Hawthorne Elementary School &
Hawthorne Junior High School Collection, 1922 –1997

Accession: 1998.001

Donated by: Carthage R-9 Schools

Sketch of Hawthorne School design by architect Percy Simpson of Joplin.

Hawthorne School was built in 1922 on West Central Avenue to replace previous ward school of Benton (latter not closed until 1930s). The Hawthorne building, designed by architect Percy Simpson, closed in 1997 and was destroyed in 1999. The school property, although sold to another owner, remains undeveloped as of 2005.

Collection contains scrapbooks created by various officers of Mother's Congress, later called Parents Teacher Association or PTA, and most made by Historian elected each year. Scrapbooks document activities at Hawthorne School, sponsored in whole or part by the PTA, and contain multi-year collections of newspaper clippings, occasional photographs, event programs for assemblies, holidays celebrations, graduation exercises, and sports events including all-school sports tournaments. PTA meetings
and activities are given as well. Other local and area schools are covered in copy found in scrapbooks.

Also included in this collection are some teacher and/or administrative items (papers and record books) as well as some school artifacts including trophies, school newspapers, PTA program booklets, etc. These items were not processed as part of this grant and will be cataloged during 2005.

Unidentified 1930s group of boys looking toward playgrounds/ball field to west of school.

Photograghs of classes and individuals (primarily sports teams, cheerleaders, competition shots) are included, too. Most are unidentified. It is the Powers Museum intention to use the photographs in an exhibit in 2007 and hopefully identifications will be made at that time or during ongoing 2006-7 local schools research project taking place in fall/winter of 2005-06.

Work done on this collection during MHRAB cycle 3 grant project:

1. Photocopying of all scrapbook pages on acid-free paper and made into reference books for general research inquiries by public.
2. Accessioning of items mentioned above into Past Perfectª (hereafter PP) collection management software with at least one identifying image attached to accession record.
3. Interleaving of scrapbooks with acid-free paper and archival packaging and/or boxing of materials.
4. Copy photographs were made of photographs pasted into older scrapbooks prior to 1950.

General Subjects

Besides PTA Presidents listed in a group below (partial list), the following general subjects are given for this collection. Please note within Past Perfect software records, detailed searches can be made per item that would generate many other names/subjects.

Carthage, MO
Hawthorne Elementary School
Hawthorne Junior High School
Eugene Field School
Mark Twain School
Lincoln School
Carthage High School
Carthage Junior High School
Mother's Congress of Parents & Teachers
Parents Teachers Association (PTA)
Junior High Schools Graduations (before consolidation into
single Carthage Junior High School facility)
Holidays
Education
Sports; Boys
Sports; Girls
Football
Softball
Basketball
Track & Field
Volleyball
Patrol Boys
Safety Boys
Music Programs
Drama Programs
Girls Glee Club
Boys Glee Club
Awards & Honors; Academic
Awards & Honors; Sports
Spelling Bee
World War II Homefront
Hawthorne School Teachers
Hawthorne School Staff
Carthage School Superintendents
Carthage School Supervisors & Special Subject Teachers
Henley, Eleanor
Grieb, Ellis

PTA Presidents (as found in scrapbooks in collection):
Sanders, Mrs Carl (1927-1929)
Pingree, Mrs Faye (1929-1930, 1931-1932)
Heller, Mrs. John (1930-1931)
Narramore, Mrs Clyde (1932-1934)
Mort, Mrs James (1934-1935)
Cole, Mrs Raymond (1935-1937)
Brooks, Mrs Leo (1937-1938)
Kirchner, Mrs Carl (1938-1939)
Glaze, Mrs Ralph (1939-1941, 1942-1943)
Jone, Mrs Rama (1941-42)
Sisler, Mrs Morris (1943-1945)
Wheat, Mrs John (1945-1946)

List to be completed by volunteer during 2006.

Work to be completed on this collection:

1. Using a volunteer, create chronological teacher/principal listing for Hawthorne.

2. Complete scanning of older photographs associated with this collection.

3. Coordinate the copy photographs generated from scrapbooks and process in appropriate manner.

4. Finish creating notebooks or photocopied scrapbook pages for use by researchers, limiting access to original scrapbooks unless needed for photo duplication or other reasons.

Prior appointment necessary for use of all archival collections. This material is not available for walk-in, on-demand use. Consultation by phone or email prior to your visit, will result in a more successful research visit and allow museum staff to prepare materials and also a work space for your use on site.