|
HISTORY |
The W.S. Hadley Middle School was
named for a man who lived on the West Side for many years. William
Spencer Hadley was born in Richland, Iowa, on January 18, 1866. He moved
to Beloit in 1876 and attended public schools in Beloit. After finishing
his education, he became a school teacher for several years.
In 1901 Mr. Hadley moved to Wichita and was in the banking business in
Wichita most of his life. For many years he was president of a bank on
the west side and was active in the West Wichita Commercial League. He
served as a member of the Board of City Commissioners and was at one
time president of the Board of Trustees of Friends University. He
maintained a very active interest in Friends University, in the
University Friends Church, and in the national affairs of Friends
churches.
Hadley School was planned several years ahead of its actual use. The
site was purchased from Ernest Clark and Mrs. Florence Davis. It was
farm territory at the time, and the farm had been in the Clark family
for many years. This site and the site for Bryant Elementary School were
bought in cooperation with the Park Department, which owns the area
immediately west of the two schools. The Park Department made a large
area available to the community for school and park activities.
Leaper and Gilbert, architects, were commissioned to draw the plans and
specifications for the building, and the contract was let in January of
1957. The building and site cost approximately $1,400,000. The building
has about 103,000 square feet to serve approximately 1,000 pupils.
Hadley Junior High opened in the fall of 1958 with an enrollment of 432.
To justify the opening of the school, the boundary line was set two
blocks south of Central Avenue. In the fall of 1960 the city annexed
Country Acres and Westlink, and by the fall of 1961 the enrollment was
830. The enrollment steadily increased to a peak of 1,423 in 1969. The
increased enrollment required the use of portable classrooms, and 16
were placed on the site during the period of expanding pupil population.
The purchase of Madonna High School to serve as a junior high on the
west side brought about a revision of boundaries in 1971. This helped to
eliminate the need for portables, and they were removed as the pupil
population stabilized. Internal revisions have included converting an
industrial technology room to two classrooms. School population again
increased and by 1995 it approached 1,000 students, necessitating the
use of nine portables.
In the fall of 1988, all ninth graders were moved to high schools
leaving seventh and eighth graders. In the fall of 1989, all junior high
schools became middle schools (6-8). In the past, approximately 400
sixth graders came from Wilbur Middle School each year, for one year
only, to relieve their crowded school. |
| MASCOT |
Blue Devils
Why a Blue Devil?
During
World War I the Chasseurs Alpins, nicknamed “les Diables Bleus,” were
well known French soldiers. They first gained attention when their
unique training and alpine knowledge was counted upon to break the
stalemate of trench warfare in their native region of the French Alps.
Unfortunately the Vosges Campaign in March, 1915, failed to alter the
status quo even though the Blue Devils won accolades for their courage.
However, their distinctive blue uniform with flowing cape and jaunty
beret captured public imagination. When the United States entered the
war, units of the French Blue Devils toured the country helping raise
money in the war effort. Irving Berlin captured their spirit in song
describing them as “strong and active, most attractive . . . those
Devils, the Blue Devils of France.”
As the war was ending in Europe, the Trinity College¹
Board of Trustees lifted its quarter-century ban of football on campus.
After playing an intramural class schedule for one year, Trinity began
intercollegiate competition in 1920. That first year the traditional
nomenclature of the Trinity Eleven, the Blue and White or the Methodists
(as opposed to the Baptists of nearby Wake Forest) described the team.
In September, 1921, the student newspaper, the Trinity Chronicle,
launched a campaign for a “catchy name, one of our own possession that
would be instantly recognizable nationwide in songs, yells and
publicity.” At a campus pep rally to stir up enthusiasm it was pointed
out that Georgia Tech was gaining recognition as the “Golden Tornados”
and that rival North Carolina State College had recently adopted the
name “Wolf Pack.” There were numerous nominations including Catamounts,
Grizzlies, Badgers, Dreadnaughts, and Captains which was in honor of the
well-liked Coach W. W. “Cap” Card. Believing a choice utilizing the
school colors of dark blue and white to be appropriate, the newspaper
editors urged a selection from among the nominations of Blue Titans,
Blue Eagles, Polar Bears, Blue Devils, Royal Blazes, or Blue Warriors.
None of the nominations won strong favor but Blue Devils apparently had
enough support to elicit the criticism that it would arouse opposition
on the Methodist campus “for obvious reasons,” and that it might prove
risky and jeopardize football if a controversial name were used at that
particular time. The football season passed with no official selection
of a name.
As the
campus leaders from the Class of 1923 made plans for their senior year,
they decided to select a name since the desired results by democratic
nomination and vote had been inconclusive. The editors of The Archive
and The Chanticleer, two of the other student publications, agreed that
the newspaper staff should choose a name and “put it over.” Thus William
H. Lander, as editor-in-chief, and Mike Bradshaw, as managing editor, of
the Trinity Chronicle began the academic year 1922-23 referring to the
athletic teams as the Blue Devils. Their class had been the first
post-war freshmen and the student body was full of returning veterans so
the name needed no explanation. Acknowledging that it was somewhat
unpopular, they nevertheless believed it to be the best name nominated.
Neither the college press nor the cheerleaders used the name that first
year. In fact, The Chanticleer made fun of the selection and process by
quoting someone saying “We will use blue devils even if no one else
does.” Much to the editor’s surprise no opposition materialized, not
even from the college administration. The Chronicle staff continued its
use and through repetition, Blue Devils eventually caught on.
Today the
origin of the Duke University mascot is virtually forgotten even though
its instant, national recognition has long been established. With the
popular Red Devil mascot frequently being challenged throughout the
country, the origin of Duke’s Blue Devil is one of the most often
requested items of information in the University Archives. Questioners
are universally surprised to discover its origin is more military and
patriotic than religious.
In 1958,
as Hadley Middle School was beginning its first year, students and staff
members were challenged to select a mascot and school colors. Today
little is known of the selection process used back then, but “Blue
Devils” has been the recognized mascot since the 1958-59 school year.
It is said that Hadley chose this mascot though in recognition of the
qualities often associated with the
Chasseurs
Alpins. These traits of courage, persistence, honor, patriotism,
and strength showcased the traits that the Hadley community wanted to
bring out in their students. |
