Sumner High School - Maroon and White Yearbook (St Louis, MO)

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vita' uw- Assam, Books come in various sizes and colors, varying from a dull gray to a brilliant red, and connoting art designs from the most conservative to the indefinable modernistic. Uni- formity in sizes is no criterion of their importance, for we discover between the covers of a thin mono- graph, results of years of intensive research. Size may imply, real or imaginary, a studious person when observed listing to one side, weighed down with books as he crosses the college campus. c'Books open the doors of the past and reveal to us the anticipation of the future. Some books give us peace of mind through engendering a faith for today's living based on a pragmatism resulting from a study of the various religions that have beset our universe. To some people, this results in a frustration and a bewilderment, while the more stable- minded discover a way of life. Books unfold before us a pan- oramic view of the history and uni- verse of mankind. They portray the literature, culture, inner soul, art, music, pathos, love, hate, suffering and the ecstasy of human experi- . ence. '6B0oks are no respecter of individuals, for they give comfort to the lowly and indigent, as they bring laughter tothe young, and complacency to the privileged. Books are not to he scorned by any man, irrespective of his status, for such may result in dismal oblivion, figuratively and literally. Protect them, select them with care, display them, use them, share them, and books will reveal to us an under- standing of the past, stability for the present and preparation for the futuref, Sincerely, C. D. Brantley, Principal. J K,

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MR. HARPER S i . Claude H. Harper was born in Marcellis, Michigan, August 17, 1887. He was educated in the public schools of Coldwater, Michigan and Big Rapids, Michigan, graduating from the latter in 1907. In the fall of the same year Mr. Harper entered the University of Michigan, from which he graduated four years later. While a student at Michigan he supported himself by working after school hours and during summer vacations in the Detroit-Ann Arbor area. Immediately following graduation he began his teaching career, a career which was to last 45 years. His first teaching assignment was at Baldwin, Louisiana. The next year, 1912, he secured a position at famed Tuskegee Institute where he had the pleasure of working with that distinguished educator, Booker T. Washington. Mr. Harper's three years at Tuskegee were so educationally profitable and inspiring., he was convinced that the lteaclm- ing profession was his calling. This decision strengthened his desire to seek an advanced degree. Accordingly, he enrolled in Harvard University in 1915. Much of the material used for his A.M. thesis at Michigan was based on the knowledge and experience he had gained at Tuskegee. Upon graduating from Harvard, Mr. Harper taught successively at Winston-Salem Teachers College and Tennessee State University, where he spent ten years, five of which were as dean of the university. When Vashon High School opened here in 1927, Mr. Harperjoined the faculty. He has also taught at Stowe Teachers College and Sumner High School, where 'he remained until his retirement 24 years later. His field was mathematics but the last five years of his 4-5-year career were spent as assistant principal of Sumner. A staunch civic and religious worker, Mr. Harper's contribution to the education of young people cannot be measured in words. We at Sumner realize that this is true and wish for you, Mr. Harper, all the good things in life you so richly deserve. M. Corinne Taylor, a native St. Louisan, received her early ed- ucation in the St. Louis Public Schools, graduating from Uhe Sumner Normal Sc'hool. Her teaching career began in 1912 at the L'Ouverture School. An ever increasing desire for improvement sent Miss Taylor to the University of Illinois. Later she transferred to the University of Michigan where she earned both the B.S. and A.M. degrees. Miss Taylor's teaching experience ran the gamut from first grade through senior high school. While her field was English, her most challenging experience was her work in the field of guidance. It was wonderful to watch the growth and development, not only of the boys and girls but also of the administration, techniques and pro- cedures of the entire guidance program down through the years, said Miss Taylor. It has been my privilege to have had experience under the ad- ministration of five of the most dynamic superintendents in the history of the St. Louis Public Schools. My high school diploma was signed by F. Louis Soldan, my teacher-training certificate was signed by Ben Blewett, and I have taught under Henry J. Gerling, John' J. Maddox, and Philip .l. Hickey. Miss Taylor is also active in the civic, social and religious life of the community, working with the Girl Scouts, the YWCA where she initiated the roller skating program, and Central Baptist Church. She holds memberships in outstanding local? state and national ed- ucational organizations. The entire Sumner family misses you, Miss Taylor. May you enjoy the fruits of your labors with peace and serenity. MISS TAYLOR

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aio T , 'Through the years books have served as a huge reservoir of knowledge. The more time one takes to avail himself of the information and tried experiences they hold, the richer one becomes in this intellectual virtue we call knowledge. It is well to cherish thinking of good books as being potential energyg they become operative kinetic energy when we avail ourselves of the contents thereinf, John A. Nelson Assistant Principal 4'The importance of books is undeniable when We consider that each succeeding generation, not having to start at the place -where the first generation began, shows a marked dependence upon the past in recording, in books, its reactions to its environsf' John E. Anderson Jr. Assistant Principal