Fife High School became fully accredited in 1921. The graduating class of 1925
consisted of 4 young men. ( Click here to see
pictures of the administration.) By 1926 there were 64 high school students
enrolled. The school became the focus of the community's social activities.
A Tacoma newspaper article claimed, "Fife Rural School Best in the Northwest."
Fife was perhaps the only school in the State to offer both a full academic
curriculum and instruction in manual skills, primarily agricultural and mechanical.
At one time Fife High School built violins and ukuleles for sale. The community
took an active interest in the athletic programs. The voters turned down a bond
issue to build a gymnasium in 1920 and 1923. Other schools in the area refused
to play at Fife because of the poor facilities. In 1924 the boycott forced the
residents to pass a bond and a gym was built. (Click
here to read the article that appeared in the 1925 Illhee.)The
gym opened with a basketball game between the residents and businessmen. 
With a new gym came the first State Championship.
The girls basketball teams put Fife on the map with their State win. In 1925
the Fife boys' basketball team played Pacific Lutheran University and won 24
to 8. In 1927 Fife created its first football team. Harry Enochs coached the
team. (read more about Mr. Enochs). The team
owned one football and one set of shoulder pads. Needless to say they lost their
first game to Roy, 6 to 0. They finished the season with 5 out of 7. Football,
however, was to become one of Fife's most popular sports.
The Illahee was first published in 1925, the result of
careful planning. The Forwward for the annual reads as follows:
" In publishing this, our first High School Annual, we have
chosen as its title the Indian word Illahee. The meaning of this
name is 'favored or ideal spot.' We hope that this record of our
high school life for the past year will bring back memories dear
to every member of F.H.S., and that such a publication will become
a tradition of the school." It was so enthusiastically received
by the students that it was hoped to be made an annual publication.
However, due to financial problems there was no annual in 1928.
In 1929 the Trojan was first published and continues to this day.
The Fifonian, the school paper, was published bi-monthly
for most of the decade. Each class took turns publishing an issue.
The competition was fierce, but friendly. (Click
here to see a page from an early issue.)
A school bus route was added in 1927 and by 1929 there were three
buses on the road each morning and evening. A new brick high school
was started. On January 24, 1929 the High School and Grade school
boys had a fight. The younger boys chased the high schoolers into
the building with snowballs. In March of 1929, Fife High School
elected its first student council. (Continue)