110 years ago
In August 1915, the number of students attending school in Huron had grown to 1,085. A new high school had been built the year before, and to accommodate the growing student body, additional teachers were hired.
There were now thirteen high school teachers and twenty for the grade schools. An article in the Huron Daily Huronite, published on August 11, 1915, listed Miss Gladys Pyle as returning to teach high school Latin. U
nfortunately for students, the high school penmanship class was delayed because a teacher had not been found.
82 years ago
Students returning to Huron College in the fall of 1943 encountered several changes in the colleges curriculum due to the United States involvement in World War II. Huron College President George McDougall announced that the semester system would be replaced with a quarter system, allowing for more concentrated study. Students enrolled in three classes that met daily instead of the usual five.
To address the growing need for typists and skilled secretaries during the war, the college provided an accelerated one-year training program for female students. The college also added classes in home hygiene, first aid, German language, and physics to meet wartime needs.
Huron College was one of 1,400 colleges in the United States to offer Civilian Pilot Training during World War II. Men could join the Civilian Pilot Training course, which provided 240 hours of ground school and 35 hours of flight training in preparation for joining the military. After completing the eight-week program, students transferred to the Navy or the Army Air Corps to continue their military training. The program was taught by instructors from Dakota Aviation Company at the Huron airport and included practice flying with Link training simulators.
58 years ago
In August 1967, senior high school principal James Solon announced the completion of Hurons new $2.1 million high school and welcomed students for the 1967-68 school year. Designed to accommodate 1,000 students, the building was divided into three sections. The east wing served as the academic wing, housing the majority of the classrooms and the library. The west wing included areas for the auditorium, home economics, music, art, industrial arts, and agriculture shops. The space between the two wings contained the kitchen, commons, and main offices. A gymnasium and mechanical room were connected to the north end of the building by an enclosed canopy.
That same year, Huron implemented a flexible scheduling program, becoming one of 120 high schools nationwide affiliated with Stanford University to test this new approach. The school day was extended by 40 minutes, with class periods of varying lengths scheduled throughout the week. Classes were organized into large group instruction, small group work, practice labs, and periods dedicated to SRT, student responsibility time. Under the flexible scheduling system, students were encouraged to take greater responsibility for their learning by participating in self-guided small group activities and independent study using specialized resource areas tailored to specific subjects.
Historical Happenings was written by Jennifer Littlefield, Reference Librarian at the Huron Public Library. The information was taken from past editions of the Huron Daily Plainsman. For more information about Hurons history, visit the library or search the librarys digital archive.
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