90+ Years of Tygers, Now Available Online!

It has been an ongoing project of the Sherman Room to digitize and make accessible the Mansfield Senior High School yearbooks in our collection, up to the year 2000. We are delighted to announce that we have completed the work! From 1907 to 2000, with a few exceptions, the Mansfield Senior High School yearbooks are now available online here: https://shermanroom.omeka.net/yearbooks

We need your help to eliminate those exceptions! We do not have Mansfield Senior yearbooks from 1975, 1976, and 1991. We also need Mansfield Senior yearbooks from 1973, 1982, 1985, 1986, 1988, and 1989 to scan, because our copies from those years were too damaged to scan. If you have a Mansfield Senior High School yearbook from one of these years and are willing to donate it or loan it to the Sherman Room to allow us to scan it, please contact us at 419-521-3115 or at genealogy@mrcpl.org.

If you have family history of your own you are interested in digitizing, check out the Family History Digitization workshops this winter on our event calendar! Register here, or check back later for workshops in January and February.

We would like to take this opportunity to sincerely thank everyone who has donated yearbooks and other materials to the Sherman Room. Your generosity allows us to preserve our community history and keep it alive and open to all.

Mansfield Senior High School

Mansfield Senior was at West Fourth and Bowman until around 1928, when a new building was built at West Park Boulevard. The building at West Fourth and Bowman was then used to house John Simpson Junior High School. The inaugural yearbook in 1907 has several photographs of the building, so let’s take a tour!

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Yearbook Names Over the Years

The earliest Mansfield Senior High yearbook in our collection is from 1907, and in that first year the yearbook was called “The Oracle.” From 1908 to 1923, the default yearbook name was simply the “Annual,” with a couple of years having special names. In particular, in 1917, the yearbook was called the “Red and White,” as a patriotic reference to America’s involvement in World War I and the young men who went to fight. Likewise, in 1919, the yearbook was called “La Victoire,” in honor of the victory in World War I.

It was not until 1924 that the yearbook gained its own unique name that continued on through the years: Manhigan. The inaugural Manhigan explained the unusual name as a shorthand for “Mansfield High Annual.”

Interesting Tidbits

There are some interesting bits of history in the Manhigans! Find just a few to explore here, and then go exploring the others and let us know what interesting history you are able to discover!

The 1918 Annual had an honor roll of those young men who had served in World War I. In particular, note Louis Brumfield (later he changed the spelling to Bromfield), serving in France, in the class of 1914.

The first Mansfield Senior baseball team, in the 1928 Manhigan

The 1929 Manhigan was airplane-themed in honor of the opening of the Mansfield Municipal Airport, and the flyleaf featured a note from one Amelia Earhart.

Other School Materials Available

In addition to the Mansfield Senior High yearbooks, there are other materials available digitally through the Sherman Room archives (and even more available in person in the Sherman Room!). In particular, one such resource is our collection of student newspapers. Although they did not contain as many photographs as the yearbooks, the student newspapers show much of the humor and interaction of the classes and a more frequent and casual insight into the day-to-day life at Mansfield Senior High. Take, for instance, these few tidbits from the Moccasin, an early newspaper at Mansfield Senior High School.

Other schools for which we have newspapers include Johnny Appleseed, John Simpson, Malabar High School, and St. Peter’s High School. One example of the St. Peter’s High School, the Key, features local Sherrod Brown during his time as State Representative. Find the full listing of newspapers available, and which are available online, here: https://shermanroom.omeka.net/schoolnews

We also have Class Day and Commencement programs from Mansfield Senior High School as early as 1867 available through the digital archives. Explore the commencement programs here!

Have a favorite piece of Tyger history? Let us know what it is! And as always, feel free to stop in to the Sherman Room Monday 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Tuesday through Thursday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. or contact the Sherman Room at 419-521-3115 or genealogy@mrcpl.org with any questions!

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The Ninth Grade City Football Championship

^{October 26, 1949 program for Appleseed v. Simpson (Sherman Room Archives)}

Starting in 1940, with the opening of Johnny Appleseed and the new John Simpson Junior High Schools, an annual football battle would be fought by the ninth grade teams to determine the city champion. These games were immensely popular with over 6,000 fans watching in the late 1940s after the construction of Arlin Field. These games would be complete with cheerleaders, majorettes and marching bands for each school. For twenty years these two schools battled for the title of city’s best, with Simpson taking the advantage 13-8 between the years 1940-1960. In 1961 a new school entered the race, John Sherman. Simpson would repeat as Champion that year and a three-way tie would be the result in 1962. In 1963 John Sherman won its only championship. Johnny Appleseed would be the team to beat in the late 1960s and early 1970s before the championship came to an end with the reorganization of the schools when the ninth grade began attending Mansfield Senior High. Below is a list of the city champions, with the date of the game, score and attendance, if available, and the program above can be seen in full by clicking here.

^{From the Mansfield News-Journal (Mansfield, Ohio), 25 October 1949, p10.}

Junior High City Championship Results 1940-1976

Date	Winner	Score	Attendance
October 18, 1940	John Simpson	6-0	3,000
October 29, 1941	John Simpson	26-6	3,000
November 6, 1942	John Simpson	45-0	N/A
November 3, 1943	John Simpson	13-9	N/A
November 2, 1944	Johnny Appleseed	18-0	5,000
October 31, 1945	Johnny Appleseed	19-0	4,500
October 31, 1946	John Simpson	38-0	4,200
October 29, 1947	John Simpson	18-6	4,000
October 24, 1948	Johnny Appleseed	7-0	6,600
October 26, 1949	Johnny Appleseed	13-7	6,000
October 26, 1950	Johnny Appleseed	38-19	5,000
October 17, 1951	John Simpson	14-6	4,000
October 5, 1952	John Simpson	38-6	3,500
October 21, 1953	John Simpson	13-6	6,000
October 20, 1954	Johnny Appleseed	6-0	2,500
October 19, 1955	John Simpson	18-7	2,500
October 22, 1956	John Simpson	12-7	1,800
October 29, 1957	Johnny Appleseed	26-6	800
October 25, 1958	Johnny Appleseed	36-0	1,100
November 7, 1959	John Simpson	42-8	2,000
October 29, 1960	John Simpson	32-22	1,500
October 14. 1961 October 21, 1961 October 28, 1961	John Sherman (defeats Appleseed) John Simpson (defeats Sherman) John Simpson (defeats Appleseed) Champions: John Simpson	14-8 32-20 38-0	N/A N/A 1,000
October 13, 1962 October 18, 1962 October 25, 1962	John Sherman (defeats Appleseed) John Simpson (defeats Sherman) Johnny Appleseed (defeats Simpson) Champions: Three-Way Tie	19-14 22-7 22-20	3,000 2,000 N/A
October 6, 1963 October 12, 1963 October 26, 1963	John Sherman (defeats Simpson) Johnny Appleseed (defeats Simpson) John Sherman (defeats Appleseed) Champions: John Sherman	14-6 8-0 6-0	N/A N/A N/A
October 3, 1964 October 17, 1964 October 24, 1964	Johnny Appleseed (defeats Simpson) Johnny Appleseed (defeats Sherman) John Simpson (defeats Sherman) Champions: Johnny Appleseed	8-0 22-0 14-6	N/A N/A N/A
September 29, 1965 October 7, 1965 October 14, 1965	John Sherman (defeats Appleseed) John Simpson (defeats Sherman) John Simpson (defeats Appleseed) Champions: John Simpson	16-14 48-8 24-16	N/A N/A N/A
October 15, 1966 October 22, 1966 November 7, 1966	John Simpson (defeats Appleseed) Johnny Appleseed (defeats Sherman) John Simpson (defeats Sherman) Champions: John Simpson	20-12 12-0 6-0	N/A N/A N/A
October 14, 1967 October 21, 1967 October 27, 1967	John Simpson (defeats Sherman) Johnny Appleseed (defeats Sherman) John Simpson( defeats Appleseed) Champions: John Simpson	46-8 26-0 20-0	1,000 N/A 400
October 12, 1968 October 19, 1968 October 26, 1968	John Sherman (defeats Simpson) Johnny Appleseed (defeats Sherman) Johnny Appleseed (defeats Simpson) Champions: Johnny Appleseed	35-22 8-0 28-7	N/A 1,500 N/A
October 11, 1969 October 18, 1969 October 25, 1969	John Simpson (defeats Sherman) Johnny Appleseed (defeats Sherman) John Simpson (defeats Appleseed) Champions: John Simpson	14-8 26-12 16-6	N/A N/A N/A
October 10, 1970 October 17, 1970 October 24, 1970	John Sherman/John Simpson Tie Johnny Appleseed (defeats Sherman) Johnny Appleseed/John Simpson Tie Champions: Johnny Appleseed	6-6 13-6 0-0	N/A N/A N/A
October 9, 1971 October 16, 1971 October 23, 1971	John Simpson (defeats Sherman) John Sherman (defeats Appleseed) John Simpson (defeats Appleseed) Champions: John Simpson	38-0 8-6 41-6	N/A N/A N/A
October 7, 1972 October 14, 1972 October 28, 1972	John Simpson (defeats Sherman) Johnny Appleseed (defeats Sherman) Johnny Appleseed (defeats Simpson) Champions: Johnny Appleseed	8-0 14-12 14-12	750 1,000 750
October 6, 1973 October 13, 1973	John Simpson (defeats Sherman) Johnny Appleseed (defeats Sherman) Note: Unable to find results for final game.	28-6 36-6	N/A N/A
September 21, 1974 October 6, 1974 October 26, 1974	Johnny Appleseed (defeats Simpson) Johnny Appleseed (defeats Sherman) John Sherman (defeats Simpson) Champions: Johnny Appleseed	– 26-14 30-6	N/A N/A N/A
October 5, 1975 October 11, 1975 October 18, 1975	John Sherman (defeats Simpson) Johnny Appleseed (defeats Sherman) Johnny Appleseed (defeats Simpson) Champions: Johnny Appleseed	18-6 19-12 6-0	N/A N/A N/A
September 25, 1976 October 9, 1976 October 16, 1976	Johnny Appleseed (defeats Simpson) John Simpson (defeats Sherman) Johnny Appleseed (defeats Sherman) Champions: Johnny Appleseed	24-6 14-0 20-6	N/A N/A N/A

Mansfield High School – A Model Structure in 1892

When the Mansfield High School was built in 1891-92 it wasn’t without controversy.  A May 31 1891 article from The Mansfield Evening News reported the new structure was the subject of “street gossip.”  The gossip concerned irregularities and possible favoritism in the selection of the site for the new school, as well as the price paid for the site and manner of payment.   It was also said that favoritism was shown in the selection of architects for the school.  Kramer & Zoll, from Findlay, were selected and much was said about the heating and ventilation system they chose for the school.  The Smead System, as it was called, was reported to reverse the flow of air at times, endangering the health of the students.

Despite this, the school was completed in 1892 and the first class graduated in 1893.  There were six teachers and 19 students in the first graduating class.  The teachers were Miss Martha Barrett (principal), Miss Mary Conrath, Miss Abigail Hill, Mrs. Anna M. Mills, Miss Rossina O. Phillips and Mrs. Helen Campbell.  A June 30, 1892 article from The Weekly News referred to the building as “a model structure”.  There were four floors, including the basement which contained six furnaces, the dry closet system, and the “latest and best improvements for ventilation.”  The laboratory was also located in the basement.  Located on the first floor were five school rooms, the superintendent’s room, which included speaking tubes that were connected to all rooms, and a teacher’s assembly room.  The second floor was roughly the same.  The top floor consisted of an auditorium which seated 532 people, but on special occasions folding doors enclosing four rooms could be opened to accommodate 1000 people.  The bell was the largest in the city at the time, weighing over 40,000 pounds and the clock measured 7 ¾ feet in diameter.  A west wing was added in 1904 and a north wing with a gymnasium in 1923.  The structure was demolished in 1939 to make room for John Simpson Junior High School.  Below are images of the school in 1907 and a video of its demolition.

Class of 1893:

Mary L. DeCamp
Cora Englebrecht
Jessie M. French
Rebecca Grubaugh
Helen Jameson
Grace Jenner
Bessie I. Jones
Lily E McIlvaine
Jessie Mckay
Harriet Martin
Elizabeth Scott
Lida Smith
Anna L. Snyder
Mae Webber
John H. Bristor
Albert S Brumbaugh
Oliver L. Cunningham
John DeCamp
Willis T. Parsons

Below is a video from Prelinger Archives showing the demolition of Mansfield High School, the laying to the corner stone of John Simpson Junior High School, and a track meet.

The Below Images are from the 1907 Mansfield Senior High School yearbook, click on image for a larger view.

The 1893 Commencement Program from Mansfield High School.

_Sources:

_{Fankhauser, J. L. (1977). History of the Mansfield, Ohio Public Schools (1808-1974).
Mansfield Evening News, 31 MAY 1891, p4.
Mansfield High School Annual, Vol. 2, 1909.
The Oracle, 1907, Mansfield High School Yearbook.
The Weekly News, 30 JUN 1902, p2.}

1943 Mansfield Senior High Annual

The 1943 Mansfield Senior High Annual doesn’t resemble the Manhigan of other years.  That’s because there was almost no annual produced that year.  World War II was raging in Europe and many items at home need to be rationed.  Shortly before graduation, parents appealed to the board and Principal Glenn G Rohleder stating that something needed to be done to give the students an annual.  Board members, Rohleder and others pointed out that “supplies of printing paper and newsprint have been frozen and copper and zinc for engravings for publications have been limited by the government.”  President of the school board, H. W. Arlin added, “It’s a tragedy that the seniors can’t have annuals this year, but this is war and we are giving up a lot of the less essential things.”

A twelve page booklet was given to students at the June graduation.  The annual includes a dedication to Herman D. Bishop for his help with the book, Class Will and Testament, Class Prophecy, Class History, a tribute to the service men of the Class of ’43 and the identification of three group photographs.  Until recently, I had thought the photographs mentioned here were lost, as they were not attached to the book.  However, while doing an inventory of extra yearbooks, I found three group photographs stuck in a 1942 Manhigan.  I was able to determine that these were the missing photos from the 1943 annual by spotting Earl A. Mann, the class advisor, in each photograph.  The photographs are included here with the identification of the students.  I’m not sure how many of these survived the years, particularly with the photographs, but it is nice to see them together again.

Link to full 1943 Annual (minus photographs)

View other yearbooks here