Roosevelt High School - Rohian Yearbook (Virginia, MN)

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OZZWOZ With the anniversary of Roosevelt High commencements as a theme, the following pages have been designed to present a cross-section of school life as it appears at this, the fiftieth com- mencement anniversary of our school. Making its appearance at this golden anniversary, the l939 Star of the North 'has experienced a varied history since its origin. The first Virginia yearbooks, published under the fitting title of Mesobi , portrayed town life as well as school activity. In l9l5, the title of the yearbook was changed to the Hema- tite , which was characterized also by a reflection of the bus- tling mining and lumbering activities of the town, in addition to its regular portrayal of school life. ln l924, the yearbook was christened with its present title. From the original bare curriculum consisting of Rhetoricals, Latin Grammar, Physiology, Mathematics, Science, the Classics, and English History, our present full curriculum has evolved. In line with educational trends through the years, a normal train- ing department was established as early as l9l5. ln l920, the Junior High School was organized with Mr. E. W. Hitchcock as principal, and in l92l the Junior College was formed, with Mr. Gibson as dean. Through the years, a well-rounded forensic department has been developed. During the thirties, local thespians have par- ticipated in nine annual district speech contests, six regional meets, six state contests, and five national tournaments. ln 1933, Ramsey Wieland won first place in national humorous declamatory competition. In i927 and l928, Erma Martin and Settima Canossa took highest honors in state dramatic decla- mation, thereby giving Virginia the distinction of being the first Minnesota school to win two consecutive top positions. John MacRae placed first in the state oratorical contest in l936. Latest development in the forensic department has been the in- terest in radio script and broadcasting. ln l93l, a local chapter of Quill and Scroll was organized, further augmenting journalistic activities. Since then, the local yearbooks have received six All-American honor recognitions. The local music department is a source of great pride to the school. With a special band hall and complete equipment in- cluding a music library of about 4000 pieces, the Virginia schools have produced hundreds of able virtuosos with repre- sentatives in nationally known musical ensembles. From these facts we may conclude that through the period of thirty-eight years leading up to the fiftieth commencement, the school has expanded constantly in an effort to serve the people of this community to the fullest extent. 070

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060 073.46 dlfl d 4 Turning back the faded pages of time, we may, once again, arrive on the unpaved streets of the busy little indus- trial center which was early Virginia. Some- where in this small set- tlement we could easily seek out one of the town's finest buildings, the high school. This first Roosevelt build- ing was dedicated on November 22, 1904, with the well-remembered Lafayette Bliss officiating at the solemn ceremony. As an appropriate portion of the dedicatory serv- ices, Superintendent Bliss read a letter from President Theodore Roosevelt in which th President extended congratulations to the Virginia Public Schools and enclosed an autographed photograph of himself. In 1901, the Roosevelt High School turned out its first graduating class, O. H. Griggs. Following Mr. Griggs were four graduates in 1902. More substantial classes were turned out at the succeeding commencements, at ceremonies which were impressive despite the fact that the audi- torium in which they were held was then only an enlarged classroom. During these early years, various high school activities were introduced. At in- tervals, student staffs under the direction of the superintendents, edited yearbooks in which they offered such advice to the graduates as, Go, my sons and daughters, into the sea of life, but avoid the rocks of overconfidence and bad habits , and in- cluded such features as rules governing the Board of Education, the duties of the jan- itors, courses of study, a list of public library books, programs, and the Superin- tendent's Annual Report. Perhaps less in- teresting, but necessary, was the section of commercial advertising, covering every- thing from the Fay Opera House to an advertisement by the Virginia Daily En- terprise . Early forensic activities were represented by a public prize debate held every year, with the earliest gold-medal winner being Adolph F. Holmer in a brilli- ant argument in which Russia's civilization was rated more modernistic than Japan's. ln the earliest years as at the present, music played a prominent part. ln 1905, Roosevelt boasted a fourteen-member Boys' Glee Club, a number which exceeded the 1939 enrollment. A city band of twenty- one members was organized. Musical re- citals were given at intervals, one of which featured a piano solo by Axel B. Dahl, now serving as Virginia city detective. Spelling matches were held during the years, with the victors being featured in the year- books. Early athletics were represented by football and track teams. ln 1905, Roose- velt's five-man track team won its first laurels by wresting a championship cup from Eveleth. Gymnasium exercises were carried on by pushing back the chairs of the auditorium to improvise a gym. Holi- day occasions, such as Washington's Birth- day and Memorial Day, were observed with more ceremony than at present. On one Memorial Day, one thousand school chil- dren gathered to march down the main street of Virginia, led by a pompous, silk- hatted individual on horseback. Through the years, these beginnings, which took root during Roosevelt's horse and buggy days , furnished the foundation for the organization of our school as it appears at the Golden Anniversary.

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