Rachel Whitney, Curator,
Sapulpa Historical Museum
When you open a yearbook from any school in history, memories and connections flood the minds of the readers. Often in yearbooks, there are more than just images of classmates. There are notes, letters, and signatures from friends and teachers. There are pages of calendar events of what happened that year at school. There are pages of history and acknowledgments of yesterdays.
There are baby pictures, cartoon drawings, a list of law will and testament, jokes that may not have any meaning anymore, and even a glossary or an index, if we’re lucky. There are pages for faculty and staff, and the organizations formed in the school. There are images of the town, the people, and businesses. And so much more.
The yearbooks from Sapulpa High School in 1932 and 1933 are no different, except for two things.
In 1932, the forest green yearbook with gold lettering featured not only the senior class history but a page dedicated to the new student creed. This can be found just on the other side of the seniors of 1932. In 1933, The reddish-maroon yearbook had many pages dedicated to the history of the school and town. In the front of The Sapulpan 1933 yearbooks, there are pages dedicated to the new school hymn.
“Do you remember the Student’s Creed? The Sapulpa High School Hymn? If so, you may just be a graduate of the class of 1933,” -or the very least 1932, 1933, and 1935.
A graduate of 1932, Virginia Monnig wrote a scripture dedicated to the Sapulpa High School, the students, and their character. To which her words would be etched into the High School history. Virginia Monning wrote the Student Creed her senior year. It stated:
“Student Creed: Sapulpa High School
“I believe in Sapulpa High School and in principles of fairness and equality for which it stands. I believe that I should uphold the ideals of kindness, loyalty, and integrity-the desirable traditions of my school; and I pledge allegiance to all her activities leading to better citizenship.”
It was first published in her senior yearbook. “The need of a student creed for Sapulpa High School had been felt for sometime. In November the Student Council sponsored a contest in which all students in the senior high English classes were invited to submit creeds. Many excellent creeds were written. After much deliberation the judges decided that Virginia Monnig’s creed ranked first; consequently it was adopted.”
This was not the first time a senior left a special mark on the high school. In 1928, a senior named Pauline Page entered a contest to change the name of the school mascot – we were the Sapulpa Outlines and with the 1928 change, we became the Sapulpa Chieftains. A story we talked about a couple of years ago.
However, other class members left their mark, as well. In 1932, a junior and a freshman made their way into school history. The junior, Myrtle MacKay, would graduate in 1933; The freshman, Jean Casteel, would graduate in 1935. Myrtle MacKay was related to the McDougal family – a story we covered last year.
These two wrote the words and the music to the High School hymn.
“In the spring of 1932 the Student Council, through the English classes, sponsored the writing of words for a school hymn. Those of Myrtle MacKay were selected. In the fall of 1932 these words were set to music by Jean Casteel, a member of the sophomore class.”
The first publishing of the hymn was made public this week in Sapulpa history. On May 1, 1933, it was presented to the community.
“There are those school occasions to which the school ‘pep’ songs are not suited. In the more serious school activities there is need of a school hymn. It was felt that Sapulpa High School students should develop their own original hymn rather than copy the hymn of other schools.”
The words by Myrtle MacKay lyrics:
“S.H.S. Hymn
“Guiding light, and leading star
Watching, inspiring, wherever we are.
E’en tho’ we sing thy praise to the sky
We can never repay you, Sapulpa High!
To thy name our hearts respond
And leap to remembrance of comrades fond.
All this, and more, you meant to us-why?
Because we love you-Sapulpa High!”
(Dorothy) Virginia Monnig (Carpenter) would move to Waco, Texas and lived a long, active life. She passed away in 2007. Jean Casteel (Brown) was very active in Sapulpa history and Oklahoma history, becoming a writer and editor to 13 books and won many awards for her music. She passed away in 1994. Myrtle MacKay (Hocker), similarly, was active in writing, library, and theater in New York. She passed away in 1972.
These students, Virginia, Myrtle, and Jean’s words, lyrics, and music still live on today.
(Sapulpa Herald, May 1, 1933, July 17, 1972, August 7, 1983, November 4, 1994, Waco Tribune Herald, April 5, 2007; Sapulpa High School yearbooks, 1932 and 1933)
