Thomas Carr Howe Community High School - Hilltopper Yearbook (Indianapolis, IN)

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BELOW: Howe faces have changed over the years: Virginia Moore, Bruce Beck, Richard Hammond, Ellen O ' Drain, Patricia Aman. Ron Fink- biner. ABOVE RIGHT: Commencement on the hill was a beautiful site according to Miss Ellen O ' Drain. Two lines of seniors would meet at the tower steps and combine for their march towards the crowd. RIGHT: Trees used to occupy what is now the site of the football sta- dium. 10— Then and Now

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LEFT: Mr. Hammond ' s soaked first-week lesson plans dry out after being ruined by water. It.i.k to School ' )

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Then and If you ' ve ever come into contact w ith any of our long-time teachers, you ' ve prob- ably heard them speak of the Good Old Days. They weren ' t just talking about society in gen- eral; they were talking about Howe. If you ' ve ever asked them to tell you more about the Good Old Days, they prob- ably told you more than you bargained for. In the late 1920 ' s the citizens of the east-side town of Irving- ton realized the need for a high school of their own. Land for the building was purchased in 1928. On September 28, 1938, Thomas Carr Howe High School was officially opened with the starting of the tower clock. That was a very proud day for the many people who had worked so long for the school, and their pride in Howe was overwhelm- ing. The community showed their pride by making Howe the best in every category, especially in the beauty of the campus and building itself. Charles M. Sharp, the first principal, ran a tight ship. According to vice-principal Bruce Beck, Mr. Sharp would send out a bulletin to faculty members informing them of a spot on a wall or a desk that was to be cleaned immediately. Our desks were to be cleared every night and window shades had to be pulled down at a uniform length. The grounds were also very neatly trimmed with fine shrubbery. Mr. Beck attributed the garden-like campus and very clean building not only to the community but also to a highly dedicated custodial crew. The way other schools LEFT: The Howe tower has always been looked on as the architectural center of the school. thought of Howe would be a surprise to many students today . As Robert Bell, a 1955 graduate of Howe, put it, We thought we were th e best in the county. Of course, he went here and natu- rally thought very highly of the school but he wasn ' t alone. Ac- cording to Bruce Beck, Howe had a snobby, sophisticated image all around the county. This was the image that came along with its location in a well- to-do area. Butler University, which for many years was located in Irving- ton, played a big part in Howe ' s image. It made the community a very academic-minded one. There was a big emphasis on pre- paration for college. Roughly 70% of Howe ' s seniors did go on to school. Howe pushed for the first Advanced Placement classes in the county. The AP program came here in the 50 ' s and was largest around for quite a while. Several other advanced classes were added. These classes along with all of the strict rules of the school characterized Howe as a highly traditional and provincial place. In other words, if any- thing was done it was done well, it was done neatly, and it was done strictly according to the high standard associated with Howe. For the most part the high standards didn ' t bother Howe kids. As a matter of fact they were enthusiastically involved in just about every thing. If it was possible to have a club in any area, the Howe students had it — not because the faculty made them have it but because they really wanted it. They were a ery spirited group. Then and Now— 11