Taken from the NORTHEAST COURIER Vol. XV. No. 12 March 8, 1927
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HIGH LIGHTS IN THE HISTORY OF NORTHEAST
The establishment of Northeast was the result of a meeting of the Northeast Improvement Association on May
25, 1911. A committee which consisted of R. A. Long, Colonel F. W. Fleming, E. C. Meservey and John R. McFee conferred with
the school board about the proposed school.
On November 2, 1911, the Board of Education bought, from the Abington Land company, ablock of ground for
the proposed Northeast High school. The ground had a frontage of 600 feet north and south and 249 feet east and west. Thirty
thousand dollars was the price paid for the plot which was located in a park and boulevard system.
Soon after this purchase a comittee was sent East to study high schools.
Regarding the course of study, Mr. I. I. Cammack, Superintendent of schools said the following: "Teaching
will be on the academic plan, proposing to give the highest and broadesst development to the pupil as an individual, enabling
him to discover for himself his own powers, tastes and capabilities, thereby helping him the better to select the calling
for which he is best suited."
In the spring of 1912, about one year from the time the movement was first started, the actual work began
on the building.
A movement was started soon after this to have the new school called the James M. Greenwood High School,
in honor of a former superintendent of schools and a petition was circulated to this effect. But this effort failed and our
high school was christened Northeast High School.
Since Northeast was unfinished when the first term opened, the pupils were forced to attend ssessions in
the Old Central High School building. The enrollment was 634. This may be contrasted with the enrollment for this year which
is 1740.
On October 28, 1913, purple and white were chosen as Northeast's colors and the first yell was composed.
One week later The Nor'easter was chosen as the name for the school publicaiton. At first it was in the form of a magazine.
This year the name of the paper was changed to "The Northeast Courier" in order to distinguish it from the annual.
Northeast's first cheerleaders were elected on December 8. Three days later was the High School Night of
the Davis-Mills Campaign at the Indepenedence Avenue Methodist Church from which Northeast carried off the prize for the largest
attendance. The next day Ernest Swearingen '14, was elected captain of the first basketball team.
The Treble Clef was the first club to organize and the Glee Club soon followed. The German Club, Alpha Literary
Society and the Northeast Society of Debate received charters on November 21. On Wednesday, February 4, a charter was given
to the Northeat Shakespeare club. Since the various organizations have grown up until there are nine societies and fifteen
clubs.
When the Northeast building was opened on April 13, 1913, it created quite a sensation. It was the newest
and most up-to-date school building in Kansas City, Missouri.
Some of the unusual features were a swimming pool and plunge, a lunch room and kitchen, an outside athletic
park and running track, an emergency room for teachers and pupils and rest parlors for teachers. Additional features were
small cloak rooms, sliding blackboards, eighteen ventilators on the roof which changed the air in the class rooms and a model
flat in the domestic science department. This later was done away with to make froom for class rooms as the school grew.
Mr. C. B. Reynolds was made principal and Mr. C. H. Nowlin, vice-Principal on March 18, 1913. Mr. Reynolds
received most of his educaiton in Illinois, but taught mostly in Missouri. He was Principal of different ward schools in this
city for sixteen years. His position at Northeast mean a great deal to him and he was adored and loved by all the students
until his death in 1926.
Mr. Nowlin was a graduate of Kansas University and was a member of the Central High School faculty for eighteen
years. In 1923 he became Principal of the Northeast Junior High and A. T. Chapin was promoted to the vice-Principalship. He
remained there until 1926 when he became Pirncipal of East High School. Miss Nelson was Northeast's first office clerk.
Mr. B. M. Stigal was made Principal at Mr. Reynolds retirement in 1921-22 and so remained until 1925, when
he was transferred to Paseo High School in June, 1926. Mr. F. H. Barbee is now filling that position.
Of the faculty which first came to Northeast fourteen still remain; they are: Mr. E. D. Phillips,
Miss Eva Packard, Miss Anna Pile, Mr. A. T. Chapin, Mrs. Sabra Cunningham, Mr. James Ellis, Mr. Barry Fulton, Miss Mildred
Keating, Miss Msartha Rouse, Miss Julia Guyer, Mrs. Louise Harrison, Mr. F. E. Chaffee and Miss Nellie Stewart.
Since her establishment, Northeast has ranked high in athletics; her debates have been intensely interesting;
her music almost unexcelled and her R. O. T. C. work has been most commendable. In all intersholastic events she is recognized
as a power. For this much credit is due the many instructors who have so ably guided the footsteps of the pupils who have
filled her halls. It is thru their undying perseverance that the student body has been inspired with the desire to do their
best for their alma mater.
Those teachers who have been with Northeast through her younger days are especially to be commended for
their inspiration and leadership in building up this powerful institution, in making of a beautiful cold building an equally
beautiful living institution.
The name of Northeast High School is recognized throughout the colleges and universities as one of the finest
high schoools of the Middle West. Her graduates are distribued all through the United States, many of them occupying the highest
positions of the country.
Northeast High School has been a power of Kansas City for the past fourteen years. She is a power of the
present and from all indications will continue to be a power through time immortal.
They have buildt up a tradtional high standard for Northeast's pupoils to follow and to strive to attain.
That standard hasn't been set so high as to discourage anyone, but high enough to call forth the best in all.
