Walnut Hills High School - Remembrancer Yearbook (Cincinnati, OH)

Page 20 text:

11k JL ,M v :ielm ,41?$ ghdhi 1'55 The Walnut Hills R High 501100168363 HE two excellent high schools, which for nearly half a century supplied means of advanced secondary educa- tion to the ambitious youth of our city, becoming overcrowded and altogether inadequate to the cultural demands of greater Cincinnati, had to be supple- mented by another institution of their class. The urgent necessity fer estalr lishing another high school was felt most pressingly by citizens of that part of the city spreading northward to the attractive hill-tops in the townships of Columbia and Millcreek. and taking in the urban localities of XVainut Hills, Mount Auburn, Avondale, and Clifton. As early as the year 1890 active mem- bers of the Board of Education and of the Union Board of High Schools were practically considering proposals which led to the erection of a commodious and really magnifi- cent new high school building, on a lot two hundred feet square, located on the comer of Q 15' Burdett and Ashland Avenues, in the midst of a population eagerly desirous of the best educa- tional advantages. The school edifice. one of the most elegant public buildings in the City, admirably designed for the accommodation of a large school1 was completed 111 the autumn of 1895 at a cost of $120,503. the lot costing 1111 additional $21000. The house contains seventeen light, airy recita- tion rooms, a spacious assembly hall, a line gym- nasium, a good chemical and physical laboratory, and a biological laboratory, besides a general ofhce, a library, and various lavatories. The committee having in charge the construc- tion of this noble building was composed of the following gentlemen: Jacob E. Cormany, H. H. Mithoefer, Joseph J. Parker, H. W. Allens, and Charles Weidner, Jr. The local committee selected from the Union Board of High Schools to exercise supervisory care over the newly-organized high school con- sisted, at hrst, of H. H. Mithoefer, John Schwaab, R. D, Barney, Drausin thlsin, and XVilliam MC-

Page 19 text:

Walnut EH12. Eigh $111501. $mmuh mm. 201va 21314227,. PMC4522- JMM g 4, jaw; m2 W 22222; 29W 222222, $222M K2222 am M $5.72, J22 2722? z 22W $127: 22222 WM 5:2 2 DZbX$XVML 2222f, Xvi: 6mg; 22$; 2; 2:;

Page 21 text:

Canister. Since the initial organization, changes have, from time to time. been made in the com- position of the committee, by the retirement of some members and the appointment of others, 50 that the body at present consists of Hon Jacob Schroder, Chairman; John Schwaab, William J. Klein, L. J. Dauner, and R. D. Barney. The Walnut Hills High School was opened in September, 1895, with a corps of twenty teachers and an attendance of 684 pupils. On Friday, October 11, the building was formaiiy dedicated. The Superintendent and the several school officers upon whom devolved the delicate and complicated function of overseeing the affairs of the great school their energy had created were equal to the responsibility. The organization and equipment of the school were completed with more rapidity than was expected. so that. within a very few weeks from the start, everything was in running order. and a zealous esprit du tarps already manifested itself among the pupils. Necessarily the success of the school must de- pend upon the vigilance and fidelity of the teaching body. Six of the teachers were transferred from the older high schools: two from Hughes, Mr. Bishop and Mr. Venable; four from Woodward, Mr. A. S. Henshaw, Miss Rachel V. Wheeler, Mrs. C, D. Klemin, and Miss Eulalie Artois. Other experienced instructors were selected from various schools in which they had won reputation, or were chosen on account of high attainments in college. Mr. H. E. Newman. teacher of chemis- try and physics, had been instructor in the Uni- versity. Mr. Julius F uchs was placed in charge 19 0f the German teaching. Mr. Arthur Knoch was called to direct the athletic training of the pupils and to have Charge of the gymnasium. Without specifying the grades to which they were assigned, or the particular branches by them taught, we here record the rest of the names of those who formed the teaching corps in the hrst two years of the history of the school. These are: Miss Mary E. Magurk, Miss Henrietta Reuschel. Miss Helen Shrader, Miss Belle Woods, Miss Margaret E. Layman, Miss Agatha Hope Rice, Miss Jane 81 OiHara, Miss Eleanor Passei, Miss Esther H. Hagen, Miss Mamie B. Walker, and Miss Alma Diserens. The special department of drawing was conducted by Miss Frances Kohnky. and the musical directorship 0f the school was intrusted to Mr. Joseph Surdo. Since the organization of the faculty, in 1895, several changes have been made: Miss Hagen and Miss Walker both resigned in 1897, and in January of the same year Miss Laura E. Aldrich was appointed teacher of elocution in the new school. In the following year, 1898, Miss Alice L. Betts, Miss Louise Spilman, and Miss Alma S. Fick were added to the teaching force, and in 1899 Mme. Eleanor Peltier was appointed teacher of French. She resigned in 1900, and M. Nonnez was called to fill her place. Miss Diserens withdrew in 1899, and Miss Frances Kohnky was transferred to Hughes. Dri XV. H. Venable resigned in 1900, and his 5011, Emerson Venable, was appointed to succeed him as teacher of literature. Miss Magurk has gone to Wood- ward School and Miss Rice to Hughes, from which Miss Frances Kohnky and Miss Nora Ettlinger have been transferred to Walnut Hills.