The C.H. McCollom School opened its doors to students on February 1, 1960, the fourth elementary school of School District 69.
According to A History of Wichita Public School Buildings, “The eight-acre site in the north Westlink area was located on the fringe of the existing housing development, and during the early years McCollom enjoyed a pastoral setting of open wheat fields and native grassland with abundant small animal and bird life.”
The school was named in honor of Charles Hebert “Hub” McCollom. He was the director of the school board from 1955-1958. He was also an advocate for the area, creating a youth recreational facility for the area.
McCollom was born on January 20, 1911, in Powellton, Illinois His family moved to Dodge City where he attended school. He also went to the College of Emporia and Kansas State College.
He married Evelyn Oliver on Oct. 21, 1933, in Herington, KS.
McCollom served in the U.S. Navy in World War II. He was a lieutenant and received the Bronze Star citation from General Omar Bradley for his actions in the Rhine crossing in 1944.
After the war, he moved to Prairie Village and then to Wichita in 1953.
McCollom served as superintendent for Standard Industries in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
McCollom died of a heart attack on February 25, 1959. He was 48 years old. At the time he was a director on the Hickerson School Board and a trustee of Delano Township.
Mr. and Mrs. McCollom are buried at Jamesburg Cemetery.
A year after his death, McCollom Elementary opened its doors for the first time.
In July 1960, School District 69 was annexed by the Wichita School District. In 1966, two kindergarten rooms, ten classrooms, a library, and a commons room were added. A story in the Wichita Eagle applauded the addition. Saying the addition was “the only structure of its kind in the United States and may set a national construction record.”
Courtesy: The Wichita Eagle
The structureis made from mass-produced modular components. The interior walls are movable so the space can be altered based on the needs. The modulars help speed up the construction process.
Another addition in 1976 brought a new multipurpose room and a new classroom.
As part of the 2000 bond issue, McCollom received four special education classrooms and several renovations. The work was celebrated on October 10, 2002.
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