Roosevelt High School - Bwana Yearbook (St Louis, MO)

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Mr. Amrnerman. Of those who worked with him, who can ever forget the pleasure we took in our contacts with him in his work in the book room? Did we perhaps make of his workshop a gathering place for the exchange of news and ideas? Were we ever in his way as he went about his work? If so, we were never made to feel anything but welcome. Who of the old group will ever forget the friendship he gave all of us? Our association also acquainted us with the quality of his personality and, when a great need arose, we elected him to represent us in a difficult capacity. Here he displayed that self-sacrifice for the common good which is so characteristic of himg and all whom he served at that time will bear witness that his service has not gone unnoticed. Public education has for years benefited from his work. We like to tell ourselves that our desires helped place him in the position of our principal a few years after the McKinley organization was moved to Roosevelt High School. Probably we had no influence-none was needed in view of his eminent fitness for the position-but let us keep our little satisfaction! His promotion to head Roosevelt High School received the enthusiastic endorsement of faculty and students: his friends everywhere applauded. As the years went on, how often we congratulated ourselves silently and publicly on our leader. And now, as friend! Many can speak much more adequately than l, for they may express themselves more happily, but none can feel the friendship of Charles Ammerman more deeply than l. He is a man who makes himself known in time of needg he counts ALL as his friends. Who can ever forget the Welcome of his smile, the responsive light of his face as one meets him? It has been said that the best way to make friends is to be a friend. Charles Ammerrnan exemplifies the word friend in all its beautyg the simple truth of his character calls for no effort to appear a friend, for that is the man,- Friend Ammerrnan. Such a man does not know the far-reaching extent of his influence,-he can count his students, his fellow-workers: but his friends stretch out in ever- Widening circles. It is the world that benefits from a life well lived. Charles Ammerman, no doubt, often does not even know his friends, but they know him and his life. He probably has never before known the extent of the feeling of friendship and appreciation of THE WRITER Fourteen L 1

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TEACHER, ADVISER, COLLEAGUE, AND FRIEND- MR. CHARLES AMMERMAN , Ll.. four in one man! How happy the man who may be just one of X i these satisfactorily: how superlatively desirable to be all four and to be all four adequately! But, to the mind of the writer, it is still more fortunate to have been closely associated with such a man and to have had the opportunity to view the greater part of a lifetime spent in the service of thousands of young people, hundreds of colleagues, and untold numbers of friends. Charles Amrnerman is the man. The writer has had the privilege of close association with him in his professional life over a period of many years. It was longer ago than I care to tell when, as a high school freshman, I was assigned Mr. Ammerman as adviser at lVlcKinley High School. We lucky ones did not at first fully realize our good fortune. We went blindly into an assignment, little knowing the influence on our lives our beloved leader would wield. But it was not long before we were aware of the kind, fatherly man in whose charge we were placed. No problem was too small or too large for him to tackle: we, on the other hand, had no hesitation in coming to him with anything. And those students who read this know what l mean when l say we entered his room with a sense of peace and security, combined with anticipation, such as is not in the power of everyone to give. He represented to us stabilityg we knew he would give us something that was worth while, for he understood young people. As l progressed into more advanced mathematics, l was again fortunate in having Mr. Ammerman as a teacher of geometry. We students at no time felt our subject limited to the Held of mathematicsg on the contrary we were given the benefit of a leadership and counsel which was limited only by our capacity to receive it. Have you ever experienced the satisfaction of a lucky chance at the best there is? Such was the satisfaction of the pupils who drew Mr. Ammerman as a teacher. And then, one day we were treated to one of the thrills which mean so much to the teen-agern. Our beloved Mr. Ammerman had married one of the best-loved young teachers in the school. As romantic youngsters will do, we rejoiced in the happiness of our friend. But it was only as the years went on that some of us who followed his life had a glimpse of the lasting happiness of his home life, his love for his family, the charm of his country home, his pleasure in the simple activities of true living. I was out in the world for some years, favored at times by news from and contacts with my former teacher and adviser, when l had occasion to return to him one day for information. I found him in his class room, sur- rounded by the usual interested group who had remained after school hours for his companionship. It seemed like an invigorating renewal of my own high school days. And it was not long after that l was fortunate to be assigned as a teacher at McKinley High School and found myself a colleague of Thirteen

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A TRIBUTE EVEN years of guiding and leading Roosevelt on the pathway of knowledge is our debt to Mr. Ammermang nay, not only seven but many more, for he was assistant principal for six years and now is our instructor in the College Guidance Department. Mr. Ammerman has always maintained a close relationship with the thousands of boys and girls in our school. He has helped them over the rough spots in the road to success with the wisdom of his experience and his wide knowledge of human nature. We pay tribute to him by these words which are only the outward expression of admiration- Willingness of serviceg Unfailing tact and courtesyg Quite efficiency: Great kindness. During Mr. Ammerman's years of office, Roosevelt has carried on with a smooth efficiency, with a minimum of disturbance and confusion. Even in times of irregularities, such as, the time of closing of the third floor, the task of educating three thousand students went on calmly. The welfare of Roosevelt has always been of the greatest importance to Mr. Ammerman. The duties of his office naturally kept him from making as many intimate personal contacts as he would have liked, but there are innumerable boys and girls who have been helped by him. With the pupils who failed to do their part in cooperating, he was never known to become angry. The requests outside of his regular line of duty were many, and he always complied grace- fully if the circumstances permitted him to do so. No, Mr. Ammerman has not left us-the students still have the beneht of his wise council in the college department, and the memories of his services shall live on. Our deepest gratitude and thanks go out to him: Roosevelt pays tribute to Mr. Charles Ammerman. M. RICHARD REDDEN hits, lim N Fifteen