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Cumnock Schools

American primary, secondary, and college in Los Angeles From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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Cumnock Schools was an American private educational organization in Los Angeles, California that included a junior college and primary, secondary, and vocational schools. Comnock Schools formed in 1930 with the merger of the Cumnock School of Expression, established in 1894, and the Macurda-Drisko School. M. C. Drisco and A. A. Macurda were the co-directors of Cumnock Schools, which stressed music and the arts. Cumnock Schools closed in 1942, in part due to World War II.

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History

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Comnock School of Expression, 1500 Figueroa Street

Adelaide "Addie" Murphy Grigg founded the Los Angeles School of Oratory for women in Los Angeles in 1894.[1][2] Grigg was a graduate of the Northwestern University School of Oratory where she had been the assistant of Dr. Robert McLean Cumnock; she changed the school's name to the Cumnock School of Expression to honor her mentor.[1][2] In 1902, the school moved to 1500 South Figueroa Street to a building modeled after Shakespeare's Birthplace in Stratford-upon-Avon.[1] Kate Tupper Galpin added Cumnock Academy for Girls, a preparatory school, to the campus in April 1902.[1][3]

Grigg died in January 1915, and Helen Augusta Brooks became the school's new headmistress, with her sister Anna Brooks Wyckoff as treasurer.[1][4][2] In 1916, the school moved to Vermont Avenue in west central Los Angeles.[1] After the Brooks sisters retired in 1930, the Cumnock School was sold and became coeducational.[2]

Cumnock Schools formed in 1930 through the merger of the Cumnock School of Expression and the Macurda-Drisko Schools.[5] The merger was facilitated by M. C. Drisco and A. A. Macurda, formerly of the Macurda-Drisko Schools.[6] The transaction included securing a lease to own option for $300,000 on 4.75 acre property at 5353 West Third Street in Los Angeles.[7][6] Drisco and Macurda were the co-directers of Cumnock Schools.[7][8][9]

Raymond C. Brooks became the president of Cumnock School in August 1936, remaining in this position until it closed.[10][11] Brooks had been head of the department of religion at Pomona College but had come to Cumnock to carry on the family tradition started by Helen Brooks.[10][2] he intended to restore the school to it former status and, then, sell it.[2] He called it Cumnock School and College. After seven years, Brooks had achieved his goal and found buyers for the school; however, the two men who were to take over the school were enlisted into the military for World War II.[2]

Deciding that he was unlikely to sell the school during the war, Brooks closed the school rather than let it become more financially insecure.[2] Cumnock Schools graduated its last high school and junior college classes, a total of 42 students, on June 13, 1942.[11] The school closed for good after a summer session that ended on August 29, 1942.[2] It had a total of 1,158 graduates.[2]

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Campus

Cumnock Schools was located at 5353 West Third Street in Los Angeles, California.[12][7] Its buildings were in English Tudor-style.[12] Academic facilities included a numerous classrooms; chemistry, biology, and physics laboratories; art and music departments; a library, and a study hall.[12] The campus included an auditorium, a dining room that seated 200, and a dormitory for forty girls.[12] It also had space for archery, badminton, baseball, football, and tennis.[12]

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Academics

Cumnock Schools continued and expanded the programs of its former institutions, offering a coeducational education for kindergarten through junior college.[5][6] Its primary and secondary instructors were all certified.[8] The Cumnock School was accredited by the State of California, starting in 1917.[12]

Along with traditional subjects, the Cumnock Schools emphasized music and the arts.[6] Olga Steeb, a pianist from Los Angeles, oversaw piano instruction.[6] Harry Brenner, concert master of the Berlin opera, oversaw violin training.[6] Hal Davidson Crane, head of the Bach Cantata Society, taught vocal classes, along with Amiee Spurr.[6] The director of the college's art department was Henry Lovins, a muralist who was formerly head of the art department at the University of Southern California.[9]

Collegiate institutions

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Cumnock School of Expression

Cumnock School of Expression was established in 1894 by Adelaide "Addie" Murphy Grigg as a professional school that trained students to become readers or teachers of expression.[3][2] It taught dramatic art, English, oratory, and physical culture.[3] Kate Tupper Galpin added the Cumnock Academy for Girls, a preparatory school, to the campus in April 1902.[1][3] The school also included a junior department.[1] Cumnock School became coeducational in 1928 and was sold in 1930.[1][2]

Cumnock School of Expression was reestablished as a component of Cumnock Schools in 1930 under the leadership of Helen Crane Hardison and Robert Ethel Phillips.[5][9] The new School of Expression taught diction, drama, public speaking, voice, and the allied arts.[7] Both classes and private training were offered.[7] The school accepted day and boarding students, but only offered housing for female students.[5][3] It closed in 1942.[2]

Cumnock Secretarial School

The Cumnock Secretarial School taught business courses to both male and female students, preparing them for a "higher class" of secretarial work.[7] It closed sometime before Cumnock Schools ceased to operate in 1942.[2]

Cumnock Junior College

Cumnock Junior College was established in 1928.[5] It helped students who were turned away from traditional four-year colleges prepare to become junior transfer students.[8] It merged with the Los Angeles Private Junior College to form Cumnock College in 1930.[6][7] Los Angeles Private Junior College had previously been operated by Macurda-Drisko Schools.[5]

Cumnock College

Cumnock College was formed from the merger of Cumnock Junior College and the Los Angeles Private Junior College in 1930.[7][6] Despite the name change, it remained a two-year college, providing classes covering the first two years of college.[8] The college opened on October 1, 1930.[9][13]

Cumnock College admitted male and female students who were high school graduates.[7][9] In 1932, it had 103 students.[8] The college closed in 1942.[2]

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Pre-college institutions

Primary schools

Cumnock schools also included a nursery school for ages two to four, a kindergarten, and an elementary school.[8] In addition to the "regular classes", students were taught dancing, drama, French, and physical education.[8][5] The primary schools were housed in two buildings on the Cumnock campus.[5] These programs had ceased to exist sometime before Cumnock Schools closed in 1942.[2]

Cumnock Junior High School

The junior high school taught students in grades seven and eight.[3] The junior high school operated until Cumnock Schools closed in 1942.[2]

Cumnock High School

Cumnock High School was formed in 1930 by the merger of the Cumnock Academy and the Los Angeles Private High School, previously operated by Macurda-Drisko Schools.[5][6] The high school included housing for sixty female students.[6]

In 1932, 36 students graduated from the high school, with many continuing at Cumnock College.[8] The high school closed with the rest of Cumnock Schools in 1942.[2]

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Student life

Cumnock College had a chapter of Phi Sigma Nu junior college fraternity.[14] It also had chapters of the sororities Sigma Iota Chi and Theta Tau Epsilon.[15] It yearbook was the Cumnock Chronicle.[16]

Sports

Cumnock Schools had a football team that played against other high schools and junior colleges.[3] Its football coach was Ford Palmer, a former football player at the University of Southern California.[3] The team was called the Maroons and played in Gilmore Stadium.[3] Its colors were maroon and gold.[17] Cumnock was not a member of the California Interscholastic Federation Southern Section (CIFSS), but frequently played football against its members.[3]

Cumnock also had basketball and track teams.[18] It had a boxing team that was coached by Fidel LaBarba.[3]

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Notable people

Alumni

Faculty

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See also

References

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