Staples High’s twisting history in Westport

Newcomers may not realize the local high school’s long history. Westporters who have lived here a long time – even (particularly?) current students – may not know the back story either. There’s no way to capture Staples’ 138 years in 800 words. But here are a few highlights.

The school was founded in 1884 by Horace Staples. (There’s the answer to “why is your school named for an office supply store?”) He was 83, having been born when Thomas Jefferson was president. The town’s wealthiest man – he owned stores , ships, an axe factory and a bank – got tired of watching boys and girls ride trolleys to schools in Norwalk and Bridgeport.

In 1884 – after being turned down several times over 16 years by the town – he finally began building a school on land he owned near his Riverside Avenue home. (The original building was torn down in 1967; we know it today as the site of Saugatuck Elementary School.) The dedication ceremony was grand; the entire town shut down for the day, and the governor delivered an address.

In the second year of operation, the principal was Wilbur Cross. He was just 22 years old; the job of principal was actually “principal teacher” (on a faculty of six). After a bargaining session over “hard cider” with Horace Staples , Cross agreed to a salary of $700. The principal left the next year, for a long and notable career as a Yale University professor. In his 70s, he was elected governor of Connecticut (and had a parkway named after him).
“Staples’ High School” (with an apostrophe) included seventh through 12th graders. The first graduating class, in 1887, consisted of six girls. All the boys dropped out earlier, to work in factories or on farms.

Horace Staples died in 1897, at the remarkable age of 95. Up to that time his birthday (Jan. 30) had been celebrated as Founders Day. He would visit the school, sit in on classes, and be the honored guest at an assembly . The tradition continued for a few years after his death.

In 1903, the town of Westport took over the school. Until that time, students had paid tuition. Now Staples was a fully public high school.

In 1907 the first fire drill was held. An athletic club – for boys only – was organized. Two years later the state Board of Education declared Staples to be one of the best high schools in Connecticut.

The first yearbook was published in 1912. Five years later, a new group – the Parent Teacher Association – began. In 1918, in part because of that group’s insistence – with America fighting in World War I – German language was dropped from the curriculum.

A proposal to add Spanish to the foreign language department (which included only French and Latin) was voted down. There was little need, it was believed, for any students to learn to speak Spanish.

1923 was a banner year in Staples history. The first newspaper, called Inklings, was published, and a “lunch counter” opened. Previously, students who lived nearby went home for lunch. Not everyone could do that, of course; they came from as far away as Weston and Wilton. Those students ate lunch in their classrooms, or headed into nearby downtown Westport or the village of Saugatuck.

In 1925, Gladys Mansir was hired as an English teacher. She remained for 40 years. Her no-nonsense approached to grammar, literature and writing impacted generations of students. Four years later, Walter Stevenson began teaching math. He had a similar influence.

The next year, a new building – part of what is now Saugatuck El – opened next to the wooden Staples High (which was still used), to serve the growing school population. Bedford Junior High School opened for seventh through ninth graders, across the field from Staples. (That building is now Kings Highway Elementary.) Staples lacked an auditorium and gymnasium though, so high school students trooped over to BJHS to play basketball, and put on plays.

In 1931 Inklings, the student newspaper, began. A “college preparatory course” began; those students were separated out from those in the commercial or general courses. Meanwhile, the Depression affected Staples. Enrollment surged, as parents were unable to pay tuition at the private schools many wealthier students had attended.

World War II, and the post-war baby boom, helped turn Staples into a more modern school – much more akin to what it is today. Next week’s “Woog’s World” explores those years.

Dan Woog is a Westport writer. His new column ‘Calendar Close-up’ appears each Friday and dives into one of the upcoming community events in Westport. He can be reached at dwoog@optonline.net. His personal blog is danwoog06880.com.