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  • The class of 1947 had 6 grads that attended 1st through 12th grade, Frances Keim, Ramona Parker, Georgia Putman, Raymond Bivin, and Betsy Ross.

  • Shidler Elementary Building named for Mr. W. G. Ward, high school principal and counselor from 1920 to 1965.

  • In 1921, Shidler was chartered as Independent District #11, including 25 square miles, known as the Shidler-Webb City Schools.

  • Present Shidler High School Building was started in 1923 and in 1926 the south part of the building was finished.

  • In 1923, at the same time the Shidler High School was being built, an identical structure was going up in Webb City, only its front faced the east.

  • In 1929, five “wing schools” were brought into the Shidler-Webb City buildings.  There schools were Gypsy Corner, a one room school; Phillips, an oil field camp two room school west of Shidler;  Vinnedge, an oil field camp one-room school west of Webb City; Cooper, west of Webb City, and Lyman.

  • Lyman school was a four room brick building northwest of Webb City.  Lyman had a principal  and four teachers.

  • The Bias Gymnasium, with seating capacity for 702, and music complex was constructed in 1970-71.

  • District owned buses started providing transportation in 1937.

  • In 1929 part of the Shidler High School building burned. 

  • In the early 1930’s football teams were in the Katy Conference.  Due to losing seasons, Shidler-Webb City teams combined; but still had losing seasons-football was abandoned until 1947.

  • In 1937 a red brick gym was built west of the Shidler High School building, under the Project Works Administration plan.

  • In 1955 shortage of space at the Shidler Building, grades four, five, and six were bussed to the Webb City Grade School.

  • When the Webb City School united with Shidler in 1944, a school of grades one through eight was still operating at Webb City.

  • Shidler had a junior college for six years from 1939 to 1944.

  • DeNoya annexed in 1941-Carter Nine annexed in 1942.  A grade school was left in each of these places.  During the 1940’s, Apperson School joined the Burbank system.

  • In September, 1944 Webb City High School united with Shidler.

  • In 1944 the last graduating class in Webb City had 16 students.

  • In the middle 1940’s a school of ten grades named Hill Top came into the Shidler district.

  • Little and Big Beaver consolidated with Shidler in the late 40’s

  • Vocational Shop was offered at Shidler in 1947 with welding and carpentry added later.

  • In 1947 the first hot lunch program started.

  • In 1956 Ward Elementary School Building was completed.

  • In 1956 Webb City School was closed.

  • In 1955-56 Grainola and Foraker High School students transfer to Shidler High School.

  • In 1970’s high school students from Kaw City and Burbank come to Shidler.

  • In 1960 the District 11 Alumni Association was organized with 117 charter members.

  • In 1961 District 11 Alumni Association membership grows to 165.

  • In 1961 the Alumni Association donated money for a whirlpool bath for Shidler High School Athletic Department.

  • In 1963 the first Alumni dances were held.

  • In 1968 money was given for a lighted sign for the front of the school.

  • First Webb City High School Principal was E.B. Brown.

  • First Shidler High School Principal was E.W. Bass.

  • First Superintendent of Foraker Schools was J.A. Wedgeworth from 1922-1924.

  • 1924-1925 Enrollment at Foraker Schools was 35 High School and 160 Grade School.

  • In 1925-26 school year Foraker Schools built their gymnasium at a cost of $6000. The gym included 200 steel chairs and stage scenery.

  • Miss Augie Schnurr was Foraker School Principal from 1923-1928.

  • Jack Hartman 1943 Shidler/Webb City graduate was selected Coach of the Year by the National Association of Basketball Coaches for the 1980-1981 season.

  • In 1983 Jack Hartman led the United States to a gold medal as basketball coach for the Pan-American Games. (Michael Jordan played on the team).

  • Oklahoma, a Century in the Making - Top 100 Contributors to Sports in Oklahoma - #78. Jack Hartman, Shidler. The Henry Iba disciple from OSU coached Walt Frazier at Southern Illinois, where he won the NIT, then became the most successful coach in Kansas State history, going 439-233 in 16 years.

  • Oklahoma, a Century in the Making - Top 100 Sports Teams in Oklahoma History - #39. 1950 Grainola girls basketball: 34-2. Step aside, Hoosiers. No story beats this defunct Osage County school, which sported only 14 students; all nine girls played hoops and won Class B state title.

  • The last graduating class of Apperson High in 1929 had great odds....two boys and one girl.

  • Shidler High bought their first basketball suits in 1927. They were knickers with knee pads, knit tops with short sleeves in purple and gold. Two years after the 1927 suits were purchased, new ones were bought. These were sleeveless tops, v-necks, and shorts. Mothers thought they were disgraceful!

  • The second year typing class published a newspaper titled "Tiger's Roar", weekly in 1957.

  • The 1934 graduating class did an experiment in biology by attempting to kill a cat with nicotine. All they got was a sick cat!

  • Gayle Davis was the first All-Stater from SHS in 1950.

  • The art class of 1967 painted  the school mascot which reins over the SHS gym.

  • The Carter Nine school had a debate team in 1932-33.

  • Shidler's Big Blue Marching band rated the only superior in Regional Marching Contest, class DD, in 1964.

  • The Carter Nine HS won District basketball, class B championship, over Burbank in an overtime at Tonkawa, in 1932.

  • The 1928 Juniors had a Jr and Sr banquet and Home Ec I and II girls prepared the dinner.

  • SHS beat Burbank in 1949 and some boys skipped school. Everyone was caught but one jeep full of boys. Who were they?

  • Some of the High School students appeared on KVOO TV's Dance Party in 1963.

  • The 1947 football uniforms consisted of 11 shoulder and hip pads, GI shoes with leather spikes, and GI tanker helmets. They had to call the game whenever they needed a substitute so they could change.

  • The first graduating class to graduate in the newly built ward Auditorium was in 1957.

  • The 1959 class worked on a magazine campaign and received the highest sales. They got to travel all over Oklahoma visiting several places.

  • The "Tiger's Tale" ranked second in its class in a contest held at OU in 1965.

  • The 1945 graduating class had money left from their Junior year and published the first annual.

  • Foraker had a very hardworking P.T.A. They organized and supervised school programs, parties, picnic, carnivals, school sports activities (which included tennis, baseball and basketball) bingo games and bridge parties. The P.T.A. ladies developed a system of school lunches during the heat of the depression. The school Board furnished the the basic cooking staples, the ranchers furnished the meat, the children brought milk from home, and the P.T.A. women cooked the meals.

  • At one of the Foraker P.T.A. meetings the theme used was "Resolutions at the Foot of the Rainbow". A rainbow was made out of cardboard and painted. At the foot of the rainbow lay a brightly colored box, full of resolutions. Later, Mrs. C.M. Johnson, the first grade teacher, sent the program to the National P.T.A. This program was adopted in their national yearbook.

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