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Historian’s Prologue: |
It
is my hope that all will enjoy the new articles about our Morocco High
School. If
you would like to share memories or news articles of MHS school days please
contact me. -- MHS Alumni Historian,
J. Schultz |
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Honored Visitor: |
Anyone
who had attended a Newton County school prior to 1951 may remember the day
that County Superintendent, Mr. W.O. Schanlaub visited their classroom. It was to be an honor to have him visit and
I am sure we were on our best behavior.
After reading the following story, I realized how the efforts of Mr.
Schanlaub had to do with the education we received in Newton County. Mr.
Schanlaub retired in 1951, and Mr. R. D. Norris replaced him as County
Superintendent. In
1962 the Newton County Schools were consolidated and Mr. Lawrence Bannon
became the Superintendent
of the North Newton School Corporation.
At that time high school students from Ade had to attend Brook high
school. The Ade students, who were seniors, were allowed to attend the
‘62-‘63 school year at Morocco. |
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Dreams Come True: |
Old Gold and Black October 22, 1946 by W.O. Schanlaub Years
Ago I decided to be a teacher in the public schools. The opportunity came
when I was hired to teach the pupils in “Decker College”, a one-room school
in Beaver Township. On the opening day, I was greeted by 48 boys and girls
distributed rather unevenly into eight grades. In addition to a wage of $45 per month, I received 10 cents per
day for janitor work, which included daily sweeping of the school room,
dusting, building stove fires and keeping the coal burner filled with fuel
during the day. From
the very first, I liked my job but the bleak walls of the schoolroom, the
absence of library and reference books, and an organ, did not impress me. I
began to dream about a schoolroom with appropriate pictures on the walls,
books for the children and an organ to be used during opening exercises and
community meetings. Basket suppers and entertainments were planned which
netted enough money during the year to provide all the things about which I
had dreamed and for which township funds were not available. After
two years of service in this school, I was elected to a position in the
grammar department of the Morocco school, serving two years, when I succeeded
E.E. Giltner, as principal of the school, which included an all time teaching
job. One class of students was
reviewing the eighth grade subjects preparatory to teaching; the other was
studying miscellaneous high school subjects. This
program did not seem to meet the needs of the day. Three other schools in the county had state high school
commissions, which was a challenge to be met. I began to dream about a four years’ commissioned high school course
and with the help of interested people began to do something about it. An additional teacher was secured and a
program was made for two regular years of high school work, only to be met
with opposition from the Board of Education.
The principal was given the choice of sponsoring the old program or
changing locations. He chose the
later, only to be informed the next day that the Board had re-considered and
had approved the new plans. It seems
that a certain doctor who believed in higher education, had contributed much
to the decision to reverse the previous action. From this time on the sailing was rough but not too
discouraging, except in 1907 when the school became an applicant for a state
commission. It was discovered that $500 would be needed to purchase a library
that would meet state requirements. The School Board agreed to provide $250
if the school would raise a like amount.
A contract was made with a Lyceum Bureau of Chicago, which furnished
talent for a series of entertainments that netted $150, but the time was too
short to raise the reaming $100 before the close of school. Imagine our
surprise when a friend, the late Delmar Law, contributed the $100 with the
remark, “Now, see your school board and get the other $250.” And again dreams came true and the school
was commissioned before its close in the spring of 1907. A
few months later having been elected County Superintendent of Schools, my
residence was changed to Kentland. Besides
the schools in the towns, I had 65 one-room schools to supervise, not even
knowing the location of many of them, as was evidenced one day when I visited
a school in Iroquois County, Illinois.
Those were the “horse and buggy days.” During certain seasons of the
year, travel over bad roads was quite difficult. The one-room schools with their poor heating, lighting,
dilapidated desks and seats, water buckets with dippers or tin cups, and the
general unsanitary conditions of outbuildings preyed upon my mind. I began to dream about better things for
the boys and girls enrolled in these schools. With the assistance of newspaper publishers and the
opportunities offered to talk to groups of people at various meetings in the
townships, ideas were crystallized in the minds of many people. The late Geo. H. Hillis and A. B. Tolin,
extensive landowners in Colfax Township, were the first to become active in a
movement which consolidated all the schools in their township. Other townships followed by taking similar
action until the year 1927, which marked the close of all one-room schools.
(Norway was the last one-room to close.)
A modern, brick consolidated school building had been erected in every
town and township of the county. The
splendid co-operation of patrons and other friends of education had made
another dream come true. Space
will not permit detailed accounts of other dreams and their subsequent
realization. Suffice it to say, they
included motor buses for pupil transportation, electric lights, Victrolas,
pianos, radios, moving picture machines, equipment for shop work, electric
cooking stoves, electric sewing machines, band instruments, laboratory
equipment, well equipped libraries, playground apparatus, and splendid new
buildings for athletics and community meetings of all kinds. In addition to the basic academic courses
offered to students, elective courses, such as vocational home economics and
agriculture, commerce departments, vocal and band music, and shop work, have
been added as rapidly as patrons and students expressed a need for them. Medical school inspection, hearing testing
programs, student guidance clinics, musical festivals, athletic contests,
school newspapers, hot school lunches, Hi-Y and Sunshine societies, student
councils, and P.T.A. organizations are some of the extra curricular
activities that have helped to keep youth in line with the requisites of
living in a rapidly changing world. I
am dreaming now of a special school to be located in the central part of the
county, where boys and girls who have to fight the battle of life with a
broken weapon, may be instructed at public expense by specially trained
teachers who will be provided with everything needed to keep these children
happy and to fully develop all their inborn capacities and capabilities. If
students are to gain anything from this personal account, it will be the fact
that youth is the time to attempt the impossible: that young people should
dream and then try to realize their dreams; that they should know that people
dreamed about all the mighty changes that have brought benefit to the would
before they took shape in actual form. Life
will be dismal indeed when youth no longer dreams and dares. I challenge the
boys and girls in the Morocco school and surrounding territory to square
their shoulders, to lift up their chins and to cast their lot where American
Youth have always cast it, on the side of those who give before they take
–the creators and builders, the contributors of energy, talent, and service,
whose reward is not something they take out of American life, but something
they share and put into it. I
am proud I chose to be a teacher! -- W. O. Schanlaub |
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The Heritage From the
Students of Yesterday: |
OLD
GOLD and BLACK, November 26, 1946 Morocco
High School has not always offered the opportunities it does today. But
through the years, students, teachers, and people of the community found that
anything worth working for deserved to be done well. (Building Chronology)
--
The first building was a small frame schoolhouse built in 1864? --
Then in 1899, a brick building was erected. (The one that is now the grade
school) --
In 1922, the present high school building was completed when Charles Timmons
was trustee. --
In 1936, the gymnasium was built under the trusteeship of Henry Brandt. (School Sports Chronology)
--
In 1907 Morocco became a commissioned high school and that same year students
participated in football for the first time. --
In 1909 through the efforts of the class, which was graduated in 1910,
Morocco was admitted to the Indiana Athletic Association. The school stood
its ground with the best teams in the state. Her young men were working hard
to make a name for their school. --
In the fall 1917 the first basketball team was organized. In those days the
boys played in what is now the assembly room in the grade building. --
In 1922, they played in what is now known as the “old gym” in the high school
building. Since
1936 the boys have had one the finest gyms in this part of the state in which
to play. --
The class of 1907 chose Maroon and Gold for their colors. --
Later the class of 1910, in their senior year, selected Old Gold and Black
which have remained the colors to the present day. (School
Spirit Chronology) --
In 1927 the first school paper was started. To secure a name for the paper a
contest was held and the name “Old Gold and Black” was selected by James
Best, Edith Yoder Johnson was the first editor-in-chief. --
That same year the name “Beavers” was given to the athletic teams. The name
was submitted in a contest by Elbert Archibald, Bill Williamson, and Jim
Best. The name of course, had originated from Beaver Lake and Beaver
township. --
Two years later in 1929, a school song “Faithful and True-Hearted” was
written by Ruth Robinson Graham, who also wrote the yell “Venus, Neptune,
Jupiter, Mars” which is still used today. --
In 1939 Mr. Jacobson, band director suggested “We the Students of Morocco”
which is now the official song, but “Faithful and True-Hearted is known as
the Alma Mater song. (School
Crest & Societies) --
In 1936 the Beaver crest designed by Herff-Jones Co. which is used on pins
and rings was chosen by the 1937 graduating class. --
In 1937 the Sunshine Society was organized by Mrs. McPhail. In January of
that year girls form the Kentland High School installed the Morocco Chapter.
Wiladene Brandt was the first president. --
The Hi-Y became a school organization in 1937 with Mr. C. A. Grayson as
sponsor. Elmore Bartholomew was the first president. --
In 1939 the History Club, affiliated with the Indiana Student Forum was
organized by Miss Corbin. The first president was Stanley Davis. Thus
through the years, Morocco has progressed from the days of the little frame
school house to the fine institution that is is today The students of today
are as proud of Morocco as those early students of yesterday. Each class has,
and is, contributing in some way making it an honor to attend Morocco High
School. She ranks near the top in all qualifications of the state, whether
they are athletic or scholastic and may her proud record continue. -- by Nancy Miller |
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Henry’s Great Foresight: |
OLD GOLD and BLACK March 11, 1947 While
serving Beaver township as Trustee, I learned I had many responsibilities
about which the lay public knew little.
For instance, in the fall of 1935, Cecil A. Grayson, principal of the
Morocco school/ Roscoe Pierson, industrial arts and physical education teacher;
Walter Atkinson, an alumnus, and John Colbourne, and athletic fan, and
several other alumni and citizens frequently reminded me that Morocco’s “pit”
gym was very inadequate for modern school purposes. I agreed with them but my
chief worry was where and how to get the money to build a new community
building and gym, and whether or not, the people desired such an addition to
the school plant. About this time the government through W.P.A.
appropriations, offered to assist the communities desiring to provide such
facilities for their citizens, and this seemed to be my opportunity. The
Lions Club and the Farm Bureau were used as sounding boards and the sounds
that came forth seemed to voice approval for the new project. Principal
Grayson, Coach Pierson, John Colbourne and myself went to Lebanon to inspect
a gym which had been praised quite highly by state officials. We like it very
much and got some good ideas which were later used. As soon as we were able to get a promise of a government grant to pay about forty per cent of
the entire cost, we became really interested. The matter was referred to the Advisory board who authorized me
to hire an architect and an attorney and start proceedings at once for the
new building. After many headaches,
induced by two unsuccessful attempts to get bids to construct a building with
our appropriations, we made a third attempt which happily proved successful
and the contractor and all others connected with the construction and
equipment of the building, worked very hard in order to have it ready for use
during the school year 1936-1937. The
building was formally dedicated December 3, 1936. The general approval of the public on that day made the
advisory board members day in carrying out our plans to provide recreational
and health facilities for the student body and a center for all kinds of
community activities. When completed,
the gym had and still has the largest seating capacity of any building with the
county. It will seat 2600 people. The
playing floor will seat 1000, the bleachers 1400, and the stage 200. When
I first observed the foundation of the building, 130 feet long and 92 feet
wide, I was panic stricken. It seemed altogether too large. It did not
require, much time after completion, however, to prove that this personal
alarm was unfounded. It
should be of interest to readers of “Old Gold and Black” to know the
distribution of the costs of the building which amounted to $54,850.60. Advertising and printing cost $234.03:
building supervisor, $858.00; general construction, $40,776.35; plumbing and
heating, $7,351.00; electrical work, $1,337.00; architect, $2,473.12;
equipment, $360.00; and legal services, $1,350.00. The government paid $23,771.00 of the costs; leaving only
$31,079.60 to be paid by local taxes. In the light of present day prices for
construction, it perhaps would cost this community five times as much money
to duplicate the project. I
had hoped, for the benefit of posterity, to place a plaque in the building,
showing the date of construction and the names of officials having charge of
same but the architect failed to make good on this part of his agreement. The
many purposes for which the building
has been used, have exceeded my expectations, I am extremely happy to have
had the opportunity to serve the school and the township and to know the
money invested is now paying big dividends to us all. -- by Henry Brandt |
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