1996 10 20 roosevelt 75th anniversary celebration 1921-1996 history booklet

8/20/2019 1996 10 20 Roosevelt 75th Anniversary Celebration 1921-1996 History Booklet

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Theodore Roosevelt School

1921 1996

rief History


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In 1913 Ridge Road School was opened at the site

o

the current Roosevelt

Elementary School. As time passed, the school came to be known as the Pleasant Ridge

School.

To

make room for the construction of the Theodore Roosevelt School, the Ridge

Road School, which had originally faced on Ridge Road, was moved eastward to the rear

o the school property and faced on Oakridge Avenue. Here it continued to be used as a

school while the Roosevelt School was being completed.

Ridge Road School , commonly known as the Pleasant Ridge School

The new Theodore Roosevelt School was dedicated on Thursday, October 20,

1921 . (See next page for reprint

o

The aily Tribune

article dated October 28,

92

.)

The original school was an eight room school, which faced on Ridge Road. The school

cost 91,428.00 to build and had an enrollment o 313 in 1921. Fifty-nine additional

students attended special programs

in

the old wooden building at the back

o

the school

property.


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From: Royal Oak Tribune,

October 28, 1921

CODY SPEAKS

AT ROOSEVELT

OPENING

PLEASANT RIDGE

-

FERNDALE

DISTRICT DEDICATES

SCHOOL

Modern 91,000 One-Floor Eight

Room Structure Opened

To Public.

Make your school system serve

the community, FrankCody, superin

tendent of Detroit public schools. told

residents

of

Royal

Oak

township school

district No. 9 Thursday evening at the

formal opening and dedication

of

the

new Roosevelt school on Ridge road at

the junction of Pleasant Ridge and

Ferndale villages .

Significant points in Mr. Cody's

address were:

Suffer little children to come unto

me is. after all, the motto of all our

schools.

If

you can

make

the

schools

democratic, you will have unanimous

agreement

when

appropriations

are

asked for and your school budget will

be approved without any deductions

being made.

Let the general public know your

school program. Parent-Teachers asso

ciations and school visiting days will

stimulate public interest.

Sites for buildings should not be

smaller than five acres , in order to pro

vide for expansion.

Separate H.S. and Grades.

Separate the 7th, 8th, and 9th

grades from the high school somehow.

A large number of pupils leave school

after the 9th grade. Provision must be

made to give some vocational training

to the boys and girls who do not com

plete the high school courses. Empha

sis is being changed from the high school

to the grades . The best teachers are

needed in the first six grades, not

in

the

high school. I f grade teachers have the

same training, they should receive the

same grade of pay that high school

instructors do .

No

school district should adopt a

building program without consulting its

neighbors. When you build, provide for

additions by erecting buildings, like this

Roosevelt school. on the unit plan.

Education is a state function, and

a common program should be followed

so that no child

in

the state will suffer

because he did nqt have educational

opportunities equal to those

of

the city

of

Detroit or any other city. Consoli

dated schools are a means to this end .

Make your schools serve the whole

community .

Dr. Bryant Presides.

Dr. William Bryant, president

of

the board

of

education, presided. Char

les G Kibbey, treasurer, reported the

cost of the building to be $91,428 with

a few small bills yet to be presented.

William J Norton, executive secretary

of

the Detroit community fund. and a

member of the district No . 9 school

board. introduced Mr. Cody.

Vocal solos were given by Miss

Helen Marshall. school musical direc

tor, and John Renton ; a violin solo by

Mr. Bullock.

Miss Elizabeth V Briggs, town

ship librarian, announced the establish

ment of a branch of the township library

in the Roosevel t school. Both adult and

juvenile books are included. Between

2 :30 and 5:00 each Thursday the branch

will be open.

Following the program. refresh

ments were served by members of the

Parent-Teachers association and the

building was open for public inspec

tion, the teachers being in their respec

tive rooms to explain any features

of

school work to interested parents .

Enrollment is 313.

The Roosevelt school is aone-floor

eight room school

of

the most modern

construction. Present enrollment is 313 ,

divided as follows: Kindergarten 41 ,

Miss Ruth Mitchell: First , 39, Miss

Minnie Geletzke; Second, 38 , Mrs.

BeauChampet: Three-B. 40 ,Miss Eliza

beth Denman: Three-A , 34. Miss

Dorothy Rowe: Four-B. 24 and Five

B. 15, total 39 , Miss Dorothy Hunt:

Fifth, 33. Mrs. Lester: Sixth. 44. Miss

Helen Osband. The principal

is

Miss

Edith Cargill.

Fifty-nine pupils are enrolled in

special grades in the annex , the old

wooden building which was moved

back. Miss Marion Leete has

30

in

the

speed room: Miss Elizabeth Nehs

16

in

the special A's: Miss Veva Quick and

Miss Eastman 13 in the special B·s.

W. E. Harris is superintendent of

district No. 9 schools . Members

of

the

school board are : Dr. William Bryant.

president: Robert D. Chatfield. secre

tary; Charles G Kibbey. treasurer:

William J Norton and Marshall F.

Lester. Mrs. Gladys M. Parsons was

secretary

of the board when plans for

the Roosevelt school were made.


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Theodore Roosevelt School facing Ridge Road 1921.

The flagpole, the urns ,

and the nameplates above each entrance were enclosed by the1969 addition to

the school, but can still be seen in one o the school s internal courtyards.

The floorplan and style o the original school

is still

discernable due to its terrazzo floors , white ceramic

tiled walls , and beautiful oak woodwork.


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In 1932 grades seven and eight were added to Roosevelt School. Roosevelt

remained a K-8 building until the completion

o

Ferndale High School in 1959, when the

seventh and eighth graders were moved to Lincoln Junior High School. The need for

additional space in the interim at Roosevelt resulted in the 1939 and 1949 additions to the

school.

In 1939 the Cambridge and Oakridge sides

o

the school were added. These wings

included basement rooms at their eastern ends (current rooms 93, 98, and the art room),

which in the past have served s the school s cafeteria and shop class areas. The space

between the two wings continued to be used

s

a playground by Roosevelt students until

1949, when the gymnasium was constructed in this open area and the two wings were

joined by the addition

o

four classrooms (two upstairs and two downstairs) at the east

end

o

the school.

Roosevelt School, Oakridge view in 1970

Roosevelt School, view from Ridge Road in 1967


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A final addition was made in 1969 on the Ridge Road side o the school. Four

classrooms and a large music room were included in the addition.

View o the 1969 addition from Ridge Road

Roosevelt School is scheduled to be renovated beginning June 1997. The above

view

o

Roosevelt will change once again, when the proposed new media center is built.

An architect s sketch o the planned renovation appears below.

Pinecrest view o proposed new media center and adjoining classrooms


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Roosevelt PTA Historian Mrs. C.S. om wrote in 1941, Too often the history of

a group seems most desirable after long years

of

organization. By the time it has

developed enough

of

importance to warrant a record of its accomplishment, its beginnings

have faded even in the memories

of

its founders. And so it is,that many

of

the names

of

those who helped build and shape Roosevelt's reputation of excellence for the past

seventy-five years have escaped recording.

rincipals o Roosevelt School

Roosevelt's first principal was Miss Edith Cargill. According to her daughter, Mrs .

Sue Evans

of

Pinehurst, North Carolina, her mother was principal from 1921-1923, when

she had to step down to get married. Edith Cargill McCordic is in a North Carolina nursing

home today. She will tum 100 in April.

Miss Edith Cargill, first

Roosevelt Principal

Miss Cargill with students on steps of Ridge

Road School


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Miss Dorothy Brooks, fondl y remembered as our Miss Brooks , principal

from 1923-1933. Mr. Paul Best was principal from 1933-1942 and later becan e assistant

superintendent

o

schools. Best Junior High School

is

named after him.

Mr. Paul Best

Mr John Houghton

Mr John Houghton graduated in 1929 from Lincoln High, taught at Roosevelt for

nine years, was Roosevelt's principal from 1942-1953, then became principal o Lincoln

High School and later superintendent

o

schools. A complete listing o Roosevelt

principals includes:

Miss Edith Cargill

Miss Dorothy Brooks

Mr Paul Best

Mr. John Houghton

Mr

Lawrence

F

Read

Mr

Arden H. Detert

Mrs. Frances (Miller) Seagrave

Mr

Lyle Marshall

Mr. Nie Cannici

Mrs. Jeanne Mcintyre

Mrs . Lynn Haire

1921-1923

1923-1933

1933-1942

1942-1953

1953-1954

1954-1962

1962-1971

1971-1978

1978-1985

1985-1994

1994-present


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Mr

Arden H Detert

1954-1962

Mr N

c

Cannici

1978-1985

Mrs. Frances Miller) Seagrave

1962-1971

Mrs. Jeanne Mcintyre

1985-1994

Mr Lyle Marshall

1972-1978

Mrs. Lynn Haire

1994-present


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Teachers at oosevelt School

The earliest record

o

Roosevelt teachers was contained

in

the October 28,

92

article in Royal Oak s

The Daily Tribune

Kindergarten

First Grade

Second Grade

Third Grade (3B)

Third Grade (3A)

Fourth Grade (4B)

Fifth Grade (SB)

Fifth Grade

Sixth Grade

Special Grades

Miss Ruth Mitchell

Miss Minnie Geletzke

Mrs. BeauChampet

Miss Elizabeth Denman

Miss Dorothy Rowe

Miss Dorothy Hunt

Miss Dorothy Hunt

Mrs. Lester

Miss Helen Osband

Miss Marion Leete

Miss Elizabeth N ehe

Miss Veva Quick

Miss Eastman

Roosevelt teachers

1921-22 left to right: Miss Nehs , Mrs.

Lester, Miss Hunt, Miss Mitchell,Miss Quick, Miss Os band,

Miss Leete, Miss Denman, Mrs. BeauChampet, Miss Rowe,

Mrs. Geletzke


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In the September 7, 1932 issue

o

The aily Tribune the following teachers are

listed for Roosevelt School: Ruth Albers, Mary Burkit, Bernice Butler, Hazel Darling,

Evelyn Edwards, Alice Graves, Georgia Hallman, Helen Heisler, Amy Jacobson, Florence

Keightley, Maurine LaBatt, Anne MacN even, Hazel Miller, Alma Mitchell, Irene Mooney,

Stella Nicols, Norma VanHome, Greta Wixson.

Mary Burkit was a beloved kindergarten teacher known as Miss Mary . Many

alumni have visited Roosevelt and spoken fondly

o

their Miss Mary .

Miss Mary with a kindergarten class in 1936.

Records listing Roosevelt teachers are lacking until the early 1960s, when Roose-

velt began publishing yearbooks. Yearbooks disappeared again in the 1970s, but albums

o class pictures were maintained annually through the present. As a result, lists of

teaching staffs could be compiled, some

o

which are reprinted on the following pages.


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Kindergarten

First Grade

Second Grade

Third Grade

Fourth Grade

Fifth Grade

Sixth Grade

Roosevelt Teachers

1963 64

Mrs Pellow

Mrs Touran

Mrs Blacher

Mrs Loceff

Mrs Zeiter

Mrs Hassan

Mrs Schnell

Mrs Frank

Miss Moore

Mrs Richards

Mrs Gass

Mrs Davis

Mrs Green

Mrs Robinson

Mrs Adler

Mrs Marsh

Mr Sears

Miss Nelson

Mr

Owens

Mrs Webber

Mr Wiese

Mrs Martha

Young

School Secretary

1960 1968


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Kindergarten

First Grade

Second Grade

Third Grade

Third/Fourth Grade

Fourth Grade

Fifth Grade

Sixth Grade

·

: : : : : : : : : : : : : :

: : : ~ : : : : : : : : :

:

:

t :

·

·

·:.

Roosevelt Teachers

1969 70

Mrs Barnes

Mrs Touran

Mrs Garrison

Mrs Gass

Mrs Zeiter

Mrs Caden

Mrs Grant

Mrs Splane

Mrs Frank

Miss Moore

Mr Taylor

Miss Searis

Mrs Davis

Mrs Green

Mrs Smith

Miss Caplin

Mrs Dorrell

Mrs Marsh

Miss Sternberg

Mrs Anthony

Miss Nelson

Powell

Mr Sears

Mrs. Helen Bierbower

School Secretary

1968 1980


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Kindergarten

First Grade

Second Grade

Third Grade

Fourth Grade

Fifth Grade

Fifth/Sixth Grade

Sixth Grade

Kindergarten

First Grade

Second Grade

Third Grade

Fourth Grade

Fifth Grade

Sixth Grade

Roosevelt Teachers

1974 75

Alice Baldwin

va Touran

Cherie Sternberg

Feannie Lieberman

Patricia Brown

Margaret Gass

Shirley Oleinick

Maude Donahue

Maria Scaris

Cassie Smith

Eileen Berkowitz

Marvel Dorrell

Gloria Williams

Henry Taylor

Alice Nelson

Richard Sears

Roosevelt Teachers

1985 86

Mrs Hendin

Mrs Brown

Mrs Dickieson/Miss Liebermann

Mrs Halls

Mr Taylor

Mrs Vinton

Mrs Gordon

Mr Sears

Mrs Williams

Mrs Dorrell

Mr Gulian

Miss Mato


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l jndergarten

First Grade

Second Grade

Secondffhird

Grade

Third Grade

Fourth Grade

Fifth Grade

Sixth Grade

Roosevelt Teachers

1990 91

Mrs. Hendin

Mrs . Stonehouse

Mrs . Brown

Mrs. Dickieson

Mrs . Wade

Mrs. Clor

Mr. Taylor

Mrs. Vinton

Mrs . Gordon

Mrs . Halls

Mr. Sears

Mrs . Ward-Mytinger

Mrs . Dorrell

rs Parkinson

Mr. Gulian

Miss Mato

Mrs. Delphine Camey

School Secretary

1980 present


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Kindergarten

First Grade

First/Second Grade

Second Grade

SecondfThird Grade

Third Grade

Fourth Grade

Fifth Grade

Sixth Grade

Special Education

Specialist Teachers

Vocal Music

Art

German

Instrumental Music

Instrumental Music

Instrumental Music

Instrumental Music

Instrumental Music

Roosevelt Staff

1996 97

Mrs. Phyllis Hendin

Mrs. Melanie Allbery

Ms. Linda Crisan

Mrs. Susan Surber

Mrs. Patricia Brown

Mrs. Linda Dickieson

Mrs. Anita Galloway

Mrs. Janet Monroe

Mrs. Margaret Halls

Mrs. Laura Vinton

Mr. Todd Cunningham

Mrs. Linda Gostomski

Mrs. Patrice Ward-Mytinger

Mr. Frank Burk

Mrs. DarleneWade

Mrs. Roberta Lusk

Miss Diane Mato

Mrs. Sheree Green

Mrs. Ann Saunders

Mrs. Donna Pearlman

Miss Annie Abbott P.E.

Mrs. Mary Brown

Mrs. Virginia Cox

Frau Annegret Stroetges

Mr. Dave Coleman

Mrs. Marianne Corrigan

Mr. Paul Schlottman

. Roger Smith

Miss Elizabeth Wilson

Teaching Assistants--Literacy Project

Mrs. Gail Stenback

Mrs. Diane Sharples

Instructional Aides

Kindergarten

Literacy Project

Media

Custodians

Secretary

Mrs. Carolann Brown

Mrs. Betty Hensley

Mrs. Sue Fry

Mrs. Christine Kukier

Mrs. Betty Nicholls

Ms. Patience Harper

Mr. Steven Hill Head

Mrs. Denise Lyon Asst. Head

Mrs. Denise Berry

Mr. John Bourgeois

Mrs. Delphine Carney


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Mrs Allbery

Kindergarten

Ms Crisan

First Grade

Mrs Galloway

Second Grade

Mrs Vinton

Third Grade

oosevelt Staff

1996 97

Mrs Hendin

Kindergarten

Mrs Brown

First/Second Grade

Mrs Halls

Third Grade

Mr Cunningham

Fourth Grade

Mrs Surber

First Grade

Mrs Dickieson

Second Grade

Mrs Monroe

Third Grade

Mrs Gostomski

Fourth Grade


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Mrs. Ward Mytinger

. Fourth Grade

Mrs. Lusk

Sixth Grade

Mrs. Saunders

Special Education

Mrs. Brown

Vocal Music

oosevelt Staff

1996 97

Mr Burk

Fifth Grade

Miss Mato

Sixth Grade

Mrs. Pearlman

Speech

Mrs. Cox

Art

Mrs. Wade

Fifth Grade

Mrs. Green

Special Education

Miss Abbott

Physical Education

Frau Stroetges

German


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Ms. Corrigan

Instrumental Music

Miss Wilson

Instrumental Music

Mrs . Kukier

Instructional Aide

Not pictured:

Mrs. C. Brown

Mr Coleman

Mrs. Sharples

Mrs. Stenback

oosevelt Staff

1996 97

Mr. Schlottman

Instrumental Music

Mrs. Fry

Instuctional Aide

Mrs. Nicholls

Instructional Aide

Mr. Smith

Instrumental Music

Mrs. Hensley

Instructional Aide

Ms. Harper

Media ide

Mr Hill Mrs.Berry Mrs. Lyon Mr. Bourgeois

Custodians


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Students at oosevelt School

Roosevelt has served an estimated 4,500 students since it first opened its doors in

1921. Many

o

Roosevelt's students in 1996 are second- and a few are third-generation

Roosevelt students.

Two student activities which have been at Roosevelt all these seventy-five years are

Safety Patrol and Service Squad. During the years that Roosevelt was a K-8 building,

sports teams and drama groups were present in the school. Roosevelt also had a well

known boys choir in the 1950s, founded by Roosevelt music teacher Mr. Edward Haapa.

It

was one

o

the few school boy choirs in the nation. The choir was composed

o

27 boys

between the ages o nine and twelve years. (See next page for picture.)

·

~

: .

i i

1 l ;

The cast

o Robin ood

given by the 8A Class ofRooseyelt School before graduating

on February 6, 1936.


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Roosevelt Soccer Team, 1936

Members

o

the Roosevelt Boys

hoir

in 1950 were: front row) Dennis

Ford, James Greenwalt, Paul Wooley, Lee Kellar, Robert Tom off, William

Glace, David Albee, Roy Gutske, second row) John Schlect, Michael Crain,

Dan Barr, Louis McRoberts, Jack McCracken, Jack Hill, Larry Winnie, Neal

Schmeichel, Allan Sanborn and back row) Kenneth Brown, Owen Fett,

Robert Hatmaker, Don Christian, David Jencks, Ronald Rexrode , Stewart

James, Charles Mach, Larry Dwyer.


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The aily Tribune contains reports of drama clubs, a fifties club, agate tourna

ments, a harmonica club, the Young Peoples World Citizenship League and others. In

recent years there have been a ski club and a fifth and sixth grade girls' math and science

club. Since the beginning of the 1990s, Roosevelt has had an active Student Council,

which involves students in school and community service projects.

arents at Roosevelt School

The Roosevelt Parent-Teacher Association is fortunate in having a long tradition

of organized effort behind it. wrote Mrs. C.S. om in 1941. Mrs. om continued, We

can point with pride to the record of our own organization. The emphasis has always been

on service and not on the accumulation of funds for the sake of possession. The tradition

outlined by Mrs. om in 1941 has continued through the present day. The Roosevelt PTA

continues to be a well-organized group, whose emphasis is the improvement ofRoosevelt

School and its programs. One special project the PTA is currently working on is raising

funds to improve Roosevelt's playground.

1949 June Fair 1953 June Fair 1954 June Fair

A long standing Roosevelt tradition

is

the PTA-sponsored June Fair.


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This history was compiled by Mrs. Haire, with the help

o

Miss

Mato s 1995-96 sixth graders, who researched articles in

The aily

Tribune .

We are indebted to all the alumni who wrote, phoned or visited

Roosevelt in the past year to share a memories and memorabilia of

days gone by.

A special thank you Mrs. Sue Evans, daughter o Roosevelt s first

principal, Miss Edith Cargill. Mrs. Evans sent us the photos from

the first year at Roosevelt and o her mother.

1996 10 20 roosevelt 75th anniversary celebration 1921-1996 history booklet

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