Thomas Carr Howe High School opened its doors to its first class of students in the fall of 1938, marking the culmination of years of struggle by Irvington and east side citizens to secure a secondary school.
Prior to being annexed by the city of Indianapolis in 1902, the town of Irvington had a schoolhouse for both elementary and high school students. After annexation, the city schools took control of the Irvington elementary school, designating it IPS No. 57, but no provision was made for a high school and Irvington students had to continue their studies at either Manual High School or Shortridge High School. Later, Arsenal Technical “Tech” High School and, for black east siders, Attucks High School became an option.
Over time, the Indianapolis school board was called upon to build an east side high school and in 1926 the newly organized Irvington Union of Clubs formed a committee of 24 women to secure a new high school. After two years of resolute petitioning by the citizens of Irvington, the school board took action to acquire an 11-acre tract, west of Emerson Ave. and south of Washington St, consisting of a bluff known as Violet Hill. Crowning Violet Hill, architects McGuire & Shook designed a Collegiate Tudor Gothic style building of reddish-brown brick and Indiana limestone with leaded glass windows and a central tower with a great clock cut in stone.
The onset of the Great Depression and limited funds available to the school board delayed construction of the Irvington High School until 1937 when a grant from the federal Public Works Administration helped finance the $450,000 cost of the high school’s main building. Ground was broken in May by which time the name had been changed to Thomas Carr Howe High School as a tribute to the late former Butler University president. The cornerstone was laid in November.
Principal Charles McKay Sharp and his teaching staff of 16 welcomed 450 first-year students on Tuesday, Sept. 6, 1938 and the starting of the clock in the tower at the dedication ceremonies on Thursday, Sept. 29 marked the official opening of Thomas Carr Howe High School. The student council picked brown and gold for the school colors and “Hornets” for the nickname. The first issue of the Howe Tower, the student newspaper, came out on May 22, 1939.
Men’s athletics at Howe began with cross country with track and field coming soon after. Coach George Farkas organized the first basketball teams two months after the school’s opening and golf and softball were also an early part of the athletic program. Under the direction of Head Coach Sam Kelley, Howe’s football team took to the gridiron in the fall of 1943. Women athletic programs included softball, archery, table tennis, volleyball, and basketball.
Student extracurricular organizations included the Spanish Club, German Club, Science Club, Latin Club, Footlight Revelers (drama club), Commercial Forum (business club), Photography Club, Literary Club, and Journalism Club.
Soon after Howe’s opening, a Parent-Teacher Association and the Men’s 400 Club were formed to provide support to the students and school programs.
On Thursday, June 6, 1941 Howe’s first commencement was held in the school’s auditorium. The 91 graduates began a tradition of a class flag uniquely designed by the class officers and the occasion also saw the introduction of the first yearbook, the Hilltopper.
America’s entry into World War II following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor saw Howe students doing their part to support the war effort with over 90% of the student body regularly purchasing War Stamps. In recognition of this contribution, Howe was awarded the Schools at War Flag. Students also participated in the Air Raid Wardens’ Club, while the Knitting Club made sweaters for the Red Cross. Students in the Industrial Arts Department made scale models of American and Axis airplanes, according to plans supplied by the U. S. Navy, to be used for identification purposes to train gun crews and pilots. By May of 1945, 313 former Howeites were serving in the armed forces. Nine made the ultimate sacrifice.
With the retirement of Charles M. Sharp in 1959, Thomas Stirling became principal of Howe. He was succeeded in 1972 by Frank Tout who left in 1989 to serve as Cluster Director at the IPS Education Center and was briefly followed by Bruce Beck. Tout returned in 1991 and upon being named IPS Directory of Secondary Education in 1992 he was succeeded by Medora Walker.
A notable member of the Howe facility was Charles H. DeBow, a former World War II Tuskegee Airman. He was the first black teacher at Howe, joining the English department in 1955. Among the notable Howe alumni are Nancy Ostrander ‘43, former member of the U. S. Foreign Service and ambassador to Suriname; Greg O’Haver ‘63, chief instrumentalist and a lead singer with the New Christy Minstrels; and C. W. Mundy ‘64, artist.
The first addition to Howe High School was a gymnasium, cafeteria, and music room that was ready for use in the fall of 1940. More than 1,000 people were in attendance on Friday night, November 29, for the dedication of the gym floor with an opening basketball game with Broad Ripple High School. By 1945, enrollment had grown to more than 1,350 students and additional growth over the ensuing years prompted the construction of a new wing along the east side of the main building in 1954 which added 25 classrooms, a drafting and mechanical drawing laboratory and mechanical shops, a band practice room, and a basement firing range for the R.O.T.C. program. Howe’s 25th anniversary was marked with the construction of a four-story addition that included a 1,200-seat auditorium that opened its doors to the public with a music program on the evening of November 9, 1963. The new wing also included science labs, classrooms, and a cafeteria. In the early 1970s Howe’s enrollment reached 2,500 students and the school board approved plans for an addition that would include a gymnasium, a media center, offices, and an auto shop.
In December 1994, the Indianapolis Public School board voted to close Thomas Carr Howe High School at the end of the school year. On Thursday evening, June 1, 1995, Howe’s last graduating class of 161 seniors received their diplomas, turned their tassels, and left Violet Hill joining more than 19,000 alumni.
The Howe Tower and the Hilltopper have been digitized and can be found at www.digitalindy.org/digital/collection/tchhs.