In 1961, S. H. Rider High school, which was built on a prairie, first opened for classes. It was named after Stephen Hendrix Rider.
Mr. Rider came to Wichita Falls, Texas, to be the principal of Wichita Falls High School in 1919.
According to the first Rider yearbook, Rider High School was named after him because many appreciated how he always searched for ways to further education. He also helped found the Texas Interscholastic League in 1923.
After 30 years of progressive administration, he continued to give of his time and of himself to help advance education growth in the Wichita Falls School System.
From the beginning Rider High School has always had many different traditions.
“The Happening went away in the 80s, but was brought back quickly,” testing coordinator Stephanie Mullens, who was also a math teacher at Rider since 1985, said.
Some teachers said that they do not enjoy the new traditions that have been developing.
“It really bothers me that the freshmen are booed,” Stacie Martin, chemistry teacher and 1989 Rider alum, said. “That tradition began in the late 90s.”
Many teachers also agree that the school spirit has lessened drastically since they were students at Rider, or at least since they started teaching.
“The games were more exciting than they are now, because both teams played well,” Martin said.
Still, Martin loves Rider/Old High week.
Kim Blackney, math teacher and 1978 Rider alum, also said things have changed.
“Mum Day has always been an ongoing tradition, but when I was in high school, people would only get a mum if they had a boyfriend or girlfriend,” Blackney said. “These days either friends gives them to one another, others get one for themselves. So everyone ends up having a mum. That’s the only way that tradition has really changed.”
Blackney says the rivalry has definitely changed.
“The rivalry wasn’t anything compared to how it is now,” Blackney said. “There were just fights and occasional egging.”