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Central High School (1940)
1624 Columbus Avenue - Bay City, MI

Contributed by Clarence and Gladys (Weide) Stroemer
from the Scrapbook Collection of Miss Freida Stroemer. (April 2004)

The Bay City Times - Saturday, January 5, 1941.

Bay City Central High School

Is One of Most Modern in Michigan

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(EDITOR'S NOTE: The concluding article in a series relating the history of Bay City public schools, one published each Saturday in The Times, appears today, with Central High school the subject.)

Central High school is one of the city's three modern school buildings, the other two being T.L. Handy Junior High school and the new Farragut school. It was erected in - 1921 at a cost of million and a half dollars. Students from Eastern High school, now Eastern Junior High school enrolled in the spring of 1922, while students from Western High school didn't register until the fall of that year. About 950 students came from both schools. Today there are about 1,900 students.

There were no third floor wings at that time. These were added in 1931 at a cost of $100,000. In 1926 the stadium was built by a Citizen's Stadium Corporation and cost $48,000. This past summer night lighting equipment was added, making it one of the most modern high school sports' arenas in the state. The corporation sold bonds to the citizens of Bay City to pay for the stadium, but as the company could not keep up interest on the bonds, the school board took over the project, and still pays $4,000 a year with interest. Twelve thousand dollars remain to be paid.

Construction Rates High

Central's construction rates high for instructional efficiency and out 21 determining factors it is rated excellent on seven items, location, architecture, height, class rooms, heating, toilet system and safety. It is listed as "good" on all other factors with the exception of the possibility of expansion on which it is rated as "fair." The "good" factors include: play-ground, landscape, construction, flexibility, basement, efficiency for administration, special rooms, general condition, ventilation, water supply, natural lighting, artificial lighting and equipment.

Central is heated by steam with four Casey Hedges boilers, each having 255 horsepower. Each room is thermostatically controlled, with two air compressors operating the thermostats. It also has one hot water circulating pump, two vacuum pumps, two boiler feed pumps, six large heating and ventilating fans, and nine small ventilating fans. From 12 to 18 tons of coal are sued a day to heat the building in the winter, with two systems of heat regulation, the National and Johnson Service systems.

Has Automatic Telephone

An automatic telephone system is used in the school with a dial phone in each room. All clocks in the building are worked by a master clock in the office, which also regulates the gongs used at the beginning and end of class periods. Central also has a public address system.

About 50 teachers were employed when the school was opened with N.B. Sloan as principal. He came from Eastern High school, and LeRoy C. Perkins was his assistant before becoming dean of Bay City Junior college formed shortly after the school's erection and still housed in the building, with George E. Butterfield, the present dean. Perkins had formerly been principal of Western High school.

When Central was erected it had its own pumping system as the present city water works was not in operation. The library was on the first floor, with the late Miss Mabel Asman, librarian. At that time the model apartments were used as rooms for home economics and househould management classes, and the present two sewing rooms were constructed as one, then. Miss Edith Marvel was in charge of the cafeteria. The model apartments are used for special classes today.

Uses Advisory System

The advisory group system now used in the school is recent innovation and so are most of the school's numerous clubs. However, the Council of 30 and Ecclesia came to the school from Eastern. Shortly after the Central Science and Literature club was formed, along with the Central Citizenship club. Charles H. White, public school music supervisor, wrote the original school song, and the school publication, "Centralia" was started the first year.

The advisory system at Central was formed to assist students in their selection of subjects and to follow activities best adapted to their interest, as well as to aid them in personal matters. The entire student body is divided into about 60 groups of 30 students each for this purpose, with a faculty member at the head. The groups meet once a week on assembly days to conduct their business. All Student Union business is conducted through a student senate. The Union has been organized for about a decade and is the government by which the students run their school affairs according to democratic principles.

List Principals

Sloan served as principal until 1924, when Glenn A. Omans, now principal of Eastern, acted as principal until 1925. P.M. Keen took over the duties in 1925 and served until 1932 when he was followed by Charles H. Hamilton. The present principal, J. Harry Adams, came in 1935. Central's staff of 65 members includes: Adams, principal; Cecil E. MacDonald, assistant principal; Paul Auble, H. Adeline Ballamy, Elliot M. Barr, Eva Bothe, Paul Briggs, D.A. Brotherton, Stanton W. Burton, Loren E. Cady, Charles H. Carlson, Mabel R. Carver, Ida T. Clancy, F.W. Clegg, F.G. Culver, Melba Curry, D. Abe Dalzell, Frank G. Davis, Alice Dersnah, Virginia Eicholtz, H. Russell Evans, Mildred B. Forbes, Theophile V. Franek, Dorothy H. Frost, Clayton R. Garlock, Julia L. Goddeyne, A.T. Greenman, Morris Greenstein, Curtis S. Gustin, C. Arthur Hakenen, Lena Lillian Hand, Lizetta Harris, Eliza Jane Herman, Faye J. Hill, Elson Clay Hood, Libbie Kessler, Margaret A. Kinnane, Clara L. Krause, Grace Leas, Dorothy Leibrand, Edith Marvel, Lloyd J. McCully, Mary McKinney, Ethelyn Miller, Marion B. Moore, Clare R. Murphy, Helen O'Leary, Walter A. Olsen, Ruth L. Pake, Ina Belle Palmer, Grace R. Payne, Elizabeth Rae, Jennie Reagon, Ada I. Royal, A.J. Runner, Frances Schultz, Lester H. Sherbeck, Jane Simpson, Verna Sparling, Ivan Stringer, Nelda Taylor, Henry J. Van Wezel, William Warner, Margaret Webb, Forence E. Weber, Henrietta A. Wittwer, and Rose R. Zielinski.

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