Iowa Heritage Digital Collections
State Library of Iowa

094_Roosevelt High School History

Title

094_Roosevelt High School History

Description

This is a page from the collection "Bicentennial Reflections: History of Des Moines Public Schools, 1876-1976" by Dr. Robert R. Denny, published by the Des Moines Public Schools in Des Moines, Iowa in 1976.

File Name

094_RooseveltHighSchoolHistory.jpg

Transcription

92 There has been an enthusiastic display of TRHS spirit toward athletics. In football, the Riders have won the City Series nine times and tied for it three times. The 1954 eleven went undefeated and were crowned mythical State champions. Roosevelt's basketball teams have gone to the State Tournament several times. The Riders were State Champions in 1934 and runners up in 1929, 1933, and 1954. In 1959 TRHS placed third in the State Tournament and played in the quarterfinals in 1953 and 1961. In 1965 they were State Champions once again. The school has won national fame in swimming. Roosevelt has regularly placed members of its teams on the All-American swimming lists. TRHS has won the state swimming title twelve times and tied once. In the city, the Riders have won thirty-two consecutive City swimming meets. Wrestling was resumed in 1955 after fifteen years without a team at Roosevelt. The Roosevelt golf and tennis have placed first in the City tournaments for many years. The track team has been a frequent winner at the Valley Relays, Drake Relays, Oskaloosa Relays, and the indoor and outdoor State meets. The cross country team was started in 1957. The Riders' baseball team has had its share of victories in city and state competition. Roosevelt is not a one-sport school. It has produced winners in all fields of athletics. Athletics at TRHS have become an essential and integral part in the lives of the students. Here is a summary of the various additions to Roosevelt High School. 1. Counseling Addition—1954 Square Ft.—720 Cost— $10,300 2. Main Addition—(Physical Education, Library, Science)—1962 Square Ft.—58,260 Cost—$1,197,160 3. Kitchen and Cafeteria Remodeling—1964 Square Ft.—700 (dishwasher area) Cost—$32,000 Cost includes complete remodeling of kitchen and part of cafteria, plus the addition of dishroom building. Freeway construction in 1966 is drastically changing the land south and west of the school. A portion of the southwest corner of the campus was taken by the highway commission for the relocation of Center Street. Revamping the front grounds area is taking place in 1966-1967. Roosevelt High School has explored new various curriculum courses in the 1950's and 1960's. In several cases the experimental work in BSCS biology, CHEMS chemistry, to name two, have been extended and adopted by other high schools. Roosevelt consistently sends about 85% of it graduates to college who represent the Des Moines Schools on college campuses throughout the nation. Roosevelt High in the 1970s Roosevelt High School had several school additions in the 1960s. In August, 1971 a contract was awarded for $181,000 for the addition of counseling rooms, art rooms, band and orchestra rooms. The main addition included here was the fact that the band and orchestra rooms for the first time would have a section for their own use rather than the stage of the auditorium that had been their home for almost 50 years. The counseling room addition was an expansion of the original one that took place in the 1950s. Again in August of 1974 there was a need seen for a metal shop addition. The contract was let for $145,000 for a separate metal shop addition. This in turn reflected the change in the study body request and the need for an educational space to meet their needs. Roosevelt High School in the 1970s continues to be a high achieving academic high school that sends probably the highest number of its students to college of any of the senior high units. The curricular program includes a number of unique programs. To name a few of them are: Independent Study Pass/Fail Option Student Supervised Lunchroom Student Faculty Liaison Committee Faculty Senate Title III Career Interest Study Survey Title III Rent-A-Kid Career Guidance Handicapped Drivers Education program Police-School Liaison program Open Campus It is felt that Roosevelt High School is continuing to meet the needs of youngsters in expanding its offerings of its programs for the requirements of the student body that it serves. 1972 - Addition of Counseling rooms, Art rooms,Band and Orchestra rooms 1974 - Addition of Metal Shop Site—38.4 Acres Principals who served at Roosevelt: 1923 - 1934 Robert R. Cook 1934 - 1939 J. Edgar Stonecipher 1939 - 1941 C. O. Hoyt 1941 - 1954 Emmet J. Hasty 1954 - 1965 Delmar H. Battrick 1965 - 1966 Charles D. Rowley 1967 - Bruce Gardner