Fred L. Biester dies, weeks from retirement
1960-61 was a time to build on the frenzy of the recent past and get used to the idea that there were now two Glenbards. The Cross-Country team won the State Championship again.
1961-62 started with a new principal, Mr. John D. Sheahan, at the helm. At the district level, Mr. Biester had indicated he planned to retire in the near future and he started the search for a new superintendent. On March 20, 1962 Mr. Biester died. The entire community was shocked and there was great concern about who would lead District #87 into the future. |
Glenbard plaque captures Biester's "This I Believe" essay
Fred Biester’s “This I believe” essay is cast in bronze and hangs next to his portrait in the Elliott Library. It reads as follows:
My whole living is based on an unchangeable faith that I have been created as a part of an eternal plan. I know very little about the plan, and my contribution will be infinitely small, but it is important as each drop of water that makes an ocean.
I believe God has such a purpose for each individual and that my greatest contribution to successful living is to believe that every individual has something fine and great in his personality and that I have an obligation to help everyone I contact to realize all that is fine and great within him.
I believe I can reach my own best self by a profound, compelling faith in God and a conscious effort to think more often about the welfare of others than of my own satisfaction.
Fred L. Biester
Superintendent
Glenbard Township High Schools 1918 - 1962
My whole living is based on an unchangeable faith that I have been created as a part of an eternal plan. I know very little about the plan, and my contribution will be infinitely small, but it is important as each drop of water that makes an ocean.
I believe God has such a purpose for each individual and that my greatest contribution to successful living is to believe that every individual has something fine and great in his personality and that I have an obligation to help everyone I contact to realize all that is fine and great within him.
I believe I can reach my own best self by a profound, compelling faith in God and a conscious effort to think more often about the welfare of others than of my own satisfaction.
Fred L. Biester
Superintendent
Glenbard Township High Schools 1918 - 1962
Dr. Stoakes, new superintendent. Mr. Sheahan new principal
The Board of Education appointed Mr. Sheahan (Right), Principal of Glenbard West, to be the interim superintendent and proceeded to hire Dr. Dean W. Stoakes who Mr. Biester had chosen to be the new superintendent. Dr. Stoakes officially became superintendent on June 11, 1962.
At left, Dr. Dean W. Stoakes. At right, Mr. Sheahan, Glenbard West's fourth principal.
Enrollment increases, Education becomes more "hands-on"
An era in the development of public education in the community, county and state had come to an end and the mantle of leadership was passed to new individuals.
The leadership For District #87 was different for the 1962-63 school year, but the problems were not. The number of students enrolled increased and it was apparent that there were new space needs. Not only was there a need for general classrooms, but some specialized facilities were outdated and inadequate for the number of students enrolling in the courses that required these facilities. Curriculum and teaching methods in the sciences and foreign languages were in desperate need of improvement. Biology, physics, and chemistry labs built in the 1920s were designed for a lecture-demonstration teaching style.
Modern teaching methods called for students to have hands-on experiences in order to understand how a scientific principle is developed rather than read about it in the textbook and see a demonstration prepared by the teacher. Foreign languages were being taught as courses with almost all the emphasis on the reading and writing of the language.
Among the many changes in teaching styles in foreign languages was an emphasis on being able to speak the language. Language labs where students could listen to tapes of persons speaking the language and also respond in the language were essential to implementing this teaching method. These kinds of curriculum improvements and modern teaching methods required more space. There was talk of double shifts. After an unsuccessful attempt in November 1962, a referendum in March 1963 to raise the education tax fund rate and for a bond issue were both approved by the voters.
The leadership For District #87 was different for the 1962-63 school year, but the problems were not. The number of students enrolled increased and it was apparent that there were new space needs. Not only was there a need for general classrooms, but some specialized facilities were outdated and inadequate for the number of students enrolling in the courses that required these facilities. Curriculum and teaching methods in the sciences and foreign languages were in desperate need of improvement. Biology, physics, and chemistry labs built in the 1920s were designed for a lecture-demonstration teaching style.
Modern teaching methods called for students to have hands-on experiences in order to understand how a scientific principle is developed rather than read about it in the textbook and see a demonstration prepared by the teacher. Foreign languages were being taught as courses with almost all the emphasis on the reading and writing of the language.
Among the many changes in teaching styles in foreign languages was an emphasis on being able to speak the language. Language labs where students could listen to tapes of persons speaking the language and also respond in the language were essential to implementing this teaching method. These kinds of curriculum improvements and modern teaching methods required more space. There was talk of double shifts. After an unsuccessful attempt in November 1962, a referendum in March 1963 to raise the education tax fund rate and for a bond issue were both approved by the voters.
The 1963-64 Building Addition
1963-64 was another year of construction for the students and faculty at Glenbard West. Plans called for an addition to the building at the end of the wing running north from the auditorium lobby, remodeling of the cafeteria, moving the home economics foods lab, conversion of the speech classroom under the auditorium stage to dressing rooms and a few other changes. The addition would contain an instrumental music room on the first level and a choral room on the second level.
Both levels would have individual and small group practice rooms and an office for the instructor. The third and fourth levels were devoted to physics chemistry and general science labs. Both levels had adjoining labs separated by a folding partition to facilitate team teaching. Students and teachers had to adjust to changing conditions as the work progressed. As in past years disrupted with construction, students did learn, and extracurricular activities were successful despite the inconveniences The Silver Anniversary of the Pinnacle was one indication that this was true.
When school opened for the 1964-65 year the addition and remodeling work was complete, and the new facilities were scheduled for use. In addition, electronic lab equipment had been installed in one of the foreign language classrooms over the summer. The new foods lab allowed the Home Economics department to offer Boys’ Chef for the first time, and it proved to be a very popular course. Early in the year, the student body voted to change the Student Council to the Students’ League. The main thrust of the change was to reach each student and in so doing to involve more students in school activities.
Both levels would have individual and small group practice rooms and an office for the instructor. The third and fourth levels were devoted to physics chemistry and general science labs. Both levels had adjoining labs separated by a folding partition to facilitate team teaching. Students and teachers had to adjust to changing conditions as the work progressed. As in past years disrupted with construction, students did learn, and extracurricular activities were successful despite the inconveniences The Silver Anniversary of the Pinnacle was one indication that this was true.
When school opened for the 1964-65 year the addition and remodeling work was complete, and the new facilities were scheduled for use. In addition, electronic lab equipment had been installed in one of the foreign language classrooms over the summer. The new foods lab allowed the Home Economics department to offer Boys’ Chef for the first time, and it proved to be a very popular course. Early in the year, the student body voted to change the Student Council to the Students’ League. The main thrust of the change was to reach each student and in so doing to involve more students in school activities.
Glenbard Green, the Green Bay Packers, and Glenbard's "G"
Although the Varsity football team had a losing streak at the beginning of the season there were signs of hope for the future of the program; four of the players were named to the All-Conference team and the head coach, Mr. William Duchon, was voted DuPage County Coach of the Year. As coach of the Hilltopper football team, his record was 93-44-3. He passed away in 2017.
It was Coach Duchon that the Glenbard colors of green and white switched slightly. In the decades before Coach Duchon, Glenbard Green was Kelly green. The trouble with that color, according to Coach Duchon, was the fact that York High School claimed the same color. To counter that similarity, Duchon introduced the darker, Forest green—what is now referred to as Glenbard Green. According to the Glenbard Township High School District 87 Identity and Styles Guidelines, the correct color of Glenbard Green is Pantone 626.
It was Coach Duchon that the Glenbard colors of green and white switched slightly. In the decades before Coach Duchon, Glenbard Green was Kelly green. The trouble with that color, according to Coach Duchon, was the fact that York High School claimed the same color. To counter that similarity, Duchon introduced the darker, Forest green—what is now referred to as Glenbard Green. According to the Glenbard Township High School District 87 Identity and Styles Guidelines, the correct color of Glenbard Green is Pantone 626.
Additionally, Coach Duchon is credited with creating the Glenbard “G,” borrowing the design from the Green Bay Packers. On the left is the Glenbard “G” used by Glenbard North High School. Below, the official “G” of the Green Bay Packers.
Finally, Coach Duchon also created the Hitters’ Club. These football players were allowed to wear special helmets spray painted gold. For more about the Hitters’ Club, see the special chapter on Bruce Capel, the Original Hitter. The Glenbard School District 87 school board named the football field after Bill Duchon in May, 1981. |
The years 1965-66 and 1966-67 were characterized by a Glenbard Township High School a degree of normalcy because there was a minimum of outside influences such as construction. The addition of Russian to the Foreign Language course offerings in 1965-66 was one sign of the work being done to update the curriculum. Increasing student enrollment continued to strain the existing facilities.
A bond issue was approved by the voters of the district and ground was broken in August 1966 for the construction of Glenbard North High School in Carol Stream. Everyone knew that things were going too smoothly and were wondering what the next disruption would be. The disruption was Mother Nature.
On January 27, 1967, there was a record snowfall in the Chicago area, and for the first-time classes were called off at Glenbard West for one day. |
Enrollment grows, Water damaged building
In order to accommodate the large enrollment, both Glenbard East and Glenbard West implemented an over lapping class schedule for the 1967-68 school year.
On Sunday January 7, 1968, a water line for the sprinkler system in room 426 broke. Fortunately, a teacher had entered the building and discovered the water running down the stairs from the fourth floor. The water had damaged rooms 426, 217, 218 and 217, and the Principal’s offices on the 300 floor.
The custodial staff, and a group of teachers and administrators managed to get the water shut off and the damaged areas cleaned up so they could be used on Monday morning.
On Sunday January 7, 1968, a water line for the sprinkler system in room 426 broke. Fortunately, a teacher had entered the building and discovered the water running down the stairs from the fourth floor. The water had damaged rooms 426, 217, 218 and 217, and the Principal’s offices on the 300 floor.
The custodial staff, and a group of teachers and administrators managed to get the water shut off and the damaged areas cleaned up so they could be used on Monday morning.
Livingston Principal at Glenbard North
When school started in September 1968, Glenbard North opened with Ray Livingston as Principal, and there was some relief in the student enrollment at Glenbard East and Glenbard West.
On the athletic front, the 1967-68 golf team won the West Suburban Conference title; the 1968-69 Varsity football team won the conference title for the first time in 29 years, and the baseball team won the conference title for the third time since 1962.
In the 1968-1969 school year, the Glenbard varsity football team became the first football team in school history to have an unbeaten record—with no tied games.
On the athletic front, the 1967-68 golf team won the West Suburban Conference title; the 1968-69 Varsity football team won the conference title for the first time in 29 years, and the baseball team won the conference title for the third time since 1962.
In the 1968-1969 school year, the Glenbard varsity football team became the first football team in school history to have an unbeaten record—with no tied games.