Middletown High School - Cauldron Yearbook (Middletown, CT)

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action was twofold-to provide more room for the increased attendance in the grades, and to place the High School in a building by itself. The Board proceeded at once, bought the site on the corner of Court and Pearl Streets, then occupied by St. Lukels Home, and put up the building which is now occupied by the School. The entire cost of build- ing and furnishing was f5Q,27S.29. It was dedicated on the afternoon of March 26, 1896, by public exercises in the assembly room, and the school went i11to it for the spring term. The building committee were William T. l-ihner, W. U. Pearne, and Dr. Leonard Bailey. 1 Since the occupancy of the new building classes have been graduated as follows : 1396, . 28 1900, 39 ISQ7, . 39 1901, 48 1898, . 33 1902, 33, 1899 ,... 36 IQO17, ,... 42 Such is the brief history of the first sixty-four years of this High School. It had its inception in the desire to provide for tl1e young a fuller and more complete education than was pomzible under the old and long established system of free public schools. To Dr. Charles Woodward much credit is due for his far-sightedness and activity in behalf of the IICNV order of things. The people of the City School District have been liberal in the sup- port of their schools. The first two years a tax of one and one-half cents on the dollar was laid for each year, tl1e next year three cents, and the next four cents on the dollar, while for the next seven years the tax was five cents on the dollar for each year. At the present time there are nine regular teachers and one special teacher, in addition to the Principal, with a registered attendance of 116 in the first year's class, 83 in the second, 43 in the third, and 53 in the fourth year's class--a total of 295. The number of persons in the dis- trict between four and sixteen years of age in October, 1903, was 2,206. This school participated in the Connecticut Educational Exhibit at the Columbian Exposition in Chicago, receiving a medal and diploma, and has just completed a similar exhibit for the Louisiana Purchase Ex- position at St. Louis. It is one of the largest schools in proportion to the population in the country, and the equal of any in its standard of scholarship. The certi- ficate of its Principal is received by most of the New England colleges

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There was no graduation in 1869. There was a class of tl1ree, who were graduated with the next class. In 1870 tell of tl1at year's class were graduated. I11 1871 there was a registration of 206 i11 the High School. A class of 16 was graduated, and tl1e exercises were held in the l1all ill tl1e Central School building i11 tl1e eve11ing. In the following years tl1e graduating classes were: 1872 ,... IO 1875, . . 23 1873, . 16 1876, . 25 1874, . I2 1877, . . 18 1878 ,... 30 In 1877 a change was made, a11d graduation a11d promotions took place at the close of the winter term. This CllSt0ll1 continued until 1889, fro111 wl1icl1 ti111e tl1e graduation has been held in June. November 29, 1878, a fire broke Ollt about llllle o'clock in tl1e evening in the chemical laboratory on the upper floor of the Ce11tra1 building. Before it was subdued tl1e entire upper story was destroyed and tl1e rest of the building 1nuch damaged by water. Temporary quar- ters for the High School were provided in the Town Hall and the Common Council cl1a111ber, ill the same building, wl1ere the school was kept until tl1e Central building was restored, May 2, 1879. In the years following classes were graduated as follows : 1879, . 1887 1880, . 1888 1881 1889 1882 . 1890 1883 . 1891 1884, . 1892 1885, 1893 1886 . 1894 1895, . . 26 The last graduation exercises were held i11 the Central School hall i11 1890. Ill 1891 and 1892 they were held in the Russell Library hall, and in 1893, and si11ce, tl1ey have been held in the Middlesex. july IO, 1893, the District, at a special meeting, by unanimous vote authorized the Board of Education to procure a site and to erect a High School, and appropriated 350,000 for that purpose. The object of this

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in lieu of the entrance examination, by permission of the New England College Entrance Certificate Board. With a broad-minded, efficient Principal, a corps of well-trained, faithful teachers, a large body of enthusiastic, industrious pupils, a comfortable, convenient, modern and fairly well equipped building, and the cordial support and active interest of all the people, this school well deserves the high place it holds among the schools of the State, and with a continuance of these conditions its future is bright with promise.