Needham High School - Advocate Yearbook (Needham, MA)

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1938-1939 Hockey Team fcoached by Mr. Asa Smallb. Photograph by Bachrach 1935 Girl's Tennis Team 12

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In the l87O's, however, the school committee began considering new subjects, and one member suggested the addition of music to the curriculum. They voted not to spend any money on music, but in 1877 Mr. Tilden was permitted to give instruction in music in the schools without expense to the town. The attitude toward such subjects as music grew more liberal, and in 1887 the town authorized the buying of fifty copies of the New High School Music Reader for instruction in music. At this time the school was occupying the Kimball Building and was having fewer changes of teachers and buildings. Greek and German were now part of the curriculum as well as music, and students could choose from three programs of study, the classical course, the business course, and the modern language course. In 1885 the school committee suggested the study of subjects such as temperance, physiology, and hygieneg but these motions were rejected. One member voted against the addition of such new subjects because he felt that the schools were already cumbered with too many studies and should hesitate to introduce another. Throughout the next thirty to forty years the curriculum gradually changed and enlarged with such subjects as chemistry and mechanical drawing. In 1923, with the opening of the High School on Highland Avenue next to the Emery Grover Building, domestic science and manual training were offered, and for the Iirst time physical education was officially part of the curriculum. In 1930 another new building, the present one, allowed the addition of such subjects as biology. Since then, many new courses, such as Russian and calculus, have been added to the curriculum g and the program of accelerated and advanced placement courses has been established.

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Thanksgiving Game 1910 Needham 12-Wellesley nothing Although physical education did not become part of the curriculum until 1923, athletics had been part of school life for many years. In 1882 the famous Needham-Wellesley rivalry, the oldest in the country between public schools, was started. A Wellesley student interested fellow students in contributing money toward the purchase of a football which at that time cost 53.00. The principal of Wellesley High School, Mr. Fred Boston, invited the boys of Needham High School to the first game. The game was held at a field near the Morton House in Wellesley, which the Needham students reached by bicycle. Wellesley won that first game, but of the first nine games Needham won four, Wellesley won three, and they had two ties. In 1888 no game was held, for Wellesley refused to play. Since few rigid rules existed at that time, Needham had a few Harvard halfbacks and one father on their team. Spectator participation also apparently had not been ruled against, and when the game became exciting, spectators from both sides were known to jump eagerly into the fight. Since then, however, teams have been set up more fairlvg and the rivalry has continued with the teams playing alternately at Wellesley and at Needham on Thanksgiving Day. In 1923 physical education was made part of the curriculum, and extra- curricular sports became more organized. In 1929 Mr. Claxton started wrestling as a winter sport so that the boys could keep active even when the ice was not hard enough for hockey. In the 1930's and 1940's basketball, baseball, track, and gymnastics followed as well as such girls' sports as field hockey, basketball, and softball. Needham's teams have worked hard in recent years and have achieved records to be proud of, particularly last year in winning the Bay State League All Sports Trophy. Row 1: Elbridge Devine, Daniel Comiskey, A. Beverly Crossman, Row 2: Henry McAdams, Burnhardt Richwagen, James Crossman, Captaing Ross Stanwood, Harry Martin. Row 3: Chester R. Mills, Wilbur Blades, Clinton Woodward, Fred Dunn, James Powers, Harold Wright, Coach Fuller.