Sumner High School - Sumnerian Yearbook (Kansas City, KS)

Page 10 text:

14 smut. ' .1906-1940 The old Sumner High School structure was born in June, 1906, in the Board of Education rooms inthepu- blic library building with Superintendent NLE. Pearson, Principal I. E. Patterson 0905-1908j, G.T. Porter, and G.B. Buster, former teachers, present. After much discussion over the choice of aname for the new school, the name 'Sumner' was selected be - cause it suggested best the ideals of the institution to include the scholarlines of the great Charles Sumner, the culture of his New England background, his liberalism as shown by his strong protest against the system of slavery and his courage as shown by his fearlessness in denouncing slavery. In 1905 before the first Sumner High School was built, classes were held afternoons in Central High School, located at Ninth and Minnesota Avenue. ln 1906 the centralsection and the south wing were built. ln 1909 the north wing was added. In 1925 the gymnasium, the cafeteria, and the domestic science annex were built on the north side. 4 I

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Qzdccatcan 53 Y 'Q L TO S H THOMPSON IR S H Thompson Ir for 13 years supervrsor of elementary Negro Schools of Kansas Crtv Kansas assumed hrs dutres as prrncrpal of Sumner Hrgh School September 1 1951 He was bom rn Kansas Crty Kansas and attended local schools Hrs parents were the late Bell A Thompson and Dr S H Thompson Upon berng graduated from Sumner Hrgh School rn 1922 he went to Hampton Instrtute Hampton Vlrgrnra where the B S degree rn Agrrcultural educatron was recerved The M S rn bro chemrstry was conferred upon hrm rn 1938 at the Unrvers1ty ofW1scons1n where most of hrs graduate study has been done For the frrst trme rn 1ts hrstory Sumner Hrgh School rs headed by one of xts own graduates The new prrncrpal taught scxence for seven years at Northeast Junror Hrgh School after whrch he was transferred to Sumner Hrgh School and to the Sumner DIVISION of the Kansas Crty Kansas Iunror College where he taught from 1936 through 1938 We hereby dedrcate thrs annual to our present leader and the long years of servrce whlch Ire ahead for hrm I U ,. ,ga 'xr ' .' 1 , .af , I f , , 5 f X 1 4 .xii si? V .A S f- 1 cfs , .

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.,.g. 1Kll'f'2 EFS.- gw 1 scam 1940- A new Sumner High School structure, the largest and most modern educational plant for colored students was officially dedicated at 2 o'clock Tuesday January 9, 1940, Principal speakers on the dedicatory program were Governor Payne Ratner and Dr, Sherman D, Scruggs, now president of Lincoln University. Jefferson City, Missouri, Classes began in the New Sumner Tuesday, January 9. Fauclty members, under the direction of Principal John A. Hodge, began moving into their new plant weeks before, and by the time school was dismissed for the Christmas holidays, every room was ready for occupancy. 1100 patrons braved the whirling snow storm to attend the dedication that afternoon. Other speakers for the dedication were F.L, Schlagle, William H. Towers, representative of the eighth district, who introduced in legislature the bill whose passage resulted in a new Sumner,Principal Hodgewho pre- sented a vivid history of the school, Frank Rushton, president of the Board of Education, and Dr. J.G. N. Soanes, chairman of the citizen's advisory committee,