Want to keep up with all the latest Library news and events? 
Wheeling Island Stadium Dedication, June 10, 1927
 |
|
||||
-From the Wheeling Intelligencer, Wednesday, June 8th, 1927
STADIUM DEDICATION FRIDAY AFTERNOON
FIELD DAY EVENTS AND ATHLETIC PAGENT BY HIGH SCHOOL VARSITY TEAMS
Friday afternoon, June 10, has been set aside by school officials as the day for the Annual Field Day exercises and as dedication day for the new high school stadium.
The grade school kiddies will march onto the field at 2 o'clock and go through the mass drill. Following the mass drill there will be folk dances by the different grade school girls. The grade school band under the direction of F. Oliver Edwards, also director of the high school band will appear on the field and play.
Following the program by the grade school children an Athletic Pageant will be staged by the Wheeling High School athletics. All the members of the varsity teams will parade in full uniform before the stands. The second team members will parade along with the members of the intramural league teams.
-From the Wheeling Intelligencer, Friday, June 10th, 1927
DEDICATE NEW WHEELING HIGH STADIUM AT STONE FIELD TODAY
ONE HUNDRED AND SIXTY-TWO ATHLETES TAKE PART IN DEDICATORY EXERCISES
ELABORATE PROGRAM MAPPED OUT FOR GIGANTIC PAEANT TO BE STAGED TODAY
Wheeling High school's new stadium, the third of its kind in the state, will be dedicated with an impressive ceremongy this afternoon at 2 o'clock. The new stadium is the only one of its kind in this section of the state, the nearest one being located at Parkersburg. The new edifice was reected at a cos of at least $200,000.
The address will be delivered by Judge F. W. Nesbitt. School officials of the independent school district will also take an important part in the services.
One hundred and sixty-two athletes will take part in the dedication. One of the features will be the attendance of 6,000 children who will take part in the services.
The following is the program:
- Parade from Wheeling High school to the stadium.
Board of Education.
Father Wheeling and retinue.
Grade school band.
The grade school bugle corps announces the arrival of the schools. - Grade schools march onto field into mass formation.
One verse "Star Spangled Banner"
Invocation -- Rev. Simon Snyder - 2:00 p.m. -- Mass drill by 2,800 grade school boys and girls from third to eighth grades.
- Grade school band.
- "Money Musk" -- Folk dance. Seventh grade girls.
- Tactics -- Girls of W. H. S. freshman gymnasium class.
- "Hands and Gretchel" Folk dance, third and fourth grade girls.
- High school band.
- Balloon dance -- Fith and sixth grade girls. Maypole dance--Eighth grade girls.
- "Athletic pageant"--In order of review, Wheeling High school athletes:
Varsity football squad, 18 letter man. Second team football squad. Lightweight football squad. Varisty basketball, Second team basketball. Girls' varsity basketball squad. Girls' second team basketball squad. Varsity baseball. Varsity track. Girls' varsity tennis. Boys' varsity tennis.
W. H. S. Intramural athletics, leagues within the school--
Basketball team, representing 24 teams in boys' basketball league.
Girls' volley ball team, representing 17 teams in girls' volley ball league.
Basketball team, representing 7 teams in boys' industrial basketball league.
Girls' basketball team, representing 18 teams in girls' basketball league.
Class basketball team, representing 4 teams in inter-class league.
Boys' swimming squad, representing 2 boys and 2 girls' swimming groups.
- Speaking program. Charles H. Seabright presiding.
-From the Wheeling Intelligencer, Saturday, June 11th, 1927
Wheeling High School Stadium Dedicated
8,000 PERSONS ATTEND FORMAL OPENING OF ATHLETIC PLANT
SPEAKERS FORCED TO ABANDON PLAN TO SPEAK BEFORE THE ASSEMBLAGE OF CITIZENS
THIRTY-FIVE HUNDRED GRADE AND HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS TAKE PART IN DEDICATION.
Wheeling high's new stadium erected at a cost of at least $200,000, the third of its kind in the state and the only one north of Parkersburg, was formally dedicated with much ceremony, Friday afternoon. 8,000 people attended the dedication. The speeches which were to have been one of the main aids in dedicating the new structure, had to be dispensed with owing to the fact a strong wind was blowing and the voices of the speakers would not carry. The rest of the program impressive mass formations and the passing in review of the athletic teams was carried out fully.
Four thousand five hundred spectators almost filled the west stand, despite the fact that the sun was beating down unmercifully. Some had come to hear the speakers, others to see the children perform, but all to aid in the dedication of a long left need in Wheeling.
3,500 Participate
During the course of the two-hour ceremony 3,500 students assisted in folk dances, mass drills and in athletic pageant. It was by far the most impressive field day exhibition given to the public in many seasons. Everyone in the mass drills, and there were sometimes 3,000 grade students in the events, showed that they had worked for weeks on their parts and the final presentation was pleasing as well as remarkable. It spoke well of those in charge of the training.
Starting off with a parade which formed in front of the high school building, the program went through without a flaw. At times high wind which was blowing across the field from the south side hampered the work of the students, especially when the maypole dance started, but on a whole, the program was run off smoothly.
No Address
When it became apparent that the speaker’s voices could not carry in the stadium, the plan to have the addresses was abandoned. the dedication of the stadium was completed when, with much formality, the high school band led all the athletic teams on the field. The band was playing “The Old Gold and Blue," Wheeling High's school song. Following the band came the football, basketball, track, tennis and girl’s tennis and basketball teams.
They circled the field coming in from the south side and formed the center of the field.
From the north side of the stadium came the grade school athletes. Headed by the grade school band, the track, basketball and baseball teams of the seven grade schools, both boy's and girls’ teams, paraded before the reviewing stand on which sat the presiding officer. Chas. H. Seabright, the speaker of the day, Judge Frank W. Nesbitt and E. L. Armbrect, president of the board of education; as well as Mrs. E. M. Holliday, Henri P. Linsz, M. D.; Mr. Fred J. Fox, all members of the board of education. Dr. C. E. Githens, superintendent of schools also occupied a seat in the reviewing stand.
Led By Bands
The grade and high school athletic teams, led by the two bands, marched around the field, finally coming to a halt in the center of the new gridiron. Then, the bands played "America" and the vast number of spectators joined lustily in singing the song. After that, the victorious athletes of the past year and the dedication was over.
While there was no dedication speech, Judge Nesbitt, stated at the end of the dedicatory ceremony that "at last Wheeling has a stadium, something it should have had a long while ago. It is a place in which young manhood and womanhood will be developed, thus making future generations more efficient by the building stronger bodies." His sentiments where very strongly expressed by every member of the board of education.
The following is the entire program:
- Parade from Wheeling High school to the stadium
Board of Education
Wheeling High school band
Board of Education
Father Wheeling and retinue
Grade school band
The grade school bugle corps announces the arrival of the schools
- Grade schools march onto field into mass formation.
One verse "Star Spangled Banner"
Invocation -- Rev. Simon Snyder
- 2 p.m. -- Mass drill by 2,800 grade school boys and girls from third to eighth grades.
- Grade school band.
- "Money Musk" -- Folk dance Seventh grade girls.
- Tactics -- Girls of W. H. S. freshman gymnasium class.
- "Hands and Gretchel" Folk dance, Third and fourth grade girls.
- High school band.
- Balloon dance -- Fith and sixth grade girls. Maypole dance--Eighth grade girls.
- "Athletic pageant"--In order of review, Wheeling High school athletes:
Varsity football squad, 18 letter man. Second team football squad. Lightweight football squad. Varisty basketball, Second team basketball. Girls' varsity basketball squad. Girls' second team basketball squad. Varsity baseball. Varsity track. Girls' varsity tennis. Boys' varsity tennis.
W. H. S. Intermural athletics, leagues within the school--
Basketball team, representing 24 teams in boys' basketball league.
Girls' volley ball team, representing 17 teams in girls' volley ball league.
Basketball team, representing 7 teams in boys' industrial basketball league.
Girls' basketball team, representing 18 teams in girls' basketball league.
Class basketball team, representing 4 teams in inter-class league.
Boys' swimming squad, representing 2 boys' and 2 girls' swimming groups.
Wheeling Island Stadium | Parks & Recreation | Places of Wheeling Home | Wheeling History Home | OCPL Home
