W.D. Johnston Biography Hancock County, WV ********************************************************************** USGENWEB NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. ********************************************************************** Submitted by Valerie F. Crook The History of West Virginia, Old and New Published 1923, The American Historical Society, Inc., Chicago and New York, Volume III, pg. 258-259 Hancock County W. D. JOHNSTON is superintendent of schools at Weirton, that interesting and thriving industrial and agricultural community of which the town of Weirton and the Weirton Steel Works are the central figure. For a century this section of Hancock County was almost entirely agricultural and pastoral. Therefore, while Mr. Johnston has been look- ing after the schools only half a dozen years or so, his work here has been largely coincident with the period of modern growth and development. It was in 1916 that the present Central High School building was erected at Weirton, with Mr. Johnston as superintendent. Prior to that time the educational activ- ities of the Butler District had been centered at Holliday's Cove, while the high school had been maintained for sev- eral years. The Central High School at Weirton and the schools in that group enrolled about 800 pupils, with forty in the high school, twenty-nine teachers all told, and three in the high school. There were only seven schools altogether in the Butler District in 1916. For 1922 the enrollment for the district was 1,720, there were sixty-eight teachers, and the high school had 110 scholars and ten teachers comprising the faculty. Among the veteran teachers at Weirton, whose work has been of the highest degree of usefulness, might be mentioned Miss Nell Cox, Miss Catherine Conlon and Miss Clara M. Smith. Superintendent Johnston was born in Harrison County, Ohio, graduated from Adrian College in Michigan in 1912, took post graduate work in Ohio University at Athens and at Columbia University in New York. For three years he taught in the district schools of his native county, was principal for three years at the high school of Jewett, Ohio, for three years was principal of the Chester High School in West Virginia, and then, in 1916, came to his duties at Weirton as superintendent of the local schools. He is an active member of the National Educational Asso- ciation, the State Association, and is vice president of the District Superintendents Association of the state. He has been superintendent of the Presbyterian Sunday School at the Cove, and is county chairman of the Junior Bed Cross. He married Dorothy Dennimore, of Jewett, Ohio. She is a talented musician, graduated from Dana's Musical In- stitute at Warren, Ohio, and at Scio College, and for four years was a teacher of music in the public schools of Ohio. Mr. and Mrs. Johnston have one daughter, Lorraine. The school system of the Butler District is a matter of special pride to all local citizens. D. M. Weir, vice president of the Weirton Steel Company, in an address he delivered to the officers and executives of the Steel Com- pany in January, 1922, had this to say concerning the school system: "The school system in Weirton is one that we have every reason to be proud of. The superintendent of schools in the Butler District is a man of high ideals, is a credit to the community and a very able and efficient director. And I think that the results bespeak more for him that any word of praise that I may say at this time. He has the support of a very able school board, Mr. Shakley, Mr. Morris and one of our own employes, Mr. Rowland. These men give their time and thought to advancing educational fa- cilities in the district, which is now taking care of 1,800 chil- dren, having about sixty teachers for this work. In addi- tion to that we have two colored schools, one in the north- east part of Weirton, with about twenty pupils, and one on Calico Hill, with about forty or fifty pupils. The teachers of these schools are just as competent as any others. "We are all justly proud of our High School and I think it compares favorably with any other in the state. This educational work is of the utmost importance. Boys and girls in the schools today will be prime movers in tomor- row's Weirton, and we should encourage educational work in every way. "At the present time there is being considered and it seems an absolute necessity a building for high school pur- poses at a probable cost of from $150,000 to $200,0.00. This bond issue will come before the people some time soon and I am hopeful that it will be approved, because new high school facilities are bady [sic] needed. About seventy-five pupils are being enrolled each year in the freshman class, and if past records for enrollment are any criterion it will increase yearly. "Mr. Johnston would like to have a high school which will accommodate from 400 to 500 pupils. Naturally he is looking ahead. He has vision. We think it will only be a few years hence until we will have that many pupils in our high school. Vocational training is being carried on with much success in our present high school building. In the wood work and machinery class there are some forty boys enrolled, and the work they produce is most commend- able. A recent exhibit of what they made was shown in one of the local stores and proved most surprising to every one who saw it. No one had any idea that such development was taking place in this line of work. Domestic Science is a very popular class in high school, some fifty girls being enrolled. This branch teaches home economics and sewing."