Olean High School - Congress Yearbook (Olean, NY)

Page 13 text:

N K W X xx ls D Qlean cfzaald 14 Jf1Al'afuf P I I 1 V I I I I I I 'V I 7 M I I f M f 1 I f' i I I1 ' F I I 1 I I I I I I I + I ! I I 1 I I ' 1 I I! Wd' 1 H 1 I ! I I 1 1 1 I J : I L 5 I 0 x J , I I r - o 1 1

Page 12 text:

CONTENTS OLEAN SCHOOLS-PAST A HNSTORY OE OLEAN SCHOOLS OLEAN HIGH SCHOOL PRESENT ADMINISTRATION AND EACLLTV SENIORS AND UNDERCLASSIAEN ACTIVITIES CLUBS SPORTS ADVERTISEMENTS ILLUSTRATIONS BURKE THOMAS KASPER THERESA CRADDUCK DOROTHY KAUTZ PAUL 9 5 CULVER ANNE KING MARTLYN xc! FLYNN DOLORES LIGUORI FLORENCE II EQSTER PATTY MALIQR DONALD 4' A FULLER MARY NETL MARY Lou OOLDINGER FRANCES QLIINN FRANCIS ZOOHVBE JANE 4 mat 1 I A T 0 T I , ,Q DVETTERICH, PHILIP KULAI THERESA A I I li 4.' IKE L L

Page 14 text:

opporfunify for a more finished educafion N THE handsome marble wall of fhe foyer in Olean High School is fasfened a bronze plaque sfafing This properfy was donafed in i852 for school purposes by Ansel Adams Perhaps a few of fhe sfudenfs who hurry by if every day have noficed if perhaps some have paused fo wonder af fhe paradoxical sifuafion if suggesfs They are sfanding in a building consfrucfed wrfhin fheir lifefirne buf on a plof of land dedicafed for fhaf very purpose almosf a cenfury before Yef such is fhe case for fhe firsf Olean Academy fhe forerunner of our High School as builf on fhe very same spof a decade before fhe Civil War The idea of erecfing an academy for higher educafion was conceived early in fhe year I85I by a group of fhe leading cifizens of Olean Professional men business men and men of God fhev had a common pride in fhe fown of Olean and an honesf desire fo presenf fheir children wifh an The mosf immediafe problem fo be surmounfed in fhis plan was fhe lack of funds fo erecf an adequafe building The men decided fhaf enfering upon fhe prolecf as a business venfure afforded fhe besf chance of success so a meefing was accordingly held and fhe Olean Academy Associafion was formed fo raise fhe necessary money The specfacle of fhese men devofing fheir fume and financial supporf so unselflshly fo such a communify underfalcing was graflfying fo say fhe leasf buf if was nof surprising for the people of Olean had always con sidered fhe educafion of fheir hildren imporfanf r aps f is significanf fhe early records of fhe Holland Land Company show fhaf af fhe fume of fhe purchase of fhe land of Caffaraugus Counfy in ISO3 promise was given f and e u ca lon Af any rae IBIO s w fhe firsf school esfablished in fhe secfion now known as Pleasanf Valley a scanf seven years affer f firsf seffler of Olean ad b if his home Nine years a er school was being faughf in Olean OLD OLEAN HIGH SCHOOL . , proper, in a log cabin on Soufh Barry Sfreef: and in I822 a frame schoolhouse was erecfed by Sefh Simmons and his son Ephrian, approximafely on fhe locafion of fhe presenf School No. 3. ln acfualify liffle is lrnown abouf fhese early schools of Olean' cerfainly no comparison can be drawn befween fhsse schools of over a cenfury ago and fhe ones of foday. The former were drab cheerless lacking in lighf land comforf: represenfing perhaps more fhe spirif of educafion fhan ifs developmenf. The subecfs were as rudimenfary as fhe facilifies, reading, figuring and wrifing being fhe sfaple ones. As differenf fo us was fhe schoolmasfer, or schoolmarm as fhe case may have been. who as members of a learned alfhough alien profession, enjoyed a unique posifion in fhe communify. O e of fheir prerogafives was fhe privilege of boarding af fhe homes of The sfudenfs. compensafing for Their , board by helping wifh fhe fasks abouf fhe house, and by exfra fuforing of fhe children. The school slowly grew: by 1846 if numbered almosf one hundred sfudenfs and feachers. Wifh fhe passage of fime came fhe change from fhe one-man ruler of fhe schoolhouse, fo a sfaff of feachers. The school- house ifself progressed from fhe rude log cabin fo a fine fwo- sfory building, puf up in l35l SCHOOL 3 IO OLEAN SCHOOLS - A HISTORY