Fillmore High School Alumni Association Scholarship Fund

Year Founded
1995

Purpose of Fund
The primary purpose of the Fund shall be to provide scholarships for graduates of South Putnam High School and to memorialize the Fillmore High School Alumni Association in perpetuity.

History of Fund
In the early days, there were many schools in Marion Township, some of which were Bryan School, Cross Roads School, Denny School, Dunlavy School, Jackson School, Sinclair School and Sulphur Springs School. Land was given for the Denny School on August 8, 1846 and land for Sulphur Springs was given May 26, 1854. The first school building in Fillmore was a log house erected about 1875 west of the present Christian Church. A frame two-story school was in existence from 1894 to 1908, but was tom down. In 1908, a new brick school was built.

In 1917 and 1918, a new two story brick structure was built and located in the area where the current Fillmore Elementary stands. The first to graduate from his building was the Class of 1920 with 7 students. By 1947, those attending grade school in Floyd Township were sent to Fillmore. A new brick structure was constructed to the south and east in 1954. It had classrooms, a gymnasium, a cafeteria and administrative offices. The Class of 1955 was the first to graduate from this school and the Class of 1958 was the first one to attend all 4 years there.

In the late 1940's and the 1950's, the Fillmore Cardinals boys basketball teams began making a name for themselves. In 1949 and 1951, FHS won the Wabash Valley Prelim and the Sectional. We won the County Tourney and the Sectional but lost in the Regional in 1954. In 1955, FHS won the County Tourney and Sectional, but lost in the championship game of the Regional held at Covington. We won the County Tourney for the third straight year in a row in 1956. We were only one win away from the "Sweet Sixteen" in both 1949 and 1955.

The gymnasium was dedicated on November 3, 1954. FHS went undefeated in the 1954 regular season, being one of only two such teams in the state of Indiana.

Regarding girl's basketball, Fillmore was one of the first schools in the state to have a team. The picture of the 1912 FHS Girls Basketball Team was donated to the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame. FHS also had teams in baseball, track, cross country and softball, and was the 1954 Putnam County Softball Champion.

In addition, we had a National Honor Society, Chorus, Band, a student newspaper,"The Comrade" and our first yearbook, "Gusto" in 1923. In later years, the yearbook was known as "Echoes". We also had Future Homemakers of America, a Bible Club and both a Pep Band and Dance Band. We recall the fun times of Freshman Initiation and the Junior & Senior trips to Washington D.C. and New York City, for those classes which were able to go, beginning in 1947 - 1967.

In 1964, the Fillmore school became a member of the newly created South Putnam Community School Corporation. In 1965, grades 6 - 12 were brought from Belle Union to attend school at Fillmore. Soon a new school was under construction at the comer of National Road 40 and US 231. The first class to graduate from the South Putnam High School was the Class of 1970. In 1984, the old 1918 school building was razed. The previous 1954 high school became an elementary school and remains in Fillmore today with construction of an addition in 2004.

Principals at Fillmore, among others, included Delbert Mayle, Homer Higgins, Albert Heavin, Jewel Vaughn, Wendell Smith, Mabel Joseph, Arthur Johnson, Sherrill Alexander, Donald Austin, Elmo Carver, and James Hammond.

A partial list of the Faculty included Sarah Alig, Mildred Goldsberry Bastin, Allen Battershell, Gary Broadstreet, Burl Clark, Grace Cox, William Craig, Jack Cross, Joe Davidson, Charles Dobson, Harriett Dobson, Edith Doty, Elizabeth Dunlavy, Darrell Durham, Helen Essington, Walter Goldsberry, Dorothy Goodman, Ruth Hammond, Elmer Hammond, Don Henson, Austin Holloway, Helen Kash, Raymond King, Jack Kroft, Dema Maddox, Frank Martin, Ron McCammack, Ellsworth McCleerey, Forrest McNary, Maude McNary, Geneva Milhon, James Miller, Marceline Molter, Frank Ogles, Lois Oliver, Paul Pruitt, Marjorie Reinstedt, Allan Raines, Phyllis Rokicki, James Schopmeyer, Don Stinson, Jim Speer, Wayne Stout, Norma Stwalley, Lenore Sutherlin, Linda Tague, Maxine Tharp, Dorothy Thomas, Esther Quick, and Don Whitehead.

Among others, elementary teachers included Virginia Boyce, Sherry Carver, Mabel Davidson, Estelle Hall, Frances Irwin, Phyllis Kendall, Imogene Kiger, Avis Knetzer, Madeline O'Hair, Jean Riddle, Lola Rissler, Kathleen Skelton, Vivian Sutherlin, and Raymond Taylor.

SOURCES
"Schools In Your Hand, 1826 - 1976"; Banner Graphic Newspaper Articles; FHS "Echoes" Yearbooks
"Putnam County History, Indiana Sequesquicentennial, 1966"