100 Years Ago This Week: Aug. 17-23

From The Indianapolis News, Tuesday, August 21: Indianapolis public school officials are anticipating 45,000 children on opening day next month. Superintendent Ellis U. Graff announced that no overcrowding is expected in the coming school year because fifty Indianapolis grade schools will each have an additional classroom available to accommodate students. The extra space comes about with the elimination of German language classes. These rooms will more than take care of the seating for the expected enrollment increase of 2,000 pupils this fall. High school German classes are expected to be terminated by February 1, 1919, the end of the first semester, if not by legislative action of the Indiana General Assembly, then by the act of students in the classes dropping the language. Peter Scherer, supervisor of teaching German, will be retained through the end of the first semester.