Home of Scholars and Champions
HISTORY OF CYPRUS HIGH SCHOOL
Spirit, pride, unity and tradition are the qualities that have flowed through the
veins of Cyprus students since the beginning of this great school in April of l9l8. The first
school year started with grades seven
through ten. A new grade was added each year until
l92l when the first high school diplomas were awarded to five graduates.
The closing of the mills the following year depleted the school population to such an
extent that the senior high department close
d, and the few remaining high school students
were transported to Granite High School.
When the mill resumed work again in l922 the tenth grade was again added,
followed the next year by grade eleven. In l924, the first story of the administration
buildi
ng was completed, and in May of l925, sixteen students graduated. That summer the
second story of classrooms came into being. The school now consisted of twelve
classrooms, an office, storerooms, lockers and a library.
During the l927
-
28 year, a manual
arts building and one of the largest rural
gymnasiums in Utah were erected. The next year a six hundred
-
seat auditorium was built,
with a balcony being added later to handle an additional 250 people.
The Pirate Ship sailed along smoothly for several year
s without further
modification. Then in l937, a two
-
story music building became part of our complex, joined
to the main building and auditorium by a three
-
arched arcade and hallway. The first story
of this addition consisted of five group practice rooms,
a supply room and a director’s
office. The second story had a large band room and an instrument storage room.
Even with all this building over the years, a rapid increase in enrollment and
activities required still more additions to the superstructure o
f the old hull. The original
gym was not large enough, and a new one had to be started in l955. Rather than destroy
the old facility, it was converted into three stories of classrooms. Further modifications
brought exciting changes to the music departme
nt in l957, and by l964 we had a new
industrial arts building. By the summer of l965, a connecting building between the
administration and old gym buildings was completed, and things seemed very shipshape for
some years to come.
The progress at Cyprus Hi
gh School has never ceased, and in the spring of l974,
plans were approved and construction begun for one of the most modern and complete
auditoriums in the area. The old auditorium was remodeled into a new home economics
facility.
More recently, in the
spring of l978, contracts were let to construct a new science
and ceramics building on the northwest corner of the campus and a new girls' gym on the
southwest. At last, our great school seemed to be finished.
Things did not bode well for the old Pirate
ship. During the fall and winter of l98l,
some old cracks and bulges in the l9l8 hull began to widen and sag. Even the bulkheads,
("doors" to you landlubbers), in the l965 superstructure started to stick. It wasn't long
before parts of our vessel were d
eclared to decommission the l9l8 and l965 portions of
the old ship and send them to the bottom. What was left of our great ship was towed into
dry dock for a complete rebuilding.
For two whole years, the Pirates had to call Brockbank Junior High an auxil
iary
vessel and use only part of the present ship. We put to sea an hour earlier than usual
every day for those years. Those who endured it well were the best for it all.
In the Fall of l984, the brand new Pirate ship was ready to be launched under full
sail, a bright and shiny new craft worthy to be called CYPRUS HIGH SCHOOL.
With more than eighty years of challenging and exciting seafaring behind us, we are
ready now to begin a new year, the best year ever as proud seamen on the greatest ship
afloat.
So . . . On, You Mighty Pirates!
WHY WE ARE THE PIRATES
Until l925, students at Cyprus did not have a nickname. Then, as the school began
rapidly growing, Cyprus entered into competitive sports with other schools and a name was
chosen.
Long ago on the island of Cyprus, bands of fierce Pirates made their home. They
were united, loyal and defended their cause with great honor.
When the students of Cyprus decided upon a name, they felt "Pirates" best suited
their school. As a result, Pir
ates became the official name of all Cyprus students.
