Last year, I received a century-old photograph of the Northampton 1923 girls basketball team. The photo was sent to this writer by LeeAnn Jacksits, of Northampton.
So, we did some research and were fortunate to have a 1923 Amtennian, the high school yearbook. My father-in-law, Mr. Raymond Shoemaker, was a member of that class.
We wanted to look back and make a brief comparison with our current high schools.
Naturally, they were small compared to our present schools. The 1923 graduation class consisted of 30 students- 17 girls and 13 boys. During the 1920s, high school was not a major priority for some families. Many prospective students joined the workforce at an early age.
The school enrollment included 42 juniors and 48 sophomores, with a total enrollment of 120 students in high school.
Northampton, as our neighboring schools did, had a superintendent and school principals. Faculties were very flexible. The Northampton High School staff consisted of teachers who taught multiple subjects. The assistant principal also taught mathematics.
The athletic program sponsored five sports- football, boys and girls basketball, track and baseball. Girls basketball was a new sport that gave the girls the opportunity to participate in the sports program.
Eight girls were members of the 1923 team. They were Marguerite Berg, Ruth Newhard, Anna Kelly, Marion Kline, Helen O’Loughlin, Ethel Morey, Elizabeth Newhard and Eva Dotter.
They played 13 games. Opponents were Lehighton, Bethlehem, Easton, Emmaus, Slatington, Catasauqua and Palmerton. Their record was six wins and seven losses.
There was also an eighth-grade girls program. These programs were the foundation to today’s expanded sports programs, giving all our students the opportunity to participate.
After 100 years of the Northampton sport, Coach Jeff Jacksits continues to lead a strong and successful Konkrete Kids girls basketball team.
See you at the next girls basketball game.
