1921-1922


 * 1. Overview ||
 * 2. Faculty and Staff ||
 * 4. Student Body ||
 * 3. Departments ||
 * 4. Extension Work ||
 * 4. Curriculum ||
 * 5. Athletics ||
 * 6. Activities ||
 * 7. School Calendar ||

=Overview=

The 1921-1922 school year was marked by some exciting changes. First, a Night School and Citizenship Class were added in the evening hours. The basket-ball team won the Mississippi Valley Tournament and had a stellar season on their home court. And the senior class motto, "I Will!" mysteriously appeared on the school smokestack overnight.

=Campus=

The BTHS campus consisted of three buildings in 1922:
 * **The School**- Later known as the Main Building (or M-Building), this was the three story structure where most academic classes were held.
 * **The Cafeteria**- Located behind the main school building (where t[[image:Cafeteria.jpg width="350" height="146" align="right" caption="The Inside of the Cafeteria"]]he N-Building was eventually added), the Cafeteria was known for it's distinctive smokestack. This building also appears to house the shops classes.
 * **The Gymnasium**- Located to the right of the school building from West Main Street, the Gymnasium (later called the Girl's Gymnasium or G-Building) was the most recent addition to the campus. The two story gymnasium was designed to allow for free flow of light and air into the physical education classes.

= = =**Faculty and Staff **=

Administration

 * Principal**- Henry Galen Schmidt
 * Assistant Principal**- J.H. Yarbrough (also English and Teacher Training)
 * Athletic Director**- F.J. Friedli (also Biology)

Faculty Statistics
Chemistry Teachers: 1 Domestic Science Teachers: 1 Physics Teachers: 1 Art Teachers: 1 Domestic Art Teachers: 1 Mathematics Teachers: 2 Commercial Teachers: 7 Social Science Teachers: 2 Vocational Teachers: 4 Agriculture Teachers: 1 Physical Education Teachers: 1 Modern Language Teachers: 1 English Teachers: 6 Music Teachers: 2 Latin Teachers: 2 Biology Teachers: 2

=**Student Body**=

Number of Freshmen: 174 Number of Sophomores: 148 Number of Juniors: 84 Number of Seniors: 56

Senior Class Information
President... Bert Zaehringer Vice-President... Theodore Winkler Secretary...Charles Exby
 * Class Officers**

= = = = =Departments =
 * Class Colors**: Brown and Gold
 * Class Flower**: Black-eyed Susan
 * Class Motto:** I WIll

The following are the academic departments listed in the 1921-1922 //Bellevinois//:

Chemistry Department
Chemistry was a course that was added in order to meet several practical needs. According to the //Bellevinois//, "Chemistry as a science is little more than one hundred years old", but it proved it's merits during the Great War. The Chemistry courses at BTHS were designed to meet the needs both of students who wanted to learn the fundamentals before attending a university and those non-college bound students who would benefit from a more practical application of chemistry in the home and in nature. The facilities at BTHS were among the most modern of any high school in the area. Teacher: William H. Campbell

Domestic Science Department
The Domestic Science department was open to both boys and girls, but the emphasis of the program was for young women. The department had a completely furnished four room apartment re-created on campus for students to practice their skills- "including laundry work." The Domestic Science curriculum was divided over four years. Year one focused on food preparation and cooking, year two was food service (where the girls took terms acting as hostesses in the furnished apartment dining room), year three was dietetics which focused on taking care of children and proper diet, and the final year focused on household management including budgeting, cleaning, and furnishing the apartment. From pictures, it appears that the Domestic Science classroom and apartment were located on the third floor of the Main Building. Teacher: Vera O. Gosset

Physics Department
Physics was a one year course that was open to seniors only. It was designed to focus on the, "practical side of life." Like Chemistry, Physics was a course that came out of a need created from World War One where, according to the //Bellevinois//, "Many of the modern warfare such as the aeroplane, dirigible, submarine, and tank owe their existence to the phenomena of physics." Teacher: John A. Karch

**Art Department**
The art program was created to teach students both the skills and appreciation of art. The curriculum included four years of study and included Crafts as a subset. Crafts courses included bookbinding, leatherworking, pottery, basket making, and enamelwork. The advanced art classes include pen and ink drawing, commercial art, and art appreciation. The Art Studio was located in a room with large windows and two skylights for natural lighting. The Crafts classroom was located next door and included four tables and large bins for clay storage. A smaller workroom and the pottery kiln adjoined the two larger art rooms. Teacher: Eleanor B. Synder

Domestic Art Department
Different from Domestic Science (which focused on the household), the Domestic Science Art Department (called Domestic Art for short) prepared students for careers in the working world. The two year course of study included an elementary sewing class that focused on fundamentals and advanced sewing which included clothing design, textiles, and clothing manufacturing. The classroom space included a sewing room, fitting room, and a pressing room. Teacher: Dorothy Dell

Mathematics Department
Considered to be the most rigorous and thought-provoking courses at BTHS, mathematics was seen as essential to creating well-rounded students. The mathematics course was divided into subjects that spanned four years. These included Algebra I* and II*, Geometry III* and IV*, Algebra V, Geometry VI, Trigonometry VII, and College Algebra VIII. Those courses marked with an asterisk (*) were required of all students and the rest of the electives were designed for students planning to attend a university (presumably the University of Illinois) to study engineering. Teachers: William H. Campbell (Algebra), E.G. Hexter

Commercial Department
According to the //Bellevinois//, "Commercial classes teach students the art of 'doing'." The Commercial Department was designed to prepare students for immediate employment in Belleville, which was described as an, "industrial center." There were two courses of study in the Commercial Department- Bookkeeping and Stenography. Bookkeeping courses included Penmanship, Commercial Arithmetic, Accounting, Salesmanship, Commercial Law, and Advertising. The Stenography courses included Typing, Transcription, and Office Training (which taught filing, billing, and shipping). Teachers: Grace Bertram, Theodosia Meng, John C. Beck, Alfred C. Lippold, Mrs. Helen LaCroix, Dorothy Murray, Hortense Emunds

Department of Social Sciences
With the 1921-1922 school year, several changes were made in the Social Sciences department to bring it into alignment with the Illinois Department of Education and the University of Illinois requirements. The curriculum began sophomore year with the study of European History which lasted for four semesters. Students could elect to take the courses in any order, but it was recommended that coursework be done in order to give a greater understanding of the history. American History and Civics were both offered senior year in order to make them more meaningful to students. American History course was changed from one semester to a full year, and the Civics course was taken during the last semester of senior year. Seniors could also elect to take Economics first semester and Sociology second semester. Teachers: Jessie McElwain (American History and Civics), Florence Miller

Vocational Department
The //Bellevenois// excited notes that interest in the vocational courses has greatly increased, and that the program has gone from one teacher when it began in 1917 to three teachers in 1922 (and it is hinted that a fourth teacher may be needed for the next year). The department is divided into three courses of study: Wood Shops, Drawing, and Iron Shops. The Wood Shops courses include furniture making- much of which was for the school. It is noted that the large conference table for the County Court House was made by the Wood Shops class. Not much information is available about the Drawing curriculum except for a note that there is a Mechanical Drawing course. The Iron Shops classes included a Forge Shopr (iron working) complete with a foundry and Machine Shops where tools are made. A new addition was Auto Shops where students learned how to build and repair cars. The Auto Shops class had five to ten hours of lecture a week and the rest of the time was spent in the shop itself. Auto Shops was described as a "four hour class". Teachers: Russell M. Denney (Mechanical Drawing), Harry R. Brill (Wood Shops), Erwin L. Legried (Iron Shops), Ed S. Wright (Mining)

Agricultural Department
The Agricultural Department was divided into two main lines of coursework. General Agriculture was offered to give students a basic foundation to the principles of agriculture. For sons of farming families, a Vocational Agriculture curriculum was offered that stressed more practical skills needed for farming. Students in these courses completed projects on their farms- the first year was a crop project and the second year was an animal project. Teacher: Homer M. Harper

Physical Education
The Physical Education courses were divided into three categories: setting up exercises, apparatus work, and folk dancing, play and games. Setting up exercises were designed to better coordination while apparatus work was to build strength and agility. Play and games were supposed to instill civic values such as learning discipline, following the rules and learning to work with others. The physical education classes would put on a public display one evening during commencement week to show off the skills that their students had learned. Teacher: Walter Lorenzen

Modern Languages Department
There were two offerings in Modern Language: French and Spanish. The French program was more popular with the students and was expanded to three years. The Spanish program was currently two years long. In both language courses, students spent the first year learning grammar and reading short stories. The second year focused on reading literature in the language and writing compositions. The French students also correspond with pen pals in France in order to improve their skills. Teacher: Marguerite Skarr

English Department
The English Department focused on three areas to develop the skills of students- reading, public speaking, and writing. The reading courses include Milton, Tennyson, and Shakespeare. The public speaking courses promote oral articulation with a nod to the "Four Minute Men" who rallied Americans to the war effort at movie theaters and plays. The writing courses aim to teach students both coherence and eloquence. Teachers: Gladys Grigg, Anna Pessel, Anne L. Gill, Edythe Wall, Elma Farmer, J.H. Yarbrough

Department of Music
The Music Department included three courses of study. First was the piano department which offered courses over a four year period with each course counting as 1/5 a credit per semester. Second were the Theoretical courses which included studies of music theory as well as the choruses. The Junior-Senior Chorus would perform a Light Opera each year for the public. Theoretical courses were awarded university credit. The Orchestra was the final part of the Music Department. The orchestra, along with the piano and choral students, would perfrom two recitals a year. Teacher: Raymond Rapp (Piano and Chorus), Ludwig Carl (Music and Chorus)

Latin Department
Latin was offered all four years at BTHS, although the Virgil class did not make due to lack of interest in 1921-22. In the early Latin courses students studied grammar and learned about the relationship between Latin and English. In the second year, they translated four books on Caesar's Gallic Wars. In the third year, students translated "Phormio" a comedy by Terrance as well as five orations by Cicero. Teacher: Jessie F. Miller

**Biology Department**
No information was listed in the 1921-1922 //Bellevinois// about the Biology Department. Teachers: F.J. Friedli, Christine Fisher

=Extension Work=

Night School
The Night School was started by the Board of Education to provide an alternative education for young people who were unable to attend high school because they were already employed. The Night School included classes such as mechanical drawing (elementary and advanced), sewing (elementary and advanced), bookkeeping, typing, shorthand, commercial English and mining. There was such interest in the mining school that it was eventually broken into its own program taught by Mr. Edward Wright. The mining school had an enrollment of 71 students. The other evening classes were taught by the day school teachers with a stipulation that no more that no more than one lesson would be taught per evening. The enrollment in the general Night School was 290 students. Night School began on October 11 and ran through April 18th. Two semesters were offered lasting 12 weeks each. Classes were offered on Tuesdays and Friday nights, and all classes ran from 6:45PM until 9:00PM.

Citizenship Class
In conjunction with the Night School, the Board of Education also created a Citizenship Class with the purpose of instilling "Americanization" in "foreigners." The Citizenship Class was begun by the Board of Education at the requst of the Department of Labor as a result of World War I. The government feared that the, " 'Melting Pot" had not been "melting" with one hundred percent efficiency..." All textbooks and materials for the class were paid for by the Department of Labor. The government identified twenty-one immigrants in the Belleville area who would benefit from a course on citizenship and patriotism. The school was given detailed information on each of the immigrants, and invitations to the class were sent through the Boy Scouts. Of the twenty-one people invited, seventeen accepted the offer (twelve men and five women) and classes began on March 10th. The class was taught by J.H. Yarburough (the Assistant Principal and an English teacher). The class met on the same night as the rest of the Night School and studied topics such as United States History, the Declaration of Independence, and the Constitution of the United States.

=Curriculum =

Literature (3/5 credit) Rhetoric (2/5 credit) Algebra Biology Latin French Arts and Crafts Mechanical Drawing Shop Practice Home Economics Domestic Art Design (1/2 credit) Agriculture Bookkeeping Elementary Wholesale Business Penmanship (1/2 credit) Business Arithmetic (1/2 credit) Stenography Typing Piano (1/5 credit) Chorus (1/5 credit) Orchestra (1/5 credit) Gym (1/5 - 3/10 credit) || English Geometry Ancient History Physiography Home Nursing (1/2 credit) Latin French Arts and Crafts Mechanical Drawing Shop Practice Home Economics Textiles and Millinery (1/2 credit) Agriculture Bookkeeping Banking Corporate Accounting Stenography Transcription Business Practices Typing Commercial Geography (1/2 credit) Commercial Law (1/2 credit) Commercial Arithmetic (1/2 credit) Business Spelling (1/2 credit) Piano (1/5 credit) Chorus (1/5 credit) Orchestra (1/5 credit) Gym (1/5 - 3/10 credit) || English Algebra (Advanced) (1/2 credit) Geometry (Solid) Zoology Chemistry Latin Spanish Modern History Industrial History Arts and Crafts Mechanical Drawing Shop Practice Home Economics General Agriculture Accountancy Salesmanship (1/2credit) Advertising (1/2 credit) Stenography Typing Auto Mechanics History of Music Piano (1/5 credit) Chorus (1/5 credit) Orchestra (1/5 credit) Gym (1/5 - 3/10 credit) || English American History Latin Spanish Trigonometry (1/2 credit) Physics Civics (1/2 credit) Mechanical Drawing Economics (1/2 credit) Sociology (1/2 credit) Theory & Harmony Astronomy (1/2 credit) Geology (1/2credit) State Course 1 Psychology (1/2 credit) Shop Practice Mechanical Drawing Arts and Crafts Typing Piano (1/5 credit) Chorus (1/5 credit) Orchestra (1/5 credit) Gym (1/5 - 3/10 credit) ||
 * ===Freshman Courses=== || ===Sophomore Courses=== || ===Junior Courses=== || ===Senior Courses=== ||
 * English

=Suggested Curricula=

General
Biology 2 Electives || English 3 Electives || English 3 Electives || English American History Civics (1/2) Elective (1/2) ||
 * **First Year** || **Second Year** || **Third Year** || **Fourth Year** ||
 * English

Classical
Latin Biology Algebra || English Latin Ancient History Geometry || English Latin Modern History Elective || English Latin American History Civics (1/2) Elective (1/2) ||
 * **First Year** || **Second Year** || **Third Year** || **Fourth Year** ||
 * English

Modern Languages
French Biology Algebra || English French Geometry Ancient History || English Spanish Modern History Elective (1) || English Spanish American History Civics (1/2) Elective (1/2) ||
 * **First Year** || **Second Year** || **Third Year** || **Fourth Year** ||
 * English

Scientific
Biology French Algebra || English Botany or Physiography French Geometry || English Chemistry or Zoology Algebra (1/2) Geometry (1/2) Modern History || English Physics American History Civics (1/2) Trigonometry (1/2) ||
 * **First Year** || **Second Year** || **Third Year** || **Fourth Year** ||
 * English

Teacher Training
Biology Latin Algebra || English Botany or Physiography Geometry Latin || English Zoology English History || Elective 1 American History Civics (1/2) State Course (1) Psychology (1/2) ||
 * **First Year** || **Second Year** || Third Year || **Fourth Year** ||
 * English

Home Economics
Biology Home Economics 1 Related || English Home Economics 1 Elective 1 Related || English Modern History 2 Electives || English American History Civics (1/2) ||
 * **First Year** || **Second Year** || **Third Year** || **Fourth Year** ||
 * English

Fine Arts
Biology Arts and Crafts Algebra || English Arts and Crafts Geometry Ancient History or 1 Elective || English History of Music Modern History 1 Elective || English Theory and Harmony American History Civics (1/2) Elective (1/2) ||
 * **First Year** || **Second Year** || **Third Year** || **Fourth Year** ||
 * English

Agriculture
Biology Voational Agriculutre Algebra or Elective || English Vocational Agriculture 2 Electives ||
 * **First Year** || **Second Year** ||
 * English

Industrial
Mechanical Drawing Biology Algebra || English Mechanical Drawing Shop Practice Geometry || English Shop Practice Auto Mechanics Related Subject Elective || English American History Sociology (1/2) Civics (1/2) Economics (1/2) Elective (1/2) ||
 * **First Year** || **Second Year** || **Third Year** || **Fourth Year** ||
 * English

Commerical
Bookeeping Elemntary (1/2) Bookkeeping Wholesale (1/2) Biology Penmanship (1/2) Business Arithmetic (1/2) || English Bookeeping Corporate (1/2) Banking (1/2) Commercial Arithmetic (1/2) Commercial Geometry (1/2) or Commercial Law (1/2) Elective || English Sales (1/2) Advertising (1/2) Accountancy Elective || English American History Sociology (1/2) Civics (1/2) Economics (1/2) Elective (1/2) ||
 * **First Year** || **Second Year** || **Third Year** || **Fourth Year** ||
 * English

Stenographic
Stenography Typing Business Spelling (1/2) Commerical Geometry (1/2) || English Stenography Typing Business Spelling (1/2) Commercial Geography (1/2) ||
 * **First Year** || **Second Year** ||
 * English

Business
Banking Biology Penmanship (1/2) Business Arithmetic (1/2) || English Banking Commerical Arithmetic (1/2) Commerical Geography (1/2) Commercia Law (1/2) ||
 * **First Year** || **Second Year** ||
 * English

=**Athletics **=

Football
The football team played various local schools with an unimpressive record for 1921-1922. BTHS went zero for ten by the end of the season. The team played locally as well as games in Benton and Missouri. BTHS played the first game at the new Granite City High School that year. Coached by Mr. Walter Lorenzen.

Basket-Ball
The basketball team experienced a resurgence in 1921-1922. The team took second in the Alton Tournament and won the Mississippi Valley Conference tournament at Washington University. The team played area high schools as well as a game the "Has Beens" (former players) and an alumni game against the Class of 1920. BTHS only lost one game (to Collinsville) on their home court. The team was coached by Mr. F.J. Friedli.

Baseball
This was the first year that a baseball league was organized among local schools. BTHS tied with Edwardsville for first place in the league. Coached by Mr. F.J. Friedli.

Track
Introduced to BTHS in 1919, the track team was relatively new to this area. The team completed in matches at McKendree, Granite City, and Columbia. Coached by Mr. Walter Lorenzen.

=**Activities **=

Township High School Literary Society
The largest club at school, the Literary Society boasted 350 members. However, the yearbook does note that students who do not join any other club are automatically part of the Literary Club. The purpose of the club is to, "offer an excellent chance for practice for those students who are backward about appearing in public and who do not wish to gain confidence by appearing before a critical audience." The society met every Wednesday to perform recitations, plays, and musical numbers. Sponsors: Miss Gill, Miss Grigg, Miss McElwain

Agricultural Club
The Agricultural Club was to stimulate an interest in agriculture. The students in the club would purcahse some commodity to use to raise funds. In 1921-22, the club purchased, "two pure-bred Duroc Jersey pigs, which are to be raised for breeding purposes." This appeared not to last long as one of the pigs was sold by the time the yearbook went to press. The club also planed a garden in the spring. Sponsor: none listed

Commercial Club
The Commercial Club was designed to stimuate an interest in the principles of business. The //Bellevinois// notes, "The Commercial Club, while not the largest in membership, is financially one of the abelest clubs in school." The club held monthly meetings in which a committee of members decided on activities. Sponsors: Mr. Beck, Miss Murray

Home Economics Club
Meeting in Room 11 on the fourth Wednesday of every month, the Home Economics Club presented speakers on the topics of home and home-making. Some occasional cooking demonstrations were provided. The purpose of the club was to stimulate an interest in homemaking. Sponsors: Miss Grigg, Miss Gossett

The Thalian Dramatic Society
Limited only to juniors and seniors, the Society performed plays both for its members and in General Assembly for the school. Plays performed include "The Bride", "A Cold Finish", and "Advertising for a Husband". Sponsor: Miss Wall

B.T.H.S. Tumbling Team
The Tumbling Team was created to develop both strength of body and appreciation of tumbling. Members met once a month to work on their stunts. According to the Secretary of the Club, Harold Groh, "The club is not looking for members at present, and anyone failing to attend meetings will be discharged." The team would often perform at school and public functions. Sponsor: Mr. Walter Lorenzen

Publications

 * The Maroon and White- the BTHS school newspaper
 * //Bellevinois//- the school yearbook

Other Clubs
Several other clubs were listed but no description was available for them.
 * Radio Club
 * The Irving Literary Society
 * The Philo Club

=**School Calendar **=

First Semester
August 29 to September 1 - Registration for classes September 6- first day of school September 9- County Fair- Half Day September 23- Election of Class Officers- Half Day October 31- Staff wiener and marshmallow roast at the Old County Club November 1-2 Teacher's Institute- No School November 16- Senior tree planting December 6- Class rings arrive December 7- General Assembly- Dr. Haynes of Shurleff speaks December 23- Christmas Program January 3- Classes resume January 24, 25, 25- First Semester Final Exams

Second Semester
March 9- Class Pictures March 29- General Assembly- violinist Professor Bergh performs April 26- Senior oration May 26- Chorus Class Operetta June 1- //Bellevinois// goes on sale June 16- Junior Prom June 18- Baccalaureate Sermon June 21- Commencement