“They were all winners”: Murlin Welch
Murlin Welch served Shawnee Mission Rural High School from 1937 to 1972. He began as a social studies teacher and a coach for the basketball and football teams. He became principal in 1955, when four junior high schools opened in the Shawnee Mission district. During his tenure, Welch helped establish the school’s national reputation.
Principal Welch addressed the student body each morning with the message, “Good morning, ladies and gentlemen.” He and Superintendent Howard McEachen wanted to instill a positive attitude among the students. “We never let them feel they were not winners,” Welch recalled.
Shawnee Mission Rural High School was recognized by the National Association of Secondary School Principals as providing the “Common and Essential Needs that All Youth Have in a Democratic Society.” This highly-distinguished rating noted the numerous club activities Shawnee Mission Rural offered its students. These included home room government, Future Farmers of America, history and science clubs, Y-Teens, and Hi-Y. Clubs focused on special interests such as books, photography, current events, home nursing, dance, and drama also regularly met at the school. Welch believed that a student-oriented school developed winning students.
Welch had a good working relationship with the students. His policy was, “Don’t ask us for anything unreasonable and we’ll never say no’.” It worked. According to Welch, “the kids did not come in with unreasonable requests.”
In addition to serving the school district, Welch participated in many civic projects. He is known as “the father of the park system.” As president of the Shawnee Mission Sertoma Club in 1953, he chose the formation of a countywide parks system as the club’s main project. Welch was also instrumental in securing the club’s support for a new junior high school system to serve a rapidly growing student population.
--ALBUM vol. 9, no. 1 (winter 1996)