Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1916-04-19

o'on1 VI IA0 oSuOO4 udU 1tS Oe5lQulu&
about this time. The high school
boys had been engaging in athletics
for two or three years arousing much
more enthusiasm for base ball than
football. On May "a, 1899 Litchfield
and Willmar played an exciting gamo
OF base ball at the old Fair Grounds,
west of the city. An unusually largo
number of rooters came up from Ltch-
| field and were royalty entertained by
the towns people as we'll as by ths
high school faculty and students.
The class Of 1907 put on the first
class play, but the class of 1901 was
the first to present the school with a
class memorial
There is no event in the school
year which has endeared itself more
to the high school students than the
simple class day exercises held on the
closing day of school At no other
time do the members of all four class
es, the teachers and the school board
seem to come in such close touch
with each other. The class of 1905
originated this delightful custom.
Progress Of School.
One may judge of the growth and
progress of this high school by the
additions made to the course of stud,.
the requirements for graduation, the
amount of room required for school
purposes and the increase in the
teaching force. About fifteen years
after the founding of the high school,
botany and German were added to-
the original course of study. Music
and drawing became an important part
of the school work, when Mrs. Blanche
Hand (Mrs. Jewett) was made the
instructor in these subjects. Those
pupils who had the privilege of study
ing music under her direction will
never forget the pleasure and insp1r-
alton which they received from her
excellent instruction. When the na-
cessity for industrial education was
felt throughout the country, the high
school was ready to do what it could
to meet the need. Manual training
added to the course in 1908; domestic
science and art, and a normal train
ing department, in 1909; agriculture,
in 1911 have made this school one ct
the progressive schools of the state.
However to maintain this rank there
are some necessary subjects which
| cannot be offered on account of lack
of room.
The aim of the school authorities
has always been to raise the standard
OF scholarship and increase the eff
cheney of each department. In order
to do this the requirements for grad
uation have been changed from time
to time. At first the graduation of a
pupil depended upon the number of
state certificates he received. The
pupil holding the greatest number OF
certificates seemed to have the high
est rank in his class. Later the re-
quirement was twelve state certih.
Gates and a class average of sixty
five percent in sixteen high school
subjects. Now the requirement is
class average Of seventy-ive per cent
in sixteen high school subjects, four
of which are English and two mathe-
mates.
! The growth and extension of the
high school system is also shown by
the number and size of the buildings
erected Several years before the
present high school building was con.
structed, the need for more room was
pressing. In 1898, the Methodist
church and the old Presbyterian
church building were used for grade
rooms, SO that the high school could
have more room in the Central build.
ing. Even then one very small room
served as Office, library and recita-
ton room- It was impossible to tell
from year to year where the labor
atory would be found. Sometimes it
was on the third floor; sometimes In
the basement; at other times in a
small room on the second floor. In
fact it was. located wherever the 9th
er departments crowded it. The pres
emit high school building erected in
1906 was thought to be large enough
for all time. Nevertheless, the high
school has outgrown this building AZ
well as the industrial building erected
in 1910 In 1898 the high school en-
rollment was sixty-four. From that
year the growth has been steady, moro
than keeping pace with the growth
Of the city. Looking back at the past
history Of the school, Willmar may
justly feel that at all times she has
had q high school of which any city
Of her size might well be- proud.
ss.a- =.