The Early Years of Whiting High School 

 John Kertis
July 2026

Every school has its history. On Oliver Street is a school that has a rich history of 125 years. In that time, Whiting High School provided its students with the education needed to contribute to their community. It has also helped generations of students from immigrant families, from Slovaks in the 20th century to Mexicans today, develop the knowledge and skills they need to succeed. Whiting High has had a huge impact on the lives of Whiting students and on Whiting.  

Founded in 1898, the high school became a part of an existing building used for elementary school students. It was small, two-stories tall, but with only eight high school students in its first year not much space was needed. There were four juniors, three sophomores, and one freshman in the first high school, and there were three teachers.

The building had one large room on the first floor used for assemblies, as well as for the seventh and eighth grade classes. Inside, the room had bookcases and a reading table, set off in a small area, for students to study. Later, books, periodicals, and a piano were added. On the second floor, there were eight small recitation rooms, one for each grade from first to eighth. 

To graduate, the high school students had to earn thirty-two credits to complete the four-year course. But, since there were no seniors, there were no graduates in the first year of school.

During that time, the School Board of Trustees received a petition requesting a kindergarten building. The Standard Oil Company owned a sixty-foot frontage on Oliver Street. Once an agreement was reached with the company, construction of the kindergarten began there.