The year was 1922. The Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C. was dedicated. The tomb of King Tutankhamen was discovered. And work commenced on the first of what would be many New Richmond High School yearbooks.
Longtime yearbook advisor Jim Robinson, who retired at the end of the school year, looked forward to the 2021-2022 edition. It marked a milestone, the 100th printing of the publication that annually captures the photos and words of NRHS students.
The advisor since the 1986-’87 school year, Mr. Robinson said that many things about the yearbook remain the same. It’s primarily a student-managed project. From planning the annual’s content to selling ads, the students do it all. Thanks to desktop publishing the work of page layout and design is less labor-intensive.
Not a lot is known about the early years of the annual and there are gaps in the school library’s extensive yearbook collection, especially pre-1950s, Mr. Robinson said. The historic 1922-1923 edition was donated to the high school by a member of the community who purchased it at a garage sale.
In fact, many of the earlier books in the collection were donated, he said.
This year’s annual, understandably, celebrated the past with a special edition featuring historic pictures.
“We’re trying to have a connection to the past,” Mr. Robinson said.