gestions. E To the Lions and Kiwanis clubs for underwriting the cost of lan extra hundred copies: to these clubs and their special committees, who have given us en- couragement and active support oi a very practi- cal nature. El To all who have loaned us books and pictures, writ- ten copy, or helped us in the collection ot research data-with a very special word of appreciation to Alma Schuetz Heck CUBJ, Minnie Vogler CIZD, Adrienne Fassett Faber t'19l, Margaret Vogler Blotch t'Zll, Iessica Huss Nashold 0301, Faith Fitch Campbell t'3ll, Christ Troupis f'41J, and Marna Brewbaker Bauer 6511. El To the Mendota Reporter for loaning us pictures and cuts and giving us most generous coverage in publicizing our project. El To Wesley Yenerich and our printers, Wayside Press, Mendota. Illinois, for their patience and care with our mistakes and corrections. El To Charles and George McCann oi the Aurora Engrav- ing Company. Aurora, Illinois, for their painstak- El El E E El El ing care with all our cuts and tor their excellent reproductions of the pictures taken trom old Atod- nems. To Walinger Studios, Chicago, Illinois. our official photographers, for the very fine photographs tell- ing the picture story ot our year. The courteous cooperation of their staif photographers throughout hectic days and tight schedules was outstanding. To William Snell and the S. K. Smith Co., Chicago, Illinois, for our special, custom designed anniver- sary cover. To our binders. Brock and Rankin, Chicago, Illinois. To our faculty members. who have been cooperative and patient on our picture-taking days: to Mr. Rieke, who took many special pictures for us: to individual teachers who have aided us in prepar- ing copy tor their department. To our class members, who have worked at conces- sion stands, sold magazines, produced our class play, and supported all class projects in an effort to finance the major part of the publication cost. And to all who bought popcorn, drank pop, and placed advance orders tor this Atodnem! Without your support we could not have produced this book. THE ATODNEMSTAFFS and Eulalia Breese, Sponsor

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. -. .1 r' . . r ' wg , . ' V. 4' gljy- re. , gz 'Q' , 15:15 . 213 - 5193 FW '-- i 5? if 55- ,.gZ. ' . - si 'Le vis 2'-2 xx. 6.22 V 35+ S Q sf +m,'j - 6 Ives. e, ,-.:f.g33y,,?,g-.g:1y eg? -4 . an . azz. V 'csrzwi es I . -2 . 'rt-gf23'?gQe-f. 5-1:55,-' .. ,vo -- ig--1 x f ,ff-mo,:'1-'ig-s1.f3, 1: ,Ysgt ff .,feg+1 -2 'lv it't:T.'E:f1':'J. 'L' ' 'iii 1' 11 . '- ,H-f,o-gcgrs-f,, . - eeaei- . 'Q-c. . . 1 g., f' , we i.-'3. 'fbi52rf' ses , ,i gs J. gig ii: tsifrfsic ,gg if if-ii .. T. ..., .. N , N as...-er' -.i'iw.:..2iiiS1-5-., 771'efEi54f5E f '-rviffi ,' 1Qa2Z222vs 1' pffgliff , if s eq ,iii fists' fin 'lm' 1 477 ' ' . if-.V-... I -1 -. ' i'- 1 Amt f?'l.fe211..f,a'.r -1.11 -'.,, 1' 1 C FIRST HOME of the consolidated high school in the fall of 1310 was Blackstone. which had housed the Blackstone High School since the late 187D's. It was built in 1858 upon land donated by Blackstone. early Mendota philanthropist. Enrollment in 191D was ninety-two. The 1911 gradu- ating class numbered sixteen. THE PLACE - yesterday and today ,vs Ya l 't'4f'rZ2,gfvf ' ' -I th I bl k. MENDOTA TOWNSHIP HIGH SCHOOL. built at a cost of THE NEW BUILDING was enormous in size covering one our o a oc suslmml opened its doors Monday' September ml 1817- En- rollment was two hundred sixteen. The class oI 1918, num- bering 34. was the first to graduate from the new school. EEZ? Z ' ra Tse PON THE CONSOLIDATION of the East and West high schools fifty years ago, all high school classes were held in the Blackstone building, which had been erected back in 1869 ata cost of some 530,000 However grand the original building may have seemed, it soon became inadequate for the consolidated school. The lack of a gymnasium was keenly felt by the students of 1911. In 1915 the state superintendent of public instruction said that conditions in Blackstone were as bad as the worst in the state. The need for a separate township high school in its own building had been discussed for many years, How- ever, such a proposal had been voted down in 1914. A township high school district was voted in 904-220 in 1915. lWomen were not allowed to votel After much discussion pro and con, the site of the former Advent College was purchased as a location for the new school. Newspaper accounts relate that excavating for the foundation in August, 1916, had to be halted because of the heat and that the first facing brick were laid by Simon Lee, pioneer Mendota builder. In December, 1916, the contractor, Charles Karr, Clinton, Ill., died of pneu- monia. The public became alarmed when it was reported that the cost of the new building would exceed 5100,- D00 - labor had increased 40 As - and proceedings were started in Ottawa against the school board in lan- uory, 1917. ln April contracts were awarded to Construc- tion Service Co., Mendota, Charles D. Larabee, Mgr., to finish the township high school. ln that same month an injunction was granted obiectors in MTHS case preventing the county treasurer from assessing taxes for the town- ship high school until a decision was reached. ln June an act to legalize organization of certain high school dis- tricts became law - all pending actions shall abate. The doors of the new school opened Monday, Septem- ber 10, 1917, with an enrollment of 216. The building cost 5llS,000 and contained an assembly hall, ten classrooms, and an oliice plus a gymnasium, which served also as an auditorium. An addition was put on the west side of the building in 1927, great pains being taken to match the brick of the new with the old. The addition housed a new cafe- teria as well as ag room, art room, commercial and ad- ditional classrooms. The proiect cost 540,000 and was paid for with tuition funds laid aside. There was no re- course to bond issue or increase in tax levy. lly 1931 the need for a new athletic field became ap- parent. Property south of the high school was acquired for the proiect, which cost 515,000 Lights were added several years later as have been bleachers and a field- house, The new field boasted a 220-yard straightaway track, one of the few in the state. ln 1953 additional property was acquired east of the school for a practice field. ln 1939 a large addition was built on the northwest corner of the building. This cost S120,000 and provided a large, modern gymnasium, locker and shower rooms, THE OLD. old gym was converted into this auditorium in '39, These curtains. new then. have been replaced with a completely new set this year - the gift of the late Mrs. Kenneth B. Butler.

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1 :ff 4 ,pdl-46 . , - ,r a ge f .es V, 3 A. EZ SF!! V 4 1 H ac--1 ' 'r s,g ' H 'f r 'L' .n-' r 'i -1 ltr.. , . Q' M ll 9 The tacult at MHS titty years ago fgffga 1 N 1911, when a faculty of tive had the task of teaching the entire curriculum to a 't I, and 1 x !, at x, 1 lit fn' hgfrfyl th 5 1 student body of ninety-two, each teacher had to have diversified knowledges, skills, and interests. We read, for instance, of the Latin teacher coaching girl's basketball and the class play and addressing the student assembly on the subiect of current problems. To these and 51 to their successors, the dedicated teachers of the past fifty years, we pay our homage. Their A1 ' . . . sec?-ii-N influence onthe students they taught is lncalculable. - 1911 Atodnem MYHA 1. Howes 'ri-ir-zonons PHOEHL E' H' .MURRAY comix HANS ANNA slMiNc.'roN Principal German Suvefmtenden' Science ELL Latin 3, , . 1 e'ri 1 ,Si ft l Fil a 1 T The first Atodnem was dedicated to Myra Howes BEST REMEMBERED of the 1911 staff because of her long years of service and the quality of that service was Myra 1-lowes. She was principal of Blackstone for fifteen years and of the new consolidated school in 1910-1911. After teaching in Pasadena, California, she returned to Mendota in 1914 to teach mathematics until her permanent retirement in March, 1923. ln re- luctantly accepting her resignation, the Board of Edu- cation passed a resolution reading, in part: ' . . Be it further resolved that we as individuals and as a Board of Education hereby tender a most sincere vom of thanks lo Miss Howes in recognition of the service rchich she has rendered lo the high school of this city-the length of which service has been equaled by no other teacher-and in appreciation of the effi- cient and faithful character of such service. which we also feel has been equaled by no other teacherf, After Miss 1-lowes' death February 23, 1924, a page in the 1924 M was devoted to her memory. The assist- ant principal, Albert l. Hardy wrote, again in part. H. . . Through long years of ejficient service in the Mendota schools, Miss Howes wielded an influence that cannot be reckoned. Hers was a leadership that made for friendship and character building. lmmensely hind and good. highly devoted to her work aml to her pu- pils, :elm did good to all who came in touch with her beautiful lilo. Une. her pupils and co-lcorhers. shall cherish her memory throughout the years. Upon the occasion of the 50-year jubilee reunion of the alumni in 1926 Supt. R. E. Beebe presented plans for a Myra 1-lowes memorial-an award each year to the student who has been of most benefit to the school and community during the year. The require- ments were to include character, scholarship, student influence, etc. Nearly S400 was raised and placed out at interest to finance the annual award, known as the Myra 1-lowes Key. For many years the winner of the key was chosen by faculty vote. ln recent years the faculty selects three candidates, and the winner is selected by a vote of the juniors and seniors. The recipients of the Myra Howes Key have been 1927 William Wenningcr 19-14 Francis Malychowiah 1928 Lloyd Richert 1945 Wfryrze Ashley 1929 Salvatore Randazzo 1946 Ruth Engelbrecht 1930 jessica Huss 19-17 Roger Butler 1931 lVilliarn Swisher 19-18 Lamar Brercbaker 1932 August Engelbrechl 19-19 Robert Holler 1933 Marie lflsesser 1950 Marvin Ehlers 193-1 Marion Blair 1951 Marilee Emeril-If 1935 Faith Cavell 1952 Delores Preston 1936 John lfichorn 1953 Bill Gehler 1937 lfarl Hoffman 1954 Dennis Kren: 1938 Mary Louise Walzer 1955 John Meyer 1939 Clarence Harjes 1956 ,Iohn Hood 1940 Lorraine Grosshans 1957 Arlinda Novak 1941 Christ Troupis 1958 Diane Schultz 1942 Ruth Van Ellen 1959 Larry Davis 1943 Kenneth Truclrcnbrod 1960 llob Merril!