Palo Alto High School - Madrono Yearbook (Palo Alto, CA)

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It was then that the union of Palo Alto, Mayfield and Stanford was suggested. The project was revived in 1915, but for a time it seemed improbable that any immediate result would be realized. This was because of the disturbing question of a suitable and available site. It was successfully settled when President Wilbur of Stanford, acting for the Stanford Uni- versity trustees, offered to lease a piece of land, about thirty acres, to the proposed union high school district for 99 years with a nominal rental, and with the privilege of renewing the lease on the same terms for another period of 99 years. The lease also provided the opportunity of purchasing the land for $1,000 an acre at any time during the life of the lease. On the evening of Mav 1, 1916, a meeting of the trustees of May- field. Stanford and Palo Alto was held in the high school bungalow. They unanimously adopted the resolution to accept the offer of the Stan- ford trustees through President Wilbur as the most feasible plan of en- larging the Palo Alto High School, and pledged themselves to use their influence to bring about its adoption by the voters in their respective districts. In July, 1916, a month after the Palo Alto Union High School dis- trict was formally declared in existence, an election of the trustees, who were to see through the building of the new high school, was held. The Rev. Walter Hays, Prof. Sidney D. Townley, Mrs. Adelaide M. Coburn, Alexander M. Cuthbcrtson and Alfred Scale were elected. At the resignation of Mr. Seale, Harry L. Haehl was appointed to his place. Since arrangements had been immediately made for the revision of the Palo Alto school district for the benefit of the elementary schools, this hoard was confronted with the problem of providing new buildings as soon as possible. On January 27, 1917, a bond election for $200,000 was carried by an overwhelming vote. In December, 1917. ground was broken for the new buildings 011 the present site. War conditions ham- pered the work greatly, hut thanks to the architects, Allison Allison, the superintendent of construction, W. E. Kleinpell, and the co-opera- tion of contractors and workmen, the building was turned over to the trustees, and, on the 24th of December, 1918, the school marched down in a body to take possession of their splendid Christmas present. The new school is built in the Mission form of architecture, com- bined with the Italian Renaissance, with a court in the middle, sur- 12

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History of Our High School years ago the people who built homes in Palo Alto primarily attracted by the location near to Stan- I niversity. It was, therefore, natural that soon the town of Palo Alto was founded a high school )rganized to bridge the gap between the elemen- ichools and Stanford. At first the school was pri- vate and was housed in two rooms of the present Channing Avenue Grammar School. Three years later, in 1897, larger quarters were pro- vided by Mrs. A. P. Zschokke, who erected a building for the school, which could later he easily changed into a residence. This building was located at 524 Foicst avenue. The district continued to grow rapidly and in 1900 a bond election for $20,000 resulted in the building and equipping of the old high school building at the corner of Webster street and Channing avenue. At the time this building was erected it was considered extremely good and de- cidedly too large. However, but a few years elapsed before it grew to its size and soon it was crowded. In 1910 this building was supple- mented by the studio for the classes in freehand and mechanical draw- ing. Two years later it was necessary to make further accommodations for the classes in domestic science and commercial subjects by the erection of a large bungalow. The cost of these two buildings was approximately $4,150. Meantime, in 190,}- a city block on Webster street had been purchased in anticipation of the need of larger quarters for the school. It was hoped that at some future time a new building would be erected there. In the meantime this block, containing five acres, was used as an athletic field. It was provided with a running track, football field, baseball diamond, tennis courts, and served as a general public playground. On July 15, 1898. the school had been reorganized as a public high school. Soon after the purchase of the block on Webster street, a movement was commenced for a union high school. In 1910, when it became necessary to make additions to the old building, this plan re- ceived a new impetus. Finally, in 1912. it came to a definite sugges- tion that the Palo lto high school district be enlarged to include North Palo Alto, Menlo Park. Mayfield, Stanford and other nearby school districts. P»ut this immediately proved impossible on account of Menlo Park and North Palo Alto being included in San Mateo county. 1 t

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rounded on three sides hv recitation rooms and the auditorium, and on the other by an arcade. From the highway it looms like a very hos- pitable, modern mission. In the front the beautiful terrace and the massive doors give just the needed touch of stateliness and impressive- ness. A more ideal location for this beautiful new building could not have been found than the one where it stands, among beautiful oak- trees and fields of grain. The central idea of the new high school is embodied in the library. It represents the old education so successfully combined with the new social life of the school, and it is in this room that the trustees, hoping that it would be the center of school life, have set their seal. The library is located opposite the business office, two steps down, with only a glass between the halls and the attractive interior, so that the most indifferent person may at least see the outward beauty of books and be tempted to come into closer contact with them. The school is not as yet completed. War conditions are largely re- sponsible for this, although under any circumstances it could not have been finished immediately. The auditorium is incomplete. The girls’ gymnasium, the swimming pool, and the forge and machine shops could not be included. Although the finishing of the present high school seems a large problem, the necessity of a junior college in the near future makes it a tremendous task. The possibility of expansion was seriously considered when the ar- rangement of the school was laid out. Several classrooms have already been sketched on the plan. It will be possible to add to the school to accommodate fifteen hundred pupils without marring the architectural effect of the buildings. The central idea of the new school is to make it as democratic as possible. Two new institutions of the school express this especially. One is the cafeteria and the other the commission form of government. W hen the school was first planned, the distance from Palo Alto made lunches necessary. To make it more convenient, the cafeteria was es- tablished. For the first two weeks Miss Johnson and her cooking class did all the cooking and serving, but it interrupted the cooking course so much that a woman was engaged to do the major part of the cook- ing. The girls still help and do the serving. The members of the cooking class have developed a fine spirit of service in helping serve each noon. The cafeteria has been an excellent opportunity for an ex- pression of democratic, unselfish spirit among the girls. 13