Part I
HISTORY OF WH TTIER JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL
1923-1973
Part II
Biogr phical Sketch of ,ittier's first ,rincipa
Administrators
Princ·pals
Mr. Charles Culler l923-19lt6
Mr. G rald Joines 1946-1947
Mr. William Bogar 1947-1950
·Mr. Emory Priefert 1950-1966
Dr.'Corwin Enevoldsen 1966-
t Princioals •
Miss Maude Rousseau 1923-1926
Mjst; Selma Hult 1926-1953
Mr: Henry Ross 19S3-1970 •
Mr. Herbert Stortz 1970- •
HISTORY OF WHITTIER JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL
. 1923-19 . 3
Whittier, at firct, was a our room school w ch was erected in 1893 at a cost of $9,000. In 1901 an addition was built which cost $10,000. Another additio~ with a ne heating apparatus was constructed in 1908 which cost $21,000. This new part contained a Manual Training department and a Domestic Science room. By 1912 the enrollment had increased to fifty pupils to a class. Three houses nea the school were bought and four rooms opened · in them to talce care of the larger enrollment. Whittier had over seven hundred pup.ils.
The first Whittier school stood about 100 feet south of where Whittier now stands. There were two buildinis connected by a two-story hall. Around the school were small cottages where classes were held, The first principal was Mrs. Jones nd her successor was Miss Mattie Barthweit.
In 1916 ~fuittier School was organized into a Junior .High School, which consisted of the seventh i eigh·th and ninth grades. There were 196. pupils enrolled at that time. Several courses were offered such as history, German, civics, pen- manship, arithmetic, music, art, English, reading, athletics, domestic science add manual training.
Among the first schools built to be specifically a Junio~ High in the Mid-West after World War I, was Wnittier. Built in 1922, its first occupancy was a year later. Originally it was built to accommoda~e 1,000 students, but has held within its walls between 650 and 1,320. students.
Mr. Charles L~ Culler was the first principal.
The new school ad 46 classrooms, not including the library, boys and girls gyms, cafeteria and auditorium. The enrollment was 833 students with ~3 full-time teachers. There were ten custodians employed and one full-time and one half-time clerk in the office. The nurse was in the building approximately 3~ days a week.
Since being built, our school has had additions. The art and shop area was one of these additions.
Whittier Junior High School, the first complete junior high school in Lincoln was important because it - established the pattern by which the Irving and Everett junior high schools would enter the evstem.
The continued grow·ch in r,opula~ion, the recent nd proposal, the constant demand for classroom space and the gradual Ci nging ccn~ept of the pl ce of ·th sch ol in the community 11 served to emphasize the need, t e change and finally> tne fulfil1ment of the pans of reorg nization and revision 'hich had begun almost a decade b-fore Whittier opened.. 1
The schoo·1 came highly advertir.ed. There had been the reluctan e of the pt ons of the Whittier elementary district to giv up th-ir school. Al s o !'atrons clty-w ·.de had been well briefed en housing conditions prior o the $2,000,000 bond propos ~ l. Patrons were really eag r to get their children out of ba em2nt ocme, cott a g_s a~d po r tables. Whittier was supposed to relieve the ov r- rowding of the high school which was designed fc - l,~oo and ·as ccepting over 2,200 students. Whitti~r was to help the elementaries by taking away their seventh and eighth graders. It will release all of the children of the seventh, eighth and ninth gra·e: on the north side of the city, and half of the n·nth £rade at the ~enior high school.-
The building program of April, 1919, filed under the tenure of Superintendent Newlon, indicated that "a j .mior high school" will be erected on the north side of the city. Approximate location, twenty-third and Vin Streets~ They finally decided on this w"hi~tier Site because it needed a building for one reason. Another reason was that it was in a poorer section and they figured if they could build it there--thereby have a demonstration of what it ~ould be, that you couldn't prevent it from going to the better sections of the community--which resulted exactly the way they figured.
To accomplish the purpose in procuring enough land on which to locate the building the Board proceeded to purchase all the real estate in the area bounde on the West bv Tw e nty-s~cond Stre e t, on the East by Whittier Avenue (now Twenty-third Street), on the South by Vine Street and on the North by W St eet. The location of the building with thirty feet on e.i ther side was accomplished by "the vacation of Whittier Avenue north of Vine Street.••
Within the year . the Board had acted to procure more land to be used as a playground. It was suggested that land be purchased east of Whittier Avenue between Vine and W Streets adjacent to the present Whittier site.
The Board authorized Mr. Humpe, who handled most of the Board's real estate business, to negotiate for the properties along Lynn street. Eventually these properties were obtained and the buildings cleared away to make room for the present playground. In 1928, when he came to thittier as a teacher, Henry Ross recalls that some of the gas pipes were still sticking up from the ground and, since the gas had not yet been turned off, they could be lighted with a match.
Li co n's fir t ~, p). t j nio h • :-""h 1 '_ a .,. :;~ b'!iJ.ding of p le y~llow bric , tri . d ·n yellow terrc. cotta, .with_stone foundati • The structure covered a plot of ground 260 reet ~rom east to west, by 160 north to south exclu£ive of the shops hich were connected . in the rear by a sloping concrete floored corridor. The shops ad a floor space 101 by 170. ext to Lincoln High it was th l rgest in the system. ~en filled it would house 1,200; 1,200 lockers had been installed on the th~ee floors.
To th right of th~ main entrance on the second floor lay the l rge office of the principal. Adjoining to the east was t~e.smaller ~ffice for.the assistant principal, who was also aovisor tog rls. A fire proof vault ·for keeping of records adjoined the offic~s.
The beauty of the interior lies in the dignity of th~ tructure, its broad corridors, and __ simple but handsome finish. All of the flo rs w_re cove.ed wi.h cork carpet except for the toilets and ~ho 1 r.i ba.ths where marble tiling and glazed brick were introduced to allow the f cilities to be kept immaculately clean.
The auditorium had seats for 1,200 people.
Whittier offered physical education three periods a week under qualifi~d instr ctors.
The entrances, except for the main entran~e, were all on the grade level and all opened off the first floor. Large rooms for the teaching of bookkeeping and typing were provided on first floor. Also included on the first floor were the domestic suite for girl~, the school cafeteria, which would accommodate 14-00 to 500 pupils at one time, the music rooms, storerooms and other accommodations for ~he custodial staff.
The - household arts rooms were equipped with two kitchens, model bedrooms, dining rooms and laundry. • •
Unique to the Whittier Junior High School was the Hartley Clinic, equipped by Mrs. E.T. Hartley in memory of her husband who was superintendent of schools in Lincoln (18851890) and after whom the Hartley Elementary School was named. Board minutes show authoriz tion for construction work in the health suite in the anesthetic room, the sterilizing room and the operating room.
The clinic accommodated mi~or operations such as the removal of tonsils and adenoids. The operating room opened into a large aiting room in which cots were provided. It was expecte that the clinic was to be used by the community as well as for school children.
H n~y Ros, forner assista~t r._ c pal~ , itti Junior High School and teacher in that school since 1928, .tells of cots lining the h 11s on 1 Saturdays.
In answer to the question of why the operations were done in Whittie~, instead of a hospital, Mr. Ross replied: "There was ju t--I don't know--they didn't coddle kids in those days like they do now."
The clinic w s used for minor operations; that the project was sponsored by the Junior Le gue; and ·n the end the clinic was closed because it did not reach the standards pf cleanliness as required by state law.
The third floor housed the gene al science rooms as well as the art roomo, and general classroo1 s. The library also was located on t 11ird floor, had a large arched doorway nd, of course, built-in-c~ses for books. There was a librarian's workroom on the west side of the library.
The. hops were attached to the main building by a long sloping corrido~ down which students were required to meet and pass in single file. "The/ had fellow who taught printing at that time by the nam of ker--Cannonball Baker--he must have been six feet six inches tall and there was no foolin' around. You went up and down that hall single file.
The shops furnished one of the most distinctive features of the new modern junior high school. They 9 rere no~ intended to train a boy for a trade but to assist boys who were not literarily inclined to find their niche. Th foundation knowledge in several trades was offered in the hope that the pupil ,ould of his own accord seek advanced training. The • description of the shop area shows the completeness of the equipment.
The general classroom consisted of a rectangular room with windows on one side and chalk boards on the other thr e sides. There was a cabinet that was fairly adequate for the storage of most textbooks. Lighting and v ntilation iirere left to the attention of the individual teac,er.
The Civic League was started in the fall of the year · 1913 by Mr. Fred Hunter, at that time Superintendent of Schools of Lincoln, a?1d Mr. Walter Whitten, Secretary of the Chamber of Commerce, ith ~he interest and approval of many prominent businsss men of Lincoln. The purpose was to form a plan whereby tha schools and the business men should cooperate in making it possible for the boys and girls of Lincoln to become more familiar with the industrial and civic life of the co. unity.
Every Civic League member who had caught the spirit of the organization kne, that, in order to continue to meet the duties of a good citizen, they had to have at least a high
s
schoo educ~tion, so 1t wa the ai of everyon t_ k _e~ ~P their work and maKe t ir credi sat the end of every semester.
. ~lthough the pupils had no 1vo·ce in the matter, they immediately prepared to do all things suggested by the plan. , Bulletins were sent out regarding the :o1ork of the organization, . for there was no general constitution. Although the general plan of work was the same in all buildings, each school was left ~o work out its own details. T !"ough this many pract .ices came into being and when a code of l ws was being formed for Whittier it was found a difficult task for six different schools were represented. ,
On ~pril 17, 1925~ over twenty-si~ homerooms ratified our constitution, thus makin~ the necessary three-fourths majority _ for its acceptance. This const:tution, which covered the necessary things of the organization, was made through the laborious efforts of the joint delegate assembly and the cabinet. The purpose of the organization is to uphold law and order, to give the students an opportunity to take part . in the affairs and ac·ivities of the school, and to promote its general welfare. The constitution gives the president, with the approval of the student activities committee, the power of selecting the chairmen of the committees who, with the elected officers, form the cabinet. The colors at Whittier -~t this time were green and bl ck which they all wore on their color day. The officers of the Civic League wore badges on which was engraved ' 1 Civic League" and a number. These badges showed that the person who wore one had authority over the other tudents. The Civic League was a small government run on the scale of our national government. There was a President, Vice President, Secretary, Cabinet and Delegates.
The first graduating class from Whittier was in 192~.
The charter to Whittier Junior High School P.T.A. was given February 5, 1927.
In 1940 Whittier's course of study was changed to include English, Social Studies and Homeroom in one block, which was called General Education. We hoped that it would provide a better way to educate boys and giris by using longe~ periods of time with fewer pupils for each teacher. In General Education we also tried to understand about personal and social problems and received guidance from our general education teachers. Whittier boys and girls and teachers worked hard to make general education a success because it ·was a new and challenging pro~ram.
In 19~~ the first King and Queen of Health was selected .
• In 1967 new permanent film screens were installed in every classroom, and a special grant from Encyclopedia Britannica was bestowed on our school. '!'his grant provided us
with more and - better films·and audio visual aids, for a bigger and better Instructioncl Mat rials center, and a bettar school.
Whittier Junior High School was named after a great poet, John Greenleaf Whittier. He was born, December 17, 1807 in East Haverhill, Massachusetts. The house in which he was born is still standing and is used as a shrine, and its chief room has been restored to the condition in which it was when the boy was 1iving in it, the recollection of whose expel"ience inspired the idyl of New England life, "Snow-Bound.''
The home life which the boy led, was one of many hardships. Whittier's companions of his own age were a brother and two sisters.
Whittier obt ~ ined his erlucation in an acade~y. He taught a district school a few weeka and aided a merchant with hook.keeping. In the meantime he continued to write both verse nd prose for the newspaper ~ . When he was twenty-one years old he entered a pr1n:ing office in Boston where he was editor of one of the news p a l ers. He occupied himself with writing papers 9n temperance and the t riff, and with verses · and tales. He remained with coiliers for a year and a half, and then returned to his father•s f a rm.
During his life time he wrote many poems which were published in magazines and in book form.
Whittier died at Hampton Falls, New Hampshire, September 7, 1892, at the age of eighty-five years.
After · :his death a college was named after him, and was then taken in as part of Harvard. Whittier College's social department was built up so high, due to Mr. Whittier's reputation·as a social reformist. This was why Harvard was interested in the school.
A statue of John Greenleaf Whittier stands in our library.
Part II
MR. CHARLES L. CULLER
1923-1946
In September, 1923, Mr. Culler becam 0 the principal of Whittier Junior High a f ter servin~ at Lincoln High for five years as assistant principal. · '
He and his staff moved into Whittier at this time. His · big job was to integrate pupils from six elernent~ry schools.
. In these years, through his effqrts, Whittier has gro~n into the school we love, a school of high ideals and service. Whittier and Mr. Culler have become inseparable, for when we think of Whittier, we involuntarily think of ~1r. Culler. One · of his many duties is the sponsorship of the _Boys' Civic League and in this capacity as well as on the playground the boys have learned to think of him as one to whom they can turn · in any need. •
Whittier has been very fortunate in having such an efficient, sympathetic man as Mr. Culler for its leader. His personal interest in each one of us has inspired us to greater efforts. He truly represents the ideals we are striving to • attain. The following quotation of Fr~nces Willard can certainly be well applied to Mr. Culler, "Character is bounded on the north by sobriety, on the east by integrity, on the south by gentleness, and on the west by industry."
On May 2~, 19~6, the Greenleaf was dedicated to him. • Underneath a large picture of him were these words: We dedicat~ this issue of the Greenleaf to Mr •. Culler who has been the -principal of Whittier since its organization and who has earned for the school the place of high esteem which it . holds among schools of the city.
Whittier school, all of us, teac.hers and pupils alike experienced a feeling of great loss · in Mr. Culler's retirement, He had been a great nd good influence in the lives of ~he thousands of boys and girls who have been "his boys and S!irls."
We deeply rer.reted his going but rejoiced in the fact that he would have time to enjoy life more leisurely with Mrs. Culler and engage in some of the other pastimes which we~e dear to his heart. For besides guiding bQys and girls h~ also loved to garden, to travel and to make things with hi s hands. Our wish for Mr. Culler was many years of happiness, health, and doing the thin~s he loved to do.
Mr. Culler retired in 1946, d - vcting his tim t , ra 1el and hobbies.
· Mr. Culler passed away September 20, 19r6. His f·1n r 'l'1.l ~as at 2 : ~0 p.m. Sunday at Umberger tuneral Home. H~ cie~ in Columbia, Missouri, where he had been ~~c~~~ng a nephew.
Masonic services for Mr. Culler were c¢nducted by Liberty Lodge 300 • AF & AM. Burial was in l..ir,col.n Memorial Park. Mr. Culler ·as· born in Olath, v.ansas and educa.-d in Kansas and Nebraska schools. He attended Wayne Normal, Stout Institute, and Columbia and received hi BA and MA in socioloBY from the University of ·ebraska. He had been superintend~nt of schools at Hartington, Allen and Da.lcota Ci y b sides teaching in Nebraska district schools for si~ y~a ~ o.
Mr. Culler was a member &nd pa&t director of thef;.,.. 0 1: Church of Cl ri i; t Scie,n:ist • a m~mbe"l'.' of the EA, Nebraska State Te ache r & As on . , Schoolmaster$ Club , i11CA, Phi · Delta Kappa, Scottish Ri'te and Li berty Lodge 300, AF & AM.
He was past patron of Electa Chapter 8, OES, past president of the Cornhusker Rose Societv and a former member of Rotary ln&ernational. ' His wife, M~rtba, died in July, 1956.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Much of the material contained in this bri~f Whittier History haS been taken from the dissertation written by Dr, James Keill (a former Whittier teacher) and the Whittier Greenleaf, the school paper or yearbook. This brief history has been compiled, prepared and presented through the efforts of Mrs. Black, Mr. Jordan, Mr. Christensen and other WHITTIER SEMICENTENNIAL COMMITTEE members.
