THE BIRTH OF ANTHONY WAYNE SCHOOL
In 1950 the local school districts of Waterville, Whitehouse and Monclova were all facing the same problem. Their student population was rapidly increasing and the existing building were overcrowded. They each needed to go to there voters asking for money to build new buildings. There were progressive thinkers in each community who realized that much duplication of effort and savings could be realized if they combined their efforts as a combined district to build one new high school building. The idea of consolidation was born. It was a hard sell but common sense prevailed.
The local school boards of Whitehouse, Waterville and Monclova each had to request from Lucas County Board of Education to consolidate their schools district with the other. Then on July 6, 1950 the new Board of Whitehouse, Waterville and Monclova took office.
On November 7, 1950 Monclova, Waterville and Whitehouse went to the polls to vote for a Proposed Consolation of the three schools into one high school building and a bond issue for a new high school building. The building was to be located on a rural area within reasonable proximity to the three towns. The issue passed and land was bought with 20 acres from Sam Studer and 15 ½ acres from Daniel Studer on Finzel Road south of Weckerly and north of Rupp Road for a total of 35 1/2 acres.
Ground was broken on August 14, 1951 and building was accepted for occupancy on December 24, 1952. Also in 1952, the Neapolis School District decided to become part of the Anthony Wayne system as before that time they paid tuition to attend Whitehouse. On January 19, 1953, it was the big moving day to move things from the other schools to the new high school. On April 19, the new Anthony Wayne High School was dedicated. Even though we were not in the new school, the first commencement was held in the Whitehouse Football Stadium on May 25, 1951 and the following year the graduation was held in the Whitehouse Auditorium on May 23, 1952. At the time of the dedication of the school the enrollment was 375 pupils but the school was designed for a capacity of 600-650 students. I doubt former students would recognize the new building that stands today that has a student enrollment of 1358 in grade 9-12 and claims to be the 90th largest public high school in Ohio.
Originally the school buses had on the side of the bus “Waterville, Whitehouse, Monclova Local School District” but later the name was changed on the buses to the “Anthony Wayne School District.” They felt this name was appropriate. The school board had appointed a committee of three women: Mrs. Thelma Hammon, Mrs. Margaret Van Gundy and Mrs. Nellie Thomas and names were submitted by the public. They felt that the name Anthony Wayne was widely accepted and was appropriate with the Anthony Wayne Trail passing through the district and the Anthony Wayne Memorial nearby. It was approved the day before the election to build the school and the mascot name “Generals” followed naturally.
The new high school colors were decided to be blue and white but the school colors would remain the same for the three community schools. The colors were chosen since they were the colors worn by the Anthony Wayne Legionnaires.
Note: An interesting piece of history is that the Adams Twp. Freshman and Sophomores came to Anthony Wayne High school during the 1955 and 1956 school years. They transferred back to their new Rogers High School for the 1957 school year as juniors. Adams Twp. had to pay tuition to send their students to other schools until their new high school was built.
From the December 6, 1978 AW Herald it list the men in the picture from left to right: Howard Manor, Superintendent Dudrow, Senator Cramer, Willard Schaller, Rev. Buehler, member of AW Board of Education, H.E. Ryder, county superintendent, John Rudolph, Bob Shelton, Mr. Grimm Clerk, Rodney Boyer, and “R.W.”