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Our journey: The evolution of the Burroughs campus
Enrollment: 316 in 1940 & 330 in 1949
Program Highlights
- In 1942, enrollment was 307 and nearly 17 percent of students received some form of tuition aid; down from nearly 50 percent in 1932.
- The Constitution for Student Government underwent a major revision in 1942, its first since it was written in 1923. The principal revision was the clarification of the function of Student Government in relation to the other two governing bodies; the Student Court and the Student Congress.
- In 1942, beloved Coach Deyo S. Leland died of a heart attack. Coach Leland had helped to establish the ABC League, and he made it possible for every boy in the school to play on a team. "Think clean, be clean, play clean" was his idea of sportsmanship, and it's why our football field was dedicated to his memory.
- In 1945, Burroughs had its first undefeated "A" football team coached by Mr. Lyle Bennett and Dr. Mark Neville.
- The 1948-1949 school year was an outstanding one for athletics and especially for the football team which had a perfect record for the first time in school history, with eight wins and no losses under the direction of Coach Ray Wolfe and Dr. Mark Neville.
- Prior to 1949, our cheerleading squad was ad hoc, loosely organized, and strictly a male domain. After the student body voted to allow girls to join the squad, a tryout assembly was convened, and a lunchtime vote followed that affirmed the inclusion of women on the squad. The rest is history!
Campus Highlights
- In 1941, the north wing of the main building (now called the Brauer Building) was greatly expanded to triple the amount of space for the nationally recognized fine arts department, to house the Industrial Arts Department which moved from a shed to a spacious area under the Art Department, to accommodate the first modern biology laboratory on the second floor, and to provide the first large music studio and practice room on the third floor.
- On October 9, 1947, the much anticipated new gymnasium was formally dedicated in honor of Burroughs alumni who had served our country in World War II. Inscribed on a plaque at the entrance to the gym are the names of those who were killed while on active duty: Douglas Allan, Jr. ’40, Hudson Bridge, III ’36, David Connole ’30, Charles Harrison ’39, Richard Kauffman, Jr. ’27, Herbert Kiddoo ’42, Richard Marx ’35, F. Maury Matthews ’36, Parker Matthews ’37, Stratford Morton, Jr. ’30, Oliver Mutrux ’39 and James Townsend ’42.
Giving Highlights
- The very first endowed scholarships were established in 1947 - the Mary Anna Meyers ’46 Memorial Scholarship and the Clement W. Pollock Memorial Scholarship.
- In March 1949, the “Build a Better Burroughs” campaign concluded having raised the funds needed to build a new gymnasium and two new tennis courts. The much anticipated new gymnasium was formally dedicated in honor of Burroughs alumni who had served our country in World War II.
Community Highlights
- By October 1942, of some 700 graduates, almost 100 were in the armed forces.
- As the number of alumni in the armed services increased, Burroughs organized a campaign to send them letters of support and to share news of happenings on and off campus. In December 1942, a special luncheon was held for graduates wishing to connect with classmates; this event inspired the inception of the John Burroughs Alumni Association.
