Auburn Adventist Academy - Rainier Vista Yearbook (Auburn, WA)

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LOOKING BACK TO 1921 Twenty years have fled, but the pleasant memories still linger of the time profitably spent at Auburn Academy,—time that was filled with classes, chapels, work and pleasant associations. The chapel location is still familiar but nearly all of the other buildings have been greatly enlarged and improved. Besides graduating there were many other things of interest that occurred for us that year, foremost among them the arrival of our Jeanne Marie who became Auburn Academy’s youngest student. Just in from the sea eighteen years later it was another big thrill and inspiration to me to be present for her graduati on. The scene carried me back to the days when along with school work, acting as night watchman, officiating as fire chief, playing in the band and teaching, I also found time to be editor of the Annual. The education obtained at Auburn Academy has always been considered one of our better investments. L. E. C. Joers, M.D. — ntctc, lincj JactA c XK j he C Li cSjt) In 1919 Elder George F. Enoch raised funds to build Western Washington Academy on the site of Auburn Academy. The location committee had as two of its mem¬ bers Mr. Kingsbury and Mr. Purdy, who, with other members of the committee waded through weeds and brush to establish the site. Lyle C. Shepard, now a doctor in Oswego, Michigan, was the pioneer principal. 1919-1920. C. J. Goodman wrote of those days, ‘We can well remember the opening day of school and the faculty wending their way to the rostrum amid saw horses and piles of lumber. In 1920 there were five graduates; in 1921 twelve, amongst whom were Dr. Reuben Nelson of Seattle and Miss Elva Zachrison of Auburn; in 1922 there were sixteen; in 1934 there were sixteen; in 1941 there were sixty; and in 1944 there were 62. Thus the early growth of the school was slow but sure. By 1934 the enrollment was 106, by 1941. 243, by 1944, 330. Mrs. Jacob Wagner, mother of two sons in school at present, taught the church school which was lodged in the basement of the one and only building. Mr. Wagner was president of the class of ’22. In the spring of 1921, on the evening of May 6. fire destroyed the main building, which at that time included the class rooms and both dormitories. In 1922, after the administration building burned, a new “Ad” building and also Regina Hall were erected. Regina Hall, at that time, would accommo¬ date forty girls, but under the first year of Professor Shull, in 1925, it was found necessary to build a thirty foot addition on the north to accommodate more girls. In 1931-3 2. under the administration of Principal A. E. Green, Gibson Hall was built to care for eighty boys. “Inspiration Point” was built while Professor Hamilton was principal, and was named “The Crow’s Nest.” Elder C. A. Wyman served devotedly on the faculty for thirteen years. He was the inventor and builder of the automatic bake oven which provided bread for thousands of meals until 1941 when the electric oven was purchased. An always welcome visitor to the school is Com¬ mander Joers of the United States Navy. Doctor Joers was class poet and editor of the 1926 Rainier ay a tv the Echoes. His current talks in chapel have been a great spiritual help to the students of today, verifying the fact that many a torch lighted at Auburn Academy is still shedding its light. The present East Hall, one of the girls ' dormi¬ tories, was the first building constructed in 1919 for the purpose of an apartment house for faculty and workers. After the fire it was used as a boys’ dormi¬ tory until 1931; from 1931 to 1941 it was a gymnasium; since 1 943 it is a manual arts department downstairs and girls’ dormitory upstairs. Fifty eight students whose relatives have formerly attended Auburn Academy are in attendance this year. In January 24, 1942 fire took the woodshop; plans were immediately made for the building of the present shop. In looking through annuals of the “old days” one is impressed with the deep sincerity of consecration and purpose to hold high the standards of truth and Christian living, which students and teachers alike shared. A new two-story service building, 80 x 36. is now being constructed to contain a modern pasteuriz¬ ing plant, laundry, cannery, home economics depart¬ ment and extra classrooms. Plans have been completed for adding a 20-room addition to Regina Hall as well as a new wing to the Administration building. In 1941-42 the dining room was remodeled and enlarged to accommodate 260. A new woodshop with 21.000 square feet ca¬ pacity was erected to replace the old one which burned in January 1942. A complete new water system with storage capacity of 140,000 gallons in the place of the old 8000 gallon tank which burned, has been put in. About 1000 feet of 4 inch water mains with fire hydrants in all important places on the campus has recently been furnished. In 1943 a new gymnasium with 1 65 x 55 ft. dimensions with a hardwood floor for skating, and suitable staging for platform, was built. During the years 1942-44 there has been pur¬ chased the Cloitiere farm with large dairy barn pro¬ viding for an enlarged herd and a fine remodeled two-story home for teachers. Eight other homes in the community have been purchased and remodeled into fine homes for teachers and other employees. Through these fine purchases the school farm has been doubled in acreage. P tCAcnl

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REMINISCENSES OF 1930-32 I well remember the first challenge that came to the Academy in 1930. It was from the Board of Regents,—a new boys’ dormitory if we were to be accredited. The second challenge was from Old Man Depression,—provide more work or lose all your students. We started meeting the second one first by using the cash we would normally spend for slab wood to pay the boys to bring in all the burnable wood that was to be found on our own grounds. This led on to the decision to use our good trees for lumber for the new boys’ dorm. Logging equipment was rented and the boys became the logging crew. The “whistle punk” of that crew is now secretary-treasurer of a large union conference. A sawmill was also rented and set up and operated by the boys with the exception of the sawyer. Lumber and flooring for the boys’ dormi¬ tory, hardwood flooring for the chapel and “Ad” building, lumber for the products sold by the woodshop during those two years, and the hardwood that was used to make the furniture for Conard Hall, at Walla Walla, were produced. I get a great deal of satisfaction in knowing that we met the challenge of the Board of Regents, but a greater satisfaction in remembering the large num¬ ber of boys and girls that we enabled to continue their preparation for the work of the Lord and meet the challenge of Old Man Depression because of the work made available by this project. A. E. Green A GLANCE AT THE BEGINNINGS How well do I remember Friday night, May 6, 1921, at the Academy! We had enjoyed such a good meeting in the chapel that evening—a meeting where God came close to teachers and students alike. After the meeting, the Personal Workers’ Band, made up of the older students, slipped quietly up the stairs to a class room for its weekly meeting. I was the leader. A serious earnestness filled the room as those dear young people pled with God for grace and power. Down through the years I hear the echo of those sincere prayers— the last to be offered in that former building. Soon a Sabbath peace and quiet rested over our beloved school. About eleven o’clock that night, fire broke out and rapidly spread through the build¬ ing—the girls’ dormitory suffering first. That awful night I shall never forget, for the responsibility of fifty girls’ lives rested heavily on me, their preceptress. In a short time our Academy was a heap of ashes. Graduation exercises for the senior class were held that summer at the Kent camp meeting. Elder A. G. Daniels gave the commencement address. In the spring, the senior girls had planned to graduate in pink checked gingham dresses trimmed in white organdy and carry apple blossoms. The fire changed the flowers for they carried sweet peas instead. What a pretty picture they did make! The following fall, school opened in new buildings. We really did some pioneering those three first years of the school. Marthea Matterand Counsell 1935-36 H. B. WILCOX 1936-41 R. L. HUBBS 1941 - A. J. OLSON

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Prize Snapshot - Enlargement of snap taken by Albert Green