Milford High School - Milfordian Yearbook (Milford, DE)

Page 11 text:

It was while the High School was in this building that the Alpha Phi Literary Society was formed, in 1901. This has always been a great benefit to the students who belong to it, for very interesting meetings are held, and frequently there are special open meetings at which the admission fee of 10 cents is charged. These proceeds have been used to buy stationery for the High School Assembly Room. The school grew so rapidly that soon the need of a larger and mote modern building was realized So the three lots on the corner next to the old school building in North Milford were purchased. tUe buildings removed, and the present High School building erected. The old building was annexed to the new one and used for the Primary grades, for it had been given to the town for a public school, provided it would always be used as such. So in September, 1904. the High School occupied its new home, the second floor of the new building. This is a great im- provement over the old one; for, aside from other conveniences, it is furnished with light and water, telephone, and a system of electric bells. There is a large; bright Assembly Hall, an office and four class rooms. The classes are held pri- vately in these rooms, while in the old building the most of them were in the As- sembly Hall, as there were only two class rooms there. Since the High School has been removed to North Milford, it has made much advancement. It now has an enrollment of 96, and there are six teachers. There arc now taught 3 years of Mathematics; 4 years English, 4 years Latin, and His- tory and Science, all of which were taught in the beginning, but with a much more limited course; but three years of German and Music and Drawing have been added. There are three courses, the first of which, offering Latin, prepares for college. The High School has also a library of 400 volumes. During the last five years, under Mr. Hoover, the present principal, there have been several changes made, which put the school on a much higher stand- ard than before. Mr. Hoover has introduced a new system of marking, that of written work, which is much more satisfactory and definite than the old way, which marked all the oral and little written work. He also started the public speaking in the High School. Rhetori cals are held every Wednesday morning,and although they were never compulsory until this year, now every student must take at least two years of this work. For the past three years oratorical contests have been held in May. Two selected from each class in preliminaries contest for the cup, which was presented to the High School for the purpose by the Class of ’09, who won it the first year. In 1909 it was won by the Class of ’ll, and in 1911 by ’12. Recently there have been several clubs formed in the High School In Octo- ber 1910, the Glee Club was organized by Miss Rberly. the music teacher. This year also Miss Davidson has organized a German club, called the “Deutsclier Verein. ” Separate accounts of this organization will be found among later pages of our book. The Milford High School is now in a very flourishing condition, and it is always proud to be told - as it is almost always by visitors—that it is the largest and best High School, outside of Wilmington, in the State of Delaware. M. C. Drapkr.

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4 History oj Milford High School. IN 1898 when the Milford schools were consolidated, the High School rooms were on the second floor of the old building on Second Street, South Milford. They started with three teachers and the enrollment was about 60 members. The course was much the same as now, with the exception of Music and Drawing, Ger- man and a few other subjects. A little later a commercial course was introduced into the High School, for it was thought unwise by many that this had been omitted. But it was not a success, for the pupils soon realized that a good High School course was necessary before they could begin to fit themselves for business, so it was discontinued. The first class that was graduated from the High School was in 1901, when one person finished the course and commencement exercises were held. But in 1902 a class of eight graduated. These were all girls, among whom were our present German teacher, Miss Nellie Davidson, and Miss Viva Johnson, a teacher in the grammar grades. Every year since then there has been a class, and most of them have been very good sized for the enrollment of the High School. The largest class is ’07, which had 18; but this year’s class has even two more than ’07. 8

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Miflb School jpaciUtYj Top Row—Miss Kberly, Miss Roat, Mrs. Phillips. Bottom Row—Mr. Hoover, Principal; Miss Davidson, Miss Hall.