Thomas High School - Terrier Yearbook (Thomas, OK)

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The school band was started in 1929 by John Jordan. The first uniforms were red with gold trim. The band has an unbroken series of twenty-nine superior ratings. Uniforms are now green and white. Past directors are H. Lancet, Westmoreland, Cooper and Blehm. The Thomas Terrier Concert Band was selected to represent Oklahoma at the New York World's Fair in 1965. Approximately eighty band members and forty adults made the memorable trip. The first basketball court was outside. In 1907 the Thomas teams had a real indoor court in the Hulme building that now houses the Elite Cleaners. Teams used to walk to Fay, and ride trains to Canton to play games. Typical scores in the TRIBUNE in 1918 were twelve to thirteen with Custer. The first girls' coach was Mrs. Hamilton. The boys teams have played in the state tourneys four times; the girls have participated two times. A 1918 boys' team won the loving cup at SW District Tour- nament by defeating Weather- ford 35-21. Bernard Joy and Roland Beck were selected to the All-Star District Team that year. Lela O'Toole was an All- American forward in '27. This year the girls' team won the state tournament and went on to win third place in the National Tour- nament in Wichita, Kansas. Basketball all-staters have been Denny Old Crow, Marion Yadon, and Donna Hamar. Mary Hutchison, Donna Hamar, and Elaine Switzer were on the 1967 Class B State All-Tournament Team. Football began for the second time for a full season in 1937. Since that time Thomas boys have won seven state championships and have been in the state playoffs about twenty times. The present stadium was built around 1950. All-state football players were Troy Roof, Owen Roof, Ken- neth Roof, Bill Lonebear, Bill Southwell, Nelson Taylor, Donny McDonald, Jack Keller, Terral McKellips, Rusty Kraybill, Larry Crowdis, Richard Keller, Sid Caldwell, David Self, Larry Dob- bins, and Woody Roof. What is now known as FHA was once called FHO, Future Homemakers of Oklahoma. A semes- ter's dues in 1939 was fifteen cents. One of the ways the organization raised funds was by selling fat drippings. A recreation center was organized and opened by the FFA and FHO in 1943. Dr. W. O. Young, a long time Thomas citizen and supporter of schools, brought the first kiln for the home economics department. Kathryn Butler and Mrs. Inman, the home economics instructor, attended the 1964 National FHA convention in Chicago. Pat Self was the 1954-55 state FHA president. FFA began in 1938 with Joe Deeds as the instructor. Since that time there have been 25 State Farmers, two American farmers, four state awards in electrification, seventeen first place land judging trophies, five first place livestock judging trophies, three outstanding county FFA members, five county grand champion barrows and one grand champion steer, one state grand champion barrow at the Tulsa Fair, and eleven Foundation Award winners. 3

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HISTORY (TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:) We do not guarantee this history to be entirely accurate for it came from many sources, but we tried, and had a jolly time hunting and prying. (THE ANNUAL STAFF AND SPONSOR) The town of Thomas was dedicated in 1902 on a site that was once Cheyenne-Arapaho Reservation. There were 4000 lots. Two thousand of these were sold at $20 each; the others were reserved for businesses. The town was named for William Thomas, the postmaster. Custer County was once called G county. Residents soon began to plan for a school. The new six- room school was erected on Tenth Street in 1903, at a cost of $10,000. It opened with 188 enrolled. The students ranged in age from 14 to 23, five of whom were married. A. W. Richardson was the first superintendent, and the first school board was George J. Ames, I. B. Odgen, and A. B. Miller. In 1905 the THOMAS TRIBUNE’S yearly subscription rate was fifteen cents. This same year Thomas ranked first in the county with the largest number of eight-year graduates. Thomas was chosen as site for a college in 1909 because of its location in the center of the Fifth District. Looking fur- ther into the matter, we were unable to find anymore infor- mation concerning the subject. The 1910 faculty for Thomas High consisted of R. K. Harris, superintendent, C. L. Honnold and Mrs. Hamilton. The three graduates were Clifford Shaw, Elizabeth Stevick and Mable Arnold. In 1912 land sold around Thomas for $8 an acre. In 1913 admission charges of ten and fifteen cents were paid to attend the graduation exercises. The first records about 4-H Club were found in 1920. The first school newspaper was called The Reflector. Later it changed to Hilltop News. The present high school building was dedicated in 1923 at a cost of $100,000. T. E. Bartlett was superintendent. Cooke, Peterson, and Tresner were on the board. The next building construc- ted was the shop part of the present agriculture building, which was a W. P. A. project. Since then the campus has grown to fifteen acres and five buildings. The gym ano shop combination was built in 1961 at a cost of $110, 000. The lunch room was added later. The circle in front of the school was landscaped in 1932 by faculty members and the people of the town cooperatively. A large THS in flowers was the center of attraction. Two hundred trees were planted around the school at a total cost of $1. 55. They were obtained through the Forestry Service. School colors were once purple and white, once blue and white, and now they are green and white. The mascot is the terrier. 2

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L. O. Garner, Jr. was the state’s first place sheep production winner in 1959. In 1962 C. R. Christensen, Jerry Garner, Barton Wherritt, and Darrel Wilson received first place at the Internation- al Land Judging Contest. That same year Ronnie Dobbins received the state and national Southern Region Farm Mechanics Award. Russell Clark received first place in the state’s Co-op Public Speak- ing Contest in 1967. Men who have served as superintendent are A. W. Richardson, Frank Eppley, R. K. Harris, R. M. Caldwell, William Daughtery, J. P. Massey, T. E. Bartlett, S. F. Babb, H. L. Hensley, Charles Forbes, Dee Petree, R. L. McLean, B. C. Pippin, E. K. Hickman and K. K. Sweeney. Mr. Sweeney has been superinten- dent for twenty-nine years. Present faculty members who are alumni of Thomas are Mr. Sweeney, Ken- neth Roof, Melva Huffman, Lois Simpson, and Patty Jo Duncan. The tornado that ripped through Thomas in the spring of 1967 left its mark on the buildings. Nearly $85,000 was spent repairing the gym and school buildings. Seniors who made the WHO’S WHO IN AMERICAN HIGH SCHOOLS in 1967 were Elaine Switzer, Woody Roof, Joyce Eyster and Donna Hamar. Although a school annual has been discussed over the years, this 1967-68 annual is believed to be the first. Its staff was Pat Lazell, Sandra Clayton, Jack Garner, Beth Jackson, Sandra Zimmer- man, Doug Frans, Eithel Simpson, Debby Roof, Carl Keith, and Mrs. Glen Suter, sponsor. 4