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HIGH LIFE
From the Gate City of the South and the Birthplace of O. Henry
See
“Clubs or Spades”
editorial page two!
VOLUME XXVI
SENIOR fflOH SCHOOL, GREENSBORO, N. C„ JANUARY 30, 1950
NUMBER »
Half-Century of Progress Is Shown
Superintendent Gives Outline of Education at Greensboro
THE OTHER SIDE OF THE DESK
By BEN L. SMITH
Superintendent of City Schools
Although the Greensboro Graded School was the first such
school in the State of North Carolina (1870) and included some
high school work, it was so recent that a member (Dr. Henry
Louis Smith) of the first class (1877) is still living among us.
It was located on Lindsay Street.
The one-room brick building which
was taken over by the city was,
under contract with Seymour Stelle
and C. N. McAdoo, enlarged into a
two-story, flve-room building with a
chapel.
The first faculty was as follows:
Jesse R. Wharton, Principal, and
Misses Sallie Brent, Priscilla Macon
and Annie Litchford, teachers. The
enrollment was nearly 200. There
were eight grades and the term was
eight months.
In 1875 the city charter was re
vised to make more adequate pro
vision for the school. The following
year the election wasi held and the
act ratified with only eight votes
cast in opposition,
In 1876, Percy Street Graded
School for colored children was
opened.
Expansion of the Lindsay Street
School came in 1887. It was called
a “handsome brick building” with
modern school furniture and with a
seating capacity of 583.
With the extension of the city
limits to a two-mile square in 1891,
additional schools for w'hite and col
ored, respectively, were located south
of the Southern Railway,'thus giv
ing Greensboro four graded schools,
tw'o for each race.
Belleview School on McCulloch
Street became so crowded that
bond issue in the amount of $9,000
Orations Sponsored
By American Legion
The thirteenth annual National
High School Oratorical Contest,
sponsored by the Americanism Com
mission of the American 1,/egion,
wil be held in Senior High School
on February 15, it w^as announced
by Miss Mozelle Causey. Students
enrolled in high school during the
current year are eligible to compete.
The subject to be used in the
contest for 1950 must be on some
phase of the United States Consti
tution which will give emphasis to
the attendant duties and obligations
of a citizen to our government. The
contestant will prepare an original
oration along this line, and it must
not require less than ten nor more
than twelve minutes for delivery.
The contest will involve a second
part, which is to be the delivery of
an extemporaneous oration, not
consuming less than four nor more
than six minutes for delivery. The
purpose of the extemporaneous ora
tion is to test the speaker’s knowl
edge of the subject and the extent
of his research, and his ability to
extemporeaneously discuss the sul>-
ject as related to the basic princi
ples of the government under the
Constitution.
The subject for the extemiwrane-
ous feature will be made known to
each contestant approximately six
minutes before the time of delivery.
The subject will be on some phase
of the C-onstitution of the United
States. This will require each en
trant to be thoroughly familiar with
each Article and Amendment to the
Constitution in order to intelligently
present the oration.
After the local contest, the City-
County competition will be held on
February 20, wdth the winners from
the various local groups competing.
That winner will then go to the
state contest to be held in Raleigh.
Last year, Thomas Ginis ranked
as regional winner here and was
privileged to go to the state run-offs.
was authorized in 1893 for the erec
tion of the Asheboro Street Graded
School. State Superintendent Meb-
one said, “It is one of the handsom
est and best equipped public school
buildings in the state.” The seating
capacity of this school was 361.
The Warnersville School was built
in 1892 with a seating capacity of
144.
Lindsay Street School had out
grown its facilities. In 1899 the
Catholic Church building adjoining
was purchased for the higher grades,
and wi^ Samuel Smith as the flret
principal and George A. Grimsley
as the superintendent, was begun
the public high schools as a sepa
rate department.
Edgar D. Broadhurst succeeded
Smith as principal in 1900. He later
became superintendent (1902-04)
and still later as Board of Educa
tion member (1925-32) was leader
of a large school expansion program.
A school was oiiened in the Curry
building of the State Normal In
stitute in 1902 for children in the
western section of the city. It had
(Continued on Page Eight)
Blanche Smith Lists
Student Exemptions
Exemptions for examinations for
the first semester have been an
nounced by Mrs. Blanche Smith,
faculty adviser of honor roll. Fifty-
three students at G. H, S. are able
to exempt examinations.
Students who are gold-star wear
ers and who take five major sub
jects may exempt two subjects. Ann
Allred, Margaret Pearce, Emma
Belle Pickett, and Doris Hill may
exempt two subjects.
The following students who are
gold-star w'earers and wdio have
only four majors, or students who
are silver-star wearers may exempt
one subject. Students who may
exempt one subject are the fol
lowing :
Jerry Ann Moore, Betty Mitchell,
Elaine Leonard, Betty Jones, Geor-
All hail to thee, our Alma Mater strong. We’ll sing thy praise through
all our days, wdth this triumphant song. All hail to thee, and as the days
go by, we’ll pledge our faith and love and loyalty—Greensboro Senior High.
(Senior’s new alma mater by Herbert Hazelman.)
(Photo by Charles Mansfield, ^taff photographer.)
Interviews Tell Changes
As Senior Progresses
Many changes and improvements
have taken place at Senior during
the past few years. Not only changes
in the school system and in the
appearance of G. H. S., but changes
in the different student bodies.
Among those who have actually
seen improvements in the making
are Senior’s “faithfuls,” Miss Mary
Ellen Blackmon, Mrs. Nellie D,
Blackburn, and Miss Ida Belle
Moore. Along with these is Mr. R.
Thorpe Jones, a new teacher here
at Senior, who hopes to be among
those to see more changes for the
better in the future.
Miss Blackmon graduated from
Lancaster High School, Lancaster,
S. C., College for Women, Columbia
University, North Carolina College
for Women, and Eastern Carolina
Teachers College. She has taught
history, geography, and government.
Mrs. Blackburn graduated from
Concord High School: attended Le-
gia Smith, Norman Schlosser, Marie Rhyne and summer sessions at
Sizemore, Bill Tutterow, Henrietta ’
Bell. Julia Thomas, Becky Squires,
Lyndon Anthony, Bobby Brown, Bet
ty Jo Benfleld, Betsy \Vright, Jody
Wilkinson, Barbara Hutton, Ellen
Holt, Ruth Hawkins, Thomas -Ginis,
Edwin Boyd, Nancy Benson, Elinor
Wrenn, Rowdand WTsseman, Fred
Upchurch, Mary C. Clymer, Edith
Trosper, Jeanne Martin, Alex Panas,
Tom Neal, Jr., Sue Purdom, Nancy
IjOU Faust, Billy Ferguson, Marion
Faison, Ann Edwards, Frank Hough,
Jo Ann Moore, Frankie Ogburn,
Elizabeth MePheeters, Billy Wrenn,
Hope Brown, Sallie Gray Hicks,
Frances Dixon, Donald Johnson,
Nancy Hudson, Jim Fulton, Evelyn
Dermatis, Cennie Curry, and Billy
Crowder.
Columbia University, Woman’s Col-
GBEENSBORO FIRST
Graded City Schools (1870)
Cafeteria (1019)
Diversified Occupations (1935)
Creative Art (1936)
Distributive Education (1937)
■ College Day (1930?)
Social Standards Day (1931-
Veterans Education Program
(1945)
Televised School Program (1949)
Industrial Arts (1930)
Credit for Boy Scout Attainment
(1036)
Graduation Requirement (19.39)
Permit for F.M. Broadcasting
Station (1949)
Stadium (1939, completed 1949)
EXAMINATION SCHEDULE
E.xamination period
6th period exam .
1st period exam .
2nd period exam
3rd period exam
4th period exam
5th period exam
7th period exam .
Date to be taken Time to be taken
Friday, January 20, 1:45- 3:15
Monday, January 23,
Monday, January 23,
Tuesday, January 24,
Tuesday, January 24,
Tuesday, January 24,
Wednesday, January 25,
9:00-10:30
10:45-12:15
9:00-10:30
10 :45-12:15
10:45-12:15
9:00-10:30
Registration for second semester
Seniors Thursday, January 26, 8:45
Juniors Thursday, January 26, 10:00
Sophomores Thursday, January 26, 1:00
lege, and the University of North
Carolina. She has taught general
science and biology. Having charge
of the girls' athletic program, she
originated the point system for girls.
The above two feel that oppior-
tunities now are better, there are
more versatile student bodies and
better student leaders. The most
outstanding change is the much
broader curriculum. Take, for in
stance, the D.E.-D.O. program, the
courses offered in Bible, art, print
ing, and music: the better facilities
and buildings are better prepara
tion for college, greater freedom,
and the added outside activities.
Miss Moore graduated from Bur-
gaw High Sirliool, attended Woman’s
College and Columbia University.
Her “specialty” is Math.
She feels- the most outstanding
improvement is the varied and ex
tensive curnclum. She stated that
students of rhe past were more seri
ous-minded and seeuK'd to have more
respect for each other and for their
student government. However, the
students of today are more well-
rounded and are more able to meet
situations as they come up.
Mr. Jones, teacher of Industrial
Art and Diversified Occupations,
stated that he looked around and
found Senior to lie “the best place”
in which to teach. He is glad that
he is here and is verv well pleased
with G. H. S.
He went to so-hool in Boydton, Vir
ginia (close to P>uggs Island), grad
uated from N. C. State, and served
in the Navy for three years.
Even the good-natured jokers of
long standing at Senior have no
ticed changes in their fellow stu
dents throughout the short(?) time
they have spent at good ol’ Senior.
And how they love their school!
Why. they wouldn’t think of leaving
for another couple of years! (Be
ware, you teachers!) Among these
students who stick to G. H. S. as
flies stick to flypaper are George
Younts, Charlie Wagner, Charlie
Kennedy, and several others.
That’s all right, hoys, G. H. S.
(girls, that is) love you too.
Senior Has Passed
Various Milestones
After Fifty Years
At this half-century mark, 1950,
the steps of progress at G. H. S. are
many. In the past fifty years,
Greensboro High School has moved
from Spring Street to the ample
campus site of Westover Terrace.
The massive three-story main (Ad
ministration) building, the two-story
smaller science building and the
cafeteria building, which were all
three completed in 1929, replaced an
overcrowded frame building. The,
newer two-story vocational building
is Senior’s most modern building,
and it was built nine years ago.
Last Year’s Progress Greatest
The greatest progress in many
years has come to G. H. S. during
the i>ast year. Many outstanding
features have been added during
the past twielve months.
Annual Is Big Accomplishment
One of the long-fought-for desir
able things at Senior is the new
annual, the Whirligig, whose first
publication will be this May. The
WhrUgig staff editors, Fred Up
church and Carolyn Birgel, and
business manager, Lining Burnett,
have done an excellent job. This
yearbook is said to be one of the
finest in the United States.
New Stadium Gains More Fans
Another big boon granted to
G.H.S.’ers by civic-minded citizens
is the new high school stadium, field
house and press box. This past sea
son was the first to make use of
the outstandingly superior stadium.
All library boolis belonging to
Senior High Schoo-l library
must be turned in by 3:30 on
Monday, January 30, 1050. A
part of the annual inventory
will be taken during exam week.
A fine of 25 cents per day per
book will be charged during
exam week beginning on Janu
ary 30.
(Signed) Mildred C. Herring,
LU>rarian.
New Classy Added
Next semester, there will be sev
eral new classes offered to augment
the curriculum of Greensboro High.
Tossibie formation of a dramatics
class. long advocated and voiced re
cently in Higli Life, seems avail
able. A course in Shakespeare will
also be taught. Through the years
many classes have been added. A
few of them are D.O., D.E., band,
orchestra, woodworking, shop, Bible,
advanced math and many otiiers.
Driving Class May Be Reality
There has been for some time talk
about a driving class at the high
school in which teen-agers could be
taught fundamentals in safe driving
and in correct driving. The school
board has approved such a course.
T>ocal firms have donated materials,
this making this course iiossible.
S-onny Oil Company has donated gas
and oil; Ingram Motor Company
has offered the use of an automobile,
and the I’olice Department will pro-
vide a competent instructor.. The
class will, necessarily, be limited.
This will be only a six-weeks course
and it will carry no credit.
Improved Lockers Begin School Year
During the summer, a crew of
workers renovated the student lock
ers. New locks had been placed
upon them and they were re-sten
ciled. The greatest improvement has
been the rat-proofing of them.
Sidewalk Paving A Convenience
Another job accomplished during
the vacation months this past sum
mer was that of the additional pav
ing of sidewalks. This included the
borders of Westover Terrace from
the Science Building steps to the
corner and from the Vocational
Building to that corner.
Youth Center Still Going Strong
The Greensboro Youth Center,
said to be the best in the entire
South, was the project several years
ago by the Student Council at Sen
ior. Many name bands have been
to the Center, and school functions
and club meetings are often held
at the “Loft.”
New Radio Station Nears Completion
WGPS, the FM station at Senior,
is nearing completion. It has been
announced that all carpentry work
has been completed and that other
work will soon be done. The sta
tion’s studio is located in the Green
Room below the i