Somerville High School - Radiator Yearbook (Somerville, MA)

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 Somerville is girded with an historic belt such os no other town or city in the Union con boost of. These ore the words of Col. Herbert E. Hill of Somerville, the mon who oided in copturing Lincoln's ossossin. On the fiftieth anniversary of Somerville High School in 1902, Reverend Williom H. Pierson thought highly of the school site when he spoke of this control hill of Somerville ond the circuit of clustered towns and cities, a scene upon which the scholars of these Lotin and English schools may doily feast the eye ond mind, o pic- ture which, trovel the wide-world over, they will scorccly see surpossed for beauty or for grocc. On the occosion of the ccntcnniol of our city in 1942, ond with our country once ogoin in the throes of wor, Somerville's historian, Williom Preble Jones wrote: Along our highways galloped Paul Revere on his midnight ride; the British marched toword Lexington ond retreating from Concord ond Lexington were drown under galling fire by the Minutemen through Milk Row (Somer- ville Avenue) to Charlestown Neck; ond the little Ameri- can army marched to fortify Bunker Hill. Our sightly hilltops were strongly fortified; of the Citadel on Pros- pect Hill wos raised the first American Union flag, Janu- ary I, 1776; an on the same hills were quartered the surrendered ormy of Generol Burgoyne. Our oncient Powder House, eosily one of the half dozen most historic buildings in the country, still stonds, olong with other fomous structures, the headquarters of General Nothonael Greene ond Generol Chorles Lee, trusted leaders under the great Commondcr-in-Chief George Washington, who himself visited and inspected every port of our territory. In 1842 Somerville wos separated from Chorlestown. One of the principal reosons for the separation wos that they might be better provided in the matter of public schools. In its March, 1851, report, the committee recommending the establishment of o high school sug- gested three possible solutions to the problem. The report suggested first, the use of the Prospect Hill building; the second, the vestry of the Unitorian Church; and third, to build o new building on Central Hill. The site of the First Church is marked by o toblet on the High School lown. The third suggestion was accepted after some dis- ' cussioo. The new building on the site of the present City Hall wos built in 1852 at a cost of less than $8,000. Dedicated on April 28, 1852, ond organized on Moy 3, the High School began with an enrollment of sixty-six pupils with twenty-two additional pupils selected in the foil. Mr. Robert Bickford ond Miss E. C. Bobcock were the first teachers. There were only sixty-four high schools in Massachu- setts ot this time, most of which were preparatory schools for colleges. Our three-year course wos primarily a study of the Latin Reader. By August, 1859, our enrollment was only forty-three pupils. In I860 we added two four- ycor courses, one a regular course including the Lotin language, the other a course preparatory to college. By 1867 enrollment had increased so that both stories of the building were being used. Changes in the curricula come corly in the history of our High School. Drawing wos introduced os early as 1853, ond everyone wos required to study if. In 1859 o music course wos organized by Mr. S. D. Hadley, whose son, S. Henry Hadley wos the music director in the Som- erville schools for many years, and whose grandson, Henry K. Hadley, wos to achieve international renown as a composer and conductor. In 1870 the Massachusetts Legislature amended the first section o the 38th chapter of the Public Statutes so as to include not only drawing instruction but a provision for mechonicol or industrial drawing. In this some year on English or Mercantile Course of four years wos adopted. With the rapid increose in population, it wos decided to build a second high school. In February, 1 872, a new building wos dedicated; ond on March 4, the first session was held in the new Latin building. The school population had now increased to 150 pupils. From 1852 to 1892 o a total of 3532 pupils had enrolled in our high schools, of 976 were graduated, 215 had entered colleges, and 45 hod gone on to technical institutes. Each yeor the demond for new schools ond improved facilities increosed so thot by 1895 the English High School, the central part of our present building wos opened. On the semi-centennial of the High School in 1902, the presidents of our two neighboring colleges spoke highly of the achievements of Somerville High School. Charles W. Eliot of Harvard said, It has hod a most honorable coreer. Reverend Elmer H. Copen of Tufts predicted thot it will not be content to hold a secondary or subordinate plocc, but that it will be in the future, as in the past, o leader among the forces of secondary institutions in Massachusetts. Much credit was given of this time to George L. Boxter, who hod been principal for thirty-five of the first fifty years of the High School. In the second holf century of the High School many additions ond innovations took place in edministrotive procedure and tcoching, in facilities ond in curriculo. Some of the recognizable stoges through which our school Six

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C4 • Seniors .... 19 We Worked • 75 We Played 81 JUL 1 9 60

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hos possed ore os follows: (1) from 1852 to 1895 the generol high school with culturol subjects emphosized; (2) 1895 to 1911, speciolized high schools; and (3) 1911 to 1960, comprehensive high school with specialized courses. Many of the recommendotions for improving our High School mode by committees, superintendents, principals, ond teachers, were put into effect immediately. A few far- sighted recommendations, however, were deferred. One of the latter is thot of the lotc Superintendent Chorlcs S Clark, who os corly os 1913, asked for the appointment of a full-time vocational guidance counselor in the High School. The Junior High School system wos adopted in 1916. About that time there took place a burgeoning of elec- tive courses ond activities such as band, glee club, de- bating, dramotics and othletics. In 1928 the High School wos completely remodeled and renovated, two wings were added, the Lotin School torn down ond replaced with a new gymnosium. No other important physical chonges were made in the school plant until the fires of January, 1956, and June, 1956. At this time the roof of the centrol building wos token off ond rebuilt, eliminating the fourth floor. The centrol portion wos painted and renovated, while the school con- tinued classes by double sessions. The Somerville schools, ond the High School in por ticular, hove endured the vicissitudes of change ond fortune. Our schools hove been ot the forefront of educa- tional endeavors throughout the years. The Somerville System of monual arts for girls won first prize at a World's Foir, our mogozine, the Rodiotor, hos won notionol owords; ond in music, art, science, the achieve ments of our graduates speak for themselves. It is impossible in a short summary to give credit to the many odministrotors and teachers whose devoted efforts hove contributed toword the advancement of our High School. Through the second holf-ccntury of its existence, our school hos been guided by Chorlcs T. C Whitcomb, John A. Avery, Harry F. Sears, ond our present principal, Albert H. Giroux. All have worked to on exceptional degree to odvoncc the interests of our High School. We hope we have fulfilled the predictions of Presi- dents Eliot ond Copen who emphosized honor ond progress ot our semi-centennial observance. And we feel thot our motto, Honor ond Progress, still guides Somerville High School todoy. PETER D. PETERSON Faculty Somerville High School, with City Holl in the background. September, 1959 Seven lit J I