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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Racism must be fought with 'honesty and boldness,' OSF actor tells gathering ... Fireworks show features fiddler ... Police reports, June 30-July 1 ... Racism must be fought with 'honesty and boldness,' OSF actor tells gathering ... Fireworks show features fiddler ... Police reports, June 30-July 1 ... AS IT WAS As It Was: Medford High's 'Cap' Mentzer taught 'manual training' Comment By Craig Stillwell Southern Oregon Historical Society DailyTidings.com By Craig Stillwell Southern Oregon Historical Society Posted Jun. 15, 2016 at 6:08 PM By Craig Stillwell Southern Oregon Historical Society Posted Jun. 15, 2016 at 6:08 PM » RELATED CONTENT • As It Was: Ashland's Hargadine Cemetery dates back to 1867 • As It Was: Blackbird beckons customers to shopping center • As It Was: Seely Hall, Jackson County's 'Father of Aviation' • As It Was: Ashland Natatorium gave way to Twin Plunges » Social News Building a house is not a classroom activity found in most high schools. But several decades ago, students routinely built houses in Leland "Cap" Mentzer's classes at Medford High School. Mentzer taught manual training at Medford High for 40 years. His courses included woodworking and architectural drawing. But when he was hired in 1920, a school board member told him to teach the boys practical skills, such as cement work and carpentry. His students promptly built a garage next to the school. Other structures followed. They built prefabricated garages that they trucked to a site and erected, only charging the buyer for the cost of the materials. In later years, they built prefab houses. Mentzer inspired some of his students to become professional builders and architects. A graduate of the Oregon Agricultural College, Mentzer initially received $2,000 a year to teach at Medford. Throughout the years, he and his shop followed the high school as it relocated about the city. His first shop was in a basement corner. In the 1930s, it was housed beneath the auditorium stage. "Cap" Mentzer retired in 1960. But the innovative "real world" education he pioneered continued to be taught by others and remains an important part of his legacy. Source: Jewett, Dick, "Teacher Helped Shape Local Construction," The Mail Tribune, June 6, 1985, pp. 10-11. As It Was is a co-production of Jefferson Public Radio and the Southern Oregon Historical Society. As It Was stories are broadcast weekdays on Jefferson Public Radio and are available online at asitwas.org . By Craig Stillwell Southern Oregon Historical Society DailyTidings.com By Craig Stillwell Southern Oregon Historical Society Posted Jun. 15, 2016 at 6:08 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with DailyTidings.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Alerts Email alerts RSS feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2016 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. DailyTidings.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501