New Trier Township High School - Echoes Yearbook (Winnetka, IL)

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In Honor oi R. H. Carpenter A Brief History of New Trier Publications • No history of New Trier publications from 1926 on could be written without being virtually a diary of R. H. Carpenter for that period. His unfailing efforts in this field will never be forgotten by those who had the privilege of working with him before he retired this year from active work in publications. In 1907 there issued from New Trier a publication called the Trievian, which was a combination of a college entrance catalog and the modern New Trier handbook, and served as a L.ild sort of advertise- ment for the school. At that time the Echoes was a literary magazine, similar to today ' s Inklings. Later the handbook was started and the Trievian, no longer needed, disappeared. In 1912 Duke Childs, in an attempt to interest the grade schools in athletics at New Trier, started publication of a small sheet which he called the New Trier News, for the grade schools only, which contained nothing but athletic news. Its weekly appearance was stopped by the World War, and when it reappeared in 1919 it was distributed to N. T. students for five cents a copy. Mainly because it was so well handled, the paper for these first years was tremendously successful, and four times a year it contained a supplement called the Echoes, which was still a literary magazine con- taining stories, poems, cartoons and N. T. songs. Soon the Echoes outgrew its container and instead of the seasonal issues, a boys ' issue was started ragging the girls and vice-versa. The possibilities there soon became exhausted, and an interclass feud was carried on instead, with the seniors heckling the juniors, the juniors, the sophomores. Out of this finally grew a fairly dignified Echoes which con- sisted of an issue by each class, with a slightly larger senior issue coming last. After a few issues the senior one became virtually a yearbook, and the

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Editors ' Comment • The past year has been one of changes — in our school, in our nation, in the world. Most significant to us are those we have watched take place in our fellow students through their hopes, their disappointments, and their victories. We have illustrated on the following pages the activities through which these changes took place — in the class room, on the field of sports, behind the footlights, at play ... a book of re- minders for the class of 1939, a record for the whole school, a tribute to New Trier. Edwin S. McKeown — Editor Patty Harshaw — Associate Editor h

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others diminished in importance, until in 1923 they disappeared and the yearbook appeared alone. In 1926 R. H. Carpenter appeared on the scene, and the following year the Echoes boasted a hard cover, more pictures and more names, and assumed the appearance of a modern yearbook. Since then the improvement has been a steady one. with no outstanding jump in one year. The New Trier News had sustained many changes and knocks since it first appeared. We have already touched upon its pre-war history under Messrs. Kahler. Pifer and Small in that order. After 1918 it reappeared under the sponsorship of Mr. Hutchens, now head of the English department. But interest seemed to dwindle, and it was dropped for a year for lack of funds. At the beginning of the school year 1924-25 the figure of Robert H. Carpenter darkens the journal- istic horizon, as he steps in, and takes the News in his able hands. Smooth stock appeared and the News was run on a Goldwynian scale. There were at times literally scores of students working on the News, at one time, 10 co-editors! After another relapse because of expenses, an agreement was made with Hollister ' s publishing company and New Trier News Notes appeared as a department in the local Hollister papers as a tem- porary substitute. These were dark months for the school and not the least hit were the Neivs and the Echoes which were considered luxuries. According to the 1932 Echoes: Due to the depression, heat and light were turned off at 3:30 and the staffs had to labor diligently in the cold, dark typing room. With the advent of the activities ticket the News took new life, and since a large subscription was assured, high pressure sales techniques were aban- doned, and a better paper resulted. Since the adop- tion of the smaller size two years ago little change has occurred. In this, the first year since Mr. Carpenter ' s resig- nation, both the News and the Echoes have succeeded in advancing New Trier ' s journalistic frontiers. £ Q s