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

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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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..- 4, I ,ha lj : -' 5 ' - li if f 'A ,gf5, 5,,,,,.49.k,g5. L I I ,ll 1 - A f1as'1:4ifi2H .-1 15:12, 14-4.- West Point, Virginia, June 11, 1949 Today, Yesterday Are Featured In The Point THE POINT, published by the students of the West Point High School, pictures in the present volume high school life today and yesterday. The 1949 POINT is the twen- tieth publication Of that name. The first annual was THE SKEETER, published for the one year, 1916. Richard Bullard was editor-in-chief and Irene Mc- George, business manager. In 1929 the publication of an an- nual was resumed under a name inherited from the first school paper, THE POINT. The editor- in-chief of the first POINT was Percy Fox, the business man- ager, Maurice Cleasbyg and the faculty adviser, Miss Wilhelmina Wright. Fnom 1929 to 1932 THE POINT was published as a print- ed annual and during that period twice won first place among Class C school annuals in the contests sponsored by the Vir- ginia High School Literary- Athletic League. Because of financial difficulties in the De- pression years, THE POINT was Seated: Putnam, Humphreys, Evans, Ashley, Highland Standing: B. Johnson, Riddle, J. Johnson, Howell, Hall a hand-made scrapbook for the senior class. In 1941 THE POINT'S publication as a school project was resumed in some- what its present form. The 1949 volume of THE POINT represents an effort of the Stai to present in news- paper style a picture of our high school life today and yesterday. In after years if headlines, well- loved faces, pleasant scenes, and accounts of happy activities help to recall high school mem- ories and ideals, we have fulfill- SKEETER STAFF-1916 Page I, ed our purpose. The staff wishes to acknowl- edge the help afforded by par- ents, friends, and the local news- paper, our publisher, in making possible this portrayal of our school life. Editor-in-chief MARGARET EVANS Business Manager JACQUELINE JOHNSON Associate Editors MARGARET ASHLEY ANNE HUMPHREYS Art Editors KATHRYN PUTNAM BURKE JOHNSON JAMES RIDDLE Business Assistants WILLIAM HALL MARY LANGHORNE HOWELL Typist JOYCE HIGHLAND Advisers MISS BRANCH MR. HUMPHREYS

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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