Students Strike at WHS

Anthony Borgo November 2019

Several years ago, a woman came into the Whiting Public Library inquiring whether or not we had any information on the student strike at Whiting High. We did not, however, my interest was definitely peaked. The woman, Dolores Biser, informed me that while in high school, her future husband, Robert Symanski, was one of the ringleaders of this student protest. A couple weeks later she sent me newspaper articles chronicling this teenage act of civil disobedience.

In 1947, approximately 300 students of Whiting High School’s 520 student body went on strike because of misconceptions about attendance enforcement policies. The trouble began when Whiting High School principal, E. L. Riordan posted the school’s absenteeism policy on a bulletin board, a policy that had been in place for some time. According to a Chicago Tribune newspaper article Riordan stated, “The same rules have always been in effect. We just had them stated in more simple language. The teachers suggested it at a faculty meeting.”

Riordan went on to say that he believed that the strike was just a misunderstanding possibly caused by some of the high school’s teachers. According to the principal, some of the teachers who explained the school’s policy to the students were angry over the new enforcement plan because it would create more work for the faculty. The additional work would come from filling out written excuse slips and checking on incoming excuses. Riordan said, “Because they were angry about the extra work, some of the teachers deliberately exaggerated the scope of the new enforcement policy and led students to believe it is a much more serious thing then it really is.”

In an effort to prevent any hardship with his staff, Riordan corrected this earlier statement in another newspaper article. “The teachers didn’t purposely give students the wrong impression about our plan to punish excessive absenteeism and tardiness, but it’s probable some of them didn’t get the right idea across to their classes. I think the students now all know exactly what we have in mind and see that it is necessary.”

William A. White, School Truant Officer, cited that attendance figures were responsible for the reemphasis of the school’s attendance policy. The high school would now enforce poor attendance by penalizing excessive absenteeism and tardiness with an extra hour of school a day for offenders. The Chicago paper quoted White stating that, “Absenteeism has grown progressively worse since school opened this fall. During the first four weeks, an aggregate of 113 students were absent from classes; during the second four weeks, 132, and during the last four weeks, 238 students.” Riordan stated, “We had a case of a girl staying out of school to make a fourth at bridge and a boy who drove his mother shopping. We can’t allow that, of course.”

The student strike was launched with 30 students, mostly girls, picketing the high school entrances at the start of school. When asked the reason for the protest, leaders responded they were against the rigid rules governing tardiness, missing of classes, and loitering in the halls. As the day went on the number of strikers ballooned to 270 of the high school’s 390 upper classmen. Some students were even seen jumping out of the first floor windows in order to be a part of the strike.

When I spoke with Dolores, she informed me that initially her husband was not even a part of the strike. She had mentioned to Robert the day before that there were some rumblings going on and he thought that it was just silly. However, when Robert showed up for school the next day he witnessed how unorganized the student body was. Being a natural born leader, Robert decided to lend a hand to this teenage rebellion.

The strike only lasted a few hours and by the next day most of the students were back in class. Later that day, Principal Riordan spoke with a 24-member student committee and explained that this was all a case of misunderstanding. Representatives of the strike stated that they would urge their fellow pupils to return to class the following day.

The next day however there was a threat of another strike when school officials began to investigate the individuals involved in the protest. Principal Riordan threatened to expel student ringleaders of the uprisings if they continued “rilling the student body.” Riordan’s ultimatum was issued to two seniors, Robert Symanski, 18, and Joseph Kresach, 17, who were spokesmen for the nearly 300 protesters.

Symanski and Kresach believed that student tardiness should only be punished after the third offense. Riordan responded, “Tardiness usually has been punished only after repeated offenses but it will be punished as I view the individual case. If I find any students purposely loafing to make themselves tardy to classes, I’ll punish them even on the first offense.”

Riordan’s ire grew when the seniors wanted to negotiate their demands, claiming that there were many points, with which the student body as a whole, was not satisfied. According to the Chicago Tribune article, “The two students then insisted school officials provide them with a set of rules against which each student could check his likes or dislikes. If the school authorities didn’t accept the students’ recommendations, Kresach and Symanski said, the student body was prepared to go on strike once again.”

The high school principal went on to retract a promise he made the day before to hold an assembly to explain the attendance enforcement procedure stating, “I do not like the attitude of these students.” He went on to declare that he and other school authorities would keep a careful watch on these youths in an effort to prevent future walkouts. Riordan instructed the youths, “And don’t you boys rush around the building trying to rile the rest of the students or I’ll take action to expel you from school.”

When asked about the strike, School Board Trustee, Charles O’Drobinak, stated, “Only if a student strike gets out of control will Whiting’s school board take action to end the walkout.” O’Drobinak went on to explain that punishment of the strikers is a matter for Superintendent L.C. Grubb and Principal E. L. Riordan. Superintendent Grubb told the Board, “It would be unfair to punish all the students who stayed out of school Monday, but ringleaders of the walkout are known and will be dealt with if any more trouble is created by them.”

Some board member were even sympathetic with the plight of strike spokesman Symanski. The Board took no action when the student’s residency was questioned. Robert Symanski informed the Board that he lived with his sister, Margaret Sulupski of 2749 Schrage Avenue at the start of the school term, but moved to 945 Reece in Hammond to live with his grandmother. Symanski explained, “Living in Robertsdale makes it easier for me to go to my night job at Youngstown Steel and Tube Company.” Symanski had to support himself since the death of his mother the previous year.

The Superintendent went on to reprimand the youth for his “unwise stand in the last few days.” However, he vowed, with other board members, to work with Symanski and ensure that he would be able to complete his high school education with the Whiting school system.

Robert and Dolores were eventually married. Robert went on to become a regional manager for a construction company which built hotels, and Dolores was a stay-at-home wife and mother. For ten years, Robert was also a member of the police and fire commission for Calumet City, Illinois. In 1985, Robert was offered a job in Florida, which was too good to pass up. Dolores said it was like being on vacation for over 20 years. When Robert’s health began to fail him, these high school sweethearts moved to St. Charles, Illinois to be closer to their family, which consists of 2 daughters and 7 grandchildren. Unfortunately, Robert passed away in 2005.