Westport High School - Herald Yearbook (Kansas City, MO)

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Explanation of Hrt Theme Students of Westport High: You will see us on these pages as we have been represented by man for many ages. To you we may be just statues, but we once lived and loved as you do today. We lived more for the beauty of Art, Music and Literature and less for Commerce and Business. The reverse is true in your modern World. Many weird tales have been formulated about us and the origin of Earth. We were gifted With God-given abilities that the people of today never believed true. but we know different. We lived in castles in the sky, we guided Man on Earth, we traveled over Heaven, Earth and the Lower Regions. To some of you we are ideals, to others we are merely molds of clay which are eternally in the way, something to be cursed. But we are striving here to show you that we lived, had the same trials. the same joys as you today. You might find it interesting to read about us. We are glad to have met you. The Gods of Greece Jupiter fSupreme Deityl 5 Six artists were chosen for the Art Staff this year: Phyllis Reinke, Art Editor: Henry Sivewrightg Yvonne Bailey, Manuel Morris, Harriet Jones, and Mack Claggett. The cover contest was won by Harriet Jones, who also did the Faculty and Tiger Tales section pages. Mack Claggett did the R. O. T. C. section page, the novelty basket-ball page, and other decorations. Henry Sivewright made the Olym- pics, and Clubs section pages. Yvonne Bailey designed the Arts and Music section page. Manuel Morris had charge of printing, EX Libris and the sub-section of Olympics. Phyllis Reinke designed the Galaxy and Activities section pages, the front piece, Herald Staff and Art Staff pages, borders and did general set-up work. The Art Staff enjoyed their work and hope you will find enjoyment in it also. We Wish to thank Miss Willhite for her help and co-operation. Phyllis Reinke, Art Editor. l4l

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Early History ot Westport High School GX? As early as 1852, the Reverend Nathan Scarritt, C. C. Huffaker, and a Mr. Reese organized and conducted the first West- port High School. The institution was located at the northwest corner of Fortieth and Washington Streets, and was under the auspices of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Not only were the ordinary branches taught but young men and young women were prepared for college. At the time of the Civil War, Westport High School went out of existence and it was not until 1885 that the first Wlestport High School under the State Law and the second in point of fact, was established at what was known as the Main School. now the Allen School. There were but ten pupils and Theodore Lemmon was the principal. ln 1887 a tract of land at the corner of Thirty-ninth Street and Warwick Boule- vard was purchased, and on this tract the old part of what was Westport High School was constructed. On August 9, 1890, William B. Knight, a civil engineer and surveyor, surveyed this land for the purpose of erecting a new high school building. L. G. Mid- daugh was the architect chosen and George M. London was the contractor. This new building was completed in 1891. lt contained five rooms, two large ones and three smaller ones, one of which was not finished until the following March when the increased enrollment necessitated its completion. lt was late in December, 1891 that the new school opened, and it was in January, 1892 that the high school was organized as a separate institution. Mr. W. T. Longshore, who had been chosen superintendent of the Westport Schools in 1890-1891, became the princi- Ermzi. GRAHANT pal of the high school in the new build- ing at the corner of Thirty-ninth Street and Warwick Boulevard. There was but one other teacher, Miss Sarah Steele. The following term Miss Steele became the principal with Miss Laura Whipple and Miss Sophia Watson as the teachers. In September, 1893 Mr. John R. Kirk was chosen principal and Miss Steele, Miss Whipple, and Miss Watson were re- tained as teachers. As Mr. Kirk resigned in 189-1 to accept the office of State Superintendent of the Missouri Schools, Mr. S. A. Underwood was appointed to succeed him and when, in 1899, the Westport School District was annexed to that of Kansas City, Missouri. Mr. Underwood was retained as principal of the high school and acted in that capacity until his death in 1912. ln 1913, Mr. 1. L. Shouse. the vice- principal, was chosen principal and was retained until April, 1929 when he re- signed to become assistant-superintendent. Mr. J. H. Beckman, the vice-principal, succeeded Mr. Shouse but on account of ill health was compelled to resign and our present principal, Mr. D. H. Hollo- way, was appointed to begin his duties in September, 1929. When Westport was annexed to Kan- sas City, there was some talk of changing the name of the high school to that of the Hyde Park High School but at the pro- test of some of the old settlers of Westport and particularly that of the Honorable Gardiner Lathrop, the historic name of Westport High School was preserved. Extracts from a mastefs thesis, HThe History of Westport High Schoolfi in preparation for the University of Michi- gan. -Ethel Graham.

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FOREWORD GX! CME ot our memories ore qrotven deep upon rocky cliffs, others, unhorppily, ctre etched upon the sotnds of the bectch ornd orre wcrshed crwdy by the shitting tides ot the yecfrs. The tedcher who opened up CI new otpprecicrtion ot thcrt course you hdd to totke-what wcts his ndme? Thdt contest which kept you on pins otnd needles tor ddys-who Won it? Thctt girl who worked so totithtully tor Your club-who Wds she? Who Will dnswer those questions in yedrs to come when Westporters meet together ond live dqdin the events ot todcty? Mdy the muse ot history, who hos preserved tor us the deeds ot those Gods ot Greece cmd Rome Whose imdqes ctdorn these pdqes, look no less kindly upon our dccomplishments tenderly recorded in this volume. E51