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A IIISTORY OF THE SALEM IIIGH SCHOOL

It has been said that education is that which prepares one for an independent activity. Krom the year 1858 when the Salem ITigh School was established tliat has becn the end toward which all efforts have been directed and truły may the present citizens of Salem say it has been aecomplished. The excellent standards of Salem High School coukl never have been such as they are today had it not been for their foundation, built by the high ideals and lofty ambitions of its early instructors and pupils.

The little (juaker settlement of Salem was very anxious that its children should have the best edueational advantages it could alf ord, so in 1853, following the adoption of the Union School system, the Board hired Mr. William MeClain, who had conduęted a private school on Green Street, as teacher for the High School. Mr. llolbrook acted as superintendent a year later and at once the Iligli School, as well as the gradcd system, began to Hourish and take a high rank among Ohio sehools.

Later, Miss Breckenridge became an assistant in the High School work and tlien in 1855 Mr. Reuben MeMillan was madę superintendent of sehools. The oflfice of High School principal baving not yet been established, Mr. Howard Gilbert, from 1855 to 1857, and Mr. T. E. Suliot. from 1857 to 1882 were in charge of the Iligh School work. Mr. Suliot had been a teacher in England and was a man of deep and wide experience.

In 1881 the Ilon. 11. II. Barney, the first State Commissioner of Cominon Sehools in Ohio, was madę superintendent, but be remained only one year. Mr. Barney was a dig-nified, forma! man who beki his pupils at arms* length and consequently they were verv much in awe of him. After his departure, Mr. J. (•. Cummings was cbosen to fili the vacancy. Mr. Cummings was a sincere and earnest gentleman but be was hindered by continued ill-health which resulted in his untimely death.

In the year 1862, the High School had as its teacher Miss Rosę Prunty, later Mrs. Kirestone, of whose influence and ability too much cannot be said. Mrs. Kirestone recently died at her borne in Castalia, Ohio. Mr. T. (\ Mendenhall was also a teacher, at whose advice Mr. W. 1). Ilankle was secured for the superintendency after Mr. Cummings' death.

This was a fortunate circumstance, for Mr. Henkle was a wonderful man, as well as scholar, and during his term from 1864-1875 a great deal was aecomplished. A regu-lar course of study was set down which dealt with mathematics and language rather than history or the Sciences and these courses were intensice rather than extensive. So deep was the course in mathematics that frequent tournaments were hcld with otlier high sehools, in which Salem was usually cictorious.

At this time too much cannot be said of the attitude of the students and indeed of the whole town in regard to edueational matters. They were entirely absorbed in the sehools; lectures at which the most famous men in the country spoke were lield and the character of the scholarship was marked. They felt a keen en.joyment in mastering their lessons and were not with all that to be termed book-worms, for at the same time they were healthy, whole-souled young people. Throughout the school ran that intan-gible, indefinablc something, tnie High School spirit which so many sehools today think they possess and which is really rank imitation. They had it then, those students of the “60*s", the spirit of “each for all and real loyalty to each other and their sehools." This was due to Mr. Henkle*s influence and to the instructors at that time. They preached scholarly accuracy and high ideals and tried to bring these principles into

practical paths by a system of self control which was unusually successful.

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During Mr. Ilinkles superintendency was alśo held the first Commencement at which two students graduated. Since that time the classes have grown accordingly and at present there are seven hundred Alumni of the Salem High School.

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