Pontiac Senior High School - Quiver Yearbook (Pontiac, MI)

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General Contents Board of Educahon ----- - 10 Growth of Pondac PHgh School - 11 Faculty ----- - 13 Seniors - 19 Juniors - - 43 Sophomorcs - 47 Frednnen - - 51 Events - 55 Literary - - 61 Editorial 79 Service Flag - 81 Qrganizations 87 Athletics - - 90 Alumni - 109 jokes - 117

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The Growth of the Pontiac High School By SARAH MCCARROLL ROM the first graduating exercises in 1867 to the present seems a long time, yet many years before that, schools under various names were the forerunners ofthe diploma schools. Pontiac had several private schools in the early 'days- The Pontiac English and Classical School, Pontiac Literary Society, Female Seminary, Literary Institute, l'ontiac High School tin the present Hallett Blockl, Young Ladies' Select School, were some of the attractive names for the early seats of learning. Perhaps the most important of all was The Academy, built by the Old Pontiac Company and situated where now stands the Davis lllock. This academy afterward became a branch of the University of Michigan. l'ro- fessor George P. Wlilliams, called from Kenyon College, Ghio, was its First and only principal. There were twenty-five or thirty young men in attend- ance. for admitting women at that time would have been an innovation for Pontiac. Other branch schools were at Monroe, Tecumseh, Niles. White Pigeon, Kalamazoo, Romeo and Detroit. English and the classics were the chief subjects taught. There were two aims: to fit for the Cniversity and for teaching. The principal's salary was from S1200 to 551500-a good salary for those days. Tuition by the year was from S12 to 31950. All these branch schools admitted girls except Niles, Detroit and l'ontiac. The Pontiac branch closed its doors in 1840, the regents deciding that they could no longer divide their interest between the branch schools and the University. However, the people of Pontiac who protested against the lack of interest in education in this town, said that the branch school was closed for lack of any interest taken. In 184-l or 1845 was started the Pontiac Educational Society. A committee of five, among whom was the late Hon. M. E. Crofoot, drafted a constitution for the society. On September 25, 18-16, l'ontiac people said: There is one school district where there should be three or four. Xlany children are receiv- ing no education. Every New Englander should blush for shame. The fact is unpleasant that no village with one-fourth the population of Pontiac is so badly off. The fault is the indifference of the people of wealth. Now in earnest they began to plan for a union school and a library. A site was selected-that of the present Central school. lly hluly, 1854, two hundred dollars was ordered raised for a bell, so the school was started in earnest. Johnson A. Corbin, a Harvard man, was in charge from 185-l to 186-l. In 1858, Lewis Drake and C. S. Draper entered the Cniversity on certificate from the Old Union. Mr. Draper afterward became a regent of the Univer- sity. Some will remember the old square brick building with green blinds surmounted by a dome and facing the millpond. Around the grounds was a high picket fence. The playgrounds of the boys and girls had a line of demar- cation-a fence. On the boundary line was the well with its iron-bound bucket. Nearly everyone indulged in some kind of sport. The millpond. with the river above as far as Saginaw street bridge, made an ideal skating place, While the hill back of the school was line for coasting, and the bobsled of the superintendent held all who could crowd on. In 1867 there was a graduating class of seven-live girls and two boys. Ella Gaylord, Maggie Hubbell, Charlotte Tyler, Addie -lennelle, Emma L. Comstock, Richard Hudson and Charles Chandler. Richard Hudson later became a professor in the University of Michigan: Charles Chandler a pro- fessor in the University of Chicago. Finally the Old Union failed to accommodate its numerous pupils. The grove which formed a part of the Palmer estate was selected as a fitting site for a new building. Soon the Grove High School crowned the hill. The dedicatory exercises were held August 30, 1871. A clever poem, Cui Bono, was written for the occasion by the Hon. Henry M. Look. The first superin-