Rock Island High School - Watchtower Yearbook (Rock Island, IL)

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HISTORY OF ROCKY HIGH Very few of us realize the long history of Rock Island High School, which started long before our present building was erected. The districts into which Rock Island was first di- vided, were united in 1857 and a committee was appointed to get subscriptions of funds to build a union high school. High school classes were held on the third floor of the Lincoln building until 1874 when they moved into a building in the center of the block, a location now used for Lincoln playground. There were only five teachersand 180 students. The size of the school remained the same for a long time. The first building on the present site was built in 1886 and enlarged in 1896. This made room for eight teachers. Courses consisted of four years each of English, German, and Latin until this addition. Lab- oratories and a lecture room were put in the new section. Changes in administration were frequent, as there were seven principals before 1910. In January, 1901, the building burned down, supposedly starting from the chemistry laboratory. For this reasoxi, no laboratory science was taught until the Manual Arts building was erected in 1912. Within a few days after the fire, school was resumed in the Broadway Presbyterian church and the basement of Lincoln school. There were no study halls, library, lockers, or school activities. Finally, after a year and a half, the students moved into the present building. At this time athletics were hit and miss. The cafeteria was used fo-r woodwork and Study B was the accounting room. There were no extra-curricular activities except debate. Class rivalry was sharp and fights between members of different classes in the yard were not un- COI'1'11'I10l'1. Most of the present academic subjects that we have now were started by the time the Man- ual Arts building was put into use. A small orchestra was started in 1904 under Professor Phillbrook Cfaculty members also took partj. In 1910 Glee clubs were added. These courses were discontinued in 1919. A band was started in 1914 and the orchestra was resumed in 1922. Both were short-lived. There were no student publications until in 1909 when alquarterly of about 24 to 36 pages was started. The fourth issue of the year was similar to the present Watch Tower Annual. A school senate known as Associated Students, representing the clubs, was started in 1912. They sponsored the first frolic of Rock Island High School and the first lyceum programs to 'raise money for forensic awards. A new system of classes was arranged in September, 1916, under which periods were sev- enty minutes long, of which forty minutes were allotted to recitation and thirty to study. In 1918 the students contributed 357,000 to the Liberty Loan. During the same year a student council was started with representatives of all the students, rather than just the clubs. Mr. Arnold Lau replaced Mr. Burton as principal. The hrst senior class to number over 100 was the class of '2O. We think of matinee dances as a new project, but the first matinee dance sponsored by the school was held in the fall of 1921. Eugene Youngert succeeded Arnold Lau as principal in 1922. That same year the first Annual was published under the sole supervision of one person rather than the whole English department. Miss Stoddard was in sole charge. The bridge connecting the two buildings was built in 1927. Mr. Hanson became principal in 1929. So Rocky High has grown from 180 students to 14005 from a faculty of 5 to one of 443 from a small school-house in the middle of the block to a million-dollar structure covering two blocks. So much for the pastg the future? That remains to be seen. Page 5

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. ,Q fi L9 LOUISE HANSEN English ANNIE E. FERGUSON English SARAH C. LARAWAY English , ADA B. LAUCK English LYAL VVESTERl.UND English MALVINA M. CALOINE French, Spanish ALVERDA DOXEY Latin, History GEORGIA T. FIRST Latin J, HERVY SHUTTS Physics, Biology Geometry EVA M. IRVINE History J. LIEBBE