Western Technical College - Latech Yearbook (La Crosse, WI)

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attended Minneapolis Business College, was married in 1938, but then lost her job because teacher priority, as others in the Great Depression, was given to husbands of teaching wives. in 1944 Mrs. Bethurem began teaching business courses at Westby High School, heralma mater. lnthesummerof1955,she recieved her life business. education certificate from UW-Whitewater. She began her employment at the La Crosse Vocational School in 1955 and was among the faculty members responsible for the start of the La Tech annual yearbook in 1965 and was its first advisor. Mrs. Bethurem received additional graduate credits for courses completed at UW-Stout. . Her applied working experience was in the offices of a local retailer and at an Ely, Minnesota resort. Formerly secretary of the La Crosse Education Association, she also has been treasurer of the American Lutheran Church Women, assisted the City Health Department screening clinic and helped with mobile meals delivery. The mother of one daughter, Mrs. Bethurem does a great deal of handiwork, gardening and can- ning. Her years of successful student placement is reflected in the praise of at least onetormer st udent who liked the way she required him to knuckle down to his studies, which he credits with making him successful in his present career. Facing page, Top: Gladys Bethurem-Busi- ness Education Instructor i1955-1972i. Bottom: Erwin Schreiber-Trade and industrial Coordinator i1922-1962L This page: Harold Hawkins-General Metals 8t Welding Instructor t1928-1970i ERWIN L. SCHREIBER, TRADES AND INDUSTRY COORDINATOR 0922 - 196m Erwin L. tErvt Schreiber, a La Crosse native who practically grew up with early La Crosse Vocational School, was a month into his first cabinet - making teaching job in 1922 when fire.consumed the former FirstWard School which housedthe old La Crosse Continuation School. His classes continued at Washburn and Hogan schools. Schreiber, born July 9, 1899, retired in 1962 as Trade and Industrial Coordinator and Evening School Supervisor, climaxing over 40 years' work here. When he as spotted, and later hired, by DirectorJohn Coleman, Schreiber was demonstrating a wood technique. He was atso working at the time at the Hackner Altar Company in La Crosse. Schreiber married his firstwife in 1922. The lacked four high school credits and spent busy times, including summer sessions at Stout Institute. to earn his high school diploma in 1926. Summer cabinet work at Segelke - Kohlhaus Com- pany further rounded out his skills. Twenty summer sessions at Stout, plus credits at Colorado State University, resulted in his earning his Bachelor of Science degree from Stout in 1936. Before retiring, he received the equivalent of a Master's degree. When the new school was designed for 1924 completion, Schreiber helped in planning the school's new buildings and additions,as hedidin1929,1939and1961. Offered school directorships elsewhere, Schreiber preferred the old home town and stayed in La Crosse his entire career. From 1940 into 1942, he supervised National Defense War Industries classes and in 1943 was appointed half - time Trades and Industry Coordinator, receiv- ing full - time appointment in 1954. Neartheend ofWorId War I in 1918, hewas a member of La Crosse Normal School's student army training corps, the basis for his eventual 47 years in American Legion Post 52. An expert rifle shot, he was secretary - treasurer of the Legion's Rifle Club for many years. He was baptized in First Lutheran Church and has been a lifetime member. His German ethnic background. language - wise, has aided in six trips to Europe in- cluding Germany, one of 47 countries covering 190,000 miles .visited by Schreiber and his second wife, Elinor. TheyliyeinthehomeSchreiberpersonally built, with assistance, in.1937. Schreiber and his first wife, Leona, who died in 1950, were parents ofa daughterwho is married. Hisfirstwife and present wife were sisters. HAROLD H. HAWKINS, GENERAL METALS AND WELDING INSTURCTOR t1928-197ot Harold tHollyt Hawkins, for 42 years instructor in general metals and machine shop, came to La Crosse Vocational School .1928 when varieties of industrial metals were fewand autossimple.Born on a farm October 7, 1901, at Wells, Minnesota, Hawkins worked early around equipment and heavy machinery. He was attracted to Stout Institute by influence of a high schoolteacher, and, atage 26, got a late start toward his vocational special certificate. At the La Crosse Vocational School, his first assignment was to teach Auto Mechanics and Machine Shop to boys studying part-time..WelI-rounded in prac- tical work, from boiler repair to auto service to carpentry, Hawkins' teaching loan ran to 33 compulsory students. A glass partition often joined shop and clas- sroom, providing ready class supervision and discipline. He was certified with the state Senior A Instructor CIassficiation

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in 1934 from Stout in home economics, education and related subjects, and in 1939, she received her Master's degree from Stout. Certified to teach by Stout in 1915, she taught half - days each at Hamilton and Lincoln schools in La Crosse from 1915 to 1916. From 1916 to 1920, she taught at heralma mater, Tomah High School. She married Reinhold Schultz, a federal employee in 1920. She was a substitute teacher at La Crosse Cen- tral and Logan high schools, and the La Crosse Vocational School from 1922 to 1930. After her first two years at LaCrosse Vocational, she headed the school's youth and adult home economics program, in- cluding teaching. She alsotaught history, English and mathematics. During World War ii she taught nutrition and health classes to Red Cross volunteer workers. For one year Mrs. Schultz was faculty representative and state vice - president of the Wisconsin Vocational, Technical and Adult Education Assocition. In 1932 she helped form the homemakers' club at the school, a group that continues today. Mrs. Schultz recalls with fondness her coach- ing otnursing candidates preparing for state board tests at St. Francis Hospital School of Nursing in La Crosse. Her husband died in 1955 and an only son lives in South Bend, Indiana nursing home. Despite failing eyesight in recent years, Mrs. Schultz lived alone and en- joyed activities with the La Crosse Homemakers, including taking bus trips. She well recalls how popular home economics was in evening school and how veterans of World War II were eager students, learning hotel and restaurant management. Her W.W.T.I. 'fTrail Blazer award, the fourth awarded, was for Forg- ing New Paths in her field of vocational education. This included being a stickler for her own well - balanced diet, which she strongly promoted in class for others to consider, was far ahead of its time in relation to modern nutritional findings. GLADYS BETHUREM, BUSINESS EDUCATION INSTRUCTOR 11955-19721 Glayds S. Bethurem, business education instructor for 17 years at W.W.T.I. retired in 1972. She had planned to prepareforof- fice work until she was convinced to become an instructor in secretarial science and office procedure. She was born April 11, 1906 to Gilbert and Sophie Olson on a Westby. Wisconsin area farm. She graduated from St. Olaf College, Northfield, Minnesota, in 1927, with a social studies major and a mathematics minor. She taught in high schools in Clear Lake, Wisconsin, and Cottonwood, Minnesota, then was urged to attend La Crosse Vocational School one year. She taught business courses two years at St. Francis, Minnesota, High School,

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in MachineShop,GeneralMetals,Welding and Sheet Metal, teaching day and night classes. He also i nstructed classes in three local industries. He coached school basketball squads and supervised intramurals. In 1938, he received his BachelorofScience degree in industrial education from Stout. Hawkins was president of the La Crosse Education Association; a charter mem ber of the La Crosse Teachers Credit Union; a member of the Wisconsin Education As- sociation Constitution Revision Com- mittee; Trustee and Deacon of the First Congregational Church; and in 1971, was recognized among the Outstanding Educators of America. He and .Mrs. Hawkins havea married son. Mrs. Hawkins also taught for many years at the La Crosse Vocational School on both a part- time and fuII-tir..e basis. Hawkins spends part of his time.in retirement on his stamp collection, as well as adding to his look and key research exhibiit. MRS. AILEEN PINKER, DIRECTORS SECRETARY 11916-1963 Aileen Pinker, the fourth staff member hired for La Crosse Continuation School in 1916, Just watched the thing grow through her 49 years' employment at the pioneer school which came to be Western Wisconsin Technical Institute. Mrs.Pinker was born November 8, 1897 in Viroqua, Wisconsin.She wasa19159raduate ofthe one-year business course at Keefe Business College in La Crosse. What started out as t wo weeks of tem- porary employment at $5 a week at the Continuation School turned into a career that included marriage in 1939 to Martin Pinker, a La Crosse merchant, who died in late 1977.They met a .school curriculum conference. Her first work,as always at the school, was secretary to Iong-time Director John B. Coleman. This job expanded into registering students, keeping attendance records, placing graduates from the school's College of Commerce, handling invoices and payrolls, issing work permits, giving state civil service examinations, and working with the day school plus two nights weekly in the evening school. A woman of striking features, especiallyin herearlieryears when she was welI-known as Miss Henry, many considered her the eyes and ears of the school. In addition to being secretary to Coleman for 47 years, starting just two weeks after Coleman first began his work here, she also served as secretary to Director Arthur F Jordan for two years before deciding to retire in 1965. Mrs. Pinker was the chairman of the ChristmasSeal Fund Drivefor many years. She was cited for Heart Fund work. She