Grove City

Grove City High School: 1919-1941

Grove City had a daily commuter service offered by the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, A.G. Grant decided that the village would be better served by an interurban electric train that would bring passengers to Columbus on a more frequent basis. Not only would village residents benefit, but the interurban would serve as a powerful lure to new residents as part of the sub-urbanization movement that was taking hold throughout the country. The interurban was responsible for a significant amount of the population growth around the turn of the century. Its last car ran in October 1929 and was replaced by the automobile.

Herschel Nisonger, 1919-1920
Herschel Ward Nisonger earned his Bachelor of Science in Agriculture degree in 1914.   After graduation, he went back to Darke County where he taught science as was principal of Versailles. Nisonger was one was one of the original agricultural education instructors at Versailles High School. The following year, in 1919, a training center was established at Grove City and Nisonger was appointed as a non-resident instructor in the Department of Agricultural Education. When Ray Fife left the department in 1920, Nisonger was promoted to the rank of Assistant Professor and was brought in from the Grove City training center to take over the work of Professor E. F. Johnson. Professor Nisonger continued on the staff until 1928 when he left to accept the position as Junior Dean in the College of Agriculture, probably the first junior dean in any college in the United States. He continued in that capacity until 1935 when he was appointed in the College of Education to head up the program of special education, aimed primarily at adult education. He remained in the faculty in the College of Education until his retirement in 1958 where he devoted his energies to the field of mental health and intellectual disabilities on the local, state and national levels through research, consultation and administration.  The Nisonger Center, an interdisciplinary program of dedicated to improving the lives of people with developmental disabilities. This center is currently located in McCampbell Hall and has recently celebrated their 50th Anniversary. He died in June, 1969.

Harold Kenestrick, 1920-1922
Harold G. Kenestrick was reared on a farm in Darke County and graduated from The Ohio State University, College of Agriculture in 1916. He served in the armed forces in World War I. After being released from active duty, he was employed at The Ohio State University for two years as an itinerant teacher to substitute from one to two weeks for teachers who returned to the university for additional training in teaching vocational agriculture. In 1920-21 he went to Grove City for two years to conduct the training center there. In 1922, he was appointed on the resident staff in the Department of Agricultural Education. He continued as a member of the staff until his death in 1952.

 

John D. McClelland, 1922-1925
John D. McClelland was reared in Wayne County. He graduated from The Ohio State University’s College of Agriculture in 1921 and taught at Sidney in 1921-22. He was appointed on the non-resident staff to replace Harold Kenestrick at Grove City. He continued at Grove City until 1925-26 at which time he was appointed assistant state supervisor of vocational agriculture in Ohio. In 1932 he went to Washington to head up the Young Farmer Program and remained there for two years. He returned to Ohio State University and remained on the staff in the Department of Agricultural Education until 1939. Then he went to Iowa State University as Chairman of the Department of Agricultural Education. He retired from this position in 1966 after spending two years in foreign assignments in agricultural education.

 

 

Floyd J. Ruble, 1925-1941
Floyd J. Ruble was reared in Highland County. He graduated from The Ohio State University’s College of Agriculture in 1924. Before graduating from college, he taught at Buford for two years, and was also superintendent of that school the second year. After graduating from college, he accepted a position to teach vocational agriculture in Carey, Ohio. He taught there one year before accepting the position in the training center at Grove City to replace John McClelland. He continued at Grove City until 1941. During 1942-43 he served as director of OSY and NYA programs. In 1944, he was appointed assistant state supervisor of vocational agriculture, a position he held until his retirement in 1968.

 

 

Additional reading:
Agricultural Education in Grove City