West Point High School - Point Yearbook (West Point, VA)

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Faculty Grows From 3 to I3 There were only three teach- ers in 1906 when the West Point High School was established. Today there are thirteen. Pk if 'lf MR. HOMER A. HUMPHREYS is completing his fifth year as principal of our school. Before coming to West Point, Mr. Humphreys had taught in North Carolina a n d Virginia public schools and had served as prin- cipal of Dar- lington Heights and Green Bay H i g h Schools. A native of Augusta Coun- l ty, Mr. Hum- phreys grad- u a t e d f r o m Bridgewater College. He has had graduate work at Cornell University and holds a Master's degree from the University of Virginia. He is now working to- ward the completion of his doc- torate in the Iield of Education. Mr. Humphreys holds member- ship in Phi Delta Kappa, N. E. A. Department of Audio-Visual Instructors and Department of Secondary School Principals. lk lk 4' Miss MARY MowBRAY BRANCH teaches world history, American h i s t o r y, Government and French. Miss Branch is from Toano, Virginia, and received her Bachelor's degree from Hol- lins College. She has since studied at the French School of McGill University in Montreal, Canada: Teacher's College of Columbia University, and at the American University's Institute on World Affairs. Miss Branch is a member of the National Council for the Social Studies and the Archeological Society of Virginia. Ill 'll ll MR. C. C. BRIGGS is director of the West Point High School Band and instructor in band in- struments. Originally from Dav- enport, Iowa, Mr. Briggs receiv- ed his musical training in Dun- can's Professional Institute of Page 6 Top row, left to right: Branch, Briggs, Cluverins l Bottom row, left to right: Ferguson, Gaines, Geyer that city. He has taught band music in the College of William and Mary and in several Vir- ginia high schools. Mr. Briggs came to Virginia as manager of a lumber company in Ivor, Vir- ginia. He now makes his home in James City County Where he spends his time writing music and gardening. Pk Pk PI1 MRS. W. B. CLUVERIUS, JR., teaches Mathematics and Eng- lish, and coaches Dramatics. Mrs. Cluvcrius comes from near- by King and Queen County. She was educated at Westhampton College, the University of Vir- ginia and the University of North Carolina. Before coming to West Point, Mrs. Cluverius taught in the Schools of King and Queen and New Kent Coun- ties. 41 11' 211 MR. SAM FERGUSON came to West Point this session with the inauguration of the Agricultural department in our school. Mr. Ferguson was born in Newsoms, Virginia, and is now making his home in King and Queen Coun- ty. He was educated at V. P. I. and before coming to West Point taught in Pleasant Hill High School. all Pk Bk Miss ETH!-:L GAINES, commer- cial instructor, has classes in L l Typing, Shorthand and Book- keeping. She is a native of Madison, Virginia, and received her Bachelor's degree from Madison College. 114 ik wk MRS. MABEL G. GI-:Yen has served as the Eighth Grade teacher since this grade was added to the high school in the session 1945-1945. A native of Washington, D. C., Mrs. Geyer has lived in this section for a number of years and has served as principal of Port Richmond Elementary School and as teach- er in the West Point Elemen- tary School. Mrs. Geyer receiv- ed her Bachelor of Arts degree from Hollins College and has since done work at Mary Wash- ington, The University of Vir- ginia, College of William and Mary, and the University of North Carolina. Mrs. Geyer also teaches Latin and directs the Choral Club. Mrs. Geyer is a member of the National Music Educators Association. Sli fl! lk MR. RAY HAYNES, our Indus- trial Arts instructor, Boys' Physical Education director and athletic coach hails from Free- man, West Virginia. Mr. Haynes attended Concord College and fContinued on Page '72

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School Closes 43d Session West Point High School was established in 1906 and, there- fore, last evening closed its forty-third session. Up to 1903 the school had been an eight- grade grammar school, with a faculty of four teachers. The first principal of the high school was Mr. Thomas J. Harwell. The other members of this facul- ty, including elementary teach- ers, were Miss Katharine P. Howerton, Mrs. K. R. Richard- son, Miss Maude Bland, and Miss Lily Johnson. Since Mr. HarWell's administration there have been fourteen different principals. Miss Katharine P. Howerton, principal from 1918 to June 1939, served the longest term. Mr. Homer A. Hum- phreys, who is completing his Iifth year as principal, is the fifteenth principal of the school. The history of the school has been one of steady growth. In the early fall of 1924 the high school department moved from three rooms in the present ele- mentary school building to the present high school building. In June, 1948, the latter building was renamed the Howerton Building in honor of Miss Kath- arine P. Howerton, a teacher and principal of the West Point School for fifty-two years. Until 1913, only three years of high school work were offer- ed, and the members of the Class of 1914 were the Hrst to graduate with sixteen credits. Until 1934, the program of study offered by the school con- tained only academic subjects. That year, the commercial de- partment was established and in 1941, during the principalship of Mr. Joseph B. Van Pelt, home economics, fine arts, and indus- trial arts were added. In 1948, agriculture became a depart- ment of the school. Physical training was Hrst made a required activity for all pupils during the session 1923- 1924. Miss Frances Shipman, now Mrs. D. N. Sutton, and Miss Hilda Lawson, now Mrs. Charles McReynolds, were the first direc- WEST POINT HIGH SCHOOL-1916 tors of exercises in physical education. During the earlier years of the school, the only co-curricu- lar activities were a literary so- ciety and an athletic associa- tion. The program of club ac- tivities has within recent years expanded and grown in impor- tance. The school has had a guidance program since 1934. It is through the guidance program that each student may better find in the school program what he needs for his own fullest de- velopment. The standing of a school in the accrediting organizations to which it belongs is a matter of much interest and importance to the school and to the com- munity. Beginning with the year 1918, the school has been fully accredited by the Virginia State Board of Education, and beginning with the year 1924, it has been fully accredited by the Southern Association of Col- leges and Secondary Schools. Last evening the s c h o o l graduated twenty-three stu- dents. The forty-two members of the Class of 1939 made up the largest graduating class. There were only two students in the first class, the Class of 1908. The first graduates of the school were Fannie Clements, now Mrs. W. C. Gouldman, and Marian Lewis, now Mrs. R. B. Feild. At the present time plans are being considered to make West Point High School the central school for the surrounding coun- ties. CLUBS K Continued from Page 251 erson sang. Mrs. Cluverius, as- sisted by Mr. Kolcum, directed both plays. The BETA CLUB is a na- tional leadership-service organi- zation for high school students. It was organized at West Point in 1939 with twenty-one mem- bers. The Beta Club was or- ganized by Miss Katharine P. Howerton, who served as spon- sor until this session. The motto of the club is Dum:amus aliis serviendou C Let us lead by serving others l, and the colors are old gold and black. The 1948-49 Beta Club has twenty members, fourteen of whom were inducted i.n two as- sembly programs. Ten of the members attended the Beta Con- vention in Roanoke, where they took part in all of the activities. Miss Shipman is the present sponsorf OLDEST ORGANIZATION fContinued from Page 241 Literary Society studied debat- ing and the other, reading. Rep- resenting the school in the Vir- ginia Literary-Athletic League contests were: Barbara Guzik, William Hall, Jacqueline John- son and Sidney Newton in de- bating: Donald Dickerson and Barbara Dyson in public speak- ing: Jane Topping in reading, and Joan Czablewski in spelling. Page 5

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Faculty K Continued from Page 61 the West Virginia Institute of Technology. During World War II, Mr. Haynes served as a pilot in the United States Army Air Force. lk I It MR. JOHN KoLcUM teaches English, acts as guidance direc- tor, and assists in coaching ath- letics. Born in Milwaukee, Wis- consin, Mr. Kolcum had lived in several other States before com- ing to Virginia. He attended the College of William and Mary, the University of Richmond and Western Reserve University. Mr. Kolcum served as Ensign in the United States Navy during World War II. 1 1 ll Miss DOROTHY SHIPMAN is librarian of our school. Miss S h i p m a n was educated at Averett College and George Washington University. Before coming to West Point she had served as librarian at Averett College and in the library at the College of William and Mary. Miss Shipman is a member of the American Library Associa- tion. il Ill l Miss JANE STAPLES instructs in Home Economics and directs Girls' Physical Education. Miss Staples is from Harrisonburg and is a graduate of Madison College. Miss Staples is a mem- ber of the American and Vir- ginia Home Economics Associa- tions. i 1 U Miss MARGARET THOMPSON, of Charlottesville, teaches General Science, Biology and Chemistry. Miss Thompson was a student at Westhampton College and later at the University of Virginia from which she received her Bachelor's degree in 1948. l I ll MR. E. M. WARE instructs vet- in agricultural subjects. in Washington, D. C., Mr. had lived in several Vir- towns before coming to Point. Mr. Ware received crans Born Ware ginia West his B. S. degree from V. P. I. and has since studied at the Uni- versity of Maryland. He was Top row, left to right: Haynes, Kolcum, Shiprrwm Bottom row, left to right: Staples, Thompson, Ware formerly employed as a market- ing research analyst for the U. S. Department of Agriculture. During World War II he served as a First Lieutenant in the Marine Corps. O ll U MR. W. E. GARBER has been Superintendent of the Schools of West Point and King William County since 1923. Recently he has been appointed Superinten- dent of the new , - Division of King i and Queen and King William Counties. Mr. Garber was born in King William County and received his early education in the county public schools. He has a B. S. degree from the College of Wil- - liam and Mary and a Master's degree from the University of Virginia. He has also done graduate work at Peabody Col- lege in Nashville, Tennessee. Before becoming Superintendent of King William County Schools, Mr. Garber was principal of high schools in King William County for two years and prin- cipal of Driver High School in Nansemond County for a like period. School History Several private schools were established in the,town of West Point in the second half of the last century. According to Mrs. Mary New Lipscomb in Recollections of Early West Point, Mrs. Lainia Couch taught possibly the earliest of these schools. For a number of years, begin- ning in 1886, Mr. and Mrs. W. R. Broaddus, formerly of Caro- line County, conducted private schools in West Point. The Broadduses held school at vari- ous times in several different buildings-in the house on Main Street, between Eleventh and Twelfth, now occupied by Mr. Wm. Hudson, in Ware Cottage on Eleventh Streetg in the large house no longer standing at the corner of Fourteenth and Lee: in the Owen house on the corner of Main and Second, and in the Terminal Hotel, which stood on First Street between Main and Lee. The Broadduses first had a girls' school, then a boys' mili- tary school, and again a girls' school known as the West Point Female Seminary. In the early twentieth century, the Broaddus family sold the school to a Mr. Bethel, who operated it for a short time for both boys and girls, first on the Hill and later at Ware Cottage. Page 7