Name/Title
St. Joseph High School Graduation 1875, News Column, 1931Entry/Object ID
AM2006.5.75BScope and Content
St. Joseph High School Graduation 1875, News Column, June 17, 1931. People's Forum
Honor to High School Class of 1875
"If ever the history of St. Joseph high schools is written, there is one class that graduated from the old high school, corner of Tenth and Edmond streets, on June 17, 1875.
At that time it was the largest class that had graduated from that school. There were fifteen girls and ten boys. Four of the girls had taken the four-year course in Greek, the first girls that had taken Greek since the schools had been established. The whole class had Latin or German, also mathematics through the entire four years. Their algebra, geometry, and trigonometry were all university books.
At that time hard study was considered necessary for the strengthening of the brain, just as today an athlete must exercise to keep his muscles fit.
The graduating exercises were held in Tootle's Opera House. Weach one delivered his or her essay without notes or help from teacher. That was grasshopper year, and on June 17 there were no prospect of crops or garden. So the fifteen girls (with one exception) dressed in calico for their graduation exercises. Such a thing never was known before or since. That act alone was enough to place that class on the honor roll in the history of schools. When the country was threatened with crop failure, the girls of the city were level headed enough to show their economy in dress. So I say, give honor to the St. Joseph High School class of 1875. Margaret K. Riley, Clarksdale, Mo."Lexicon
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Riley, Margaret K.