North High School - Tower Yearbook (Wichita, KS)

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EHMDQJIH ILE? BASE... School Celebrates 50th Birthday ln the fall of 1929, Principal Grove Dotzour, a faculty of 40 teachers, an 800 students opened a new hlg school at the corner or 13th and Rocl ester beside the Arkansas River. B1 cause of the hlstorlcal significance 1 the building site, the Redskln mascc was chosen for the school. The lan had been settled by the Wlchlta Ind ans ln the 1860's near the fork of th Blg and the Little Arkansas Rlvers. The decorations on the bulldlng ar a plctorial statement of the Indlan-Pla neer lnfluence of this community These ornamentatlons, regarded a Modern American architecture, wer developed by Bruce Moore, sculpto Lawrence Byers, designer, and Gle Thomas, architect. ln 1929 the stock market crashe whlle construction of North was beln completed. The estimated costs t bulld North amounted to S900,000 fc the actual bulldlng, S135,000 for th campus, and costs for the equlpmer S250,000. Slnce there was no bond le sue for North, It was built on the pay as-you-go plan. What a bargain I these days of Inflatlon. The Mlnlsa Bridge, another symbl of North, was constructed In 1932 t replace the brldge whlch had stoo slnce 1872. In keeping wlth the orna mental deslgns on the bulldlng, Arch tect Glen Thomas and hls asslstanl Lawrence Byers, and sculptor, Bruc Moore, once again set to work to de sign the bridge to harmonize with th architectual feature of the bulldlng. All of these building features, plu shaded sidewalks, flower gardenf neatly kept grounds and a sloping r verbank to the Little Arkansas ha made North one of WichIta's most dl: tlnctive landmarks. lt was a beautiful school then, still is now. -Strauss l-ligglns, '31, Whlle researching hlstorlcal facts for on magazine, we were fortunate enough to ru across the orginal plctures showing the com struction of North Hlgh ln different stages star lng ln August 1928. They were loaned to us t Glen Thomas, the son of the architect, wt keeps them stored In the Hutchinson Sa Mines. Our Tower photographers photocople the pictures so they could be preserved here 1 school If anything ever happened to the orlg nals.

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. . . E PPESEII T Colorful Graphics Give Facelift To Building Interior lf you haven't been back for a visit in a while, maybe we could catch you up on a few of the changes that have tak- en place over the years. ln its 50 years of operation North has had ap- proximately 25,000 graduates. They have established themselves as lead- ers in the city, state, and nation, said Dr. Paul Longhofer, principal. The size of the faculty has more than doubled since the school's opening, and more than 1500 students select courses from a curriculum which offers not only the basics, but such courses as Single Survival, Women in Literature, Computer Algebra ll, and Silversmith- ing. The traditional clubs are still active, along with a few new, interesting choices, like People Awareness, American Indian Club, and Polaris, the club which creates the literary maga- zine. More noticeable changes are in the building itself. Several wings have been added to the original structure. In 1950 the auto mechanics shop opened. In 1951, the girls' gym was added on, and in 1957 the expansion of the south wing was used for the first time. But most recent was the major addition of the new library, planned by North supporters, faculty, and stu- dents to be an attractive, useful re- source center for the school. Built on the old courtyard site, the 51.6 million construction project also included new classrooms. Debaters now have private practice rooms. The Star and Tower staffs share a professional-size darkroom. Special Education, Driver Education, and Reading classes meet in new rooms that house ultra-modern equipment. At the same time, renovation of the shower and locker rooms gives the gym area a new look. The administra- tive and counseling offices were also remodeled, and the auditorium re- ceived acoustic and lighting improve- ments. Three original science rooms have been updated for use as physics and biology labs. Art that would reach out and grab you, is what Dr. Longhofer said about the latest addition to the building, the graphic designs in the halls. Several students from WSU were the painters who made the walls of North High come alive. Dr. Longhofer plans to let students paint on the remaining white walls. Four North girls have already painted a scene on one cafeteria wall. By adding their own artwork, stated Longhofer, students will have a 'piece of the rock'-a sense of owner- ship in the building. One thing I remember is the park- ing problem we had, recalled Nan Tontz, '35, After years, the parking problem, hopefully is finally solved. The teachers' parking lot was built in 1957, and, after many years of mud puddles, slush, and parking on side streets as far as three blocks away, stu- dents finally got their own parking lot located east of the building. The new lot now provides 180 spaces for stu- dent cruisers. One of the biggest problems about the new lot is getting out of it for lunch. When l went to North we didn't have open lunch, so the big thing to do was to try to sneak across 13th and go to Jack's or Sandy's without bein caught, a former student admittej Started at North as a pilot progra open lunch began in 1971 under th administration of Dr. John Gasper. Many changes have taken place due ing North's flrst fifty years. But not a changes have been good. The scho has survived the depression, thr wars, racial problems, crime, and i flation, among other things. Throug these hard times, North has remaine a school with students who have a ways cared. They have shown this b becoming involved in such worthwhil causes as elections, United Way, Re Cross, and the USO. Many of ther went on to become active, involve citizens of this community and others I love to drive by and look at Nort lt brings back good memories. It re minds me of a lot of happy days.' Betty Haten, '43. I