Bio: Lauscher, Ivan W. (25 Years of Service - 1967)

Contact: Dolores (Mohr) Kenyon
E-mail: dolores@wiclarkcountyhistory.org

Surnames: Lauscher, Short, Peters

----Source: Clark County Press (Neillsville, Clark Co., WI) 5/18/1967

Lauscher, Ivan W. (25 Years of Service -1967)

As the school year closes, Supt. Ivan W. Lauscher is observing the completion of 25 years of service to the Neillsville School district.

The anniversary was marked by members of the Neillsville Education Association, their wives and husbands, at a dinner gathering last Saturday night. As a part of the program - and with the subversive assistance of Mrs. Lauscher - members of the group presented a “This is your Life” bit, using pictures that Mr. Lauscher long since had forgotten.

Among those present were several members of the board of education and their wives or husbands. Mrs. Marjorie Short, treasurer, presented a gift to Mr. Lauscher.

Mr. Lauscher came to Neillsville from Sevastopol Consolidated High School, in Door County, in September of 1941. At that time he was hired as a mathematics teacher, and was told after he arrived that he would “have a few principal’s duties” to discharge along the way. His time as principal was increased gradually, until he finally devoted full time to that position. In all, he has held the title of principal for 19 of the 25 years he has been connected with the Neillsville district system. He became superintendent in 1961 on the retirement of Donald E. Peters.

Before coming to Neillsville, Mr. Lauscher had eight years of experience as an instructor at Sevastopol Consolidated, and before that he had taught for five years in a one-room country school in Door county, so his experience totaling 38 years has run the gamut from the little old red schoolhouse (which is education’s “vanishing American”) to modern-day consolidations.

In looking back over his quarter century in Neillsville, Mr. Lauscher recalled some of the significant changes which have come about in the school district during that time. One that stands out in his memory is the change in physical facilities which has taken place. When he came here, Neillsville’s district was operating in the old elementary school (razed a few years ago), in the Northside school (now about to be razed), and the “old” high school. Gymnasium facilities were practically non-existent, and interscholastic contests were staged in the armory (now we are missing the rest of the story of history).