Roosevelt High School - Ranger Yearbook (Portland, OR)

Page 8 text:

LOOKING TOWARD THE FUTURE AT ROOSEVELT Because most of us live in the present, it is sometimes difficult to take a long range view of the progress that has been made and that we are making today. It is good, however, to take stock occasionally and to see where we have been and in what direction we are going. For that reason, the RANGER would like to review some of the steps that have been taken as we have developed these past twenty-eight years. In nineteen hundred twenty-three, three hundred six students and a staff of twelve teachers moved into a brand new building and had no difficulty hiding from each other; in fact, it is said that they were lost in so big a building. Some rooms were not even used! Imagine so much space when today two, three, and even four teachers share the same room. There were no lockers in the halls; all were in rooms 109 and 127. Such bliss—everyone with his own private locker! Since the auditorium wing was not built all assemblies were held in the gymnasium. The seniors had their graduation exercises there, too. And of all things, the cafeterie was located in what we now called the locker rooms. Yes, they had locker rooms but they were found in what is now the boiler house. Not only was the interior different, but the school grounds and the surrounding neighborhood had a different appearance also. To the east across Ida Street was all woods and only a few houses dotted the landscape in our immediate vicinity. Housing areas were unknown and St. Johns was miles and miles from most city activity. Of course, there were no portables; houses were built on our baseball diamond; tennis courts, track field, and football turf were possessions good old Roosevelt didn't own. From such a humble beginning, Roosevelt has grown until today we have a student body of nearly fourteen hundred, a faculty and administrative staff of sixty, and scarcely enough space to take a deep breath. We now hold our heads high in city competition for we have the best band in the city. True, we are prejudiced, but take a look as they parade onto the field at the next football jamboree. What band is better looking or plays better than ours? We'll stack our choir with the best in the city; if you don't believe us, attend the spring festival any year and find a more distinguished looking high school group or one that sings any better. Then there's the athletic program. There was a time when city schools figured there was one school they could always beat. Yes, sad to relate—Roosevelt. That’s not true anymore. Schools who sell us short learn to regret it, and sports writers go out on a limb when they relegate us to the bottom rung. We have our share of graduates who leave our portals and continue their successes in college, business, and the armed services. Not only do we have a beautiful campus, one of the best football stadiums in the city, a track where most schools like to hold their meets because it is so well kept, an excellent baseball daimond with good seating capacity, but we are soon to have one of the most modern gymnasiums in the state. Roosevelt High has traveled far; she has still more territory to conquer and new fields to explore. We who belong to the present join those who had a part in the past—to salute the Roosevelt of the future. May she ever hold her head high in school spirit, scholarship, and good citizenship.

Page 7 text:

DEDICATION The 1951 yearbook is dedicated not just to two men, Rollie Rourke and Mike DeLotto, but rather to the spirit they began and the determination they leave to Roosevelt High. It was largely through the efforts of these two coaches that Roosevelt has gained her place in the sun. Roosevelt was for years and years the under dog in city competition, despite the efforts of many good coaches who preceded them. It fell to Mr. Rourke and Mr. DeLotto to start us on our winning ways and establish in the minds of the teams in other schools the idea that Roosevelt finishes in the top bracket. So thoroughly has this been accomplished that today any Roosevelt team commands a healthy respect from its rivals. Mr. DeLotto, in three years as head football coach, took us to within one game of city championship. His teams were well coached and it is said that pound for pound he got more from his boys than any coach in the city. Mr. Rourke rescued us from oblivion in the field of basketball—his career, interrupted by service in World War II, is one any school would be proud to own. After gaining city championship in 1947, he then took his team to the state tournament and returned with the fifth place cup. In 1948 he came back with an almost inexperienced team and placed third in the city. In 1949 again co-city champs and the thrill of Roosevelt's basketball history—state championship. In 1950 things really looked black at Roosevelt for he had only two players left from the state championship team; but with a determination few men possess, he whipped that green crew into another city championship and a third place state winner. In baseball, which he also coached, the picture is even better. In 1947, they were fourth, in 1948, third place in city and for two years, 1949 and 1950, both city and state champions. Few schools can equal that record. No wonder, after such performances in the past five years. Roosevelt now feels she has a standard to maintain, and so our thanks to these two men who played such an important part in helping us achieve such a state of mind.

Page 9 text:

ROOSEVELT’S NEW WING