Decade: 1930's
Interview with Willard H. McDaniel (Bill)
1. What were the classes offered at school?
World Geography, Ohio History, Oberlin History, English, Study Hall, and Math. I fell asleep in study hall and in history we went out to a farm about 5 miles outside of town because we had to learn about the farming community. We had P.E. everyday all year. In P.E. we did a lot of tumbling ( rolling on mats, learning how to fall). The gym was small and not large enough to play a game of basketball.
2. Were there sports teams?
Yes, all the sports were for boys. There were no sports for girls. The sports were football, track, basketball and baseball.
3.How did you get to school?
walked or rode my bike. The only people who rode a bus were the students who lived out in the country.
4.What kinds of equipment were in the classroom?
There were chairs with an arm and a place for books under the chair. We had two lockers; one in the hall for coats and one in our homeroom for extra books and stuff. We could only go to our locker before or after school. Sometimes you could go in between classes.
5. What did the students and teachers wear to school?
The boys could only wear pants, shirt, and no team logos unless they were Oberlin Indians logos. No sloppy clothes!!!!
Link to photo of High School Faculty
The girls could only wear dresses, skirts with blouses and sweaters. No shorts could be worn.
6. What did students do for lunch?
Sometimes we went home, sometimes we ate a packed lunch at school in our homeroom or study hall. There was no cafeteria.
7. What did you do for fun?
After school we went over to First Church and worked with a college student making Chinese Checker boards. I did this two times a week. The other days I would play basketball at my house. During the winter we went down to a house on E.Lorain St. where a man had flooded his two tennis courts and made an ice rink. Sometimes we would skate until midnight on weekends. The man sold cocoa and had outside lights. This was an activity that the entire town enjoyed.
8. Can you tell me about what your school day was like?
We went to school from 8-12 and from 1-4. Lunch was a hour from 12-1. Sometimes the teachers would let us out early for lunch.
We went to homeroom first for about 10 mintues. There was no loudspeaker so one student would pick up the announcments from the office and read them to their homeroom. the teachers were hard about being in class and not wondering around the halls. There was an auditorium on the second floor.
Interview by Sue McDaniel
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