Somerville High School - Radiator Yearbook (Somerville, MA)

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Our A dministrators dive re It W Jrdand Superintendent Hue P r 7 oLco L- Donant - dJsMitanl Superintendent — 8 —

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Sck oo( —J'lis to ry 1852 — 1952 It is indeed o for cry from the three R's of the one room school house of 1 852 on the site of City Holl, to Somerville's school system of todoy with its wide ronge of subjects ond schools that ottempt to fulfill the increasing needs of the pupils in their preparation for the exigencies of modern living. One hundred yeors ogo our school first opened its doors, ond sixty-one pupils were ad- mitted. Todoy over 2,300 pupils ore receiving education here. On Moy 3, 1 852, the first session was held in the Somerville Free High School with two teachers on the stoff. The first principol, Robert Bickford, served for two yeors. Since then, there hove been such outstanding heodmosters os Leonord Walker, Samuel Pike, Isooc Beols, Henry Babcock, George L. Boxter, Charles Whitcomb, John A. Avery and Horry F. Seors. Our present heodmoster, Albert H. Giroux, hos mode our school reputotion one to be proud of in mony woys. We hove continued to hove representation in scholastic, scientific, ond othletic competitions. By promoting better public relotions with the home ond the community, ond in co-opcrotion with the Chamber of Commerce and the local civic clubs, S. H. S. hos ochieved much to be odmired. In 1872 the school, having outgrown its first building, moved into the second, loter known os the Lotin School. In 1 895 the Somerville English High School wos built. Enrollment continued to increose rapidly. Mr. Baxter resigned in 1911 ond the two schools were united under Mr Avery's leadership. Approximately 2000 pupils were enrolled ond in 1915 Junior High Schools were established, ond the High School wos chonged to o three yeor school ond become the Somerville Senior High School. Membership wos again several hundred beyond the normal capocity of the building by 1924 ond in 1927 o plon wos adopted for the expenditure of $1,000,000 providing for the enlargement ond improvement of the high school building ond for o gymnosium. This work wos completed in 1930. The physico! growth of the High School hos increosed immensely. The building which in 1 872 wos colled the Lotin School hos now become the Eost Building while our present Control Building wos formerly the English High School. The Eost ond West Wings ond the gymnosium were added in 1928 so thot now there ore twenty senior clossrooms with six hundred ond forty eight pupils, twenty-four junior clossrooms with seven hundred ond fourteen pupils ond twenty two sophomore clossrooms with seven hundred ond nine pupils. From 1852 to 1912, the instructors increased to sixty-six. With the addition of subjects such os Occupations, Retoiling, Pre-Driving, Clerical Proctice, Civics, Economic Problems, Busi- ness Organization and Economics, Itolion, Mechanical Drawing ond World History, more teochers were odded until we reached our present total of one hundred ond thirty. The poges of this yeorbook record the activities of 1952 offer o century of Honor ond Progress!

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J)(U J4. Q, 'OUX Jdeadmailer jlllnu- J. Wo lorn Me if XJice- Jdcadmasler Join €. OJLcjlL Jice- Jdea dm ail er — 9