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Page 10 text:
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THE HISTORY of the WESTMONT-UPPER YODER HIGH SCHOOL The Westmont-L pper Yoder High School, one of the finest educational build- ings of its size in the state, has had a very interesting history. Before the year 1916 boys and girls living in Westmont attended the Johnstown High School. But in 1916 the Johnstown City School Board notified the Westmont Borough School District that the great number of students in the school made it impossible to provide for any more students from the Hilltop district. As a result, our Borough School Board consulted Dr. M. S. Bentz, Superintendent of the Cambria County Schools, who thought it advisable for the Westmont Borough to unite with the Upper-Yoder District in constructing a high school that would meet their students’ needs. According to the minutes of the Westmont-Upper Yoder School Board, April 30, 1917, recorded by Mr. Francis B. Hamilton, acting secretary for the board, the joint board proceeded to organize. Mr. Stackhouse was unanimously elected as president, Mr. Joseph Shreve as secretary, and Mr. Ephraim Hershberger was chosen treasurer. At the next meeting the joint board selected Mr. Walter R. Myton, as architect, to prepare the plans and specifications for a new high school building. The following Building Committee was annointed at this meeting: Mr. Stackhouse, Mr. Myton, and Mr. Cooper. The board then decided to erect a building consisting of eighteen rooms, a library, which was also to be used as an auditorium, and a model home-making department in the basement to conform with the requirements of the County Board of Education for Vocational High Schools. After various sites for
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Page 11 text:
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PHOENICIAN the location of the building were considered, it was finally decided to purchase, from the Midvale Steel Company, eight lots of the ground facing on 10th Avenue. I he actual construction began in 1917 during which time regular high school classes were carried on in the Stutzman school building in Upper-Yoder Township, under the competent leadership of Miss Matilda Krebs. In addition to being principal of the school, Miss Krebs taught science and algebra. Miss Elizabeth Blair was chosen as English teacher and in addition, taught Latin and history. Miss Bertha Scharmann was teacher of domestic science, and Mr. John Northwood taught mech- anical drawing. In the second year of the history of the high school, the Commercial Department was organized under the direction of Mr. Carl A. Engh. The high school was conducted for two full terms at the Stutzman building before being moved to the new building, which was not finished until 1919, the construction being halted during 1917 when the United States entered the World War. The government had ordered all construction work to be discontinued until a permit from the Govern- ment had been secured. The school building was finally completed in the latter part of 1919. The first class to graduate from this new building was the class of 1921 consisting of twenty-two members. As early as 1919 the board realized that in the near future the building would be inadequate to house the students of the two districts. In the year 1924, therefore, the board purchased all the additional ground between 9th and 10th Avenues, with the thought in mind that this additional land would also furnish sufficient room for an athletic field in the future. Mr. J. E. Adams drew plans for the new addition to the high school, which consisted of eight new class rooms, a cafeteria, an audi- torium with a seating capacity of one thousand people, and a gymnasium above the auditorium with the necessary facilities of shower and locker rooms for both girls and boys. The next responsibility to come before the board was the providing of a suitable athletic field, the ground for which, it was discovered, was inadequate. The Board took action and purchased additional ground from the Bethlehem Steel Com- pany. In 1930 the board obtained a lease for five years with an option to buy at the end of that time. Other plans for the development of an athletic field then were made, and the construction began in the latter part of the year 1930. The value of the property has increased from year to year, until at the present time the high school, including all real estate holdings, buildings, and equipment, represents an investment of approximately $350,000. The organization of this splendid institution required a great deal of effort on the part of the people who took part in it. To that first school board and its successors is due sincere gratitude for their unstinted giving of time and effort in order to bring about the success of the Westmont-Upper Yoder High School.
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