History of Kewanee High School

Kewanee High School 1887-1906

Kewanee High School 1906-1956

Kewanee High School Yearbook History:  The first yearbook the Snapshot was issued on May 23, 1904. In 1927 the KHS enrollment was 478 students and 26 teachers with ten born outside of the United States. Miss Anna Weimer reported that $18.33 as the average cost per student for purchasing material for the sewing class. The yearbook, the Kewanite, earned an All-American rating from the National Scholastic Press Association held at the University of Minnesota in 1929.The Silver Kewanee of 1931 indicated a student body of 700 up from 350 in 1906. The 1956 Kewanite was dedicated to the old Kewanee High School Building, which had been used since 1906.

Homecoming:  A homecoming parade was held by the class of 1935 to honor the unbeaten and untied football team-hopefully the tradition will continue.

The Tiger:  The school newspaper the Tiger was first published in 1910 and dropped as a monthly publication in 1931. The name Keyway Gazette, a mimeographed newssheet appeared in the 1934 Kewanite, a mostly put together affair by students. The present newspaper is the K-Chronicle.

School Song:  On March 23, 1923 the school song was first heard at the Spring Festival sung by a quartette in evening dress. Miss Dorothy McGrath and Mr. Forrest Keller, students of the class of 1923, wrote the KHS song. Miss McGrath wrote the music and Mr. Keller wrote the words. It was originally made for the piano and later arranged for the band by Mr. Bert, a former music director. It was presented to the public at the Spring Festival on March 23, 1923, and adopted as the official KHS School Song at that year’s Commencement. After graduation from Kewanee High School, Dorothy McGrath went on to attend the American Conservatory of Music in Chicago. Upon graduation, she was awarded first prize in the annual competition for graduating piano students. She composed a number of piano pieces for children, which were published as part of a teaching method for students. She worked for the Music Department of the Springfield Missouri Public Schools the University of Miami at Miami, Florida, and the Music Department of Augustana College in Rock Island, Illinois, until her retirement. She was also a member of the Sigma Alpha Iota National Music Sorority. She died August 24, 1995 at the age of 89. Forrest Keller became a Professor of Economics in the Graduate School of Business Administration at University of Virginia in Charlottesville, Virginia. He died in a retirement home in Chicago in 1987. Dorothy McGrath’s family upon her death donated the original manuscript of the school song to Kewanee High School.

Kewanee High School Song

On, ever on, Kewanee High School,
Let’s put our colors in the sky;
Thus far they’ve flown without a single blot
So, now it’s up to us to give the game the best We’ve got.
Tho’ sometimes the score may be against us,
Let no one say we ever failed to try.
And always fighting we will show the world
That there’s a real Kewanee High!
Come on you team; let’s wipe ‘em out,
On, Kewanee, On!
They’re out-classed beyond a doubt!
On, Kewanee, On!
Let’s fight, that’s right
We’ll raise our triumph shout, by singing; After the fighting is over
We’ll see our colors floating high.
Real fight will ever keep our flag un stained
And every time we fight it’s just another
victory gained.
So we can forget about the scoreboard
When we have made our biggest try,
You see we’ve always won, for we have shown the world
That there’s a real Kewanee High, Fight!

Clubs and Organizations at KHS:

College Night:  On April 24, 1912 the first College Night was held. Schools represented were University of Leipsic, Wabash College, University of Chicago, Northwestern University, Western Illinois State Normal, Grinnel College, Yale University Law School, DePauw University and Lake Forest College. Many of the representatives appeared to have been local residents who graduated from these schools.

Glee Club:  The Glee Club was organized in 1910.

Camera Club:  The first meeting of the Camera Club was held December 16, 1912 in room 13 and consisted of 50 and 60 students. The Kewanee “Kolor Klub” was organized in 1928.

German Club:  The German Club was first organized in 1913.

Drama Club:  The Drama Club was first organized in November 1916.

HI-Y:  March 1, 1921 the membership is open to boys in the upper two classes who subscribe to the four C's, clean living, clean speech, clean scholarship and clean athletics. Mr. Bruner and Mr. Walter Lamb are the advisors.

Red Triangle:  Organized in October 1922 for boys of the two lower classes who will subscribe to the "Declaration of Purpose."

Radio Club:  The Radio Club is formed in 1923.

History Club:  Mr. Rowley organized the History Club on October 2, 1908 with Harrison Batten as President. At the first meeting Randall Parrish gave a talk on Historical Studies, one about William Cullen Bryant and another on Robert Burns. A total of 8 meetings were scheduled for the school year.

Student Council:  Mr. Rinker organized the Student Federation in 1914. A new form of student government is introduced in 1931 by Mr. Robinson, which is made up of homeroom representatives- named, the Student Council.

Tri-Y:  Organized in 1933 and limited to 25 girls. Advisors were Helen Regan and Genevieve Saygh. Ms. Stella Pletkovich was named President in the1935 Kewanite.

Letterman's Club:  First organized in 1939 and again in 1945, the Monogram Club was formed by Stan Sosnouski and advised by Coach Brockman in 1946.

Home Economics Club:  Miss Weimer and Miss Albright organized the Home Economics Club in 1933.

Spanish Club:  Marguerite Dunnell formed this club in 1945.

Future Teachers of America:  This club was formed in 1950-51 and named in honor of Mollie Peterson who spent 50 years teaching in the Kewanee Schools. Ken Middleton was the advisor to the twenty-seven members. Miss Olson changed the name of the Bookwork Club in 1956 to Student Librarians.

Industrial Arts:  Paul McMorris formed the Diversified Occupations Club in the 1950-1951 school year, with 19 boys enrolled in 12 different occupations. John Lappin was elected State President of Industrial Education Clubs in 1961. In 1942 the Industrial Arts Department is offering classes to enable boys to work in defense plants.

Latin Club:  Societies Classical organized October 12, 1926 with Miss Fern Slusher Advisor.

Future Farmers of America:  The November Tiger of 1911 reports Agriculture was started with 3 girls and 13 boys. Fred Cline started in the FFA in 1950 with 30 members meeting twice a month.