INFLUENZA SCHOOL CLOSURES IN COLUMBUS, 1918-1919

PART 1. "WE TURNED OUR FOOTSTEPS HOMEWARD"​

by Matt Doran
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From 1918 to 1920, an influenza pandemic swept across the globe, resulting in an estimated 50 million deaths. The United States experienced about 675,000 influenza-related deaths. The most deadly period of the pandemic came during the second wave in the fall of 1918.[1] By the end of the second wave in January 1919, nearly 15,000 deaths in Ohio were attributed to influenza, with about 1,000 in Columbus.[2]
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The Chronology of a Closure

To slow the spread of influenza, many cities across the United States began cancelling public gatherings and closing schools in early October. Ohio cities including Dayton, Marion, Salem, and Sidney ordered schools closed by October 9.[3] In Franklin County, East Columbus (then a separate city from Columbus) closed after 42 cases of influenza among its students. County School Superintendent William S. Coy also reported closed schools in Canal Winchester, Groveport, Madison Township, and Reynoldsburg by this date.[4]

Columbus Health Officer Dr. Louis Kahn, concurring with Columbus School Superintendent C.H. Fullerton, initially believed school closing was unnecessary. On October 8, district physician Dr. C.P. Linhart insisted, “there is no safer place in town than the schoolroom.”[5] A Columbus Evening Dispatch article pointed out,  “Every teacher has been made a medical inspector, and as soon as a child evinces symptoms of a cold, with sneezing and coughing, he is sent home...”[6] 

​By mid-October, however, Kahn and the city health board had reversed course, after strong recommendations (though not orders) from Ohio Governor James Cox, State Health Commissioner James Bauman, and the Ohio Board of Health.[7] About 1,000 Columbus residents had contracted influenza by this time.[8] 

The official “influenza vacation” for the 58 schools in Columbus began at the end of the school day on Friday, October 11, 1918. Some accounts indicate that schools remained closed for a period of two and one-half months, resuming on January 2, 1919.[9] In fact, classes actually resumed for a few weeks in mid-November, followed by a four-day Thanksgiving break, and another closure on December 3.[10] ​

On December 3, reports indicated 10,193 absentees, about one-third of the total enrollment. In 56 schools, the absentee rate was 8 percent or higher due to influenza alone, with 2,032 cases among students and 32 among teachers.[11] Other absences were due to colds or parents unwilling to send their children. Some reports also noted instances of faking illness, including the use of pepper in classrooms to “cause a small epidemic of sneezing.”[12] Superintendent Fullerton was reluctant to close schools again, being especially concerned about disrupting the college plans of seniors. Kahn, however, insisted, “if they are not [closed], they’ll close themselves through invasion of the disease.”[13]

Source: Columbus City Bulletin,  October 19, 1919

School resumed in January, 1919 as the second wave came to an end, and remained opened for the remainder of the school year. Month-by-month, influenza claimed the lives of 320 Columbus residents in October, 246 in November, 251 in December, and 67 in January. After only 76 deaths in February, a brief spike led to 165 deaths in March, followed by 57 in April, 42 in May, and 12 in June.[14] ​
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The Class of 1919 Remembers

High school yearbooks from the class of 1919 offer a glimpse of student reactions to school closures. Writing in West High School's The Occident, senior class officer Helen Johnston noted:

"Scarcely were we able to become accustomed to this dignity of ours and form a permanent organization, when we found ourselves in the midst of a most distressing epidemic of influenza. With sad hearts we turned our footsteps homeward to enter upon the study of our books with but ourselves as instructors. One thing only served to brighten those dark days, and that was the return of peace to earth.” [15]

Although there was no remote teaching in 1918, The Occident pointed out, “Our teachers thoughtfully assigned lessons for two weeks” when school closed on December 3.[16]  ​

Source: The Occident, West High School, 1919

South High School’s "History of the Class of 1919" simply noted, “Interrupted by ‘flu’ vacations and independent vacations of our own we have managed to keep our studies and are being graduated with honor.”[17]
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North High School’s yearbook, The Polaris, celebrated the return of football season as classes resumed in November. On November 11, 1918 the Allies and Germany signed an armistice in France, ending the Great War. Meanwhile, on Ohio Field on the campus of the Ohio State University, North High School won 25-0 in a battle against Commerce High School. ​

“After the ‘Flu’ epidemic had passed and the ban was lifted North and Commerce got together Monday morning, November 11, at Ohio Field. North’s squad showed needed pep and punch in carrying out plays. . . . Commerce put up a scrappy game on the defense, but when it came to team work on the offense, they were found sadly lacking in power. . . . The game was devoid of any thrills and showed lack of practice in both teams. . . ."[18]  ​

North High School football team from The Polaris yearbook, 1919
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West High School also defeated South High School 20-0 on Ohio Field that day. The West yearbook summarized its season, “In-flu-enza and out-flew-football. With most of our out-of-town-dates cancelled because of the epidemic, the pigskin season settled into a race for local honors ....”[19]

Continue to Part 2

ENDNOTES

[1] Roser, Max. “The Spanish Flu (1918-20): The Global Impact of the Largest Influenza Pandemic in History.” Our World in Data. Global Change Data Lab, March 4, 2020. https://ourworldindata.org/spanish-flu-largest-influenza-pandemic-in-history 

[2] Kingseed, Wyatt. “From the Archives: Columbus Battles the Spanish Flu.” Columbus Monthly. March 30, 2020. https://www.columbusmonthly.com/news/20200330/from-archives-columbus-battles-spanish-flu 

[3]  “Many County Schools Closed Because of Influenza Epidemic.” Columbus Evening Dispatch, October 9, 1918, 3. NewsBank: Access World News – Historical and Current. https://infoweb-newsbank-com.webproxy3.columbuslibrary.org/apps/news/document-view?p=WORLDNEWS&docref=image/v2%3A1467499E363272B3%40EANX-163B4A53E61F7621%402421876-163B48DBCB14BDF3%402 
[4] Ibid.

[5] “Danger of Influenza Epidemic is Remote,” Columbus Evening Dispatch, October 8, 1918, 8. https://infoweb-newsbank-com.webproxy3.columbuslibrary.org/apps/news/document-view?p=WORLDNEWS&docref=image/v2%3A1467499E363272B3%40EANX-163B4A530BAA27BB%402421875-1639EA9D4A9955BE%407 
[6]  Ibid.

[7]  “Influenza Encyclopedia.” Columbus, Ohio and the 1918-1919 Influenza Epidemic | The American Influenza Epidemic of 1918: A Digital Encyclopedia. University of Michigan Center for the History of Medicine, n.d. https://www.influenzaarchive.org/cities/city-columbus.html  

[8]  Bethea, Jesse. “‘Columbus Is Surrounded’ - When Spanish Flu Infected Ohio.” ColumbusUnderground.com, March 25, 2020. https://www.columbusunderground.com/columbus-is-surrounded-when-spanish-flu-infected-ohio-jb1  

[9]  Seifert, Myron T. “Columbus Public School System Has a Singular Heritage.” My History. Columbus Metropolitan Library, n.d. https://digital-collections.columbuslibrary.org/digital/collection/memory/id/23774/rec/197   

[10]  “Schools Closed for Second Time by Health Board,” Columbus Evening Dispatch, December 3, 1918. 2 https://infoweb-newsbank-com.webproxy3.columbuslibrary.org/apps/news/document-view?p=WORLDNEWS&t=pubname%3A1467499E363272B3%21Columbus%2BDispatch/year%3A1918%211918/mody%3A1203%21December%2B03&action=browse&format=image&docref=image/v2%3A1467499E363272B3%40EANX-163BA756A561FD86%402421931-163B4A275D321520%400

[11] Ibid.

[12] Ibid.

[13] Ibid.

[14] Hooper, Osman Castle. History of the City of Columbus, Ohio. Memorial Publishing, 1920. 273. https://www.google.com/books/edition/_/WjWfaxIi7zgC?hl=en 

[15] West High School, The Occident, (Columbus, OH: 1919), 4, Columbus Metropolitan Library, https://digital-collections.columbuslibrary.org/digital/collection/yearbook/id/28396 

[16] Ibid. 

[17] South High School, The Annual, (Columbus, OH, 1919), 28, Columbus Metropolitan Library, https://digital-collections.columbuslibrary.org/digital/collection/yearbook/id/4375 

[18] North High School, The Polaris, (Columbus: OH, 1919), 89, Columbus Metropolitan Library, https://digital-collections.columbuslibrary.org/digital/collection/yearbook/id/18374/rec/19 

[19]  The Occident, 1919, 69 https://digital-collections.columbuslibrary.org/digital/collection/yearbook/id/28473 
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