Polytechnic High School - Caerulea Yearbook (Long Beach, CA)

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rant in athletic competition. State championships have been won in football, basketball, tract, swimming, and water polo. From the early years of the school, Long Beach has maintained an excellent program in public speaking activities, which featured debat- ing in competition with other schools. This particular type of com- petitive speahing has now given place largely to that carried on in the Speakers' Bureau or the Spealrers' Workshop, which provides oppor- tunity for many more students to receive training in public speaking. Other activities, particularly in the fields of dramatics and school pub- lications. have been emphasized. School plays, pageants, and operas have attracted wide public interest, and the program of training which has been maintained has reached large numbers of students. A number ot' young people who have achieved national prominence on stage and screen have received their initial training at Polytechnic High School. Our school publications, Caerulea, High Lite, and Acacia have reflected much credit upon the school. ' Following the close of World War I, which had called large numbers of Poly alumni and older boys into their country's service, there was a period ot unprecedented growth in the school. ln i920 bonds in the amount of SI00,000 were voted to add another building to the high school plant, which when completed was Known as the Liberal Arts Building. lt was occupied by the English, Social Studies and Music Departments and provided an excellent school library room. The follow- ing year bonds, were voted for S435,000, which amount was used for the purchase of additional land and the erection of the Practical Arts Building and two fine gymnasiums, one for the boys and one for the girls. ln the school year i924-25 the enrollment of Polytechnic High Scool reeched a total of 3,750, which was the highest enrollment in the his- tory of the school. At that time Poly claimed the distinction of being the largest high school west of the Mississippi. However, our largest class was not graduated until many years later, being that of June l94I, when 737 seniors received their diplomas of graduation. In the year l92l the first iunior high school opened. Other iunior highs followed ln close succession in the next three or tour years. finally taking all ninth grade pupils and leaving Polytechnic a three year senior high school. ln September, l926, Woodrow Wilson High School opened, taking a large number of students who would otherwise have enrolled in Polytechnic. Thus, for a few years the enrollment was materially reduced, but by I932 Poly had again climbed beyond the three thou- sand mark. The next year on March I0 came the Earthquake! Fortunately, this occurred after school hours, which accounted for the fact that no lives were lost at school and no one was iniured. However, the extent of the damage wrought upon the school plant can be comprehended only as we realize that all buildings were either destroyed or dam- aged beyond repair, with the possible exception of the swimming pool buillding, the print shop and the auditorium. These required extensive remodelling or repairs to meet safety regulations imposed by the State Building Code. The I933 edition of Caerulea, which came out a few months following the Quake, sounded the prevailing note of hope and faith: Through a catastrophe, which for the time seemed almost overwhelming, has come the opportunity to build with greater steadfastness and vision-- . lt was our challenge to meet this emergency in the courageous spirit which was characteristic of Polytechnic. And truly may it be said that during the next two or I three years, when we were without permanent buildings and the school was housed in tents and bungalows, the entire school manifested this indomitable spirit in marked degree. Beside the wonderful cooperation shown by both teachers and students in this great emergency, one fact seemed to stand out: namely, that the real school does not consist of buildings, boots and equipment: these are but aids to learning. The real school consists of boys and girls with a will to learn, and compe- tent devoted teachers to guide and instruct. Plans adopted by the Board of Education for rebuilding the Poly- technic school plant called for classroom capacity and school facilities even surpassing those of the former school. Thus far these plans have been only partially realized. Construction completed to date includes the Science, Commercial, and Arts Buildings, the central portion of the Administration Building, the Auditorium, and approximately half of the Vocational Arts Building. Buildings provided for in the plans, but not yet constructed, are the north and south wings of the Administration Build- ing, the Library and Student Center Building, a Band and Orchestra Building, the Boys' and Girls' Gymnasiums, a Cafeteria, a Swimming Pool, and the remainder of the Vocational Arts Building. ln other words, the plant as it now stands represents little more than half of the floor space and school facilities in permanent buildings which were included in the original plans. During the past few years additional land adioining the school has been acquired, which increases the area of the total school site to more than twenty acres. Construction of the balance of the school plant according to plans already outlined will doubtless be resumed as soon as the general situation in the country malres it possible to secure the necessary materials and labor for school construction. ln this brief historical slretch we have endeavored to trace the growth and changes that have taken place in the school enrollment and in the physical plant of the high school from the time of its founding down to the present time. ln addition we have indicated something of the development of the curricular and the extra-curricular programs and of student activities and organizations. All reference to personalities, either of students or teachers and officials has been omitted with the exception of two or three who had to do with the school in its very beginning. Without mating any claim to undue credit for initiative and the pioneering spirit beyond that which might have been displayed by the average school, located fortunately as we have been in a rapidly growing and progressive city, it may be permissible in this account to list in conclusion certain movements and organizations of importance which had their beginning in Polytechnic High School, or which this school was one of the first in the State to sponsor. Among these are the following, some of which have already been mentioned earlier in this article: A student-body organization with a constitution and student officers. This was started in l906, being one ot the first in the State. The first high school Parent-Teacher Association in California, started in l9I0. 4 The first Commission form of student-body government, started in I9I2-I3. The first Honor Scholarship Society. whose original purpose and requirements for membership were substantially the same as were later adopted by the State Federation. The Student Store, started as a Boot Exchange in l9I2. lcontinued on page l24i

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BOYS' PHYSICAL EDUCATION-Mr. Defriclr, Mr. Welch, Mr. Monigomery, Mr. Carls, Mr. Comforf, Mr. Walker, Mr. Kinnear, Mr. Sprong. COMMERCIAL-Mr. Oliver lHeacll, Miss J. Wyanf, Mrs. Himmelbauer, Mrs. Graham, Mr. Gu+hrie, Miss Scheel, Miss Bergen, Mrs. Hall, Mrs. Miner. OFFICE STAFF-Mrs. Bull, Mrs. Traffon, Mrs. Kidwell, Mrs. Evans, Miss Lemon, Miss Jewell, Miss Boschlre. Frank G. Reid-Regishar