William Chrisman High School - Gleam Yearbook (Independence, MO)

Page 18 text:

,lf A scene of busy activity is Mr. I. N. Hanthorn's office. He is the assistant super- intendent of schools now. Chrismanites who are seniors remember him when he was the principal of William Chrisman High School. During the seventeen years that Mr. Han- thorn was principal, Chrisman grew from an enrollment of six hundred to fourteen hun- dred. Many new courses such as R. O. T. C., commercial law, shop, and speech were added. Student government was instituted, and the student handbook was sponsored by Mr. Hanthorn. Mr. Hanthorn now performs the duties of assistant superintendent as faithfully and well as he did his work as principal of Chrisman. As assistant superintendent he renders many valuable services not only for the school system, but for the community as well. One of the duties on the list is the keeping of permanent records of every child, from the age of a few months to the age of twenty, who lives in the Independence school district. This includes the name of the child, the date of his birth, and his age at the time of enumeration. lt is important to keep an efficient record of these facts. Mr. Hanthorn also has charge of the N. Y. A. At his desk work for this district. When Mr. Matthews is absent, Mr. Hanthorn performs the duties of superintendent. Another important func- tion of this office is the granting of work permits for anyone under twenty years of age who works after school or on Saturdays. Many people need certificates of birth when they apply for work. The office of the as- sistant superintendent looks up the birth date of the individual's school card and makes a certification of birth. Mr. Hanthorn also has assisted with the issuing of ration- ing books: number two and gasoline. Mr. Hanthorn has compiled a detailed super- intendent's report on the Independence School System, which includes its finances, teachers, schools, and number of pupils in each school with other useful information. In addition to all these duties, Mr. Han- thorn conducts a class in phychology for student nurses from the Sanitarium. Mr. Hanthorn has spent many years in service for the community. - ln l936, Mr. Hanthorn was elected President of the Central Missouri District Teachers' Association. He was also presi- dent of Secondary School Administrators of the State of Missouri. He has studied at the State Teachers' College at Warrensburg, and the University of Missouri, he received his Master's Degree from Columbia Uni- versity, in New York City. Mr. l. N. Hanthorn, Assistant Superintendent '

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A lucky day dawned for the Indepen- dence School System when tate helped the Board of Education select Mr. Matthews as Superintendent of,-Schools. His own pro- gressive ideas, 'and his close touch with the Missouri State Department of Education has been of untold value to this system. His keen understanding of youth, his willingness to help with wise council and Mr. Matthews- Mrs. Kearnes, Secy. advice, the firmness of his character and personality are ever an inspiration to all who come in contact with him. His sincere interest in the student establishes a bond that few administrators know. In the present national emergency Mr. Matthews is not satisfied for us to sit on the bank and watch the stream flow by. He urges us to get in the middle of the stream and help guide the current. The banks on either side of us, one called Yes- terday and the other Tomorrow, force us to prepare to act today. Mr. Matthews is the power behind us urging us to meet the chal- lenge of changing times and give our best to our country in her time of need. Then Mr. Matthews reminds us that after the struggle is ended, there comes the period of reconstructionn in which we must be pre- pared to play a part. In addition to training our minds to meet this crisis, Mr. Matthews has maintained the teaching of the finest of the fine arts-the art of living. His deep courage has been shown in his leadership. He has also shown us by his own life that not until we can master ourselves can we hope to live successfully in these bewilder- ing times. We salute our friend, Mr. W. E. Mat- thews. Mrs. Mildred Kearnes, Mr. Matthews' assistant, is ideally fitted for her position. She has a B. S. Degree in Education from the State Teachers' Normal in Pittsburg, Kansas, with special secretarial training. She has shown ability to make friends easily. Mr. W. E. Matthews, Superintendent

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Mr. Carl D. Gum, Principal Every organization must have ct leader. Our leader is the principal of this school, Mr. Carl Gum. His office is our headquar- ters. The work of the school and the or- ganizations in the school are centered around Mr. Gum and his office. Mr. Gum is well qualified for the mo- mentous task as principal of William Chris- man High School. He received a B. S. de- gree at Cape Girardeau Teachers' College where, after graduating, he was an in- structor in education for two summers. At the University of Missouri he was awarded an A. M. degree. ln advance of these de- grees, he did graduate work at the Uni- versity of Missouri and at the Teachers College of Columbia University in New York. 1 Mr. Gum's Office Mrs. De Shazo and Dorothy Gillum, Secretaries He taught science and mathematics, and coached football and basketball in high school for five years. He was principal of two high schools before coming here from Nevada, Missouri. ' Mr. Gum has introduced many new ideas and methods in aiding the school, the faculty, and the students. One can get ad- vice and friendly cooperation by going to Mr. Crum. ln March, l943, Mr. Gum attended the forty-eighth Annual Meeting of the North Central Association in Chicago. This year, he is a member of the state committee of the North Central Association, which consists of more thian three hundred colleges and more than three thousand high schools from twenty North Central States. Chrisman is a member of this Association. Mr. Gum handles all the government blanks that come in from the army and various defense plants asking for references. ln this work of writing recommendations he is ably assisted by Mrs. DeShazo. The principal's office is one of the busiest places in William Chrisman High School. It is an information bureau for stu- dents and teachers alike and often functions as an employment agency. The office takes care of the absentees, the telephone calls, personal letters, the daily bulletins, and most of the minor and major jobs necessary in running the school. The new office stenog- rapher, Miss Virginia Harris, is an efficient help in these tasks. Mr. Gum takes an active interest in the student council, helping it in many ways. He was heartily in favor of buying the jeeps through the students' purchase of bonds and stamps.