Site and Scene
Volume 4, Number 1
Fall 2002

Harold B. Lee’s Reminiscence of the Oneida Stake Academy

In the fall of 1912, I entered the Oneida Stake Academy at the age of thirteen years. Mother had not yet permitted me to wear long pants, and when I entered high school I was the youngest of the class and was one of the only two in school who were wearing knee pants.

When I entered school I was anxious to continue my music training. The high school band offered the best opportunity. My first instruments were an alto [saxophone] and the French horn. . . .

In my second year at high school I became acquainted with Ethel Cole of Fairview, Idaho, and during our high school years and until I went on my mission in 1920, she and I kept up a rather constant, intimate friendship either by correspondence or by occasional visits. I remember her as my first “sweetheart’ and the only girl with whom I kept steady company prior to my mission. I always admired her as a genuine friend.

In my senior year in high school, 1915-16, I was extremely busy with a number of school activities outside of my school work. One of my debating teammates was Sparrel Huff. The Oneida Academy was in a league with the Fielding Academy of Paris, Idaho, and the subject to be debated was, “Resolved: That the Monroe Doctrine should be abolished.” We defended the negative side and Lewis Ballif and Irel Lowe the affirmative. Prior to the finals with the Paris teams, we staged debates all over the adjoining counties.

Never in the history of our school had a team won . . . [against the] Fielding Academy at Paris, but we succeeded in turning the tables in a thrilling two-to-one decision over a Paris team, composed of Nellie Parker and George Bateman. They gave us a banquet following the debate, and the next day we return to Preston as conquering “heroes,” where our home team was victorious and our student body gave us our real reception in a special assembly.

My favorite sport was basketball, and at the time I attended high school it was the major athletic sport. In my junior year I was elected athletic reporter for the Oneida, the school paper; and in my senior year, I was elected the student manager of athletics, which was the “plum” of all school offices because it carried the privilege of accompanying all athletic teams on their trips to handle the business affairs while en route, all expenses being paid by the school. Art Rynearson was the coach, and we were fortunate in having a team that competed on even terms with college teams like the UAC [Utah State Agricultural College in Logan]. Our team played games that took us from Rexburg, Idaho, on the north to Ogden, Utah, on the south. It was often my responsibility, also, to “scout” rival teams.

Besides managing the team, I gained considerable skill as a player. I was a member of the senior team that won the class championship. Following my graduation I continued to play and enjoyed some reputation as a basketball player.

In the graduating class there were but five girls and twenty-five boys; a great bunch of fellows. On the night of Founders’ Day we climbed to the top of the flag pole over the Academy and nailed our class colors, and then each in turn climbed to the flag and kissed the colors. After singing and giving class yells we retired to our rooms, and awoke in the morning to discover that during the night our colors were taken down by the junior class. A grand fight followed which was finally stopped by the officers. (Harold B. Lee, Autobiography, in L. Brent Goates, Harold B. Lee, Prophet and Seer [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1985], 46-48.)