Springfield High School - Resume Yearbook (Springfield, MO)

Page 18 text:

Www, NE of the bestfliked persons in the Springfield Public School system is Dr. R. Ritchie Robertson, supervisor of public school music. He is a tall Scotsman with a grand Scotch humor. He has been a musician all his life. He directed choirs, bands, and orchestras in his native Scotland. Among his musical talents is the ability to compose songs. Some of those he has written are: jolly Rogers, To the Circus, and Pickin' on a Harp. He has led many of our all-school singing assemblies, adding much to our enjoyment of them. The best known of his musical organizations is the very famous Boy Scout Band, which he organized a number of years ago. Dr. Robertson has been absent much of this year because of illness, and we all miss this grand Scotsman with his happy disposition and love for music. 110

Page 17 text:

7 , N..- I ...fm ,,,..... ,mem-4 vw r QM, .M QWW , ,W ,gn Looking Ahead QZQDMSQJQ USIC is a vital and necessary part of any school system, and Springfield High School, sensing the fact, has made its music department one of its main assets. Even as has the school itself, the music department of Senior High has grown steadily every year since its organization in l9l6. The orchestra has increased from five instruments to its present size of 85 pieces, and the band has increased accordingly. From the position of someones new-fangled idea to he looked on askanceu the music department has risen to occupy one of the leading and most important places in the school curriculum. The increased importance of music in Senior High is greatly due to the untiring work and great enthusiasm of Dr. R. Ritchie Robertson and the people who are affiliated with him. Dr. Robertson and his assistants have carefully instructed and greatly encouraged all the pupils who have taken part in musical activities. 109

Page 19 text:

E. are very fortunate in having as our band and orchestra director, Mr. Wayne Chris- teson, formerly of State Teachers College. Mr. Christeson received a year's leave of absence from S. T. C. in order to fill the vacancy left by Mr. James Robertson, who is now studying in New York. Aside from his duties at Senior High, Mr. Christeson directs music in the junior high schools. He also finds time for an occasional fishing trip or a trip to St. Louis to attend a symphony concert. These are his favorite diversions but he also enjoys a number of other activities. He has written a number of songs and is an accomplished pianist. His musical abilities are many, for added to his other talents is a good singing voice. He is often featured as a soloist in his church choir and is also a guest singer in other churches. Mr. Christeson attended Drury College, from which he received his Mus. B. degree. One can easily see that he is very capable of filling the position he now holds. The supervisor of the girls' glee club and the mixed chorus at Senior High School this year is Miss Dorothy Rathbone. This is her third year here. Before teaching at S. H. S. Miss Rathbone taught the seventh grade at Pipkin junior High for two years and the seventh, eighth, and ninth grades at Jarrett junior High for four years. Miss Rathbone is a graduate of Senior High School and Drury College and has attended the University of Wisconsin and Northwestern University at Evanston, lllinois. She has a B. A. from Drury and is now working for a Mus. B. from that school. Miss Rathbones special interests are music, art, literature, and history. Her favorite sports are dancing and swimming. She also enjoys bridge and the movies. Her hobbies are playing piano accompaniments for vocal and violin solos, playing the organ. and reading. Miss Rathbone has proved herself to be an efficient music instructor. VV.-XYNE C1-IRISTESQN lfJl7R1lTHY fl.-XTHBONE ,l.-milfs RUIlIiR'l'SUN 111 alrxivzfza 111