The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-05-30
Ninety-Nine High School Stu
dents Receive Diplomas.
Large and Enthusiastic Audi
ence Greets the Glass.
MORE GIRLS THAN BOYS
Sixty-Three Young Women and
Thirty.Six Young Men. .
Miss Faye Pohlman DULY Member
of Class on the Programme.

OF Class on the Programme.
The June class of 1908 Of the Topeka
high school was graduated last night
at the auditorium with app opriate ex-
ercises The class which consisted of
SO girls and Sc boys, making a total
membership of SO, is the largest which
has ever been graduated from the
school. As is the history Of nearly all
public school exercises the girls in the
graduating class outnumbered the
boys, and in this instance almost two
to one.
The place Of honor in the class was
awarded to Mary Amelia Grant for
the greatest number of high grades
attained during the course, second and
third places falling to girl members of
the class, Miss Catharine Marie Van
derpool and Miss Helen Tillotson, in
the order named. The audience was an
unusually large one even for an oc-
casion of this kind and between $500
and 1000 friends and relatives of the
members Of the class witnessed the
their school days and started them on
their journey through life supplied
with a liberal education.
The major portion of the audience
which faced the graduates was made
up of bright and youthful faces but
here and there scattered about in the
aggregation appeared the whitened
locks of the grandparents or perhaps
great grandparents who had gathered
to show their appreciation of the ef-
forts of their illustrious offsprings.
The audience as well as the members
of the graduating class presented an
pleasing appearance, the effect
hot nv ia
The girls of the senior class of next
year entered the auditorium from ante
rooms on each side Of the entrance to
the building to music on the pipe or
gan, carrying chains of daisies and
marched to the center aisle. Here they
the graduating class who marched with
stately tread between the two lines of
pretty girls to their places on the
stage. The sub-seniors followed to the
foot of the stage where the ropes or
daisies were strung about the stage
colors.
But little attempt had been made to
decorate the auditorium for the
occasion, the class colors being dis
played in two banners reaching across
the front of the organ pipes while
bunting of the same colors, torquoise
blue and white draped the foOtlights
on the stage. Each electric bulb which
on usual occasions furnishes the stage
footlights was turned into a bouquet
Of daisies, the class flower.
Back of it all, piled on a chair
on the stage like so many catalogues,
were the diplomas which were after
wards distributed to the members of
the class by Judge T. E. Carver.
president of the board of education.
The girls of the class wore white
dresses while the boys wore white
trousers and black coats on which
were pinned boutonieres consisting of
a single daisy, the class flower.
The appearance of the sub seniors
who formed on either side of the aisle
through which the graduating class
passed was a signal for applause from
the hundreds of school companions
who had gathered to bid them good
bye from their. school days. Follow
ing the triumphal march from "Naa-
man" on the pipe organ by Profess
sor C. A. Ellenberger the Topeka
High school glee club rendered the
commencement song which was
heartily encored.
The invocation was pronounced by
Rev. R. w. Estep, whose daughter
was a member of the graduating class.
L. D. Whittemore, superintendent of
the city schools, who introduced the
speaker of the evening DIR. Albert
Bushnell, took the occasion to make
a short review of the growth of To-
peka and the city schools during the
past ten years.
Growth of High School.
Tonight finishes my tenth school
year in Topeka" said Mr.. Whittemore
''fn the capacity of superintendent,
and for the twentieth time have seen
classes leave the High school for their
journey through life. On one occasion
of this kind cannot help thinking of
the old dauc xUhan T ir, I, ;c
city and of the different conditions
which now prevail. This class to-
night recalls to my mind a similar
one ten years ago, that was when we
were all younger than we are tonight.
The class was smaller then, much
smaller. At that time the High school
boosted OF an enrolment of five hun
dred and about the same number OF
graduates.
During the past ten years the en-
| rollment has grown until at this time
| it is approximately 1000 considerable
more than double the number then at
tending the high school and our gradu-
| ates also number approximately 1000
| During the ten years that have been
| superintendent Of the high school ]
have seen the pride of Topeka march
down the long aisle and to the front OF
the stage to receive their diplomas
The rolls Of parchment are indications
| that the students have filed the re-
quirements of the school course. blu,
| we must not forget that the real work
that has been accomplished by pupi
and teacher alike is not visible to the
/ eye. The future of the graduates to.
night as they go out into the variou.
walks of life will tell how thorough thu
work of pupil and teacher has been.
The growth of the graduating class
during the past ten years is an indi
cation of the growth of our city dur
ing that period and the increased en-
rollment at the high school lends SUD
port to these figures. The BOYS an,