Shortridge High School

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Shortridge High School
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Location: Indianapolis, Indiana
Built/Founded: 1927
Architect: Kopf & Deery
Architectural style(s): Classical Revival
Added to NRHP: September 15, 1983
NRHP Reference#: 83000078 [1]
Governing body: Local

Shortridge High School is a public high school located in Indianapolis, Indiana. It was the oldest free high school in the state. It was closed in 1981 and will be reopened as a high school in 2009. [2]

Shortridge is known for one of its famous alumni, author Kurt Vonnegut. He said of his alma mater:

“It's my dream of America with great public schools. I thought we should be the envy of the world with our public schools. And I went to such a public school. So I knew that such a school was possible. Shortridge High School in Indianapolis produced not only me, but the head writer on the I LOVE LUCY show (Madelyn Pugh). And, my God, we had a daily paper, we had a debating team, had a fencing team. We had a chorus, a jazz band, a serious orchestra. And all this with a Great Depression going on. And I wanted everybody to have such a school.” [3]

The academic excellence and unique social ambience of the school in the 1950s were described in the novel Going All The Way by alumnus Dan Wakefield (published in 1970 and adapted to film in 1997).

Contents

[edit] History

Shortridge has a long and interesting history. It was established as Indianapolis High School in 1864 as the state’s first free high school. Abraham C. Shortridge was recruited from Ohio to become school superintendent in 1863. Shortridge was a strict educator when it came to drilling students and faculty alike. However, he was innovative in many ways including the hiring of female teachers and including African-American students. By 1878, Shortridge High served 502 students.[4]

The school was the lightning rod for civil rights almost from the beginning. At its inception it was primarily white. In 1903 in a football game with Wabash, opposing coach Tug Wilson substituted an African American left tackle by the name of Samuel Gordon. The Shortridge team captain led his team off the field after a scene. Gordon kept his sense of humor, noting he was sorry the game was called on account of darkness.[5]

In 1927 a segregated all black school, Crispus Attucks High School, was opened in part to address the rising black population at Shortridge High. In the late 1920s Shortridge High ceased to be a neighborhood school. In 1928 the school moved into its current location at 34th and Meridian Streets in Indianapolis.

The 1930s were hard on Shortridge, as they were on the rest of the nation. The PTA was active in raising money for the school and its students. In the 1940s the school radio station, WIAN, was established. By 1957 Shortridge was ranked among the best schools in the nation according to a Chicago researcher. American Field Study foreign exchange program was established as the first of its kind in Indianapolis. This program continued until the school closed in 1981.

In the 1960s the school was losing good students to other schools. An attempt to make it an all-academic college preparatory school was adopted in the late 1960s to try to restore racial balance. In 1968 the “Shortridge Incident” involving black students and local civil rights activists occurred.

The 1970s were spent defending the school and scrapping the all-academic program. The school was another neighborhood school when it was closed in 1981. [6]

Shortridge is currently a middle school, and the Indianapolis Public Schools may convert Shortridge in the 2009 school year as a high school. [7]

[edit] Shortridge and the Civil Rights Movement

While black students had attended Shortridge from the beginning, it was essentially a white school until 1927 when the Indiana state legislature passed its first desegregation laws. During the 1950-70 period the Mapleton-Fall Creek neighborhood, a part of the Shortridge district, changed from 82% white to 20% white. Since 1940 when Indianapolis went to a neighborhood school concept, Shortridge changed from an exclusively white school to a predominantly black school.

In 1957, a Time Magazine article named Shortridge as one of the top 38 High Schools in the US. As early as 1959, some on the PTA supported gerrymandering the Shortridge district to find a better racial balance at Shortridge. By 1964 some felt that ‘the Shortridge problem’ had reached a crisis. That fall a protest march from the school to Indianapolis Public School offices was supported by 200 students. By 1965 the Board of School Commissioners turn Shortridge into an all-academic high school beginning in the 1966-67 school year. An entrance examination was required. In the 1966-67 school year only 272 freshmen enrolled, 46% black. Though efforts were made in the next four years to increase enrollment, they were not effective in the long run. The 1966 elections saw the board change, including the loss of Richard Lugar, Shortridge graduate and academic plan supporter, who ran for Indianapolis Mayor. By 1967 a new school board voted 5-2 to abolish the ‘Shortridge Plan’.

In 1968, the united States Department of Justice filed a suit charging de jure segregation in Indianapolis. IPS responded with a desegregation plan which addressed only one of the three underlying charges. In 1971 US District Judge S. Hugh Dillin judged the Board of School Commissioners to be guilty of de jure segregation. The next 20 years would include an experimentation in busing and the eventual closing of Shortridge in 1981. It is currently a Junior High school, and will be converted into a high school in 2009. [8]

[edit] The Shortridge Incident

In February 1969, a disagreement over what a student was allowed to wear grew into a major protest involving both students and local civil rights leaders at the school. Otto Breeding, a student, was arrested for ‘disorderly conduct’ after a disagreement over the unwritten dress code. He was asked to not wear a t-shirt advertising a radical black organization. Some students felt this was grossly unfair and attempted to disrupt the school pulling fire alarms and chanting “black power” in the halls. The next day an ad hoc group of students confronted the assistant principal with four demands. The response to the petition did not satisfy the students.

The next day, the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra was schedule to play a concert in Caleb Mills Hall at the school. Some 20 students rose and left as the orchestra played the star spangled banner. The students eventually congregated at a youth project run by Rev Luther Hicks. Rev. Hicks calmed the students and helped them plan a non-violent protest in front of the school. In front of the school, the students shouted “Say it loud! I’m black and I’m proud.” With the student body inside the school watching, police were called. As with such marches all over the south in that day, the students and some adults were hauled away and arrested. Twenty three minor students and seven adults were taken away to Marion County Jail in what one student called “ the most brutal thing I’ve witnessed in my life.” Most were charged with resisting arrest and disorderly conduct. One civil rights leader, Griffin Bell, was charged with inciting a riot.

Marion County Prosecutor Noble Pearcy attempted to have the minor students declared incorrigible in his zeal to get tough with school unrest. This caused mixed reactions within the community. The police met with religious community leaders in an effort to get them to withdraw their support for the arrested students. The police even suggested that this was the sponsored by the Communist Party.

A Freedom school was set up to help the students keep up with their work since they were all suspended at this point. The case eventually reached the Indiana Supreme Court trying to decide jurisdiction. Eventually all charges against the students were dismissed and three civil rights leaders were given fines, with one receiving six months on the Indiana State Prison Farm. [9]

[edit] The Shortridge Daily Echo

In 1898 the school established a daily newspaper. It was the first daily high school newspaper in the country [10] It continued its daily status until the 1970s where it was converted to a weekly. Kurt Vonnegut Jr. and Donald Ring Mellett are two notable alumni who served as editor of the "Echo".[11]

[edit] Sports

In a state where basketball is king, Shortridge had its moment in the sun in the 1967-68 season. The Blue Devils won their way to the final game of the state championship, only to lose by eight points. However, over the years Shortridge won state championships in golf (five titles, three times runners-up), wrestling (twice), track and field (twice, and runners-up twice), and cross country (twice, and runners-up twice).[12]

[edit] IHSAA Boys Wrestling

[edit] IHSWCA Hall of Fame Wrestlers

  • Frank Anderson, inducted 1990
  • Charles Blackwell, inducted 1995
  • James Hill, inducted 1976
  • Dr. John Hobbs, inducted 1988
  • David Jeter, inducted 1981
  • Drayton Praed, inducted 1977
  • Coach Paul Dill, inducted 1973
  • Indianapolis City championship (5) 1967-68

[edit] Team State wrestling championships

  • 1958-59, Coach Paul Dill
  • 1966-67, Coach George Bohlin

[edit] Individual state wrestling champions

  • 1951-52, James Bose (138 lbs.), Richard Anthony (175)
  • 1952-53, Drayton Praed (154), David Jeter (165)
  • 1953-54, Drayton Praed (154)
  • 1954-55, James Hill (112), Frank Anderson(133), David Jeter (165)
  • 1955-56, James Hill (112)
  • 1958-59, Melvin Jeter (165)
  • 1962-63, James Blackwell (145), William Beacham (154)
  • 1964-65, Edward Price (heavyweight)
  • 1965-66, Charles Blackwell (154)
  • 1966-67, James Gardner(145)
  • 1969-70, Desmond Smith(165)
  • 1970-71, John Hobbs(105)
  • 1971-72, John Hobbs(105)

[edit] IHSAA Boys Track & Field

Team state champion

  • 1903-04 Coach Parmalee
  • 1907-08 runner up
  • 1908-09 runner up
  • 1914-15 Coach S Roach

Individual Champions
 High Jump

  • 1904-05 Murat DeWeese,McLaughlin (tie 5-4 3/4)
  • 1907-08 Harold Morrison 5-8 3/4
  • 1908-09 Harold Morrison 5-7 ½
  • 1958-59 Gerry Williams 6-6.0

Long jump

  • 1905-06 Murat DeWeese 20-6 ½
  • 1907-08 Hendrickson 20-2 ½
  • 1908-09 Harold Morrison 21-3 ¼

100 Yd Dash

  • 1903-04 Russell Joseph 10 1/5
  • 1937-38 Alfred Piel 10.3

220 Yd Dash

  • 1903-04 Russell Joseph 23 3/5
  • 1937-38 Alfred Piel 22.7

440 Yrd dash

  • 1907-08 R. Hendrickson 55.0
  • 1915-16 Butler 55.6

880 yrd dash

  • 1904-05 Patton 2:11 4/5
  • 1950-51 Bob Bruce 2:00.4

Mile

  • 1903-04 George Steep 12 5:04.0
  • 1927-28 Patterson 4:40.1

120 Yard High Hurdles

  • 1915-16 Moore 17.2

220 Yard Low Hurdles

  • 1915-16 Wilson 27.2

880 yrd relay

  • 1928-29 1:37.8
  • 1937-38 1:33.7

Mile relay

  • 1935-36 3:32.2


[edit] IHSAA Boys Cross Country

State team champions

  • 1953-54 Coach Tom Haynes
  • 1954-55 Coach Tom Haynes
  • 1959-60 Runner up

[edit] IHSAA Boys Golf

Golf team state champions (5 - second most state championships in state history)

  • 1934-35 Coach Simon Roache
  • 1936-37 Coach Simon Roache
  • 1948-49 Coach Peterman
  • 1949-50 Coach Peterman
  • 1952-53 runner up
  • 1953-54 runner up
  • 1955-56 runner up
  • 1956-57 state champion

Golf Individual medallists

  • 1934-35 Richard McCreary 73
  • 1948-49 Peter Burkholder 73
  • 1949-50 William Kerr 73
  • 1954-55 Don Essig 73
  • 1955-56 Dan Burton 73
  • 1956-57 Charles Griffith 71


[edit] IHSAA Boys Basketball

IHSAA Basketball Hall of Fame coach George Theofanis (coached 1966-1969)

Basketball sectional championships (10)

  • 1924-25 Indianapolis
  • 1925-26 Indianapolis
  • 1930-31 Indianapolis
  • 1932-33 Indianapolis
  • 1935-36 Indianapolis
  • 1937-38 Indianapolis
  • 1939-40 Indianapolis
  • 1966-67 Indianapolis Coliseum
  • 1967-68 Indianapolis Coliseum
  • 1968-69 Indianapolis Coliseum

Basketball regional championships (4)

  • 1930-31 Anderson
  • 1932-33 Indianapolis
  • 1966-67 Indianapolis
  • 1967-68 Indianapolis

Basketball semi state championships (1)

  • 1967-68 Indianapolis

Basketball runner up state championship (1)

  • 1967-68 Indianapolis

[edit] Notable alumni

The Alma Mater of Shortridge borrows the tune of Cornell's "Far Above Cayuga's Waters." The lyrics:
In the land of milk and honey,
In the central west;
Stands a school of many virtues,
ranked among the best;
Glorious Shortridge is her title,
loved by old and young;
Let her name be duly honored,
May her praise be sung.

[edit] References

  1. ^ National Register Information System. National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service (2006-03-15).
  2. ^ Absolute News Manager .NET V5.0 : Licensed to Butler University
  3. ^ Video of Vonnegut on NOW on PBS, October 7, 2005
  4. ^ (I4647 G38 1985, Laura S. Gaus, "Shortridge High School 1864-1981 In Retrospect" (1985))
  5. ^ Feature: The Team That Tackled Old Jim Crow
  6. ^ (I4647 G38 1985, Laura S. Gaus, "Shortridge High School 1864-1981 In Retrospect" (1985))
  7. ^ Absolute News Manager .NET V5.0 : Licensed to Butler University
  8. ^ Scott D Seay, “The Shortridge Incident: Christian Theological Seminary as an agent of Reconciliation” CTS journal, Encounter, Spring 2007
  9. ^ Scott D Seay, “The Shortridge Incident: Christian Theological Seminary as an agent of Reconciliation” CTS journal, Encounter, Spring 2007
  10. ^ Kurt Vonnegut's Biography
  11. ^ I4647 G38 1985, Laura S. Gaus, "Shortridge High School 1864-1981 In Retrospect" (1985)
  12. ^ Indiana High School Athletic Association