Center School historical collection
MSS.190
This finding aid was produced using the Archivists' Toolkit
June 19, 2014
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Ball State University Archives and Special Collections
Alexander M. Bracken Library
2000 W. University Avenue
Muncie, Indiana, 47306
765-285-5078
libarchives@bsu.edu
Center School historical collection MSS.190
Table of Contents
Summary Information ................................................................................................................................. 3
Administrative History...................................................................................................................................4
Historical Note............................................................................................................................................... 4
Scope and Contents....................................................................................................................................... 5
Arrangement...................................................................................................................................................5
Administrative Information .........................................................................................................................5
Related Materials ........................................................................................................................................ 6
Controlled Access Headings..........................................................................................................................7
Collection Inventory...................................................................................................................................... 9
Series 1: Newspapers, 1930 Jan.-1965 May........................................................................................... 9
Series 2: Yearbooks, 1953-1966........................................................................................................... 13
Series 3: Subject files, 1905-2008.........................................................................................................13
Series 4: Artifacts, 1905-1965...............................................................................................................16
Series 5: Electronic files, 1905-2005.................................................................................................... 16
Series 6: Photographs, 1905-1965.........................................................................................................16
Series 7: Negatives, undated................................................................................................................. 16
Series 8: Oversize materials, undated................................................................................................... 17
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Center School historical collection MSS.190
Summary Information
Repository
Ball State University Archives and Special Collections
Title
Center School historical collection
Date
1905-2008
Extent
4.3 Cubic feet 5 boxes, 2 map-case drawers
Language
English
Preferred Citation
Center School historical collection, Archives and Special Collections, Ball State University Libraries
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Center School historical collection MSS.190
Administrative History
Center School was established in 1905 and located in Perry Township, Delaware County, Indiana. The
school was typical of Indiana`s small rural schools in that period. As the 1900s began and on through the
1960s, Indiana`s rural educational landscape became filled with the State's first "consolidated" schools.
These schools were the bridge between the pre-twentieth century one-room schoolhouses and the modern
schools of today. Center School`s enrollment, like most rural schools, was low. Its curriculum was limited
to the basics of education.
The history of education in Delaware County is intricately tied to Center School. In 1827 the county`s
first school, a one-room school structure, was built in Perry Township in the southeastern corner of the
county. The school was located about three miles northwest of where Center School would be located.
By 1905 there were ninety-eight school buildings in Delaware County serving some 5,500 students, and
Perry Township had four such schools serving approximately 200 students. One of those schools was
located at the crossroads near the geographical center of Perry Township. Shortly after the turn of the
century, property directly across from this school was purchased with the intent to construct a new, more
modern school building for Perry Township. Although the construction of the school is not believed to
have started until 1906, the founding of Center School dates back to 1905.
After its construction, Center School took in and consolidated the outlying one-room schoolhouses. In
1908 the first set of students matriculated from the new school. By 1912, the school saw the first class
of students to complete a full twelve years of education at its facility. In 1926, the school was enlarged
adding a gymnasium with a stage, an assembly hall, a cafeteria and additional classrooms for high school
students. The school, which at that time served all grades from 1st through 12th soon, came to be known
as Center High School.
When school consolidations began again in the 1950s, Delaware County, not including Muncie City
schools, had eleven high schools. When the consolidations ended in the late 1960s Center School was one
of its many victims. At the end of the 1967 school year Center School was permanently closed and its
remaining students were bussed to the newer consolidated school sites in the area. Shortly thereafter the
school building was torn down and the property sold.
Historical Note
In the spring of 1999 several graduates from Center School sought to put together a display of school
memorabilia. The alumni discovered that little had been done to preserve the school`s history. With
the guidance of the Ball State University Center for Middletown Studies, Joseph and Dorothy Duncan
(Class of 1946 and 1949) convinced the Center School Alumni Association to make an effort to collect
and preserve materials documenting the school`s history. The Duncan`s contacted Ball State University
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Center School historical collection MSS.190
Archives and Special Collections about preserving the items they were collecting. To help in the
establishment of the Center School Historical Collection, the Center School Alumni Association
partnered with the Center for Middletown Studies and Archives and Special Collections to apply for an
Indiana Heritage Research grant. They received the 2-year grant in May 1999 and proceeded to collect
photographs and other documentation to be preserved in the Archives.
Scope and Contents
This collection includes copies of the school`s newspaper, The Center Chatter, from 1930-1963, the
school`s yearbook, Memoria, from 1963-1966, personal memorabilia from graduates, and copies of the
1999 Indiana Heritage Research grant application that made this collection possible.
Arrangement
Arranged in the following series:
Series 1: Newspapers, 1930 Jan.-1965 May
Series 2: Yearbooks, 1953-1966
Series 3: Subject files, 1905-2008
Series 4: Artifacts, 1905-1965
Series 5: Electronic files, 1905-2005
Series 6: Photographs, 1905-1965
Series 7: Negatives, undated
Series 8: Oversize matierals, undated
Administrative Information
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Center School historical collection MSS.190
Publication Information
Ball State University Archives and Special Collections
Conditions Governing Access
This collection is open for research.
Conditions Governing Use
Legal title, copyright, and literary rights reside with Archives and Special Collections, Ball State
University Libraries, Muncie, IN. All requests to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted to
Archives and Special Collections.
Custodial History
The Center School historical collection was received by Archives and Special Collections as a donation
from Joseph Duncan and Center School Alumni Association on 1999/09/13.
Custodial History
This collection was received by Archives and Special Collections as a records transfer OR donation OR
gift from [Donor/Transfering Office] on YYYY/MM/DD.
Accruals
No further additions are expected.
Processing Information
Collection processing completed in 1999. Finding aid created in 1999. Finding aid revised in 2004, 2005,
2006, and 2008. Finding aid revised 2009/05/06 by Bridget K. Hahn. Finding aid revised 2012/02/06 by
Bethany Fiechter. Finding aid revised 2013/10/28 by Leslie Nellis.
Related Materials
Related Archival Materials
Materials relating to this collection may be found in the following collections in Archives and Special
Collections, Ball State University Libraries, Muncie IN:
MSS.058: Allen and Rita Winters family papers and photographs, 1917-1930
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Center School historical collection MSS.190
PSCN.300 Center High School Class of 1953 and 1962
Controlled Access Headings
Corporate Name(s)
• Center School Alumni Association.
Genre(s)
•
•
•
•
•
•
Correspondence
Documents
Newspapers
Photographs
Scrapbooks
Yearbooks
Geographic Name(s)
• Center School (Perry (Delaware County, Ind. : Township))
• Muncie (Ind.)--History--19th century--Sources
• Muncie (Ind.)--History--20th century--Sources
Personal Name(s)
• Duncan, Joseph B.
Subject(s)
•
•
•
•
Alumni and alumnae
Basketball
Education
High school
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Center School historical collection MSS.190
•
•
•
•
•
Public schools
Schools
Stoeckel Archives of Local History
Student activities
Students
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Center School historical collection MSS.190
Series 1: Newspapers, 1930 Jan.-1965 May
Collection Inventory
Series 1: Newspapers, 1930 Jan.-1965 May
The Chatter, 1930 Jan.-1930 Mar., 1930 Sept.-1930 Nov.
The Chatter, 1930 Jan.-1932 Nov.
The Chatter, 1931 Jan.-1931 Feb., 1931 April, 1931 Oct.-1931 Dec.
The Chatter, 1932 Feb.
The Chatter, 1933 Feb.
The Chatter, 1938 Feb., 1938 Sept., 1938 Nov.
The Chatter, 1938 Oct.
The Chatter, 1939 Dec.
The Chatter, 1940 Jan.
The Chatter, 1940 Nov.
The Chatter, 1941 Apr., 1941 Dec.
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Box
Folder
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Center School historical collection MSS.190
Series 1: Newspapers, 1930 Jan.-1965 May
The Chatter, 1942 Apr.
The Chatter, 1942 Jan.-1943 Dec.
The Chatter, 1943 Sept.
The Chatter, 1945 Mar.-1945 Apr., 1945 Sept.-1945 Oct., 1945 Dec.
The Chatter, 1947 Jan.
The Chatter, 1948 Sept.
The Chatter, 1949 Jan.
The Chatter, 1949 Feb.-1949 Apr., 1949 Sept.-1949 Oct.
The Chatter, 1949 Nov.-1949 Dec.
The Chatter, 1944 Jan.-1944 Apr.
The Chatter, 1944 Sept.-1944 Dec.
The Chatter, 1945 Jan.-1945 Feb.
The Chatter, 1946 Jan.-1946 Feb.
The Chatter, 1946 Mar.-1946 Oct.
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Center School historical collection MSS.190
Series 1: Newspapers, 1930 Jan.-1965 May
The Chatter, 1947 Feb.-1947 Dec.
The Chatter, 1948 Jan.-1948 Dec.
The Chatter, 1950 Jan.-1950 Mar.
The Chatter, 1950 Oct.-1950 Dec.
The Chatter, 1951 Jan., 1951 Feb., 1951 Apr., 1951 Sept.
The Chatter, 1951 Nov.-1951 Dec.
The Chatter, 1951-1958 May
The Chatter, 1952 Jan.-1952 Feb., 1952 Sept., 1952 Dec.
The Chatter, 1952 Oct.-1952 Nov.
The Chatter, 1953 Jan.-1953 Apr., 1953 Oct.-1953 Nov.
The Chatter, 1953 Sept.
The Chatter, 1954 Sept.-1954 Dec.
The Chatter, 1955 Jan.-1955 Feb., 1955 Apr., 1955 Oct.-1955 Dec.
The Chatter, 1955 Mar.-1955 Apr.
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Center School historical collection MSS.190
Series 1: Newspapers, 1930 Jan.-1965 May
The Chatter, 1956 Feb., 1956 Apr.-1956 May
The Chatter, 1957 Apr., 1957 Oct.-1957 Dec.
The Chatter, 1958 Feb., 1958 Apr., 1958 Oct.-1958 Dec.
The Chatter, 1959 Feb., 1959 Apr.-May 1959, 1959 Oct.-1959 Dec.
The Chatter, 1960 Feb.-1960 Apr.
The Chatter, 1960 May
The Chatter, 1960/12/02, 1960/12/22, 1961/01/27, 1962/05/19
The Chatter, 1961 Mar., 1961 May
The Chatter, 1961 Feb.-1961 Mar.
The Chatter, 1961 Oct.
The Chatter, 1962 Feb.-1962 Apr., 1962 Sept., 1962 Nov.
The Chatter, 1962 Dec.
The Chatter, 1963 Feb.
The Chatter, 1963 May
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Center School historical collection MSS.190
Series 2: Yearbooks, 1953-1966
2
The Chatter, 1965 May
8
Box
2
Series 2: Yearbooks, 1953-1966
Memoria, 1953
Memoria, 1958
Memoria, 1961
Memoria, 1962
Memoria, 1963
Memoria, 1964
Memoria, 1965
Memoria, 1966
Box
Object
2
1
2
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Box
2
Series 3: Subject files, 1905-2008
Center School handbook, 1967
Keesling, Erville temperance pledge, 1914/04/17
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Box
Folder
2
9
2
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Center School historical collection MSS.190
Series 3: Subject files, 1905-2008
Report cards, 1944-1945, 1956-1957
Commencement programs, 1957, 1967
Music program, 1949 Apr.
Sunshine Society Senior Honors program, 1954, 1955, 1956
Class of 1958, 50 Years Later memory book, 2008
Class of 1940, 50th Year Class Reunion pamphlet, 1990
The Elizabethan Courier newsletter, undated
Smith, Greg basketball and prom memorabilia, 1960-1961
Smith, Greg basketball and student memoribilia, 1961-1962
Smith, Greg Key Club memoribilia, 1960s
Smith, Greg junior year memorabilia, 1962-1963
Smith, Greg senior year memorabilia, 1963-1964
Smith, Greg pre-high school basketball student manager memorabilia,
1959-1960
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Center School historical collection MSS.190
Series 3: Subject files, 1905-2008
Alumni banquet minutes documents, 1970-1979
Alumni banquet minutes documents, 1980-1989
Alumni banquet minutes documents, 1990-1999
Alumni banquet minutes documents, 2000-2005
Basketball memorabilia, 1937-1944
Playbills, undated
Senior trip itenerary, 1956
Commencement announcements and programs, 1902-1965
Diplomas, 1929, 1933, 1956
Kirklin, Edrafaun memorabilia, undated
Our School, Mt. Pleasant School, District No. 5, Delaware County, Indiana
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pamphlet, 1906-1907
World War II ration books, 1939-1945
Hamilton, Mary F. valedictorian speech notes, undated
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Center School historical collection MSS.190
Series 4: Artifacts, 1905-1965
Class of 1954 reunion booklet, 2004
Final grant report, 2001
Final grant report, 2001
Final grant letter and attachments report, 2001
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Box
3
Series 4: Artifacts, 1905-1965
Wooden basketball player stand, circa 1930-1950s
Buttons, circa 1930-1960s
Graham, Verda scrapbook (original), 1946-1947
Graham, Verda scrapbook (copy), 1946-1947
Photograph information sheets and thumbnails, 1900-1960s
Photograph information sheets and thumbnails, 1900-1960s
Box
Object
3
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EF.001 Series 5: Electronic files, 1905-2005
Box
2
P.067 Series 6: Photographs, 1905-1965
Box
4
PN.067 Series 7: Negatives, undated
Box
5
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Center School historical collection MSS.190
Series 8: Oversize materials, undated
POVC.067 Series 8: Oversize materials, undated
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Map-case
5
Drawer
4-5