WHERE THE SUNFLOWERS BLOOM

A brief history of Topeka High School

by Joy Smith Dodd

The Kansas Territory was an organized incorporated territory from 1854-1861. It included all of present-day Kansas and a large part of eastern and southern Colorado. Included in the Kansas Territory was the town of Topeka, also founded in 1854. On January 29, 1861, the eastern portion of Kansas Territory was admitted to the Union and Kansas officially became the 34th state.

In the latter 1860’s Topeka was a little town of about 6000 inhabitants and just recovering from the effects of the Civil War which lasted from April 1861 to April 1865. Commercialism was starting to bloom but those were the days of mud streets, wooden awnings and the saloon. Nearly all of Kansas Avenue was situated below 6th Street. The Santa Fe Railroad was just being constructed and the Kansas Pacific Railroad (later the UP) was the main line of travel. Construction of the east wing of the Capitol had begun. Streets were being laid out and trees planted; everywhere the foundations of our present beautiful city were being laid.

Grammar schools had been maintained in Topeka since its 1854 founding. By 1865, Topeka had two excellent colleges: Lincoln College named in honor of our assassinated president Abraham Lincoln, which would later become Washburn College in 1870; and College of the Sisters of Bethany which was established by the Episcopalians as a seminary for young ladies. Interestingly though, Topeka had NO high school. Several complicating factors contributed to this including small class sizes and the lack of a suitable building. An attempt to open a high school at 232 Kansas Avenue with 5 students (all girls) in 1870 had failed. In September 1871, seventeen years after the city’s founding and 10 years after statehood, Topeka High School officially opened at 5th and Madison Street with 36 students and one teacher. The first commencement was in 1877. Four girls graduated. From 1871 to 1931, a span of 60 years, the school changed locations 7 times, sometimes flip-flopping to previous locations and had grown to an enrollment of 1720 students. These locations were staggeringly unsuitable for education, lacking adequate instructional space and were often condemned by fire officials. My paternal grandparents, Hall Smith and Catharine Cole Smith attended one of these high schools.

Many of the highlights contained in this paper are directly quoted from the World, the student newspaper, and from numerous Sunflower yearbooks. The first World was published on September 18, 1896 and the title has remained the same through the years as has the Sunflower. In 1898, the price of the World was 5 cents per copy or 35 cents per year. Students were required to pay for the paper before a copy would be given to them.

 

 

Sharing some anecdotal history from those early years….

In a letter to his THS classmates on March 19, 1889, Walter Vance wrote from the fighting front of the Spanish-American War, “I am not a bit cold-footed or chicken-hearted, but it is my honest opinion that this war is a parallel of the War of 1776 except that we are on the wrong side this time.”

On April 18, 1899, Topeka High School boys defeated Washburn University in a basketball game, 13-6. Two years later, it was reported in a student publication that the average height of the members of the girls’ basketball team was 62.78 inches (almost 5’3”) and the average weight was 114.4 lbs. In 1904, the girls’ team went on to win the State Championship.

Mrs. Carrie Nation attended chapel at Topeka High on February 7, 1901 and according to a student reporter, she gave an “interesting talk”. Future notable speakers over the years would include Helen Keller, Author Upton Sinclair, a prolific writer and author of The Jungle that exposed the labor and sanitary conditions of the US meatpacking industry, and Admiral Richard Byrd, an American naval officer, pioneering aviator, and polar explorer who led an expedition over a segment of the Antarctic Plateau.

The school’s alma mater was written by music instructor Humphrey W. Jones and composed specifically for THS in 1904. It was entitled, “Hail to the Black and Gold.” Phrases like “A song for the land where the sunflowers bloom” and “Hail to the black and gold forever”, sealed the deal for the school colors and the name of the school yearbook, The Sunflower.

Topeka High became the first school west of the Mississippi to adopt an individual locker system in 1906. This was done to prevent the loss of car fare, boys’ hats and rubbers (aka rain boots!!). Thirty years later the lockers for the new high school were “keyless and noiseless.”

Langston Hughes, poet of international fame, spoke to members of the Freedom in Reading classes in March of 1923. Hughes had attended THS for a short time.

In 1924, the citizens of Topeka voted to build four new elementary schools, four junior high schools and appropriate $200K to buy a site for a new high school. The grade schools were Clay, Gage, Monroe, and Randolph. The junior high schools were Crane, Curtis, Holliday and Roosevelt. The future of educating our high school-aged population was at a critical juncture and according to newspaper reports, “the situation was an embarrassment.”

In the fall of 1931, the last year before the new school was opened, it was reported that, “for the first time in its history, Topeka High started the year with a vacation. After one week of half-day periods it was closed for two weeks because of an epidemic of infantile paralysis” aka polio.

 

 

 

 

And now for the story of the “NEW” building…

Upon the recommendation of the Topeka Board of Education, on November 6, 1928, the citizens of Topeka voted by a majority of nearly two to one to approve bonds in the amount of $1,100,000 for the building of a new high school. The grounds of the former College of the Sisters of Bethany were acquired and the Thomas W. Williamson architectural firm was hired. The location of Bethany Square was originally platted in 1855 as a 20-acre public square park and in 1871 it was the site of Bethany College. Over the next 6 months after the bond approval, Board members and the architects visited “modern” high schools across the country and consulted with faculty and local citizens. Credit for Topeka High’s Gothic architecture style is given to Chester Woodward who was a member of the Topeka Board of Education at the time of the bond vote. Woodward was a local financier and his influence and vision were critical in the planning phases of the school. Architect Thomas Williamson assigned his chief designer Ted Greist, assisted by Linus Burr Smith from Kansas State University to oversee the plans. Architectural plans were finalized and the general construction contract was given to John M. Leeper.

The Class of 1931 was the last class to graduate from the old high school that was located on both sides of 8th Street between Harrison and Topeka Blvd. The new school was completed in August 1931 and classes convened on September 15. Enrollment at Topeka High School grew from 5 students and one faculty member in 1870 to 2002 students and 68 faculty in 1932. That first spring saw 410 graduates.

At the new school’s opening, it was without a mascot and when an out-of-town newspaper called Topeka High athletic teams the “Kaw Hawks”, Topeka High students decided it was time to come up with a suitable name and mascot. Looking back into ancient mythology and finding inspiration from the University of Southern California and its highly successful football program, the perfect mascot emerged. In the spring of 1931, the student body voted on only one name. The Trojans became the mascot and the school itself became known as “The Halls of Troy.” Its slogan is “Hoy! Hoy! Mighty Troy! Incidentally, athletic teams were segregated in early years. The Cardinals were the black team in 1929. The Ramblers took the court and field from 1935-1949. Their colors were red and white.

The new school was quickly dubbed “The Million Dollar School for the Million Dollar Student Body”.

On September 15, 1931, Principal W.N. VanSlyck stated, “With the opening of school today, Topeka High School begins its 62nd year of continuous service to the youth of the city.” Mr. Van Slyck was a 1908 graduate of Topeka High and became the school’s 14th principal in the fall of 1928. He had previously been a teacher and principal in Salina and Iola. VanSlyk died in January 1944. He had been principal from 1928-1943 and had been instrumental in forming the plans for the new school.

Construction Highlights –

It took 1.5 years to build.

Cost of the Bethany College site - $209K

Cost of building and equipment $1.75M

Wages – Masons $1.50/hour, Carpenters $1.00/hour, Common laborers 40 cents/hour

Number of rooms – 159 (56 classrooms, 15 Labs, 7 Shops, 35 Special rooms and offices, 46 storage rooms). Classes were built for 30 students each.

500,000 English face brick and 800,000 common brick – all handmade in a small factory just east of St. Louis. Two English brothers ran the plant where according to legend, an old white horse named Oliver pulled the wheel which ground the clay for the brick.

The façade trimmings are of Silverdale stone – a warm, yellow-cast Kansas limestone

The hallway floors and various other floors in the building are constructed of 350,000 interlocking battleship tiles, alternating light and dark. The color permeates the thickness. Original tiles have been replaced on the first floor.

The roof is constructed of 157 tons of variegated slate from the quarries of Vermont.

Seven railroad carloads of marble, quarried from Tennessee, were used as wainscotting on the main hall walls and stairwells. The marble is streaked in pink and red with a greenish-gray tone.

Three carloads of insulating material were used.

The building contains 652 doors, 1800 window sashes, and 13,000 board feet of wood trim.

There are six distinct areas with stained glass. These can be found in the mezzanine area off Hoehner Auditorium, in the Hall of Fame overlooking the entry to the school, in the Woodward Library and library balcony, on the landing between the choir and band rooms, and on the second floor landing on the west end of the school.

The entry foyer walls are constructed of marble and stone. The entire foyer has recently been refurbished to its original grandeur.

Central to the building is the beautiful Williamson tower which rises 165 feet into the sky and is fashioned somewhat after a tower at Oxford, England. Housed in the tower are Deagan Chimes given by David W. Mulvane of Topeka at a cost of $20K in honor of his wife who had recently died. Mulvane had been prominent in city affairs and served for many years as the Republican National Committeeman from Kansas. He avoided publicity whenever possible, was said to be of sterling character and was a lover of young people. He died a year after bestowing his generous gift. The chimes can be operated by hand on a portable keyboard or on rolls. It is reported that THS is the only public school in the world with an operating Deagan Chimes system. The THSHS annually sponsors a patriotic chimes concert on the front lawn of the school on the Sunday before the Fourth of July. To this day, the chimes ring every 15 minutes and strike the hour.

Laboratories were provided for biology, botany, chemistry, physics, clothing, foods, art and journalism. In addition to the regular foods laboratory, there was a school model apartment (now home of the THS Historical Society office and named in honor of Paul Fink, a beloved principal) for the purpose of training girls in the care of the home. There was also a home nursing room where girls were given special training by the high school nurse in child care and care of the sick.

Hoehner Auditorium, named in 1951 in honor of a longtime stagecraft teacher, is located on the east side of the building. During the 1930’s, three Kansas governors were inaugurated on its stage; Alf Landon, Walter Huxman and Payne Ratner. Originally seating 2500 people, it currently holds 1,875 people. New carpeting and upholstery of the opera-style chairs were installed in 2000. The auditorium is illuminated by 10 massive iron and bronze chandeliers. They can be lowered for bulb replacement which is extremely important since the two largest fixtures hold 84 lights each and the eight smaller ones each hold 61 lights. All of the fixtures were made in Kansas City and installed by the Tucker Electric Company. The big fixtures weigh 1800 pounds each and the small ones 800 pounds. There are more than 600 lamps in the fixtures and it took four men two weeks to assemble them. During routine summer maintenance in 1994, one of the center chandeliers crashed to the floor. The Topeka High School Historical Society and THS administration worked with Degginger’s Foundry to restore the chandelier to its original glory.

The gymnasium seats nearly 4000. A swimming pool, constructed under the court, was first used in 1957. It was part of the original 1929-30 plan but costs delayed its construction until later. The pool was vacated in 2004 and now houses the Chet Laney Wrestling Room, named for a longtime swim coach. The gym was witness to the beginning of Dean Smith’s fabled career. Coach Smith was a 1949 graduate. The gym is nicknamed “The Dungeon” and in 1996, its floor was name Nicklin Court after legendary basketball coach Willie Nicklin.

The art department is housed on west side of the third floor. In addition to classrooms, it houses one large and one smaller gallery for displays. In 1931, Bethany College donated the statuary that is still displayed in one of the art classrooms. Many prominent artists are graduates of Topeka High School; among them Robert Merrill Gage, Bradbury Thompson, Mary Huntoon, Aaron Douglas, Walter Hatke and David Overmyer.

The music department is located in the northeast portion of the building and is entirely removed from other departments with a separate outside entrance.

The library was the dream of Chester Woodward who was president of the BOE that approved the bonds. The room is 40 feet by 80 feet and occupies two full stories. The English beamed ceiling is designed closely after the great hall at Hampton Court. The library will accommodate 200 students. Adjoining the main reading room are a number of smaller rooms for special reference work. Above these is a balcony which houses rare and interesting old books and currently the Historical Society’s archives which contains a vast collection of history, yearbooks, and school memorabilia. A prolific financier and bibliophile, Woodward donated many books to the library from his private collection. It was named Woodward Library in 2006. The mural at the west end was painted by David Overmyer. “Kansas, the End of the Trail,” was commissioned by the Kansas Free Fair in 1939 for the new agricultural building and was later acquired and restored by Paul Beauchamp for the Topeka High School Historical Society.

At the end of each wing in the southwest section (the Western Avenue side) of the building are three “special”rooms, one on each floor, and each with a specific purpose:

Room 103 was known as the Social Room. It contains a stone fireplace and was visualized as a room for small teas and entertainments to teach social conduct. Another Overmyer painting,“The Pageant of Old England” hangs over the fireplace. Overmyer paintings are displayed in several locations at THS and many are featured in the Kansas State Capitol. Room 103 is now the home of the Debate and Forensics department.

Room 207 was known as the Classical Room. The purpose of this room was to provide a setting for orations and skits. It has a stage and a display of plaster friezes and copies of sculpture from the Parthenon and Athens Cemetery.

Room 306 was known as the English Room. It also contains a fireplace and captures the feel of an Elizabethan withdrawing room with book cabinets and Gothic flourishes. It has likely seen the fewest alterations although the original furniture has been placed elsewhere in the building. A number of original art pieces are displayed there by C.H. Taffs whose works in 1932 celebrated the bicentennial of Washington’s birth and more Overmyers.

The student cafeteria can seat 800 and has beautiful walnut wainscoting on the walls and a fireplace at one end. South of the cafeteria kitchen is a second small dining-room for the use of faculty. The faculty cafeteria contains murals painted by Overmyer. Adjacent to this is the Cavalier Room, originally the night school office and now used as a meeting room.

The Catacombs have become a part of Topeka High lore. It is Troy’s underworld or where the ghosts sleep during the day. In modern terms, it is merely a basement but it houses a maze of workrooms, storage areas and unexcavated space beneath the building.

“The architects designed the school so that the public could attend a performance in the auditorium, an athletic event in the gym, an art exhibit in the galleries, a banquet in the cafeteria, and night school, all at the same time,” says Doug Wallace, a Topeka High graduate, local historian and founder of the Topeka High School Historical Society.

About 40% of the students in 1931 did not plan to attend college, therefore adequate shops were found in the building to assist students in discovering their particular interests and skills. These included electrical, woodworking, machine, print and auto mechanics shops. These were all equipped with the very latest type of amenities. In 1940 new courses were approved to be added to the THS curriculum. These included radio and appliance repair, carpentry and ‘free reading’. All of these were aimed at the 50% of the graduating class who would not go on to college. *notice the 40 % to 50% change.

Anecdotal stories post-building of new school….

German was offered once again during the 1932-33 school year after being terminated during World War 1.

On January 9, 1933, three students were excused from school to attend inauguration exercises at the state Capital: Peggy Ann Landon’s father took the oath of Governor, Jimmie French’s father took the oath of State Auditor and Dick Boyd’s father took the oath of State Treasurer.

A month later on February 12, 1933, Grace Jones, THS Senior, was ranked as the third best debater in the nation by the National Forensic League and the top female high school debater in the nation. In 1935 the school won the State Championship in Debate for the third time in four years. Nationally acclaimed, THS can boast 6 National Forensic League champions from 1936-1997.

Eighty school bands were housed at THS on July 23, 1936 for a one-day celebration honoring Gov. Alf Landon for receiving the Republican nomination for President. Over 25,000 students were fed in the school cafeteria.

The year 1941 proved eventful in the life of the high school. In January, a large group of bats was reported to be roaming the school’s basement and third floor between midnight and 6am. Students were asked not to touch anything which looked like an old brown leaf hanging on the wall. Two home economics courses were offered especially for boys who wished to learn things which may benefit them in army camp. Some of the things future soldiers wanted to learn were how to do their laundry, make beds and care for clothes. A survey of students to determine desired future areas of vocation found three fields leading all others: aeronautics, secretarial work and journalism. After 37 years of teaching at THS, Miss Maude Bishop retired in May. An admired and well-loved teacher, Miss Bishop often warned students, “I’ll flunk you flat as a flounder.”The year ended with a declaration of WAR! On the morning of December 12, 1941, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt addressed Congress in a very important message concerning the war with Japan which seemed imminent. Principal Van Slyck arranged for a radio in the high school auditorium for an assembly which would bring the students and faculty the important speech. Students remained long enough to hear part of the debate in the House of Representatives on the resolution declaring war.

In January of 1942, Washburn University and Topeka High administrators discussed a plan to reduce by one year the time needed to complete high school and college so that boys eligible for military service could get a degree and go on into the service one year sooner.

One year after the attack on Pearl Harbor, in December of 1942 students begin a drive to save animal fat in wide-mouthed metal containers for the purpose of making glycerine for explosives. The drive was called “Fats for Freedom.” In March, 1943, student Mary Jean Stewart, won an award for her window display showing how fats were used in the war efforts for paints and explosives.

War has far-reaching consequences, some affecting the social life of young adults. In the spring of 1943, a city ordinance forbid high school students under 18 to enter beer parlors and other facilities for dance and other recreational pursuits. Gas rationing prohibited students from going outside the city limits to find recreation.

How could any young man survive high school without these “Rules for Social Success,” as listed in the World on December 3, 1948?

Have a car

*Be a pleasing conversationalist

Have a car

*Be congenial

Have a car

*Be a good listener

Have a car

*Numbers 2, 4, and 6 can be omitted if the car is a red convertible.

 

In September 1947, Marvin Bayless from Garden City joined the faculty in the Commerce Department. My parents both had him for a teacher when they attended Topeka High as did I 25 years later when he was my typing teacher.

Flashing (pun intended) forward 30 years to my Class of 1975’s claim to fame? Our women’s track team flashed with grace, talent and speed on the field, winning the Kansas State High School championship trophy. Also notable was the flashing prowess of two young men wearing nothing but paper sacks (to hide their identities) and shoes. They entered the west entrance, proceeded up the stairs to the second floor and streaked the entire length of the school, down the east stairs and out to a waiting car. They were promptly suspended. Was there a snitch? Both are now retired….one was a doctor, the other an attorney.

“Topeka High School has always meant pride, involvement in the community and the world, joy in living, loyalty bordering on love, academic searching, competition and crisis. Its rich traditions have always helped THS persevere,” Danny Callison and Judy Cromwell, A THS Scrapbook 1871-1971.

Topeka High School was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in June 2005. The Topeka High School Historical Society was organized in 1985 and celebrated its 40 year anniversary this past month.

Topeka High School’s Alma Mater

“A song for the land where the sunflowers bloom; hail to our city so fair; and three times three with a Sis! Boom! Rah! For the high school whose colors we wear.”

“For we are the students of the THS, sing we the tribute that our hearts confess. Ever we glory in thy proud success. Hail to the Black and Gold forever. “

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sources:

A T.H.S. SCRAPBOOK 1871-1971. Compiled by Danny Callison and Judy Cromwell. 1979

30 Years in Topeka 1854-1884. A Historical Sketch by F.W. Giles. 1886.

Sixty-Two Years of History in the Topeka High School. 1870-1932. Compiled by students in 1932.

Where the Sunflowers Bloom. A Brief History and Guide to TOPEKA HIGH SCHOOL by Douglass W. Wallace.

Various Sunflower (yearbook) and World (school newspaper) editions.

USD 501 School District and Administration for its support and countless contributions including the replication of the auditorium chandelier.

And finally and most importantly:

The Topeka High School Historical Society and Executive Secretary Joan Barker. Thank you, Joan, for opening up the school’s archives and generally providing encouragement and support!

Lance Sprague, Topeka High Class of 1975 classmate, for his incredible ability to keep me focused and entertained!