David H. Hickman High School

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David H. Hickman High School
"Keep Smiling"[1]
Address
1104 North Providence Road Columbia, Missouri, Boone County, 65203 USA
Information
Oversight	Columbia Public Schools
Principal	Mr. Michael P. Jeffers[2]
Enrollment	2,109 on campus 2,812 (+9th grade)[3]
Faculty	164[4]
Student:teacher ratio	16:1[5]
Type	Public Secondary
Grades	10, 11, 12
Medium of Language	English
Campus	Urban
Athletics	Boy's Soccer, Football, Cross Country, Volleyball, Girl's Tennis, Girl's Softball, Girl's Golf, Boy's Diving & Swimming, Girl's Diving & Swimming, Boy's Basketball, Wrestling, Girl's Basketball, Boy's Baseball, Boy's Tennis, Boy's Golf, Track and Field, Girl's Soccer[6]
Athletics conference	Independent
Fight song	On Sons of Hickman
Rival	Jefferson City HS, Rock Bridge HS
Mascot	Kewpie
Color(s)	Purple and Gold
Yearbook	The Cresset
Newspaper	The Purple & Gold
Established	1889 (1927 current building)[7]
Schedule	Traditional
Homepage	www.kewpie.us

David Henry Hickman High School (commonly Hickman or HHS) is a coeducational public secondary school in Columbia, Missouri, United States, serving students in grades 10–12. The school is one of three high schools in the Columbia Public School District^[8], with admission based primarily on the locations of students' homes. Hickman is one of the largest high school in Missouri, with an enrollment of of 2,143 in 2008^[9][10] and has been called the largest in terms of athletic and academic competition.^[11] The school is noted for its strong academic programs, having the most Presidential Scholars of any public school in the United States,^[12] as well as a number of notable alumni including a Missouri Governor, several U.S and State congresspeople, and Sam Walton, founder of Wal-Mart.^[13] Hickman is two-time Blue Ribbon School and a Missouri Gold Star School.^[14]

Hickman was constructed in 1927 on the country estate of Missouri legislator and educator David Henry Hickman, next to what was then U.S. Route 40. The school was built to replace the earlier Columbia High School, many of whose traditions including the mascot and yearbook were carried on^[15]. Today the school is accredited with distinction by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education as well as the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools.^[16] Hickmans' mascot is the Kewpie Doll.

[edit] History

Public secondary education began in Columbia during the 1880s with the founding of Columbia High School in 1889 at the intersection of Eighth Street and Rogers.^[17] As many high schools were at this point in history, CHS offered a two-year course of study. In 1895 it was increased to three, and again in 1896 to four. Extracurricular activities in 1989 included a literary society, choral union, orchestra, and debate team. Sports teams were present, but were not yet funded by the district. Overcrowding caused the demolition of the old school and the construction of a new three-story structure at the same site. The new building included the district's first gymnasium and the first athletics and music teacher were hired.^[18] 1912 saw the first edition of the school yearbook, the Cresset. The school mascot the Kewpie appeared for the first time in the Cresset associated with the basketball team "...whose loyalty to the school and to the Kewpie motto to keep smiling has won the state championship." The school suffered through World War I as students were excused to work as part of the war effort and the German Club was removed the extracurricular offerings.^[19] In the 1920s Columbia was suffering continued growth and the district decided to build ^[20] a new high school on the edge of town on the newly built U.S. Route 40. David Henry Hickman donated part of his estate which had formerly held grandstands and a track for horse racing. David H. Hickman High School opened in 1927. The Great Depression of the 1930s caused the school district to operate with a deficit for the first time. However, the high school building was expanded using loans and the Works Progress Administration. In this decade the schools wrestlers captured three state championships, and Hickman created a marching band. The 1940s and World War II brought a new level of international awareness to Hickman and classes in international relations, aeronautics, and home nursing were added. In 1944 the operetta "Tune In" was performed, and there have been yearly musical productions since. In 1948 the tradition of requiring sophomores to wear beanies was restored. ^[21]

The 1950s saw the end of racial segregation in Columbia, and Hickman was integrated with Fredrick Douglas High School. The influx of students saw a building boom and class rooms for special education, adult classes, vocational work, and laboratories were built. A new gymnasium as well as a swimming pool were built in 1955. In 1961 the tradition of sophomore beanies was ended. David Wheeler became Hickman first presidential scholar in 1964, the first year of the program. Hickman saw four state championships in three sports in the 1960s.

Rock Bridge High School was opened in 1973 as the second high school in Columbia and competitive women's sports were offered for the first time 1970s. The 1980s saw much national recognition, Hickman was given the Blue Ribbon Award for 1984-85. President Ronald Reagan visited the school in 1987 and Hickman filled Missouri's quota of Presidential Scholars in 1988. In 1994-95 Hickman was once again given the Blue Ribbon Award and four additional Presidential Scholars were named <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=User:Lupin/navpop.css&action=raw&ctype=text/css&dontcountme=s">in the decade, Hickman now had a total of 12, more than any public school in Missouri. Computer labs were created in the late 80s and the Columbia Aeronautics Space Association (CASA), a realistic space simulation program, was founded. In the 90s hickman won state championships in baseball, women's swimming, men's track, men's cross country, and men's tennis.

The new millennium saw a presidential scholar each of the first four years and the development of a master plan for Hickman's campus. A bond-issuce was passed and the renovations repairing the oldest parts of the school occurred. A large commons space, main office, and language labs were added in 2003. The oldest part of the building including the auditorium was restored, and the remainder of the school air-conditioned in 2005. State championships in football, baseball, and track were won in 2005.

[edit] Academics

Hickman is known for excellent academic programs. The school has had more Presidential Scholars named than any other public high school in the United States. Newsweek magazine's 2006 article "What makes a high school great" listed Hickman as within the top 5% of high schools in the nation.^[22] In 2007 the school won the Siemens Foundation and College Board Award for Advanced Placement meaning that Hickman leads the nation in AP participation and performance.^[23] Its literary journal, the Hickman Review, has received several prestigious national awards.^[24] Hickman was recognized as a Blue Ribbon School for 1984-1985 and 1994-1995.^[25] The Hickman course catalogue contains over 400 different classes, from a wide selection of honors and AP courses, to various courses for all aspects of the arts, as well as courses specializing in vocational education. A full listing of courses can be found here. The school retains a traditional 7-period schedule.

Class Schedule

Period->	0	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
Time	6:55-7:45	7:50-8:40	8:45-9:35	9:40-10:30	10:35-11:25	11:30-12:55	1:00-1:50	1:55-2:45

[edit] Campus

Hickman High School was built on U.S. Route 40 on the country estate of David H. Hickman in 1927, the school has expanded in size drastically from the original two-story structure. Today the campus is bordered by Interstate 70 Business, Seventh Street, Wilkes Boulevard, and Providence Road. The original building was constructed in 1927, a major addition in 1956 doubled the size of the school adding classrooms, a gymnasium, and a swimming pool. The 1970s saw the construction of a Fine Arts Building, as well as continued classroom additions. In 2003 a commons area, office space, and language labs were added and in 2005 the remainder of the school was air-conditioned and remodeled to match the original architecture.

In Missouri State High School Activities Association competition, Hickman is referred to as the state's largest high school[1] [2]. According to the state's Department of Education official site [3], Hazelwood Central High School in suburban St. Louis is the state's largest public high school in terms of students on the campus with 2,882 in grades 9-12 in 2007.[4] Hickman is shown as having 1,974 students on its campus in grades 10-12; however, factoring in ninth grade students who would attend the school (MSHSAA designations are based on Grades 9-12, but in Columbia, Hickman's ninth graders attend off-campus schools), Hickman is larger at 2,752 in 2006. De Smet Jesuit High School in Creve Coeur, Missouri is the state's largest private high school with 1,250 students.

The Hickman Campus is host to several events throughout the year including the Missouri All-State Band Auditions.^[26]

[edit] Extracurricular activities

[edit] Fine arts

The Hickman High School Marching Band is one element of a comprehensive band program. The marching band begins its season in August, with summer rehearsals, and concludes its season with the end of the football season. The marching band comprises 160 students enrolled in band classes at Hickman High School as well as several Hickman students that are members of the color guard. As the marching band "activity" continues to evolve, the Hickman band remains active as it consistently participates in performances at home football games, local parades, and region-wide marching festivals. Throughout its recent history of participation in marching band festivals, the band has been a consistent finalist and has been awarded outstanding caption recognition in all captions, including Outstanding Musical Performance, Outstanding Visual Performance, Outstanding Percussion, Outstanding Color Guard and Outstanding Drum Majors. Most recently, the band was a finalist and placed at the Ozarko Marching Festival and placed 4th in the gold(top) division at the Greater St. Louis Marching Festival.^[27] The Hickman Marching Band has traveled to Florida and most recently to Honolulu, Hawaii (June, 2005) as they presented performances in the King Kamehameha Parade and a special performance at the U.S.S. Missouri Memorial. The band will repeat this trip in June 2008.

The Hickman High School Concert Band Program currently consists of Wind Ensemble (1st) hour and the Concert Band (2nd). Each year the Wind Ensemble (membership by individual audition) and the Concert Band present many performances for the community including home concerts and special events. In addition, both bands participate in the State Large Ensemble Festival and consistently receive Superior ratings. The Hickman High School Wind Ensemble has twice been selected to perform for the Missouri Music Educators Association (2001 and 2005).

The Hickman High School Jazz Program is an extracurricular activity available to student enrolled in Hickman band classes. The jazz program comprises two "big bands" of standard jazz instrumentation as well as various jazz combos. The jazz bands begin morning rehearsals at the conclusion of the marching band season and continue throughout the school year. Both jazz bands present 2 concerts per year, as well as participating in 3-4 jazz festivals per year.

The Hickman High School string orchestra is composed of the finest string players in the school and meets 1st hour. The band and string programs complement each other, combining into a full orchestra for major works such as Carmina Burana, Verdi's Requiem and tribute concerts for composers such as Leonard Bernstein. In 2007 the orchestra traveled to San Antonio, Texas, to perform at the Heritage Music Festival. They received three first place awards.

Choral Music at Hickman has been a part of the total education experience since the first choral music class was included in the curriculum of Columbia High School for the 1899-1900 school year. Since then choirs at Hickman have received numerous accolades and awards for excellence in choral performance at state, regional, national and international festivals. Theses include a first place finish at the International Youth and Music festival, Vienna, Austria; a performance with the internationally renowned Canadian Brass; a performance with former Missouri Governor, Senator, and U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft; and performances at state and regional music educator conferences. Hickman choirs have toured extensively throughout Europe, visiting Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Spain, Ireland, Wales, Scotland, England, and most recently Italy and the Vatican. Notable performances include: Salzburger Dom in Salzburg, Austria; Notre Dame Basilica in Montreal, Canada, theNational Cathedral in Washington, D.C.;St. Mark's Basilica in Venice, Italy; St. Francis Basilica in Assisi, Italy; and St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican City, Rome.

Musical theatre has been a staple of Hickman High School for decades, having produced All-School musicals as far back as the 1940s. The Musical Productions class first appeared in the 1977-74 school year when they presented the Victor Herbert musical The Red Mill, which opened as it had in 1946 when Hickman first produced it. Since that time, Musical Productions has grown into a graduated program, with three levels of study. Each course is designed to improve the student's skill level, designed to grow students into confident and well-rounded performers.

[edit] Athletics

The Hickman Kewpie football team won the Class 6 MSHSAA title in the fall of 2004. Wrestler Tony Pescaglia won a state title in 2005 and 2006. His brother, K. C. Pescaglia, won a wrestling state title in 2006 and 2007. The baseball team won the Class 4 state title in the spring of 2005. Tim Cornell won the 1600 meter (mile) state championships in 2004 and 2005 in Track and Field. Tim Cornell also won the 2003 and 2004 Cross-Country state championships.

Football at Columbia High School, Hickman's predecessor, started in 1894. With the exception of the Spanish Influenza epidemic of 1918, it appears football has been played every year at Columbia Hickman High School since that initial 1894 year. The Hickman Kewpie football team website is here. The early history of the football team (1894-1910) is still being researched. The Hickman-Rock Bridge series is now called the Providence Bowl in reference to Providence Road, a main street going North-South in Columbia, Missouri and that connects the two schools. Currently, the Providence Bowl meeting takes place at the University of Missouri–Columbia's Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium.

1981 Rock Bridge, 7-0
1994 Hickman, 43-42 (3 OT)
1995 Hickman, 17-6
2000 Hickman, 55-0

2001 Hickman, 28-8
2002 Rock Bridge, 34-7
2003 Hickman, 30-14
2004 Hickman, 35-0
2005 Rock Bridge, 21-18
2006 Rock Bridge 48-0
2007 Hickman 23-0

Hickman from 1981 has a 7-4 series edge over Rock Bridge with a series record victory in 2000 by the score of 55-0.

The Jefferson City-Hickman series. The two football teams have met every year, at least once a year, since 1919 with the series starting in 1911. The Hickman Kewpies currently hold a 51-47-4 series edge over Jefferson City Jays. In the 2006 game, the Jays broke a four game losing streak to the Kewpies to take the Class 6, District 6 Title. This is the premiere (and most heated) rivalry among Central Missouri's largest schools. The only game that can rival this game in 'spirit' is The bell game played every year between Brookfield High School and Marceline High School.

Basketball was another sport played early on, but research into the starting season of the team is still being done. It was definitely a team fielded by the school by the time of the first Cresset in 1912. Hickman's girls basketball team took 3rd in the state in their last season.

Baseball seems to have been strong at Columbia High School early on but looks to have faded in the late 1920s or early 1930s due to the Great Depression. It was revived fully in 1950 or 1951 when MSHSAA instituted a playoff system to determine State Champions in baseball. The site for the baseball team is located here.

The first State Wrestling Tournament for high school wrestlers in the state of Missouri was held in 1931 at the Rothwell gym on the University of Missouri campus. Hickman High School competed in this first tournament under the instruction of Coach Fowler Young. Coach Young was also a varsity wrestler for the MU tigers at the same time he coached the Hickman team. This first Hickman team became the first wrestling team to be crowned State Champs. Coach Fowler coached the team in 1932 and 1933. The team placed 2nd and 8th respectively. In 1934 and 1935 the Hickman team competed without a coaching staff. They depended on the leadership of their captains, F.E. Daugherty in 1934 and Ross Brown in 1935. The 1934 team qualified 8 wrestlers to the state tournament where 4 wrestlers took home a medal; 1 Champion, 2-3rd's, and 1- 4th place. The team itself finished 5th. The 1935 team qualified 9 wrestlers, with 5 taking home a medal, 4 of which were the state championship title and 1-3rd place. This 1935 took home the team title of Team Champions.

The first lacrosse program in the Columbia, MO area was started in 1998 and was composed of players from Hickman High School and Rock Bridge High School. The schools split ways in 2002 and the first Hickman High School Men's Lacrosse team was formed. After graduation many players went on to play for the University of Missouri Club team; however, after graduating in 2006, W. Kendall Eckles went on to become the first to play NCAA. He played his 2007 season at Fontbonne University in St. Louis, MO where he led the team as the leading point scorer.

[edit] Clubs

Hickman High School boasts one of the most innovative music appreciation societies in United States public education. The Academy of Rock was founded in late January of 2004 by students David Kemper and Dylan Raithel and teacher Phil Overeem [5]. The general purpose of the club was initially to plan and execute a “Battle of the Bands” between Hickman and its Columbia rival, Rock Bridge, but soon grew to encompass several other enterprises.

Since its inception, the Academy of Rock has hosted four Battles of the Bands [6], three at Hickman High School and one at a local rock and roll venue, The Blue Note [7]. These four events have raised a total of nearly $6,000 to support what sponsor Overeem calls “demotic music” (in other words, music created by and for the masses). Each Battle has pitted four Hickman bands against four Rock Bridge bands, the winners being as follows: J Murda and the Musicians (Hickman, 2004), The Tipper Gores (Hickman, 2005), Wayfare (Rock Bridge, 2006), and Graffiti Out Loud (Hickman, 2007). The winning band not only has the privilege of hosting a summer benefit concert [8]at the Blue Note but being staked to recording time in a local studio owned and operated by local Columbia musician Barry Hibdon, Red Boots. The four summer benefits have raised a total of over $3,000 for VH1's Save the Music Foundation [9], Columbia’s community radio station KOPN [10], the Muscular Dystrophy Association [11], and the Voluntary Action Center of Columbia [12]. In addition, Academy of Rock-sponsored bands have also raised over $2,000 to assist in rebuilding after both the Sri Lanka and New Orleans disasters, and the group co-sponsored a fundraiser for Hurricane Katrina survivors that netted nearly $27,000 [13].

Besides the Battle of the Bands, the Academy of Rock also sponsors, mans, and programs KWPE 98.3 FM [14], the school radio station (home to The Carl Winslow Show--see below--and Rock Therapy [15]); funds and curates the American Roots Music Listening Library in the school media center [16]; partners with Columbia art theater Ragtag Cinemacafe [17] for “The Academy of Rock Showcase,” which gives high school bands the opportunity to hone their chops in front of audiences and make money; partners with University of Missouri radio station KCOU [18] in a “Take-over Program [19],” during which eight pairs of Hickman DJs operate the college station for 12 to 16 hours in one- to two-hour shifts; sponsors a monthly music documentary series in the school’s Little Theatre; and coordinates a live performance series [20] that has featured free unplugged concerts by artists ranging from nationally-known acts like Drive-By Truckers (March of 2005),The Hold Steady (December of 2006), former X co-lead singer and -songwriter Exene Cervenka[21] (see video)[22], and Baby Gramps [23] to local Missouri musicians like The F-Bombs [24], Amsterband [25], Bockman [26], and Cary Hudson [27]. The Academy of Rock has even made headlines in the national music press, thanks to a feature article by Lisa Groshong in the July/August 2005 issue (#68) of Punk Planet, and recently received a $500 “Music is Revolution” [28]grant from Michael and Angela Davis, the former the original bass player for Detroit punk rock legends the MC5. Other recent developments in the club's activities are to arrange performances for budding Hickman musicians at lunch on Fridays and coordinate after-school jam sessions, at which student musicians arrive, write their names on slips of paper, and drop them into buckets labeled according to their instruments. A supervisor then randomly draws a slip a piece from each bucket, and the four to five musicians whose names are on the slips must come to the stage and improvise a performance. In September of 2007, in conjunction with Hickman’s student government, the Academy provided over 100 volunteers for the city’s first annual Roots 'n' Blues 'n' Barbecue Festival [29].

On September 11, 2006, Hickman's resuscitated KWPE Radio Station premiered The Carl Winslow Show, a show which incorporates a mixture of scripted and improvised segments similar to The Bob and Tom Show. The show is hosted by two students who go by the pseudonyms "Beartrap" and "Grizzly," both of whom claim that their names were made up seconds before their first broadcast. Gradually, the show has become a cult hit among student and teacher listeners. Enthusiasts have compared the show to The Late Show with David Letterman, The Soup, and Dennis Miller. The Carl Winslow Show began its second and final season on the airwaves this past September, and has been featured twice on the University of Missouri radio station KCOU.

[edit] Traditions

[edit] The Cresset

The Cresset is the Hickman Yearbook. It has been a yearly tradition for the high school since 1912. Currently at the Hickman Media Center (Library), most of the previous editions of this book are there for the High Schoolers and general public (with special permission from the librarian) available for viewing. However, there are certain editions that are not available at the High School. Currently they are the 1913, 1914, 1916, 1917, and 1936 editions. Some of these editions do reside at the Columbia Public Schools Central Office. Also, there are several editions that are in need of replacement due to abuse of previous generations. If you have any old Cressets, in good condition, that you would like to donate to the Hickman archives, please contact the Hickman Media Center Staff.

[edit] The Hickman Tunnels

Many legends, both confirmed and unconfirmed, exist concerning the famous Hickman Tunnels. The most popular legend is that there is a tunnel from somewhere inside the school traveling to Jefferson Junior High School. Many versions say that the tunnel is in a state of complete or partial disrepair, others state that it is still intact.^[28]

[edit] Mascot

The Kewpie is the mascot of Hickman High School in Columbia, Missouri. It is the only known school in the world with a Kewpie as its mascot. The name dates back to 1914 when a student working for the Columbia High School yearbook, the Cresset, drew a Kewpie holding a sign that dedicated the book to the basketball team "whose loyalty to the school and the Kewpie motto "Keep Smiling" has won the State Championship."^[29]

[edit] School Song

On, Sons of Hickman (a.k.a Kewpies on the March)

On, sons of Hickman
Thru every year,
Praise her and honor her,
And greet her with a cheer,
We'll shout it!
Kewpies are on the march,
Faithful we'll always be,
Purple and Gold we'll carry
To victory!

The school song was written by Mr. C. M. Stookey, a music instructor at Hickman High School in 1944. It was originally called Kewpies on the March. The song is featured on the third page of the 1950 Cresset.

[edit] School Cheer

Strawberry Shortcake, Gooseberry Pie,
V-I-C-T-O-R-Y!
Are we it? Well, I guess yes!
We're the Kewpies of H-H-S!

Traditionally, Senior and Alumni versions of this cheer are immediately outcried following the school song during Assembly, first by the senior class, then by any alumni present, in a standing delivery. In these versions, "We're the Seniors" or "We're the Alumni" replaces "We're the Kewpies" in the last line.

[edit] Historical notes

[edit] Presidential visit

On March 26th, 1987, President Ronald Reagan made a special trip to Columbia, Missouri to speak at the National Governors' Association-Department of Education Conference as well as Fairview Elementary and David H. Hickman High Schools. Hickman had received the Department of Education's Secondary School Recognition Award, and with six students having been named Presidential Scholars since 1964, Hickman ranked in the top five percent of the nation's schools. In his address to the assembled students and faculty at Hickman, President Reagan praised the school's academic quality, saying, in part, "If America is to be what it should be in the 21st century, then it's going to need a lot of schools, good schools. And Hickman, I'm pleased and proud to tell you, is one of the best." During the presentation, President Reagan was made an honorary Kewpie and given a school sweatshirt as a gift.

See also related transcripts of President Reagan's visit, archived by The American Presidency Project (offsite links):

• Remarks to area students at the Columbia Regional Airport
• Remarks to 6th grade class at Fairview Elementary School
• Remarks to 3rd grade class at Fairview Elementary School
• Remarks to students in Assembly at Fairview Elementary School
• Remarks to students in Assembly at David H. Hickman High School
• Remarks to the National Governors' Association-Department of Education Conference

[edit] Notable alumni

• Gary Anderson Professional Football Player
• Matt Bartle Missouri state senator
• John M. Dalton Former Governor of Missouri
• Jane Froman actress
• Gerry Ellis Running-back for the Green Bay Packers
• Conrad Goode Professional Football Player and actor
• Ken Griffin keyboardist
• Kate Hanley Virginian politician
• Jeff Harris Missouri state representative
• Peter Hessler writer and journalist
• Rob LaZebnik television writer (The Simpsons)
• Kenneth Lay CEO of Enron during the Enron scandal
• Jeff Maggert Professional Golfer
• Claire McCaskill U.S. Senator
• Sam Walton founder of Wal-Mart^[30]
• James "Bud" Walton Co-founded Wal-Mart

[edit] References

Find more about Hickman High School on Wikipedia's sister projects:
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[edit] External links

• Hickman High School
• kewpie.net "Gathering Place" for all Kewpie Classmates

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