In the year 1878, the Legislature of Ohio passed a law authorizing township Boards of Education to establish a school of higher grade than a common school. Under the authority of this law, it was decided to establish Olive Branch High School; but due to a lack of money, the school was not established until the next year.

At the meeting of the Board in the spring of 1880, the local directors of Olive Branch District consented to give one room of the Olive Branch School to be used for high school purposes. A committee was then appointed to hire a teacher and adopt a course of study. The school opened in October 1880 with Robert H. Taylor in charge. Only five pupils attended the first year, but the attendance was soon increased and the promoters were much encouraged. Mr. Taylor stayed for three years and much credit must be given him for the early success of the school.

The first class which consisted of seven members graduated in 1883. In 1884, Olive Branch was made a four year High School, so the pupils who graduated in 1883 came back for an extra year and graduated again with the class of 1884. It was in this year that the office of township Superintendent was created. W.S.Taylor, brother of R.H. Taylor, filled this position. In 1886, the enrollment had increased so much that another teacher was hired. It was about this time that an addition was made to the building in order to accommodate the increased enrollment. The faculty now consisted of the Supt. and two teachers. The next year, however, one of those teachers was dropped. In 1910, this second teacher was again added.

They continued this course until 1916 when the law passed requiring that a first grade high school have three full time instructors. The faculty was again increased and Olive Branch kept her standing as a first grade high school. At that time, she was one of two country high schools in the state that could comply with the requirements.

A Smith-Hughes agriculture course was added in 1922. The old high school offered such courses as Latin, Algebra, Geometry, Science and the like. This new course gave the boys interested in Agriculture more practical instruction along this line. The class of 1883 has the honor of being the first class. It also claims as one of its members, the late B.G. Lamme undoubtedly the most famous of O.B. Alumni.

The class of 1908 has the honor of being the first class to be graduated in the new building which replaced the old brick structure known as No. 3. This building was destroyed by fire in Nov. 1913. Until the present building was finished in Dec 1914, school was held in the barn which has recently been made into a gymnasium and farm shop.

Thus has builded Olive Branch High School, an institution well worthy of the pride of her Alumni.

The first class at OB and notables

(NOTE This is written exactly as recorded in the Alumni Annuals)
According to the 1925 Olive Branch Alumni Annual:

Noteworthy Olive Branch Graduates (from the 1926 Olive Branch Alumni Annual):

Benjamin G. Lamme (O.B. 1883)
The name of Benjamin G. Lamme will ever be revered by all Alumni of Olive Branch as being one of our number who probably attained the highest fame in his particular line of activity. During the stirring times of the great World War when President Wilson needed the counsel and aid of a man who was regarded as authority in the matter of electrical engineering, he picked Mr. Lamme, an Old O. B. boy, class of 1883, to fill a place on the government War Advisory Board, who was then Chief Engineer of the Westinghouse Electric Co. at Pittsburgh, Pa.

Mr. Lamme filled this position with great honor to himself, his friends, his school and the nation. A few years after the war had closed, he was stricken with a fatal malady and his body was laid to rest in New Carlisle Cemetery, almost within sight of his boyhood home and the school of his early days. There is no question but what much of Mr. Lamme's success was due to the splendid early training he received at Olive Branch.

Kinderman (Kinney) Boblet (O.B. 1899)
When you buy an Overland, Knight, or Hayes automobile today, you pay tribute to the genius of an old Olive Branch boy --Mr. Kinderman Boblet, or just plain "Kinney" as we called him -- who hold the royalties on every radiator manufactured and placed upon these three makers of machines. When in school, "Kinney" was just an ordinary boy. He had many friends among his schoolmates. We all liked "Kinney" but little did we think then that he would be one of the boys who would some day add much fame to our Alma Mater. But "Kinney" had made use of his opportunities at Olive Branch. He laid the foundation for, and broadened the in-born genius with which he was gifted. Opportunity to apply the practical side came when he became identified with the great Willys Overland auto factories at Toledo, Ohio. It was here that he perfected the radiator which has not only made him independent in a financial way, but has placed his name among the leading inventors of the automobile. Yes "Kinney" has made good and we are always glad to have him with us at our annual Banquets.

Howard N. Scarff (O.B. 1912)
When the World War necessitated the calling out of volunteers to protect the American Flag from dishonor, we find one of our O.B. Alumni among the first ten men to offer their services to the government, from Clark County, Ohio. Lieut. Howard N. Scarff, Class of 1912, was this volunteer and his subsequent splendid and efficient service throughout the war is a matter of government record, and will always rebound to the credit of the school of his boyhood days.

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