BUCHANAN HIGH SCHOOL 1930-1939

School Board Members during this decade:

Superintendent

Throughout the 1930s, Mr. Harold Stark served as the Superintendent as he had from 1923 and continued until 1954.
Mr. Stark served BCS at least 31 years and is the longest serving superintendent.

Principals

Timeline of 1930-1939

Outdoor events such as baseball, softball and football used the Athletic Field near McCoy Creek.
The library contained 2000 books but only six people could fit in the library at one time.

Students had an hour for lunch. During this hour students went home or to a home where they boarded [paid for lunches in private homes].
The Agriculture Club reorganized in 1933 after a two-year hiatus. Twice a month the organization held short talks on some agricultural topic and then the group ended with a social hour in the gym with refreshments.
In 1933 “…the seniors wish to extend their thanks to the Buchanan School Board. It has been a severe struggle to keep our school progressing during the present crisis [the depression] and much credit should be extended… These five people have handled the business affairs of our school very successfully…” [THE PINES Vol. 9, 1933]
First Mention of THE BUCKS [THE PINES Vol. 9, 1934] still alternately called the “Maroon and White” in 1934-5. Prior to that time the teams were called Buccaneers or Bucs.
August Topash, class of 1934, and his siblings likely became the first Native-American graduates of Buchanan High School in the mid 1930s. August’s PINES quote was, “There is no king nor sovereign state that can fix this hero’s rate.” As a student August participated for four years in football, basketball, and track plus he worked on the Microphone [newspaper] staff.

By 1933 there were no girls’ sports and this lack of girls’ athletic competition continued until 1972 just prior to Title IX taking effect.
The first black student graduated from Buchanan High School in 1936–Roy Powell. No other blacks graduated for a decade. Black families recruited from southern states by Clark Equipment would see their children graduate in the 1950s and for generations for the next seven decades. Roy Powell was born in South Bend in 1916 to Leona Chaviaus Powell and George Powell. Roy’s senior quote was “full of good meaning and good wishes.” He participated in the agriculture club, the French club, the Velmarian Literary Society, the Glee Club and was part of the Microphone [newspaper] Staff. His sister attended Buchanan High School that year and was a year younger.

The Senior Classes of 1936 and 1937 cooperated to help defray costs of an address system with a permanent magnet speaker for each room and a new electric phonograph for music. The broadcast system was installed in the auditorium and superintendent’s office to be heard in any room in the building. Students could hear entertaining and educational broadcasts and announcements could also be made over the system rather than written notes going from the office to classrooms. [THE PINES Vol. 13, 1937]
In the years 1936-1940, witnessed a transformation of social norms. In 1936, a group of boys formed a club where “…boys were permitted to take cooking.” Befitting their future roles in life and the cooks they hoped to be, the name selected for their club became Future Husbands in 1937. They hosted the Halloween party and dance that year. [THE PINES, Vol. 13, 1937] In 1938, the group was renamed the Future Bachelors’ Club which indicated a change in goals perhaps. In THE PINES of 1938, this group of men were joined by the FAA to present a program–“Foods: Grown and Prepared” by BHS students. By 1939, this group became known as the Magic Chefs but the next year they were simply known as the Boys’ Home Economics Club.

The 1937 BHS students debated whether all electric utilities shall be governmentally owned.
In 1937, the community built seating for 450 at Athletic Field and lights added by the Buchanan Park Board. Admission to games was free but a small charge of a dime was made for bleacher seats. The field was fenced in and kept free of cars. John Miller was appointed athletic director. The [baseball] field was moved, filled and resurfaced at that same time.
In 1939, the BHS Band won first prize at the fourth Western Michigan Music Festival. They then won second prize for juvenile bands at the Chicagoland Music Festival, also. Finally, that summer they entered yet another contest at Riverview Park in Chicago where the BHS band won third prize over more than a hundred bands from the Chicago area.
The 1939 graduates had labels of general, agriculture, engineering, commercial or college preparatory courses of study.

GRADUATE NUMBERS–TOTAL GRADUATES—523

[The number of graduates varies from THE PINES and other sources

1930—41
1931—51
1932—52
1933—48
1934—50 graduates—a total of 244 students in the high school plus students in grades K-8
1935—41
1936—45 graduates one was Roy Powell, the first Black graduate in THE PINES; 17 high school faculty plus school nurse [majority women];
1937—54 graduates; there were 596 students K-12 in building daily
1938—63
1939–78

Student Activities

Alpha Agrarian Club reorganized into Future Farmers of America Club with Mr. Washburn as sponsor in 1935.
Apprenticeship Club [work study] members go to school four hours and then work the remainder of the day in the late 1930s.
“B” club for men who won a major letter in athletics to bring the letter men together and promote better school spirit among the students. Boys were awarded letter “B” for varsity participation in 1937-38. Girls had Girls’ Athletic Association for intramural activities
The band festival was hosted by BHS in May in 1939. The band received new uniforms for the almost forty members in 1935-36

Basketball with BHS beating Niles in basketball in 1938 for the first time since 1932.
Booster Club was organized by the home economics girls in 1937 to create school spirit and become better homemakers.
Dance Orchestra called the Troubadors [sic] formed for school parties, dances, banquets and even for dances at other schools.
Dances were held in the gym after many football and basketball games.
Debate topic involved the U.S. establishing a better alliance with Britain in 1938-39
Drum major and three baton twirlers were added to the band in 1938.
Faculty plays presented for students became a tradition in the 1930s.
Football had record number of men at tryouts in 1935—75 with cuts resulted 24 on final team BHS had an undefeated football season in 1937-38
Future Husbands’ Club
Girls athletics–There were no girls’ sports recognized by the yearbook staff in 1933-34
L’Alliance Francaise–French Club continued during the 1930s.

Legio Decim, the branch of Eta Sigma Phi sponsored by the national honorary classic fraternity, focused on Roman life and Latin games
Library club was established and presented plays in 1936-37.
Microphone Club [student newspaper]

Musical Review with jazz orchestra, talented artists, acrobats, and choir using hits right off Broadway in 1936-37. “…no one can say our high school hasn’t gone modern.” [THE PINES, Vol. 13, 1937]
Speech Club—cooperative dinners with toasts and after dinner speeches with a goal of doing away with self-consciousness and correction of faulty speech started in the late 1930s.

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