In my last column, I wrote about the trials and tribulations the Northampton Area School Board confronted when a new senior high school was constructed in 1961. This was the third high school to be built to serve area students.

Education in the borough can be traced to a log school built in 1793 on what is now Dewey Avenue. The first high school was called Alliance High School in 1902. With the advent of the cement industry, a new high school was constructed on the corner of 18th Street and Lincoln Avenue in 1910.

This writer was fortunate to be a student and teacher in both the second and current high school on Laubach Avenue. The superintendent during this era was Dr. George Eichler. He was born in Laurys Station, a World War I veteran, Lehigh Portland Cement Co. employee, one-room school teacher and, by determination and hard work, was appointed as superintendent of the Northampton Area School District. He served for 31 years, walking to school each day from his East 20th Street home. A frugal Pennsylvania German, he closely monitored district expenditures.

When I walked into the new high school in September of 1961, there were 649 students. The first men who greeted you were Principal Norman Laub, Assistant Principal Alfred Laubach and Guidance Counselor Albert (Doc) Lerch. Our school district physician was Dr. Mahlon Miller. His office/home was in the area of Redner’s Quick Shop on West 21st Street.

The environment was very friendly, with no security cameras or security guards; no sign-ins were required. The classrooms consisted of durable block walls.

Our current senior high school serves about 1,900 students. In 1961 the school population, because of size, was very manageable and teachable.

Our social studies department was small and effective. Many of my readers remember Michael Lisetski, Harry Witemeyer, Peter Schneider, Lou Wolf and Robert Druckenmiller. These men gave the students and taxpayers a solid day of instruction.

The library has been transformed since 1961. Our librarian, Ms. Nellie Fluck, was knowledgeable; she knew her collection. Books were inventoried card by card in a stately piece of furniture referred to as the card catalogue. Computers were in the future. The old library had a capacity of 80 students. The current senior library has over 80 computer stations containing the knowledge of the world.

Our athletic teams participated in the Lehigh Valley League and included bus trips over to Hokendauqua to play Whitehall, down to Emmaus, a long trip to Stroudsburg. And there was Palmerton, Lehighton, the Slatington Slaters, who lost their home years ago, and the traditional Thanksgiving game played against our friendly rivals from Catasauqua at Muhlenberg Field.

Were there discipline problems? Sure, there were: skipping class, playing hooky, smoking, but none to my knowledge that required constant security checks. We were proud of that new school in 1961. Hopefully, our citizens, faculty and students will respect and appreciate the beautiful new middle school, as this writer has always had pride in the high school where I taught so many fine young men and young ladies.

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More in two weeks. Keep reading.