Upper Darby High School - Oak Yearbook (Upper Darby, PA)

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Front Row: Mr. Vanleer I. Bond, Mrs. William G. Seeburger, Dr. George C. Dilworth, Mrs. Alfred F. Adelizzi, Mr. John H. Frazierg Second Row: Mr. Stewart B. Harkness, Mr. John H. Scheidel, Dr. Edgar B. Cale, superintendent john H. Tyson, Dr. J. Vernon Ellson, Mr. John C. Parry, Mr. R. Winield Baile, Mr. N. Horace Berman. After years of tedious planning, the efforts of the hardfworking members of Upper Darby's Board of Education are beginning to show fruitful results. Two modern elementary schools, Hillcrest and Primos, are now complete. Unly through the continuous efforts of the Board members could such a project have been accomplished. The foundations for the high school addition are now Hnished and the buildings are beginning to take shape. Few of us realize the many headaches encountered by the Board members. One of the foremost problems was that of locating and stockpiling the necessary building materials and equipment for the new schools. The war threat at the present time has induced a scarcity of materials which can be overcome only by patient searching for the desired goods. The teachers, architects, and School Board members have worked in close cooperation to procure the finest and most modern equipment available. To each member of our fine School Board we offer a vote of thanks-f for making the schools in this district run so smoothly, and for realizing so sensibly the needs of our community and keeping abreast of the situation in such a capable manner. BO RD UF EDUCATIO

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In Memoriam WILLIAM C. GEYER The staff of the 1951 OAK respectfully dedicates this page to William Carlton Geyer, Head of the Industrial Arts De' partment and a member of the Upper Darby High School faculty since Sep' tember, 1927, who died suddenly while on a fishing trip at Lake Placid, New York, July 4, 1950. Before coming to Upper Darby, he taught at Indianapolis, Kendallville, Hammond, and Evansville in Indiana, at College Station, Texas, and at Schenecf tady, New York. He served in France in Word War I and taught shop courses for a short time in France at the close of the war. At Upper Darby, in addition to his teaching and supervisory duties, he coached wrestling and promoted a wide' spread interest in bowling, organizing an annual bowling tournament among sub' urban and city schools. At the close of World War I, he made investigations and contacts to procure such surplus govern' ment property as could be used for school purposes. He also served as a County Veterans Administration Placement Training Officer and as assistant director in the local evening school for veterans' training. Mr. Geyer generously shared his knowledge and his craftsmanship with his friends in a spirit that left none of them with any feeling of obligation to him. Upper Darby High School rememf bers Mr. Geyer with appreciation for his twentyfthree years of service and with gratitude for sharing with his fellow' workers and the student body his ex' perience and his wealth of practical knowledge. Twentyftwo

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The f the addition first Boot high takes form. The recent ground breaking ceremonies for the new addition to the high school marked another step in Upper Darby's continuous program to meet the needs of the comf munity. Since the first class of five was graduated in 1896, Upper Darby has grown by leaps and bounds, both in area and population. The capable School Board, though, has kept pace with this expansion. An annex was added to the high school in 1928 as were other improvements made to the grade schools throughout the district at various times, The new fourfstory addition to the present high school will adequately serve many more students, but even more expansion will be needed in the future. Because of the high birth rate during World War H, graduating classes of one thousand will be the general trend in 1958. Two new elef mentary schools, Primos and Hillcrest, have already been opened to accommodate part of this huge student body now entering the first and second grades. It is obvious, though, that more development will be necessary. Unknown to most people is the fact that plans for a new junior high school are already under way. The far' sighted Board of Education has acquired land on State Road for this purpose. Uther changes in the school system are being contemf plated. As the school enrollment increases, new teachers will be needed and Upper Darby plans to acquire the best inf structors available. Plans for curriculum revision are also being considered. The latest educational methods will be inf corporated in the schools in an effort to make the Upper Darby School System, the finest in the country. With its ambitious building and educational improvement programs, Upper Darby is confident that it can answer the challenge of its increasing population. the Senior WE B ILD The new Primos Sc hool nears completion. FOR THE FUTURE Hillcrest opened April 16, 1951. S x E if E