East High School - Sunrise Yearbook (Erie, PA)

Page 9 text:

Giving Freely Of Their Time

Page 8 text:

Faculty 4

Page 10 text:

In Memoriam Viola E. Andrews Miss Viola E. Andrews, a graduate of East High School in the class of 1935, received her undergraduate and graduate degrees from the University of Pittsburgh. She pursued additional graduate studies at Duke University, the University of Wisconsin, and Allegheny College. In addition, she attended the Breadloaf School of English in Vermont and also McMasters University in Canada. At the beginning of her teaching career, she taught in Randolph, New York. Later she spent two years in Japan as Civilian Director of English. After returning to Erie, she taught at the former Erie Tech High School for five years, until she became assistant principal of East High School in 1955. In March of 1967, she was appointed principal of East High School, a position which she retained until her death on November 25, 1981. Miss Andrews had been active in many educational and professional organizations. She was a member of Delta Pi Epsilon, a professional business education society, Phi Delta Kappa, and the American Association of University Women. She was a member of the Secondary School Principals’ Association. She was a founding member, as well as a charter member, of the Pennsylvania Council of Teachers of English, in addition to being its chairman of publications. She was an active member of the Northwestern Pennsylvania Council of Teachers of English and served on its board of directors, in addition to being the liaison for several years to the National Council of Teachers of English. On several occasions she had acted as chairman of the visiting committees for the Middle States Evaluating Teams. On May 16, 1976, she was the recipient of a special honor when Alliance College in Cambridge Springs, Pennsylvania, bestowed on her the honorary doctorate degree in humane letters. Furthermore, Miss Andrews had represented the Erie principals on the Superintendent’s Council, as well as the Administrators’ Association. She was one of the few female secondary school principals in the state of Pennsylvania. Miss Andrews channeled her talents, time, and energy to an enthusiastic and determinedly loyal commitment to East High School. She was an intelligent, well-educated leader, especially knowledgeable in school law, whose counsel and advice were valued by others. Her ability to see several solutions to a problem, as well as her foresight in visualizing the consequences of certain solutions, was a tremendous asset in her leadership position. Even though she was a firm disciplinarian, her students felt that she would help them with their problems. Her tremendous school spirit strengthened the unity of the school and brought a surge of pride in the school’s accomplishments. Her faithful attendance at athletic events had motivated our teams to victory. In her own unique way, she became a part of the fabric of the lives of all who studied and worked at East High School. Although she is no longer with us, the legacy of her spirit still lives in all of us who at some lime were a part of the East High family with her. 6