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The following is quoted from an article written by Miss Dorothy Grayson, a student of Leadwood High School:
"Until 1902 the Leadwood school was in the old Randolph School District.
"The taxpayers voted that there should be a special election on the first Tuesday in April, 1902, to give the people of Leadwood a new school district.
"This meeting was held at Hunt Shaft. The following directors were elected: Steve Bell, T. R. Tolleson, and Dr. Ellis.
"A bond for $2,000 was issued for the purpose of building and equipping Leadwood's first school. The building was erected and school begun in the year 1902. A. B. Young of Farmington was the first teacher.
"Ross Blake was added to the board in 1905, and H. L. Stapp in 1906. In 1907 Professor Northcutt sent in an application for the school building in which to hold summer school. This plan was decided against.
"On April 12, 1907, a committee was selected to get or advise several plans for an eight or ten room building as soon as possible.
"The school had been growing so rapidly that it was necessary to make arrangements for other pupils, before the new school could be built. Mr. Sellors suggested that different houses be used for this purpose. This plan was followed.
"The following teachers were elected on May 4, 1907. These are the first teachers that the school has any record of, besides A. B. Young: Miss Theressa Henderson, Miss Jessie Hunter, Miss Alice Hunt, Miss Marguerite Schaffer, Miss Dairy Eggeman, Henry Williams, Mrs. Grace Wilson and C. W. Cantly.
"On May 27, 1907, the board received a sketch from Reoate and Roeback, Belleville, Oll., [sic] of a ten-room school building. This was looked over and like the building that was wanted. John Bennett and H. L. Stapp were made a committee of two to confer with Mr. Sellors for advice and any instruction with reference to the school building.
"The election was to be held on the 24th day of July, 1907, a special election for the purpose of voting on a proposition to borrow twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000) through the issuance of bonds. On July 1, 1907, there was a report from the committee that was to confer with Mr. Sellors.
"Mr. Sellors expressed himself as being pleased with the sketch selected by the school board for the school building. He advised the board to accept the proposition made by Reeate and Roeback, architects, and proceed with necessary arrangements. This company was to send representatives to look over the location. In this special election that was held on July 24, 1907, the bond issue was passed. There were sixty-five people who voted, with sixty-four voting for the loan, while only one voted against it."
The present high school building was erected in 1921 at a cost of $60,000, and in 1924 an addition was built at a cost of $10,000. Present valuation, including equipment, is estimated at about $65,000.
Since 1916 there have been approximately 375 students graduated from the high school and this year the graduating class numbered 14. High school enrollment for 1938 was 205. Enrollment for the entire Leadwood district this year was 485.
The high school consists of 12 class rooms, two laboratories, one manual training shop, superintendent's office and principal's office. The auditorium and gymnasium are combined with a seating capacity of about 300. The building also has a student publication room wherein is published a school monthly called the "Purple Pup"--a mimeographed paper.
The faculty consists of 10 high school teachers, 9 grade school teachers, a music supervisor and a bandmaster. The faculty members are listed below. Qualification and experience is shown for each of the high school teachers.
George D. Englehart, superintendent, received his B.S. in Education degree in 1925 at Southeast Missouri State Teachers College at Cape Girardeau. He received his A.M. degree in 1929 at the University of Missouri and he has done graduate work above his A.M. degree at the University of Missouri. He has been in the Leadwood school for three years and for 10 years previous to coming to this system was superintendent at Matthews, Mo.
Guy B. Reid, principal and mathematics teacher, received his B.S. in Education degree in 1933 at Southeast Missouri State Teachers College. He has taken graduate work at the University of Missouri and also at Colorado State Teachers College at Greenley. He has been in the Leadwood school for 15 years--six years as high school principal and nine years as principal of the grade school.
Homer L. Knight received his B.S. in Education degree in 1933 at Northeast Missouri State Teachers College at Kirksville and has taken graduate work at the University of Hawaii and also at the University of Texas. He has taught history in the Leadwood schools for the past four years and taught formerly in Bonne Terre.
Gordon Davis received his A.B. degree in 1934 at Knox College, Galesburg, Ill., and has done graduate work at Washington University at St. Louis. 1938 was his first year as teacher of Science in the Leadwood school.
C. H. Dalton, teacher of mathematics and coach for the high school athletics, received his B.S. in Education degree in 1935 at Southeast Missouri State Teachers College and has done graduate work at the University of Iowa and Michigan. He has been in the Leadwood system for three years.
G. Bryan Caviness received his B.S. in Education degree in 1930 from Northeast Missouri State Teachers College and has taught the Industrial Arts here for the past eight years.
Miss Anna Mae Smith, teacher of Vocational Home Economics, received her B.S. in Education degree in 1934 at the University of Missouri and has also done graduate work there. She has taught here for two years and taught previously at Cooter, Mo.
Miss Clara Belle Kanoy, commercial teacher, received her B.S. in Education degree at Central Missouri State Teachers College. She has been here for three years and formerly taught at Senath, Mo.
Miss Maude Wood received her B.S. in Education degree in 1929 at Southeast Missouri State Teachers College, her A.M. in 1934 at the University of Missouri. She has taught English here for one year and formerly taught at Ellington, Missouri.
Miss Mildred Jackson also teaches English. She received her A.B. degree in 1934 at Washington University at St. Louis and has done graduate work there. She has been teaching in the Leadwood system two years.
Miss Elaine Showalter received her B.S. in Music degree in 1936 at Depau University, Grencastle, Indiana. She teaches music in the high school and grades, and has been here two years.
James A. Sanders, principal of the elementary grades, teaches arithmetic in the 5th and 6th grades and has been with Leadwood schools five years. He received his B.S. in Education degree in 1934 at Murray State College at Murray, Ky. He was formerly principal of the elementary school at New Madrid, Mo.
Following is a list of the grade school teachers with their years of service in this district: the Misses Catherine Adams, 3 years; Opal Arnold, 4 years; Rebecca Baker, 2 years; Julia Haddock, 3 years; Marie Leeper, 7 years; Martha Moore, 10 years; Ruby Shelby, 12 years; Alice Sims, 2 years.
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