http://archive.oes.edu/files/original/8271bfa6d9142379a19f029b55e5ddfd.pdf fd0b70236640987cd7d5040f9dfdda4e PDF Text Text -> I THE FIRST CENTURY r ST. HELEN’S HALL PORTLAND, OREGON * 5 ��TABLE OF CONTENTS i FOREWORD a Chapter r* I ! Pioneering Chapter The Long Voyage West 4 Chapter St. Helen's First Days 7 Chapter IV Chapter V Chapter VI Chapter VI I Chapter V III Chapter IX The Times of "The Misses Rodney" 15 The Sisters' Long and Fruitful Administration 22 The Junior College 3 I Uncertainty After the Sisters 3 4 Moving Again 4 2 With Bishop Dagwell Hall 4 4 Appendix A The Alumnae Association 48 Appendix B Sister Waldine Lucia's Account 51 Appendix C St. Helen's Hall School Songs 72 ��r® FOREWORD >7>. I The writing of this St. Helen's Hall story has been an interesting and enjoyable experience. Looking at the one hundred year span of the Hall, one is impressed by the fact that it has survived its share of crises during which so many schools perished. It would have been so easy for the diocese to close the doors when Miss Rodney died, when the sisters left, or when the freeway was encroaching upon them. But instead, the mission to teach was always carried on! I wish to express my sincere gratitude to the Rev. David Leech, headmaster. Miss Carolyn Paige, Mrs. May Froman, Mrs. Jean Jackson, Mrs. Carolyn Harrington, Mrs. Elizabeth Johnson, and the others at St. Helen's Hall for their constant and patient help in remembering and uncovering the past, and to Mrs. Gertrude Fariss and Mrs. Carolyn Collett for their information and substantiation of facts. Also, my gratitude goes to Mr. Morris Adair--without whose help the early history of the Hall would have been incomplete--and to Mr. Robert E. Fessenden of the Oregon Historical Library whose advise and suggestions were most gratefully received. My special thanks go to Mrs. Diana Rorer for her help in editing the material. Words cannot express my thanks to Sister Waldine Lucia for her wonderful record of the period during which the sisters were directing the Hall. The contri­ bution of the sisters was great, and the students who knew them will always remember them with deep affection and with gratitude. Sally Reed Stout August, 1969 /j (i J J J J J J J ��> I PIONEERING The year 1869, ten years after Oregon became a State, was a period of activity and growth for the city of Portland. Although this territory was far from the centers of civilization, contact was maintained by wagons and ships. The settlers realized an independence, but still they were able to retain elements of the culture and traditions of their former homes. There often was great physical hardship, but many families found compensation in the books and personal belongings which had been carried westward with them. Within shipping distance was the growing town of San Francisco, where it was possible to secure many things needed to develop the educational and cultural life of the community. The desire for education was strong from the beginning. schools in the Willamette Valley since the earliest days. There had been These were generally small groups of pioneer children taught by a member of the community, if the community were fortunate enough to include someone capable of assuming the responsibility. These schools often were short lived, sometimes only a month or two. John Ball, a member of Wyeth's party, in 1832 held classes at Fort Vancouver, and various religious groups attempted to educate their young. Jason Lee had established his institute near Salem, and Bishop Scott and Bishop Morris established their Episcopal schools during this early period of growth and expansion in Oregon. The remarkable characteristic of St. Helen's Hall was the quality of the school, the superior educational, moral, and religious aspect of the instruction. This was accomplished at a time only six years after the devastating flood of the Willamette River, which swept away forever the little town of Champoeg, leaving no stores, no houses, no buildings except the warehouse of the Hudson Bay Company, and it was only fifteen years after the huge influx of immigrants during the big wagon train years. / �F r* 2 The existence and fine quality of St. Helen's Hall was due entirely to the planning, energy, ideals, and character of the Morrises and the Misses Rodney. Bishop Morris was born May 30, 1819 in WeiIsborough, Tioga County, Pennsylvania. He was graduated from General Theological Seminary in 1846, was made deacon the same year and ordained a priest in April of 1847. He was the rector of St. Matthew's, Sunbury, Pennsylvania for four years, after which for six years he was rector of St. David's in Manayunk, Pennsylvania. He then went to Germantown, Pennsylvania where he was assistant and then rector of St. Luke's Parish. In 1868 he received a S.T.D. degree from Columbia University and the degree of Doctor of Divinity from the University of Pennsylvania. Bishop Morris had married Miss Hannah Rodney on June 22, 1852, and it was Mrs. Morris' sisters. Miss Mary, Miss Lydia, and Miss Clementine, and the Bishop's sister, Miss Rachel Morris, who came to Oregon with the Bishop and Mrs. Morris in 1869 to establish St. Helen's Hall. St. Helen's Hall was not the first Episcopal girls' school in Oregon, however. The forerunner of the Hall was a school established by the Rt. Rev. Thos. E. Scott, D.D. in 1861, in Milwaukie, a small community south of Portland. It was called Spencer Hall after Capt. Spencer in the East who had given a substantial sum to Bishop Scott for the establishment of the school. Capt. Spencer was the uncle of Miss Catherine Wolfe, who later made many contributions to St. Helen's Hall . Spencer Hall seemed very successful for the first year or two under the direction of Miss Foster, the principal. The fees were S60.00 a term, and the average attendance was between 16 and 30 pupils. It was housed in a hotel formerly known as "Veranda House." The school was conducted as a family-type boarding school, with Bishop Scott and his family living at the school. added. Miss Foster remained until 1864. the direction of the school. In 1863 a library and gymnasium were At that time Bishop Scott personally assumed His wife acted as matron and teacher. History, botany, mathematics, philosophy, French, drawing, and instrumental and vocal music were offered to the girls enrolled. Only at Christmas and on a very few other special occasions were holidays vacations. granted. The year was divided into three terms, with no intervening Extra fees were charged for drawing and music. towels, laundry, books and stationery. pittance.11 Students furnished their own Teachers' salaries were described as "a mere �' ( U■ xO z v 39 co h- -< •s 2| • |zO 03 o l— ■q0 2UZ _l LU > _J CO > z2§ LU Q ^ o^z z£o £90) <oO QOu- K>-° ^<0 <mm t a. oo Di C* j-J 3 l— 22 = fz oxo ..* j• - --y -^rrrz-^sry '**• £_ll _J oo 2 < CO -r.Wp,■'$* \ ^-x >- ;t:|)':i#4 LU oO CO . I l&ST i * i- Q —J LU LU { _j = ■ i i: /-■■■ — • CO 7U.UO -o^ J > LU —1 —i «/ ■1®l S' I* y> / JL ;3#i •-. -rO& -1- CO LU < O Qhy ZgS UJ > > Q_ LU ‘ W fS be ■ -V-.L;. LU <( i V?. i ii • x J �n rr /t 3 Bishop Scott made a great contribution to education and the development of ■ i. ■ (] the Portland area. In a letter written in January of 1862 he spoke of the desire of members of the church for schools other than those of "Romish" influence, constituted as Christian families, to which children might be confided for proper education and nurture. He spoke of the purpose of Spencer Hall: "The school has been established as a Christian home for girls while pursuing their education, and together with the usual course of studies, proper care shall be bestowed upon the domestic, social, and moral character of the pupiIs . " The number of students during the entire history of Spencer Hall was very small. The enrolIment for the first four years was: 29; 1864-65: 24. 1861-62: 16; 1862-63: 30; 1863-64: The remoteness of Milwaukie from Portland, the source of the majority of the students, limited the school's growth. The board, therefore, in 1866 decided that it be discontinued. The church always made it known that Spencer Hall was considered to be a direct forebearer of St. Helen's Hall. The three years, 1866-1869, between the closing date of Spencer Hall and the opening of St. Helen's Hall were considered only an interlude in the continuity of the school. This is evident in a brochure, published in 1939, showing a picture of "The First St. Helen's Hall in Portland," and described as being established by the Episcopal Church as Spencer Hall in Milwaukie in 1861, and established anew by the Rt. Rev. B. Wistar Morris in Portland in 1869 on the site of the present city hall. Bishop Scott was a man of great foresight. Shortly after the founding of Spencer Hall he purchased property in Portland, directly across from the court house i and the "Plaza." He felt that this piece of land on three-quarters of a block, bounded by Fourth, Fifth, Madison, and Jefferson would be valuable church property, and he built a house and chapel upon it. This house and chapel later would be the first site of St. Helen's Hall in Portland, and the home of the Morrises and Rodneys. �I I * J* ZK? LU (J) XZ ^ Q LU LU O “I -I o LU UO Cl_ < 5 oz ^LU x &o to Z . • “ k 2 => £<y 3 o' 3 LU S? </> oo>zo* S^o LO oo °° 2<o t=d< 8<x< "C !^lu Q- x of 5k CQ ^ !3c> e=o 2i <o o oo _] £ <o Z LL og QL CtL 05 fZ < I �II THE LONG VOYAGE WEST The Morrises and the Rodneys were people of exceptional character, background and education. This was most evident in the excellence of the school which they estab­ lished and in the type of women whom they graduated. The Rodneys were descendants of pre-Revolutionary War colonists and related to Caesar Rodney, a signer of the Declaration of Independence. Miss Mary Rodney, who was the principal of St. Helen's Hall for twenty-seven years, was born in 1833 in Lewes, Delaware. She attended schools in Philadelphia, but was most strongly influenced by St. Mary's Hall in Burlington, New Jersey. She was teaching there when her brother- in-law was chosen to come to Oregon as the second Missionary Bishop of Oregon and Washington. The bishop dreamed of establishing another girls' school in his new diocese. This was a challenge the Misses Rodney could not resist! So, on the 21st of April, 1869, Bishop Benjamin Wistar Morris set sail from New York, accompanied by his wife Hannah, her three sisters, and his sister Rachel . They proceeded down the east coast to the Isthmus of Panama, where they crossed by train. The trip to San Francisco for the bishop and his family was relatively uneventful, and upon their arrival they were kindly and hospitably received by the bishop and clergy of California. After a few days, they boarded the Continental to proceed to their destination in Oregon. and this was no exception. The trip up the coast had always been considered rough, In letters written at the time. Miss Mary said: May 30th, 1869, the Bishop kept his birthday in his cupboard, too sick to hold service. Sisterly affection drew me as far as the next stateroom to see Clem and Lydia. Many libation to Neptune .... Our first view of Oregon. It is hilly and thickly wooded, a beauti­ ful country. We don't like this "Flying Trapeze," the Continental .... passed Cape Foulweather and found it scenic, with openings here and there that look as if made by man. Natural terraces covered with green and dotted with clumps of trees like a gentleman's park .... I have never seen Clem so subdued .... the cause .... the "Flying Trapeze." �5 On June 2nd, they crossed the dreaded Columbia bar and stopped in Astoria to call on the Rev. and Mrs. Thomas Hyland.* Miss Rodney continued as they travel up the Willamette: High banks covered with tall firs. Sometimes there are basalt rocks like the "Giant's Causeway" on a small scale. Everything is fresh and beautiful .... Islands covered with tall deciduous trees. The Willamette is like a picture. She mentioned often and with great enthusiasm the beauty of the mountains, and she states that at one time all five mountains were visible. particularly thrilled them. Mount St. Helens It was upon this first exciting view of Mt. St. Helens that they thought of using this name for the school . They had considered the name St. Mary's, after the school in New Jersey, but they found St. Mary's Roman Catholic school already well established in Portland. They also had considered "Jane Gray," and the "Bishop's Thorpe," but this beautiful and majestic mountain, named after the mother of Constantine, was to be the source of the name for the school which was so much in their minds and hearts. When they arrived in Portland, they were met at the wharf by "all the world and his wife, " as Miss Rodney put it, "with great cordiality from all the clergy of Oregon and their people and all parts of their jurisdiction." They were taken to Milwaukie where they were to reside for the summer. The old Spencer Hall building had been opened and made available to them. Their enthusiasm for the beauty of the country was great. Mt. Hood is beautiful, and the Willamette is broad and quiet as a lake, bordered by three varieties of firs. Fine oaks and cottonwoods are everywhere. The five snow-capped mountains can be seen from behind the house. The beautiful firs of the country .... at one point covering a mountainous cliff, at another growing to the water's edge and again covering a pretty island that divides the river just as it passes from our view. Enthusiastic plans had been forming during the entire trip from New York. In fact it was on the trip from San Francisco that the first student was enrolled. *Mrs. Hyland, whose maiden name was Martha Stearns, was the aunt of Loyal B. Stearns, grandfather of Mary Helen Spaulding Clair, '19 and Frances Spaulding Charlton, '22. The Rev. Mr. Hyland performed the marriage ceremony for their parents in the Mirror Room of the old Portland Hotel in November, 1900. < �T¥ 6 Bishop Morris imparted to a fellow passenger, Jos. Teal, his dream of building a church school for girls. Thereupon, Mr. Tea! enrolled his daughter, Helen, as the first student in the new school. It was the bishop's purpose in this Episcopal school for girls, to offer to the people of the state, as complete, sound, and finished an education for their daughters as could be had in any of the eastern cities. This was an ambitious undertaking when one realizes that it was in 1869 that the first railroad was completed between Omaha and San Francisco, and that it was not until much later that there was any railroad from the east coming into Portland. Mr. Harvey Scott in his History of Portland gives us a little idea of the size and content of the city in 1868-1870. He informs us that there were many shops and stores and even some manufacturing plants. The city contained churches, banks, hotels, hardware and plumbing firms, saddlers, blacksmith shops and even a wig maker! of the streets were macadamized, and there were many brick buildings, publications existed, most of them weekly. Some Several news The Immigration Exchange was formed at this time to disseminate information abroad as to opportunities and employment, in the hope of encouraging others to settle in the new state. This was the Portland in which St. Helen's Hall was established, the young city with which she would grow and pursue her course through the next century-~the see city of a vast Episcopal diocese which then encompassed the equivalent of more than two wild Western states. 11 �ill ST. HELEN’S FIRST DAYS In the church periodical. The Spirit of Missions, Bishop Morris had made an urgent appeal to secure as a school site the piece of Portland property on Fifth and Main which was owned by the widow of Bishop Scott. Response came from Mr. John D. Wolfe and his daughter, Catherine, of New York City, who purchased Mrs. Scott's three-quarters of a block for $7,000 in 1869. Bishop Morris, in 1876, purchased the remainder of the block, making the total cost of the property SI0,000. The Bishop Scott dwelling and chapel were used as a nucleus for the beginning of the school. During the first year, a dormitory building, which would house thirty boarders, was added at a cost of $11,203. Miss Mary Rodney wrote to a friend in the East: How do you think Hannie (the Bishop's wife) and I will do to keep a hotel? I opine we shall have some experience to buy .... I must admit this branch of our life here frightens us a little. It was only a day school that at first was spoken of, but I felt sure even before we got here that it must admit boarders, or else how would it meet the wants of the diocese? I hope we shall find strength proportioned to our day, and we will not anticipate trouble .... The bishop chose as motto a legend from the Sixth Chapter of Deuteronomy: "That our Daughters Should Be as the Polished Corners of the Temple," a phrase which was to be the school's guiding principle for the years to come. St. Helen's Hall opened its doors September 6, 1869, as a boarding and day school . All the clergy of Oregon and Washington assembled for the opening services of the school . 144th. The bishop began the service with the 105th Psalm, followed by the After a few remarks from the bishop and other members of the clergy, the Gloria in Excelsis was sung. Then the girls marched out and went into their classrooms. St. Helen's Hall had started. �I I 8 th a short chapel service. Students and teachers ¥ bell which had been brought around Cape Horn. i collars, stiff corsets, and curly bangs, and the a. eir red painted double desks and began their studies E hese first two years were: Miss Mary Rodney, princi- t I ant; Miss Clementine Rodney, teacher of music; and : Miss Laura Adair, from Astoria, a student teacher.* n September, the school grew to seventy-five before >er first of the second year, the number of pupils had [ s, finding that they had more than they could do, leir duties. The 1869-1870 catalogue gives in detail i : spelling, reading, writing, English grammar, anala complete course in history, arithmetic, both mental igonometry, geography, including ancient and physs in composition, and history of English literature. lain house, and two lived in another dwelling with ilding was so full that soon five rooms were found in i ;h the children called the "Fifth Avenue Hotel." house. In the small dining room, twenty students led the room. The Rodneys and the Morrisses lived wentieth and Everett Streets in 1881. In 1870 the ishop Scott and was known as St. Stephen's Chapel, lock. It was then remodeled, and a lower story was 1,609. This provided much needed space for a T ditional dormitory rooms. d. Miss Rodney told of their daily life: first long journey to the southern part of the De gone three weeks .... We all have some was the first Collector of Customs on the Pacific , Office in Astoria in April, 1849. Later Laura was / of Bishop Morris. a �!^ cn d o II Oh oz uo LL OZ x X lu 0)1 3 o cn QZ UJ oo 3 5 5:0 5^-Z < < aZ o OO o -T- Z<x <x£ Q OQ zzz 3 < o -r w X o_ az lu ►—<"<■ LU X X oI J— LO 0 U X Qi Q_ CQ OO LU 01---- 1 z^xi Q^m _i 00 0 2Qm LU —1 ClZ <0,. X LL “T LO O ^z z < UJ LU xyj x 1— LO □ ^ LU o LU Q £ 0£ Q_ 2 0 LU O IO h- 00 �THE GREAT BELL, A GIFT TO BISHOP MORRIS FROM HIS PHILADELPHIA PARISH, IS ONE OF THE TWO ITEMS THAT REMAIN FROM THE ORIG­ INAL STRUCTURE. FROM 1870 IT HAS BEEN RUNG FOR MANY OCCA­ SIONS AND BY MANY HANDS AT ALL THE FOUR LOCATIONS OF ST. HELEN’S HALL. �1 9 homework to do here. There is a large ironing to be done each week, and a great many dishes to wash, otherwise our work is light. Let me recommend a clothes boiler to you. "The Automatic Clothes Boiler" The water spouts up over the clothes. It is all they claim for it. It saves all rubbing of the clothes. A student wrote her first letter home after arriving at the Hall in 1874: St. Helen's Hall, Po, Ogn. Aug. 28th '74 My Dearest - Mama and all of you at home! You are anxious I know to receive some word from me to know of my safety. I will say that I am alive yet and this is fair prospects of my remaining so for some time yet .... (Papa and I) came in the Hall, asked for the Bishop, introduced me, told me to be a good girl, and kissed me goodbye, and left me standing in the hall with the Bishop and a dozen (maybe) strange ladies they came up to me and spoke kindly to me and "eliza" showed me to my room. I am afraid to describe it, twould take so long. It is about eight ft. long and five feet wide just big enough to have a single bed in it and a washstand and chair (By the way for pity's sake do not send more than two yards of carpet or I shall not know where to put it!) the washstand is chest, towel rack, washstand and all, the rack being at each end of the stand you know, a little looking-glass hangs over it and a shelf is on the side of the looking glass on which I have my Sozodent tooth­ brush, hand mirror, albuim, bogget, Wordsworth Poems, Language of Flowers, glovebox, Florida water and glycerine! ain't that jolly! on my stand is washbowl and pitcher, a jug, a little plat for your soap and my big black box which takes up all the room. My trunk sets at the foot of my bed and then comes the end wall on which are a dozen hooks with a white muslin hanging before them (wardrobe you know!) then right beside this curtain is another one (door you know!) Under­ stand this poor description. I have just room enough to stand beside my bed and make it and just room beside my trunk and washstand to look in the "mirrow." .... The walls are plastered but there par­ titions are wooden . The window is high above me and I take a long pole with a hook on the end of it and push it up or down--each alcove has a window .... Mrs. Right is the sweetest little woman I ever & met in my life she talks oh! so low and sweet she combs her hair------back from her face and curls her braids around at the back of her neck (low on the back of her head) braids are her own hair. She gave me this ink to write to you she told me I had Better wait and ask Miss Rodneys permission before going downtown. Unfortunately the letter concludes without a signature. The rules and regulations of the school were strict. * excerpt from the 1869 bound catalogue: * The following is an �m r* 10 Visitors allowed by parents or guardians will be permitted on Saturday between one and five o'clock. No visitors will be permitted on Sunday. Visits from young gentlemen allowed only on the joint permission of parents and the Principal. The pupils will be allowed to visit on the last Saturday of every month those friends in the city whom their parents may designate, provided these friends accompany them to and from the school and the conduct of the children has been sat­ isfactory so that they are entitled to this privilege. Pupils residing in Portland or its immediate vicinity will be allowed, on these occasions, to spend Saturday and Sunday at home. Other pupils will not be expected to go home during the term. It is particularly requested that all shopping for friends at home be done before the pupil comes to school, and that any necessary visits to the dentist, dressmaker, or photographer be made before the school term begins, as these things are a great tax upon the teacher's time and a serious interruption to study. Clothing: In addition to the ordinary supply of good, plain, underclothing, each pupil should bring a dressing gown, 2 Balmoral skirts, (heavy and light), two black alpaca aprons, umbrella, waterproof cloak, overshoes, napkin ring, two yards of carpet for the alcove and a clothes bag. White petticoats will not be allowed in the wash from October to May. It is especially requested that under­ clothing without ruffles or puffs be brought. An additional charge will be made for washing dresses elaborately trimmed. Each pupil should bring a complete list of her clothing. The course of study included either a regular course toward graduation or a special course. five years. The regular course of study in the middle or senior classes occupied At the opening of each term, the work of the term was arranged with reference to the five classes of regular pupils. Admission into any of the classes or advancement from one of these to another was granted only as the result of an examination in the studies which preceded it. Those who satisfactorily completed all the studies of the prescribed course were awarded a diploma. Two years after the opening of the school, a classmate of Miss Mary Rodney at St. Mary's Hall, New Jersey, was added to the staff. Virginia arrived in Portland in 1871. sisters and two children. Mrs. Mary Boyd Clopton of With her came her family including two younger One of these children graduated from the Hall in 1881 and later became Mrs. C. J. Jackson, a Portland benefactress of her school. It was at this time that Miss Rodney was offered the principalship at St. Mary's Hall in New Jersey, but she preferred to remain in the West at St. Helen's Hall. r- �L KANE’S ILLUSTRATED WEST. longer enigmatical; but neglect on the part ol our I PORTLAND, OREGON, AS A RIVER PORT citizens to avail themselves of the golden opportunity while yet they may will be the occumiod of life-time regret. AND RAILWAY CENTER. I It is much lietter to own hill property right j 1 be two great rivers of the Northwest, the Columbia in Portland, than to lie compelled to go far out into i and Willamette, meet practically at Portland's door. the country to get it, and w'hcre there is absolutely no Both arc highways of traffic, and both directly tribu­ tary to Portland. Steamboats of every style and size, JAMES B. STEPHENS I Hast Porti.asii. Oh.) Wc take pleasure ill presenting to nur readers the portrait of .lames II. Stephens, Ksip, one of Oregon's 27 Portland. The city was founds 1 in answer to com­ mercial demandi, at the place most eouveaient (or commerce and production to meet, anil it answers thoae demands completely. THE "BIG BEND ' At the northern extremity of Douglass County in Eastern Washington Territory, the military •tatioo named Camp Spokane is located. At this point lumbia is navigated freely to a point fifty miles almve Portland and one hundred and fifty miles from the the great Columbia river makes a sudden sweep to the sea. At this point there are rapids which no l>oal can westward, flowing along the southern Imundary of Stevens County, ami describing III it- course a half Five miles further on there is another stretch circle along the eastern line of Kittitas ami Y.tkitna stein. earln-i-t pioneers. Mr. Stephens was Imni on the line of Itm-h County, Virginia, .uni Washington County, of clear water which I'ei.n-j Ivani.i. on the loth of Nov.. ItiOli. The house in w hich lie was lsiru was exactly on the line between Here there is another portage of fourteen miles, (can lie reduced to five), and then another stretch of clear the two States, hut lie never knew whether the partic ular nmm in whieli lie first aaw the light of day was water into the heart of the Columbia river liasin. The Snake river, a large and navigable stream, enters the tremity of tins eirclc to the other, would defim- the eastern IwunJary of what is known as the Big Bend on tin- Virginia nr tin- Pennsylvania side of the house; Columbia three hundred miles from its mouth and af- Country, the western Isiundary l*emg formed by the livwcvi-r, lie has always claimed Pennsylvania as his native State. He came to Oregon in lb 14 and soon fords a path of commerce through a large and rich territory. The Willamette is navigable to a point one Columbia. Within this rcgio i is embraced the country of Douglas and a portion of lancnln County. This extends fifty miles eastward. thereafter settled on the east l>auk of the Willamette. ' hundred miles from its mouth at all times, and during where he purchased, iu June, 1845, a possessory right much of the year fifty miles further south, every where to the land claim on winch he 'has ever since resided. through a perfect garden land. It is shoal at mauy This section of the country was at that time almost Gmntics, and when it reaches a point at the western central portion of Franklin County turning ag.iin to the southward. A straight line drawn from one ex­ vast tract is one of the most fertile sections of the in­ land empire, the soil L ing very rich and deep; it tains land enough for Ihnumaodaof settlers, and it gives places, however, anil can lie navigated only by light j promise of Incoming the l>cst farming district of the totally uninhabited by white men. In his younger ■ lays he learned the cooper trade, which served him in gi-ml stead in the boats. An obstruction mouth and twelve miles twenty-four miles (mm its | 'territory. aliove Portland—the Wil- It would seem strange that this fertile land had not l*ei n settled beforei but the cause of this early days of his res. idence 111 Oregon, as in IMG he secured can la* plainly un­ derstood when it is stated that a great portion of the Big a contract from the Huilsnii Hay Coinjany to make 1,000 flour barrels and 400 salmon bar­ rels, and in 1847 400 Bend is still uuaurveyed, and no set­ tler likes to avail himself merely of the squatter's right. heef larrels. These were packed and shipped by that com­ But the government has taken steps to pany to the Sand­ wich Islands. Mr remove this ob­ Stephens established the first ferry across stacle to settlement by ordering that all the land bcsurteyeil, the Willamette river at Portland. At on* lime he owned a with the exception of a few fractional mile and a half of river front. In 1850 engineers are already townshi|is; and civil ill the field engaged he laid otT the townsite of Eg*t Portland ami afterwards in the work, which is to be completed Stephens' addition to East Portland. He. in common w ith many of the pioneers, went through St. Helix's Hali.—Portland. Or for forty two year-, and now enjoys the peaccfuluess, plenty and happim-s- of an honest and well-spent life. lie looks hack with pride to the many change. this year, and a large amount of very de­ lamcttc Falls—baa licen overcome by a canal and locks, He was owned by the State, and through which Imata pass at severe hardships in the early day« of Oregon married in 1830 to Miss Elizalietli Walker, who ' a small charge, proved a life partner of rare devotion and steadfastBelow Portland the Columbia has numerous naviga­ and who with a true ami brave heart and willing ble tributaries and branches, through which small ' hands helped to overcome the hardships of pioneer steamers approach the very doors of production. All ' days. Mr. Stephens has resided on the old homestead thi, mmlt„ j.ortUnJ » river port. In her local j* ecatral among them as fine sa any in the world, ply their waters and make their general depot here. The Co­ gcncr,i river service about one hundred and fifty ,t*lfnhoala engaged. They do an enormous traffic i Al ratem mtlle ,ow ,,y univortal competition. 'Ihc sirable land will L- thrown open to the homesteader for settlement. 3STEW ROUTE. Portland & Willamette Valley. Bctweon Portland and Airlie—80 miles that the p-xst fleeting yean, have wrought in this counC0U(ltr>. ^hed by river is. therefore, more cheaply , LEAVE. LKATE try. and contrasts the improvements and conveniences , lhan .liatricui which must depend wholly upon Portland............ 10:30 AM Airlie....................6:15 A M of to-day With the time when he. with brave heart, the railroads. In the Willamette Valley the river ex . Lafayette ., .. . 2:14 M Monmouth 7:15 A M Dallas.... . 4:34 I1 S 0.\ A M hopeful for the future, settled on the Icinks of the erases a most wholesome influence on rail rates. Sheridan .. : Dallas.. . Sheridan... ... 10:21 A M beautiful Willamette. which, at til river points, must lie low enough to com­ M oniuoiilh 12:33 »* M pete with water carriage. 1* M Airlie (arrive) 4:15 1’ M ST HELEN'S HALL. '7:11™ KEfavv, Portland holds pretty mud. the same relation, to i*.'holarship. The number of pupils average 150, and the wives and daughters of many of the beat known LEAVE LEAVE . .. 111:.tii A i'olnirg Portland 4:30 A M SiKcrtoii ... 4:22 P M Bumn.vill. «:ll A M West Sviu . . ti:2!f P M A >1 come. In this matter again comes in her advantage Lcng'a . 3:25 A M ... 7:25 P M of position. The railroads, like tho rivers, seek the Brownsville. . . . S:45 P M Silvvrton .. 10:40 A M lowest levels, and from east to west auil north amt Colmrg tarriw). I* M I'urtUiullarmi'i 4 |j 1* M south these load them to Portland. Tho only level, or , ipjgj^g f„r *»le at I mice and I Vicl. (m-t of .Is llel wssXI approximately level, rail route from the Columbia ! ,t. and U. C A It. I. Co.'s olliev., 2*1 All* I 1*111* r*tv river hosni lies through the Columbia river pass — General Offices. N. W corner First and Pine. leading directly and necessarily to Portland. The WILLIAM KKID. easiest rail rout* from the Willamette Valley to naviCHAS. N. SCOT I. I'rva't P. « W. V By. men in Oregon have been educated in this school. gable water is down tho Willamette river—and eo to On this page we present our readers with a view of St. Helen'e Hall, of Portland, * * Jf * Botween Portland and Coburg—123 yi.es. the railroad traffic of the country as its steamboat traffic. She is the center, the cr»u-roa.L to which or the most excellent lioardiiig school for girls in tla- Pacific Northwest. It ! is now ni its eighteenth year, having been founded in I l.Siiff liy Bishop Morris. The building* arc spacious t and the grounds ample and L-autiful. "Ihe teachers | are carefully chosen, and in all dv]iartineiits particular attention is paid to health and manners os well as through which the general traffic of the country must lew,;. Iteceiver Or It'y. fo. (LI. i Line. ST. HELEN'S AS PICTURED AND DESCRIBED IN KANE'S ILLUSTRATED WEST, 1887. �V i �II Five girls were in the first graduating class in 1872: Sally Campbell of Portland; Mary Couch, Portland; Margaret Gearhard, Clatsop; Alice Henderson, Yamhill County, and Mary Taylor, Astoria. The Oregon Churchman, in a publication of that year, said editorially: We recognize the result of the educational system of St. Helen's Hall as that which fits a young lady to adorn and enjoy whatever path of duty God may open to her. The attendance increased so rapidly that enlargement of the building was necessary for a third time within three years. The 1872 addition increased the capacity to 50 boarders and provided more room for the bishop's family and for the resident teachers. Within four years, the school had grown to 134 pupils, girls coming from as far as Hawaii and Alaska. The course of study was broad and thorough, with new courses added to the curriculum. Listed in the 1872 catalogue were: trigonometry. Latin, logic, Greek, astronomy, physics, Shakespeare, Milton, English history, English grammar, music, art, chemistry, French, ancient geography, Bible studies, algebra, and geometry. ficially. One may be sure that these subjects were not taught super­ Not only a superior academic education was given but also instruction in the traditional manners and proper behavior of the lady of that era. Elderly ladies who had studied at the Hall as girls would not, in later years, cross their knees in public, put on gloves while walking down the street, or remove gloves in church without a twinge of conscience. Different resident pupils were appointed each morning to sit as "Critic of the day," to tally any grammatical error , and to direct the offender's attention to the mistake. Such typical school girl nonsense as "No, No, not for Jo," or "Seen any- thing green lately?" quickly disappeared from the vocabulary, apparently to the great satisfaction of the instructors. Perhaps the girls learned most from the character of Miss Mary herself. She was a tall woman, with lovely features, and an austere dignity about her that would bring order out of any teen-age choas. And life had its moments of frivolity too, as an early account relates: jf A JL There was a high wall around St. Helen's Hall in those days, down there on Fourth and Madison where the City Hall now stands, and only once was the citadel taken by storm. In 1880, on a dare, �•' I f* 12 Lieutenant Ned Brooke, all in the fine blue uniform of the 21st, came in as brave as life, and in the hushed and startled school room, asked quite firmly to speak to one of the young ladies. To the chagrin of his friends waiting outside the gate, Miss Rodney gave a gracious consent. The school was in a tremendous twitter as Lieutenant Brooke took his triumphant departure. Fred Holman, another young beau of Portland, very nearly outdid him. He sent a box of chewing gum to the graduating class. Just as the girls had opened the box and discovered, in a burst of squeals and giggles, its outrageous contents, Miss Rodney approached. Someone had the presence of mind to shove it under the sofa, but not the courage to reclaim it later. The bishop, in 1878, published an impressive summary of the progress of the school during the first nine years of its existence. The faculty consisted of: the Right Rev. B. Wistar Morris, rector; Miss Mary Rodney, principal; Miss Lydia Rodney, Miss Lydia Blackler, Mrs. Mary B. Clopton, Miss Katherine Burton, Miss Elizabeth Boyd, Mrs. Clara Wright, primary teachers; Miss Ruth Sutton, teacher of music and calisthenics, and Mrs. L. C. Ferguson, teacher of drawing and painting. The bishop continued in his report: Ten resident teachers have been employed and two additional non­ resident teachers of language. The number of pupils in attendance has been 132, of these 36 were boarders and 96 day pupils. The gen­ eral health of the boarding pupils has been remarkably good, and except in a few chronic and constitutional cases, there has been little occasion for the services of a physician or the use of medicines. This we attribute to the general healthfulness of the city of Portland, to the regular habits of the pupils, their avoidance of late hours and the excitements and dissipations that induce so many of the ills that beset the life of young girls. Among the things worthy of note is an improvement in the attention to study and amenability to discipline. The pupils remain longer in the school, become adjusted to its routine and system, acquire the habits of study, and consequently make more marked and satisfactory progress. They are becoming animated with a love of study, and their work is invested with a new charm and pleasure. Delight to both teacher and pupil mark the days and duties that were once only toil and weariness. The commendation, doubtless due in part to the constituent materials of the school. A few girls, whose diligence and deportment never fail to merit approval, who are always studious, obedient, thoughtful, sincere and lady-like, will establish a tone of spirit that will grow and spread through the whole school, while one or two of the oppo­ site disposition, intractable, indifferent, and inattentive to study, restless and complaining under the mildest system of rule and order, �1 : —I C£. ' 1“ < LU >- LU I LL o (J CO LU X z 0^5 2o2 ^Ooj o “-<1 P2of O0 LU = >-■3 <z < co ^ co o _ “25 z >- ^ < <9“- ^ z Zo£< _ LU > LU _l _J 2<z> O ^ LU o xzi J-------- LU LU UL -) ^ LU O ttSo <<o K- LU 2 �13 insincere and untruthful, will spread a spirit of disorder and discontent that will mar the peace and comfort of a whole school or household. <r r38 At the conclusion of a commencement address of the same period Bishop Morris remarked: For you who have passed through all the years of pupilage here with marked docility and with faithful and constant attention to study, and who are now about to go from us with the assurance of our loving regard and approbation, we would ask no better thing than that this true simplicity of character and conduct may mark and distinguish all your future years. Thus will you adorn and enrich the homes that await your coming, and give true grace and attractiveness to the society that claims you, and thus only will you gain approbation and reward of Him who requires the Truth in the inward parts and Who alone shall make you to understand wisdom secretly. These years were exciting, growing years, and ones in which the Hall did something more than earn its way. $12,500 had been expended on permanent improve­ ments, books, philosophical apparatus and a block of ground for the site of a future building. a (i Ci This was exclusive of large expenditures for insurance and new furniture. By this time there were several scholarships available for deserving students. The Wolfe Scholarship, from Miss Catherine Wolfe in New York, and the Bishop Doane Scholarship, derived from gifts of teachers, were among them. Pupils and friends of St. Mary's in New Jersey provided $300, enough for the full support of one student. Another scholarship of $300 was supported by a Philadelphia mother in memory of a beloved daughter who had died. The library was begun with the proceeds from the sale of the Spencer Hall property in Milwaukie. It became an extensive library, including an herbarium of value and a fine collection of shells from Europe and the Northwest. In 1880 there appeared the first copy of the school paper known as the Comet. Written in longhand and mimeographed, it filled four pages of legal size paper. It cost twenty-five cents per term or ten cents per copy, and was issued once a month. Local community news, school news, humorous stories and riddles, all were included. Its motto was "While she lives, she shines." Under Brevities, was noted: "This school was very much honored by a visit from Judge Deady on Friday last." And in the "Humor Column": "Why is the Comet like a toothbrush? Because everyone should have one of her own and not be borrowing her neighbor's." l*535 �14 The years of 1881 and 1882 were again years of growth and transition for the school . In 1882 the new St. Stephen's Chapel was begun on the corner of the acre site at Fifth and Jefferson. It was a beautiful building with memorial stained glass windows. One of these was given as a memorial to the son of the bishop, Henry Rodney Morris, born June 30, 1876, who gave his life in the attempt to save two laborers working on a cess pool on the St. Helen's Hall property. The members of the 1881 graduating class were Mary Shindler, Ida McKenny, Margaret Green (Reed), Maria Clopton (Jackson), Susie Whalley (Allison), Elizabeth living (Spenser), and Clara Northrup (Hall). Mrs. Mary Clopton, who had been teaching since 1871, entered her retirement at this time. She was greatly admired by trustees and faculty alike, and was affection­ ately regarded by all the students, many of whom banded together to present her with a farewell gift.* *The following students are remembered as having presented the gift: Fanny Walker, Jenny Walker, Susie Whallie, Maggie Green, Lucy Smith, Lizzie Irving, Virginia Whiting, Mary Shindler, Emme Habersham, Ida Eichman, Annie Jones, Fanny Meir, Tina Wilson, Tian Whalley, Ella White, Noco Randall, Lizzie Bristoe, Clara Rosenburg, Hattie Baughman, Alice Freebarn, Alice Wasserman, Alice Goldsmith, Mary Goldsmith, Edith Lowenberg, Selma Rosenberg, Ada McCracken, Nellie Warner, Mallie Effinger, Gertie White, Jenny Ullery, Sarah Radir, Minnie Maddux, Alice Flanders, Mary Smith, Clara Smith, Florence Savier, Nellie Burnside, Mattie Hoyt, Winnie Myrick, Alice Chance, Nellie Williams, Ida Black, Helen Savier, Clara Northrup, Nonie Colliland, Mary Kelly, Maurie Green, Idabelle Haughty, Lois Abrams, Carrie Williams, Gertie Smith, Josie Barber, Belle Sanders, Annie Warner, Charlotte Crawford, Carrie Shindler, Eugemia Zieber, Louisa Rogers, Lucy Failing, Henrietta (E.) Failing, Edith McCleay, Ellen Dunbar, Agnes Reed, Eva Lewis, Louisa Eaton, Louisa Wygant, Ada Brown, Nelly Plummer, Agnes Catlin, Eugenia Cunningham, Jose Cunningham, Florence Baber, Maggie Marshall, Hernina Chapman, General Eaton, Hannah Fairfowl, Eunice Perkins, Netta Brooke, Ida McKenny, Katie Hallet, and Mary Coolige. �5*=^ aw* �§5^ LU • 00“*” ^ 2 to ^ < C* >LU LU on O' _i 00 !£ < LU 2 ImLU *z5 Z LU LU z << Q o < »- ZLu^ QCZ O' tOZ ) LU Q-'Z 00 «5§ ■5 uoo 'Q ^2 a: O? ^§2 <>o • °° LU *— Z~ ~Z- Q #|) < J<Z2 LU _l LU ioSq " 'uiO inf! a: tz — 0^0, LU □ < o LO ^ O o' J. -2 LU *°"Z3 ^<N =>2 w ">< = -Iq 300 £>0 9 0^> luis I 2 �"r IV THE TIMES OF "THE MISSES RODNEY > i v^° r38 By 1882 Portland was growing by leaps and bounds, with progress in navigation, railroads, industry, and commerce bringing more people every day to settle in the area. The county court house to the north, the public park to the east, and the growing number of surrounding stores and businesses, were rapidly decreasing the desirability of this site as a location for a girls' school. In 1882, largely through the influence of Miss Mary Rodney, twelve lots were purchased from Donald McCleay for $12,000. This property was bounded by Vista Avenue, St. Clair, Main and Park Streets, where the Vista St. Clair Apartments now stand. a This location was thought to be inconvenient for day students, although it was well within the city limits. The board had been con­ cerned that the location on Fifth and Jefferson was too noisy now, too much in the center of town. So, in 1882, when the city government offered $100,000 for the down­ town block, the board decided to accept. were made immediately. Plans to build upon the Vista Avenue site The original building at Fourth and Main was moved to property at Twelfth and Main, directly across from the present Unitarian Church. CH**8 This became temporary quarters until the new building was ready for occupancy. Later, this original building became an apartment house and served as a source of income for St. Helen's Hall. to the extent of SI5,000- The structure ultimately caught fire and was damaged d**8 The damage was considered too great to repair, and the structure was razed. Plans for the new school on Vista Avenue progressed, and on June 9, 1890, the cornerstone was laid. On February 24, 1891, the new school was ready for occupancy. The new location was a great improvement for the Hall, in spite of its increased distance from the center of town. St. Helens Mountain, the Misses Rodneys' first love, could be seen clearly on a nice day. The handsome three story building featured two (dess a-* �z Q E _j Z =>< “2 OO n o' LJ ■ ■ ■■ * “-O LU = f U, ^ CQ Q LU O Ud <3 _jO OL I fc= o iS > 0^ 23 Q id oo i£ LU _j 3 Q Z< -I <^' OQ ^=i 0< zx O0 0>: CL LZ 20 LU LU XX �"THE MISSES RODNEY" WHO JOURNIED WEST TO FORM THE NUCLEUS OF THE FACULTY OF THE SCHOOL TO WHICH THEY DEVOTED THEIR LIVES. r r n MARY BURTON RODNEY, THE FIRST PRINCIPAL OF THE HALL (. a (j a HI a-x . Ko uL o.c. «~j Si op J3 Lskap MorrLs—- i-st PrLv\cXpaJ- oL • ri«. rU2L '' • CLEMENTINE RODNEY, THE MU­ SIC TEACHER OF THE SCHOOL. LYDIA RODNEY, FIRST ASSISTANT TO HER SISTER, THE PRINCIPAL. �‘ I 16 wings to the east, which embraced a sweeping driveway from the street below, bordered by lovely lawns, gardens and trees. This was a happy and prosperous time for the Hall. Its reputation was of the highest and its finances were well handled by the board and the diocese. The policy of the school continued to uphold high educational standards and to maintain a Christian and democratic attitude toward its enrollment. By 1890, after twenty years of successful management by the same rector and principal, probably two thousand girls had received instruction, with sixty-two graduating.* By this year, however, a change had taken place in the educational situation in the city of Portland. The population had reached forty-nine thousand. Public education was well established, and a public high school had been opened in 1883. Academy had been founded. In 1889 the Portland Both secondary schools drew from the Hall sufficient numbers of students that its enrollment failed to increase as the city grew. The bishop constantly urged church people to support the school, emphasizing its importance to the community, but even so, the majority of the students came from outside the church. During this time. Bishop Scott Academy for boys, which was started in 1870, was having a difficult and precarious existence. It maintained the same high standards as the Hall, but its financial condition was in marked contrast to its sister school. While St. Helen's was progressing under one principal, Bishop Scott Academy suffered a number of reverses due to changes of headmasters and various misfortunes. B.S.A. was a separate institution but, neverthe­ less, the lack of progress and growth of B.S.A. was a financial drain on the diocese, and St. Helen's Hall was unavoidably affected by it. In 1890, the financial administration of the two schools was taken out of the hands of the bishop and placed under a Board of Trustees consisting of the bishop, chairman of the board, two laymen and two clerical members. In 1893, the Church of the Redeemer in Pendleton urged that the membership of the board be increased and broadened. was augmented by two members. ■ rm a financially difficult period. This suggestion was adopted and the board It fell to the lot of this board to steer the school through St. Helen's Hall had assets, including scholarships and professorships, amounting to $177,573.17, with encumbrances of $20,000. Tucker). The board *The only student graduating in the class of 1888 was Mabel Beck (Mrs Ernest F. The entire graduation ceremony was conducted by the bishop although only one student was graduated. �■f*' fi fi v;i n ■ :i i.!T<i w ■ > m h: ; thh r k‘- TV n CO ■ CO Hi1 SC r. L 03 CC? $§5* CO i r* a (i r: fi ©. 1 C5 :« Jn IhcD.anic of ihc }!H&f>ER and oflhc SOU and ofIhcROLVGBOSt'-H'mcn. .■ c/talT atic* fiaviua occuxct) Cij Get iRf’inlmcul iGc tiR^xol-aliou & am' c0ii|ii}rucc of iftc Ocelot,l6c «‘JiuiaJ><if am) 16c •‘fuMiuclou*, ’I xeceivc.* lLit.) i‘Ji\>lmicmia.f a.J Ihc c.xjncj.>i«>ii o| iGa'i C6\u>licui low i C£ ! j ttivmc] couij.->Qs<c<) l&c JneJcvif’Ci'coumc aj*<StudicA al‘.A. Jlclcuo 5*3 221 ^3 o aui* iuli'icol, auD iReix rommcudatioii.of ficx lo ihc fa vox and cj tj'floa itiomjL'oJ COIU1 CW*t out §. m J ' /djjbfo dps r- tr* CO co ii vu >Ci- t#** CO SC Ci- t ci CO CC CO 1 .*-3 P=J g* o PO !1 CO CO &*** S**81 Igorflaijd .-—ll 1- -. 2 -'J ■ .is&9 s'IS AN 1886 DIPLOMA OF A DESIGN USED FOR SEVERAL DECADES AND EXPRESSING THE WISH "THAT OUR DAUGHTERS MAY BE AS THE POLISHED CORNERS OF THE TEMPLE." ^s*s �oo h CXL LU O Z ZD 2“ ^ UJ -3 oS 2z nLU 0 Q 1< 22 Di! CQ I— oo o3 o << CO ^ — CQ ^ I UJ H- Z ;1 O uu W CQ t0 2s CO Q Qz z^ < U0 >-'Z Si <§ 4 rn ia luTr >-"5 Q ^ O CQ hmumwim “uj •4 n 55 Q> & uu ^ D t E1 £3 »— uj ^ I I fe-— - LU ac l JW ZTjU^Td-s i*** *• K= z LU LU a X �m '■ r r <k Cf* v Qjurhzel cQ Si-'lie. MARIA CLOPTON. WHO WAS GRADUATED IN 1881, AS MRS. C. J JACKSON BECAME A BENE­ FACTRESS OF THE HALL. (MANY YEARS AGO THIS PICTURE WAS ERRONEOUSLY IDENTIFIED AS THAT OF MARIA'S MOTHER, MARY, A TEACHER AT THE HALL.) <T* Gj $ Of* c—* 9** 9** W7- r * 9*^ - •; b SOME OF THE GIRLS IN 1898: KATHERINE F. FAILING, STELLA C. ALEXANDER, BESS L. BARKER, FRANCES JACOBS, CHAR­ LOTTE OHLE, MARION BAUER, IDA THOMPSON. THE IN­ SCRIPTION ON THE ORIGINAL PICTURE DOES NOT INDICATE WHETHER THE LIST STARTS ON TOP STEP OR BOTTOM STEP! �17 reported general Indebtedness of 510,922.15. In 1897, the indebtedness had been consolidated into two mortgages to the Palatine Insurance Company, and a loan of S50,000 was secured. Interest to be paid, a depression from 1892-1894 and other factors, led in 1899 to the sale of some property to pay the bills. Happily, in 1901, a legacy from Mr. Felix Brunot was received, amounting to 533,364.65, which paid off the general indebtedness. After closing Bishop Scott Academy, all the money from the diocese was diverted to St. Helen's Hall. In spite of the new building and the increasing competition from other educational institutions, there was never any doubt that arrangements would be made to pay all bills.* It was in the midst of this precarious time that Miss Mary Rodney died pre­ maturely, on April 15, 1896, at the age of 62. She had appeared to be in her usual health and looked after her affairs until "Tuesday night when she was stricken with paralysis, and in a few hours passed away." A life-long friend paid her the following tribute: In the death of Miss Mary Burton Rodney, Oregon loses one of its most useful women and one whose labors have been given to the edu­ cation of girls with the purpose of zeal and high devotion rarely exceeded anywhere. Miss Rodney had been the principal of St. Helen's Hall since its beginning in the year 1869, and during all this time has given all the capabilities of her cultured mind and energetic character to this lofty purpose, and those who know the history of the daughters and mothers of Oregon of this generation are free to bear their testimony to the elevating character of her influence upon her pupils. Judge Matthiew P. Deady said in praise of the accomplishments of Miss Rodney: Wherever a Hall graduate goes, the intelligence, refinement, and Christian morality of St. Helen's Hall goes with her and is, in turn, communicated to her associates and surroundings. More than once. i-? *The members of the diocese were grateful to Bishop Morris for his long hours of toil, and his many accomplishments in Oregon, and early in 1896, a Grand Jubilee Service was held in Portland to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of his ordination. This was the largest group of clergy ever assembled in Oregon, and including Bishop Talbot of Wyoming, Bishop Wells of Spokane, and Bishop Barker of Olympia, a nephew of the bishop. Many speeches elaborated upon his work, accomplishments and pioneering before there were many roads, railroads, or accommodations. His energy and patience accomplished much for the diocese and were a tribute to his character and modesty. �18 when speaking of this school, I have heard persons of taste and discernment from abroad remark that in passing through the country, they had readily recognized its pupils by their manners, by that indescribable something which indicates that a person has not only mastered the textbooks, but has done so in good company. Miss Clementine Rodney took charge for the remainder of the year, and the a next fall she was succeeded by Miss Eleanor Tibbetts, Ph.D., of Philadelphia and New York. u In 1896 a kindergarten was started and, although not a great success financially, the board considered it a valuable enterprise. was opened. In 1898 a new post-graduate department This department was carefully planned and was different in scope and method from that of the undergraduate academic department. The individual aims of each student were consulted, and the course of each student was worked out in accor­ 0 dance with these goals. a The curriculum consisted of suggestions, lectures, and encouragement from the teacher, and by directed but individual work on the part of the student. &* The catalogue stated that "to members of the class of 1899-1900 and 1900- 1901 desiring to undertake post-graduate study the tuition charges for the year 1901-1902 will be remitted." Thus there were offered several scholarships in this department. The following courses were offered: history of art, political economy, trigo­ QS*** nometry, astronomy, geology, "special periods of history and literature," study of drama and primary teaching methods. The life of this experiment was brief, however, and the department closed after a few years. The undergraduate program for this period continued to be impressive. kindergarten was closely allied to the primary department. study occupied three years. A 0=323 The primary course of The intermediate department enrolled pupils between the ages of ten and sixteen, and the course was planned to cover five years. begun in the intermediate grades. Latin was ' 1 The academic department included all students over sixteen years of age, and was a two-year program. Either a college preparatory course or a general academic course was offered, and provision was made for students to review work done in other schools and to complete the requirements for college entrance. academic subjects were English, French and German, Latin and Greek, the Bible, science, and mathematics in addition to a very complete five-year course in music, elocution, and art. The �A A A A A A 19 The catalogue stated: The Boarding Department has special advantages from the situation of the school building. Situated on a commanding height of the beautiful city of Portland and surrounded by beautiful grounds, it looks out upon the city, the river and the distant snow-capped mountains. The building is heated throughout by hot water circu­ lation, and has on all sides pleasant rooms, well lighted and ventilated. A fire escape, together with two stairways from the third floor and three from the second, provides unusually well against the accident of fire." Outdoor exercise was encouraged. Calisthenics, walking, tennis, basketball, bicycling (under proper escort), and riding were offered. to manners, and the general bearing of the pupils. in the society of the faculty. Special attention was given Students spent Wednesday evenings The first Wednesday of each month, pupils and teachers were "at home" to their friends in the city. On alternate Wednesday evenings parlor lectures, open to patrons and invited guests, were given on various scientific, historic, and literary subjects.* The school boasted three libraries at this time. The Spencer Library contained 610 volumes on miscellaneous subjects, 147 of them purchased during the year 1901-1902. *The officers and faculty during this period continued to maintain a very high level of educational background as was shown in this list of faculty members: the Right Rev. Bishop Morris, S.T.D., D. D.; Miss Eleanor Tibbetts, University of Penn­ sylvania, Ph . D; Miss Katherine Vale, Toronto University; Miss Catherine Gove, Gary College Seminary, St. Agnes' School, Albany, New York, and Middlebury College, Vermont, instructor in Latin and Greek; Frau Adele Kirk, Weiss Burgerschule, Weiss, Austria, Madame Barreblet's Pensionnat, Neuchatel, Switzerland, Damen Academic, Weiss, Austria, instructor in German; Madam Amelia BarmelThompson, Pensionnal Mile. Le Telier, Paris; Miss Ethel Webb, Kestin Florence Bourne, London, University of Toronto, instructor in elocution and oratory; Miss Maud Dewey; Miss Margaret Curtin, Horace Mann's School, Teachers College, New York, in charge of the intermediate department; Miss Georgia Burns, pupil of Rachel Taylor, St. Helen's Hall, and the Art Students' League, New York; Miss Marian Heming, pupil of Stuttgart Conservatory, special study with M. Mosczowski and A. K. Virgil, New York, head of music department; Miss Frances Snell, student of Barth, Berlin, and C. Le Forte, Brussels, instructor in instrumental music; Mrs. Rose Coursen Reed, pupil of Carl Halir, Berlin, of Hans Sitt and Friedrich Hermann, Certificate from Royal Conservatory, Leipzig, instructor in vocal voice (as the catalogue put it!); Miss Emelie Buckenmeyer, student of Carolyn Crawford, Emil Groener, Karl Kroh, and Bournique, teacher of Swedish gymnastics and dancing. �(4 (%sa ■rtm-xr: . 1• '» - V V>~. WSa» f �t> LU CO _1 o' o' ^ < u- zi LU < I Q i- Z -7 N*/ UJ Z Olu << UJ io co O CO LU UJ 0 Z 0O c£ O' LU Q_ CO ZI Q UO — CO I <5 (J LU «!: I &•' «d*> *2 < o — Q_ ii l W r ■ o CO LO I z i< u_ 00 Z5 QO V J* 3I “h \ \ i \ dZ zO >-> ^ uj < N C-;-\ / / < U-:. : I LU ' ': /:;V- / / > UJ uj£ / / Co m - CO A; ' i z< o2 Qt z> hI— z CO LU 111 Q / / E^ �7 r 4* 20 The Mary Rodney Memorial Art Library was a collection of 300 volumes on architecture, paintings, sculpture, engraving, etching, and coins, and contained the best critical general treatises of the time. The lending library was not so extensive. It included a 4* 4* small collection of books on miscellaneous subjects, equipment for laboratories in geography, astronomy, physics, chemistry, botany, physiology, and a collection of fossils, ores, minerals, ammonites, and shells. Another form of cultural enrichment for 4* ■<* the students was the "Studio, 11 acquired through the generosity of a friend and including two full length portraits, other oils, water colors, casts, masks, busts, torsos, and tapestries. The tuition at the beginning of the twentieth century was $330.00 per year, and included board, tuition, and the regular doing of eighteen pieces of laundry. The day tuition ranged from S20.00 for kindergarten to $40.00 per term for the academic course. Xi (3*s r^= Music, art, dancing, laboratories, elocution and oratory courses required additional fees. 3 The student publication in 1901 was named The Spinster, an editorial staff and business manager. year or ten cents per copy, It was managed by 3 Subscriptions were seventy-five cents per Published monthly, it was an offering of about twenty G-53 Of* pages of short stories, poetry, old girl notes, an editorial column known as "The Lonely Tower," and advertisements for the principal stores in town. one-line advertising throughout the paper. Rough-Riders to keep your feet dry." S3.50." A few such were: A few firms placed "Try a pair of Sorosis 0-? "Only in Europe are Sorosis sold for more than "Did you see those beautiful pictures that were taken at Moore's Gallery, Dekum Building?" "Free Boot and Oxford Laces, Knight Shoe Store." The graduation exercises of June 22, 1902, were enthusiastically reported in the Portland Weekly Dispatch. It was a festive and cultural event for all the ladies of Portland, whether St. Helen's Hall graduates or not. The Dispatch noted that crowds of patrons were in attendance to watch the kindergarten games under the direction of Miss Tracy, and there was great rivalry among the contestants. The festivities were not limited to one day or even to a weekend but were continued throughout the week. The Rev. Edward Simpson spoke to the class of seven graduating in kindergarten training. Tuesday of that week, the art department opened an exhibit of casts, charcoal and black and white drawings, oils, and water colors. In the evening the pupils of Eva True and % �/ / / / / 21 Mrs. Walter Reed presented a musical program. The Dispatch continues: "There was good work and progress in vocal work shown by the Misses Ruth Scott (Laidlaw), and Linda Mansey. On instruments the Misses Price, Habersham, Duer, and Nolter, were excellent! " At 10:00 A.M. on Wednesday morning, the academic diplomas were distributed to the graduates, the Misses Jacobs, Bauer, and Alexander, Bishop Morris delivered the address to these graduates, and all 199 students joined in the activities. The Weekly Dispatch went on to say that "Miss Tibbetts and her assistants have cause to be proud . " Miss Tibbetts continued as principal until 1904, when the Sisters of St. John Baptist were put in charge, There was considerable objection to having the sisters come, but Bishop Morris urged it strongly, and he was successful in his efforts. The bishop made a plea to the diocesan convention before the arrival of the nuns to urge everyone to receive them cordially, "It is to be hoped that no narrow and foolish prejudice on the part of any of our people or patrons will be manifested against this religious Order of self-sacrificing women, pledged unto God for the accomplishment of this noble work." �v THE SISTERS’ LONG AND FRUITFUL ADMINISTRATION The Sisters of St. John Baptist are an order of Christian nuns founded in 7 r r r r r e Kf9 Clewer, England, in 1857, with affiliated groups established in the United States beginning in 1881 . The members of the order are superior women in every way, well educated and endowed with a deep sense of spirituality and human understanding. When requested to assume the direction of St. Helen's Hall, the order agreed, with the stipulation that the sisters would return to the convent in New York for their summer rest every two years, and that the mother superior would visit the school each year. (f The expenses incurred were to be paid from the school funds; the sisters were to receive no salaries. On April 7, 1904, mother su perior. Sister Elisa Monica,and Sister Mary Blanche arrived in Portland. They were met by Dr. A. A. Morrison, a trustee of the Hall, and were taken to the little cottage rented for them at 232 Stout Street. was held at the Hall on June 15th but the sisters were not invited. Commencement On June 30 a g Q OF3 Miss Tibbets reluctantly handed the keys to Sister Elisa Monica and the sisters moved into the Hall. Late in the summer Sister Julia Frances and Sister Mary Katharine arrived from New York. A devoted friend, associate and guide was Miss Jacelyn 3*3 3d Foulkes of the class of 1886. In September of 1904, the sisters opened the doors of the school to a surprisingly good enrollment of both day and boarding students. The school chaplain, the Reverend W. A. M. Breck, organized a class for confirmation instruction. The confirmation itself was celebrated on Easter afternoon of 1905, and was followed by a reception. By June 8, 1905, when the sisters presented the accounts of the school to the board, all outstanding bills had been settled, and the trustees were well pleased with their able administration. The sisters had also contributed $700 to a scholarship fund. 3*3 3*3 �—tv *7 *) v> VJ 5 2: p p Q < «o «1 co - < I LU Q_ X o p CO CQ ■ < CO X O'0^0 LJJ LU CO T Itsis I— o -L_ CO oo . ?Qo / CO O' z LU z CO o 3 U- J J J J. A A J �rr r r 23 The board, in a letter to Sister Elisa Monica, commended the sisters for their management V*6 and, thanking them for the scholarship gift, offered to match the amount as a contribution "to the chapel fund or such other fund as the Sister Superior may designate." On June 12, as part of pre-commencement festivities, the younger students presented an operetta, followed the next day by the junior recital and commencement concert. Commencement day, June 14th, for the first time began with Holy Communion and hymns in the morning, followed by a religious service during which the girls received their diplomas and were addressed by Bishop Morris. During the summer all busied themselves with repairing and painting of the building, and working on the grounds. The school year of 1905-1906 opened with an even larger enrollment than that of the preceding year. A great sorrow visited the Hall and the diocese this year. and his sister Rachael died. Both Bishop Morris* Bishop Scadding was subsequently elected to the vacant a episcopate and served until his own death in 1914. On June 14, 1906, at the 18th annual convention of the Diocese of Oregon, a resolution was adopted which specified the qualifications of the board and its duties and responsibilities. The resolution was presented as follows: 1) There would be seven persons on the board: the bishop, three clergy, and three laymen. 2) The board would: handle all real property. 3) The board would: handle all receipts and expenditures. 4) Any vacancy on the board would be filled by the board. *There is no contradiction of the reputation of Bishop Morris as a strong leader of character and conviction. His untiring efforts in his large diocese (eventually narrowed to the state of Oregon alone) kept him many days away from home. In addition to founding Bishop Scott Academy and St. Helen's Hall, his efforts led to the establishment of Portland's Good Samaritan Hospital. Private errands of mercy sent him riding through Portland, on horseback, coattails flying. It is still remembered that he frequently wore a black shawl, even when conduc­ ting a service. Students were astonished and delighted to see the shawled bishop stirring the wood-burning stove, in the school room, while continuing without interruption to pray aloud with solemn devotion. 3*= 3*= ! | M �IP 24 5) The bishop would be chairman of the board. 6) The secretary was to be appointed by the board, and all papers were to be signed by the chairman and the secretary. -S) 7) The board of trustees was incorporated under the laws of Oregon as the Board of Trustees of St. Helen's Hall. w mg mg mg mg mg) mg mg mg mg mg Faculty salaries at this time ranged from S200 to S800 per year. received $20 to S30 per month. boarders and 66 day students. The staff During the school year of 1906-1907 there were 47 The tuition for day students ranged from S40 to SI00 per term depending on the age of the student, and in which department she was registered. The tuition for boarders was S400 per year, S300 of which was room and board. In May of 1907, Bishop Scadding officiated at the opening of the new gym- nasium on Fourth Street. held there. The following month the commencement ceremonies were For the first time the girls wore white chapel veils. During this period of the Hall's history the administration stessed a strong, full academic program. The students labored with English, elocution and reading; French, German, Latin and Greek; mathematics and physical culture; piano, voice and art; and kindergarten training, mg In the spring of 1908, St. Helen's Hall received the right of certificate to Wellesley College. In 1910 the school was again becoming too large for its site, and the board, with foresight, began a search for a future location for the school. Twenty-three acres were purchased on the top of the hill behind the town of Linnton, between Cornell and Germantown Roads in northwest Portland. S S S S' s s s This area was called Wallalatin Park. It was a beautiful area with a majestic view to the west of the Tualatin Valley and, on a c lear day, the Coast Range. To the north and east it was possible to see the Willamette and Columbia Rivers and at least four snow-capped mountains. were full of flowers and wild life and the streams rushed down the hillsides. structure was ever built upon the property and eventually it was sold. The woods But no The opinion of the board was that this location was too far from the city, and that the cost of building would be exhorbitant. The piece was valued at $8500 although later it was appraised / at much less. S / / / / as Forest Park. This section now is included in the large primitive area of Portland known �r rr r 25 There were by this time many schools both public and private, some in direct competition with the Hall and others emphasizing different aspects of education. The Portland Academy, Allen's Preparatory School, Miss Catlin's and the Museum Art School were established during this period. Also the public school system was growing steadily and offered a good education to those in attendance. St. Helen's Hall, for approximately three years at this time, offered a collegiate course to graduates of the Hall and others who could qualify. The class of 1911, which was the last class to graduate from the e r >e e <e m collegiate department, consisted of six students equally divided between Hall graduates and others. Among the colleges where graduates of the collegiate department were a accepted with junior standing were Barnard College in New York, and the University of Washington . The combination of a good board, good administration by the sisters, and an attractive and functional plant made these years prosperous ones for the school. 4* The assets in 1912 were S235,6I4.00, two hundred thousand dollars of which were invested in buildings and grounds. The certificate of St. Helen's Hall was accepted in lieu of college entrance examinations at Wellesley and Vassar, and also at the state universities cj*= of Oregon and Washington. 3 The 1911 -1912 catalogue gives in detail the course of study for each class offered in the school . and were broad and liberal in scope. during each month. The courses were well arranged, given in depth, Special offerings at the school were arranged Sometimes it was a lecture by an outstanding person who was invited to the school for that purpose. Plays, recitals, dances, basketball games, all played an important part in the school life at this time. From 1912 through 1918 a magazine called The Quarterly was published by the Subscriptions were SI.00 per year, and literary contributions were solicited from all students. 3* 3*= 3* 3* School dress was required to be simple. Pupils are expected to dress neatly and plainly. A skirt and blouse for school, a cloth suit for Sunday wear, an afternoon dress of some light woolen or mixed material, and a white muslin dress (high neck and long sleeved) for musicals, will meet all requirements. Neither dresses nor waists of laundered goods are allowed from November 1st to April 1st, nor dresses of wash material for the school room at any time. High shoes with low heels are required for outdoor wear. Expensive jewelry is not allowed. All gowns must be high necked, and elbow sleeves are allowed on evening gowns only. All members of the school dress for dinner. students. 3® It was very well laid out in the manner of any literary magazine 3* 9m �on Ln LU ■*- ~ q_ < 2: -2 ' £ <^ I— —' OO U_ oo 3 to ~> on ^ ^ ^^ mZ^ 30- Zn y ' QL < g £=j �f* 26 published by a college or university. There were approximately four pages of advertising and fifteen pages of stories, jokes, editorials, and an acknowledgement of "exchanges." The Hall exchanged publications with schools as far away as South Dakota to discuss improvements or characteristics which were of interest to them both. The Quarterly was managed during the year 1915-1916 by Ethel Malpas, Eleanor Cram, Adaline Kendall, Nadine Caswell, Helen Von Clef, Marjorie Campbell, Katherine Elmer, Gladys Spencer, Helen Ballard, and DorinneWyld. The administration of the school at this time as listed in The Quarterly was: (i The Rev. W. A. Breck, chaplain; the Sisters of St. John Baptist, general superintendence, C* Holy Scripture and church history. (4 The academic department was administered by Miss Grace Pierce (Wellesley), teaching Greek, Latin, and Spanish; Miss Anna Holman (Radcliffe), for mathematics and science; Miss Mary Underhill (Radcliffe), for English and history; Miss Laura Eaton (Cheltenham Ladies' College, England, and the University of London), French, German and history; and Mile, de la Marthe, advanced French. QS5S r-sss In the elementary department. Miss Hazel Robb and Miss Leonide Fleury were the teachers, and in the primary and kindergarten were Miss Ethelwynne Harris and Miss Mary Ledy. The music department was active with Miss Jocelyn Foulkes, piano, and Mrs. Susie 3*5* Fennel Pipes, violin. The fire which swept through the Vista Avenue building in 1914 was terrifying although spectacular. (3*5* The Morning Oregonian reported that: It was a terrifically hot blaze which spread so rapidly that the occupants were forced to flee for their lives. Fortunately only seven people were within and everyone escaped unhurt. The huge roof was burned out, the entire upper story was gutted out, and there was incredible damage to the basement. But for the heroic work of the fire department, the building would have been a total loss. The cause of the fire was never known, but it started in the laundry, with the flames shooting up the dumb waiter shaft and stairway, and spreading quickly to the roof. The firemen found themselves with two fires to fight, one on the third floor and the other in the basement. The fire was discovered by the cook who just had time to don some covering, awaken the Sisters and escape down the fire escape. Three alarms were turned in and a special alarm for an extra engine. Flames extended over the entire building and attracted a huge crowd of awed spectators. 3*? 3*** 3*=* y The loss through the fire was $30,000 but only $22,750 was collected from the insurance i company. The south wing was all that remained, but nevertheless, ten days later the �27 school opened for the regular fall term. Classes were temporarily held in the gymnasium, and the boarders were lodged in the episcopal residence, Bishopcroft, on 19th and Everett Streets. The boarders made the daily trip on foot to Vista Avenue for classes. Chemistry students made an extra trip to Lincoln High School on Market and Broadway for late afternoon classes in the laboratory. Luncheons were brought to the school from Bishop­ D 0 croft. In spite of the fire, enrollment increased twenty-five per cent between 1915 and 1916. In 1916 the bishop and trustees built a new chapel which relieved the crowded conditions and added to the religious emphasis of the school. The chancel furnishings were given by Mrs. Walter Burns as a memorial to her daughter, Virginia, a former student at the Hall. Miss Catherine Percival gave the furnishings for the nave, and the lamps were a memorial gift from two anonymous persons. Sister Mary Angela, who was the sister superior at this time, attended St. Mary's Hall in Burlington, New Jersey. This was the school which had been so closely associated with the Rodneys and the Morrisses. It was pleasing that one of St. Mary's alumnae should have come to St. Helen's Hall to develop and strengthen the work begun by her prede­ cessors. A woman of deep spirituality and great charm. Sister Mary Angela had a wide circle of friends in many walks of life in New York, New Jersey, and Oregon. The last four years of her life were spent as an invalid but she remained deeply interested in education and all affairs of the world and in embroidery, a constant interest during her invalid years. Sister Mary Angela read widely and her room became a center of interest to everyone around her. In 1918 the decision was made to lease the old Portland Academy building on J 13th and Hall Streets. This institution had not been a boarding school, and there were no living quarters as such for resident pupils. J J / a A A A To solve this problem, large classrooms upstairs were converted into dormitories in much the same manner as those in the first building in 1870. High ceilings, large windows, and bright curtains, as partitions, provided light, airy, private areas for every two girls. The buildings on Vista Avenue continued during this period to be used for kindergarten and the kindergarten teachers' training school, but the elementary and high schools were in the Portland Academy building. This arrangement proved satisfactory, but the uncertainty of possession and the lack of some things necessary for the proper function of the school caused the sisters �7 o 73 73 on X > on X o $ z 0 oi o > o o z 0 X > o z X m m ~n �X 0) o' LU I z o LU Q_ < I <J Q LU LO o (J z LU on CZL LU on on LU I _i < I on csL o' O 2 z LU Q_ < X o LU I �l f <4* r <4* <4* <4* <** <4* (4* (4* I m 4* O & z z 0 r-*6 c-f* 70 c* £ <? o o z o 70 3 TO oo I > c<* tm <bc �■SP mS z m*> O 0 mS z I LT) < 5 2 o C£ 0? u_ Z LU m? Q Z> on < LL * O CO OJ O' z 2 o o c£ ■'■A >- &L o 2 O cd Q UJ / I / / / J / € j w£>> i ) X �r r Hi Io ft -15 CD co m -r ft*3 ~o t" I> Or Z— mZ ^ -o CO ~ co Cl H Kz PO 3*=a m > CO m o iSS£2 rsp* ft nagk- z G-s �—$ 28 © such worry that they seriously considered relinquishing the position as managers of the school. © © This made it imperative for the board to make firm decisions. In January of 1921, the three-story brick building was purchased, a pleasant and successful develop­ ment. The building was centrally located on a streetcar line, two features helpful to both day and boarding students. The grounds were developed and beautified, and the gymnasium was moved to the rear of the building and given a new floor. —0 a-© a-© a*f> Regardless of rain, sun, snow, sleet, or hail, gym classes were held out of doors in the covered but open gymnasium. St. Helen's Hall in 1919 celebrated its 50th anniversary by the staging of an elaborate pageant in commemoration of the event. This was under the direction of Miss Eleanor Grace Park, head of the English department. The lines were written by members of the senior English class, the major portions being done by the Misses Mary Greenlee and Faith Newton. The spirit and character of the Hall were carefully and *4 St. Helen Fai th Inspiration The Lady Prosperity 1879 1919 Latin Science History Art Lucile Hutton Ella Deering Helen Lovett Mary Greenlee Margaret Johnson Margaret Boyer Philena Bartlett Ruth Jenkins Hylah Fraley Marion Jenkins Catherine Overbeck Carry On Courage Time Tradi tion Golden Anniversary 1869 1909 1920 Music Sacred Studies Spanish Domestic Science J J J J J J. J j A A A A Z Faith Newton Agnes Black Frances Baker Janice Parker Mary Helen Spaulding Margaret McAllister Laura Reed Elizabeth Patton Virginia Edwards Edna Burton Hazel Fairservice Suzanne Caswell A dance depicting the disastrous fire of 1914 was given by Harriet Breyman, Marion Farrell and Thyra St. Clair, all wearing red costumes. The 1920's continued to be good years under the dynamic leadership of Sister Waldine Lucia, the sister superior. In 1924 an official school dress was required for all students, or brown serge in the style of a middy and skirt. The blouse was decorated with red or yellow piping, and a red, blue, yellow or brown tie could be worn. skirts in the school colors of red and blue also were permitted. cotton material was substituted for the serge. It was of blue Sweaters and In warm weather a �7 r I m o X > z BE?’ 1? "D o z i co i ^ > CO m <r* S» -o > «T 73 rm c/i CO m [J1 O > <# fv-= oo n m ^ r— Tl ti i Z r-o co <& O' qS o m O & o S -n rn I m 73 m , 9 ---■■ 9 9 m > o m 73 o^ m rn 73 -h m •X X *+* m —i C*xs 2? mz O GO 7^ m *n 73 3a oo zz m -/■l^,. $*a <5*= > GO 7^ > Z a < ^OBS O c > =i -< := �<*■ . l: : v.„- xMn S I . i— Q •£ £ £ > £ i J i- Q LO 111 mZ K •"2 LL. LU . LU LO > C2 < — i < LU LU LU J > J J h— OO �4* 4* 4* 4* x m (D > O C > Z <P o > oo #■* O rv^= n rv-8 O ro O W*8 I m 0 70 ■n r- (5 tS” =|0 C<*= T- ^ 5L m m Z± •P m o -< £*= m go > i rngm. 0 m 70 o o I z m Z O m r m Z T1 o TO I m &MS �29 The school maintained its high standards of academic work, offering four /ears of Latin and three years of Greek. country. Students were accepted by colleges throughout the The St. Helen's Hall certificate was accepted in lieu of examination at all state schools in Oregon, Washington, and California. The upper school tuition was S800 per year for boarders and SI80 for day students, and SI70 for day students in the lower school. A few scholarships were available for students who qualified. Bishop Sumner offered a scholarship prize to the junior who passed the college board examinations with the highest average. The Pittock Cup was given for the highest grades in English and French; the Alumnae Association Cup and the Ball Cup were given for the highest grades in Latin and mathematics respectively. ■i jF J J J J J J J Jl J J J A A A A The Alumnae Association Pin was given to the senior with the highest average in studies and deportment. The students competed annually for the Medal of the National Society of Colonial Daughters, and the Lincoln Medal . Several cups were awarded for athletics. First Testimonials were awarded to students attaining grades with an average above 90, and Second Testimonials were awarded to those attaining a grade average above 85. To accommodate the many social and academic activities which were taking place, a frame building was added in 1927 to provide an auditorium with a stage and much needed space for more class rooms. A kitchen was also included for entertaining. This new addition, in the same block on the corner of Hall Street and Nth Avenue, later named Scadding Hall, provided a theatre for the French and English plays which previ­ ously had been given in the outdoor gymnasium on a temporary stage. In order to foster greater outdoor life, a house on Lake Oswego called "Everglade" was purchased in 1930. At that time this location was approximately one- half hour's drive from the school, just beyond the southern edge of Multnomah County. The house had been built by Dr. G. Norman Pease in a rustic style appropriate to the setting. A tennis court was built, partly by the sisters' own hands; boats were acquired and a small chapel was added in the center of the house. The outdoor fireplace afforded many good times and added to the pleasure of everyone. "Everglade" was well used in the festivities of commencement time. Graduation parties were held there, and a ceremonial torch march was a part of the regular commencement festivities. In addition to its use for recreational purposes, instruction was given in swimming, diving, life­ saving, boating and canoeing. The girls were never permitted to go down the lake �f if* f* f f C465 C<*= c**8 c-*= e*= C<*= --•* ■ '‘U*^ •i TWO VIEWS OF "EVERGLADE" ON LAKE OSWEGO — WHERE THE GIRLS COULD PLAY VOLLEY BALL ON SUNDAY WITHOUT SHOCKING THE NEIGHBORS. «1 H �30 without the careful supervision of an adult. Sister superior often manned the tiller, and she was considered a captain among the best. In 1950 the Rev. Lansing Kempton purchased "Everglade" for his father and mother who had moved to Portland, it was again sold to Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Coan who now reside there. -j j j j j a j A A A A l Later �VI THE JUNIOR COLLEGE 4* if The St. Helen's Hall Junior College, opened in 1932, was another progressive if & step in education taken by the Hall, as this became the first accredited junior college in Oregon. & The board of trustees established for the junior college included Bishop Sumner, Rev. H. D. Chambers, Rev. H. M. Ramsey, Mr. A. N. El Isworth, Mr. Clarence & Porter, and Mr. W. Henderson. The Morning Oregonian for August 16, 1932, published the following article: Junior College work will be offered at St. Helen's Hall beginning September 7. Regular elementary and high school courses will be given as in the past. English, Journalism, Dramatics, Play production, pre-library, mathematics, secretarial work, and home economics are some of the new courses which will be offered, and credits earned may be transferred to institutions of higher learning. The Department will have its own instructors and a building separate from the Secondary School. The new venture led by Mrs. Gertrude H. Fariss, as dean, was favorably received in the city, and at the beginning of the second year such a large number of freshmen applications were received that it was necessary to place a limit to the number accepted. The trustees formulated plans to construct a building specifically designed for college use, and on December 28, 1933, ground was broken for the new addition in a simple ceremony attended by the faculty, students of both schools and the trustees. Bishop Sumner turned the first spade of earth. This building, on the same property as the high school and extending along Thirteenth Avenue northward from Montgomery, provided space for two hundred girls and included class rooms, laboratories, a library, and administrative offices. junior college. On March I, 1934, the school was fully accredited as a By March 19, after spring vacation, the new building was ready for use. The outdoor gymnasium and the athletic field were shared with the high school and "Everglade" was available to the girls for recreation and instruction. The resident m �mf -* -r -f -f J A J J J J J ��32 —$ —Si students of the college occupied a section of Scott Hall, the dormitory wing of the —Si preparatory school . In December of the same year the junior college chapel, adjacent to the new building, was finished. —Si It was named St. John Baptist in honor of the Com­ munity of the Sisters of St. John Baptist. The following May 26th, on the occasion of an alumnae tea, the cornerstone was blessed and three windows, forming a reredos behind the altar, were dedicated to the memory of Miss Mary Rodney. These windows--interpre- tations of the Nativity, Christ teaching in the temple, and the Sermon on the Mount-are now in St. Stephens Chapel on the Raleigh Hills campus. Tuition for day students in the regular junior college program was S85 per semester. For residents the basic charge was $350 the first semester and S250 the second. Special students could pay a small fee for each course taken. In 1939 the college established an affiliation with the Good Samaritan Hospital to enable young women to pursue a three-year program in nursing education. The entering student went into residence at the hospital nurses' home and pursued her academic work at the college. At the termination of the three years' work, she was awarded a certifi­ cate from the St. Helen's Hall Junior College and, on passing the state examination for the registration and examination of nurses, she was awarded the degree of Registered Nurse by Good Samaritan Hospital . J* J? The success of the nursing education program proved to the board that there was a need for more semi-professional and vocational education. This prompted them in 1940 to increase the curriculum to include secretarial training, nursery school assistant's training, and commercial art. J The student body of the college was active in organizations and publications. Nine school organizations awarded outstanding achievement and fostered interest in various fields: Angelas--an honorary service sorority for outstanding sophomore women. With its ideals of service and loyalty, membership was one of the highest honors that J could be received by a student. Curie--science honorary sorority. national dramatics honorary sorority. J Forum--a discussion and service group. International Relations Club--formed under the auspices of the Carnegie Endowment to promote world A peace and understanding. / promote interest in athletics. A J A Delta Psi Omega-- college activities. activity. Studio Club--to study creative art, and to supply art work for Understudy Club--freshman drama club, Athletic Association--to H Club--for those interested in sports as an extra-curricular Soon after the opening of the college the students organized a school publication �m 33 known as The Hall Tree. This paper was awarded the Tercentenary Memorial Award by The National Educational Association for "outstanding contribution to education during the last school year." The junior college annual was called the Scintilla. In addition to pictures of the graduates and outstanding girls and events, it included short stories, poems, reports, and messages from the administration. The junior college continued to be administered by its own board of trustees, a governing board, and a dean. The trustees at the time of World War II were Bishop Benjamin Dagwell, Mr. A. M. Ellsworth, Mr. Clarence Porter, Judge J. Hunt Hendrickson the Rev. R. A. Court Simmonds, the Rev. Arther Mockford, and the Rev. Lansing Kempton . The governors were the president of the board of trustees, the officers of the Sisters of r" St. John Baptist, the dean, the dean of social studies, and the registrar. After World War II, the college was in need of more adequate facilities which would have involved considerable indebtedness. The board, after long deliberation, decided against assuming this responsibility and, in 1947, the junior college was dis­ continued . <s*= ft i Q * ffg (Ok 4 rg ((A ■!g fg 0, �m j- J M J J J J A A A A A VII UNCERTAINTY AFTER THE SISTERS The sisters had relinquished the management of the school before the closing of the junior college. At the time of their departure, there were five departments, each with its own catalogue: the nursery and the elementary, which were co-educational; the middle high school (6th, 7th and 8th grades), the upper school and the junior college. The school occupied four buildings, Morris Hall, Scadding Hall, Scott Hall (the dormi­ tory), and the frame building across 13th Avenue. Morris Hall was designed by Mr. Stanford White, the well-known architect who designed the Portland Hotel and the Union Station in Portland. St. Helen's Hall, under the direction of the nuns, always maintained high academic standards and was fully accredited by the State Department of Education and the Northwest Association of Secondary Schools. The decision of the sisters to relinquish their direction of the institution caused a great upheaval in the administration. To reorganize the management without the sisters who received no reimbursement for their work, and to find people suitable in education, ability, and temperament was indeed a stupendous task and responsibility. tried in vain to secure another order of nuns. The bishop There was no teaching order which was in a position to assume the direction of another school, and, of course, an order trained in some field other than teaching would not have qualified. The board asked Miss Rita York to assume the position of principal of the Hall. She previously had been the head of the pre-school. She held this new position until April when Mrs. Gertrude Fariss was asked to assume the duties of director with Miss Esther Birch as principal of the upper school. as dean of the junior college. Mrs. Fariss maintained her position In 1946 Mrs. Harriet Pusey was hired as principal of the upper school to replace Miss Birch who had left. In 1947, at the time of the closure of the college, Mrs. Fariss resigned as director of the Hall, and an entirely new adminis­ tration was installed. The Rev. Arther Vall-Spinoza became the director and �1 & 35 & Miss Elizabeth Anderson was asked to be principal of the upper school . Father & Vall_Spinoza was the young rector of St. Michael and All Angels Church in Portland. & He had been on the board of trustees for several years, was interested in education and * eager to put his ideas into practice. departments of the school. His position of director involved overseeing all It was he who gave the name of Hood School to the lower school, and he also included boys in all classes through the eighth grade. Although Father Vail was liked by all who knew him, and Miss Anderson was a good principal, again there was no wholehearted approval of the results of their labors. In 1949 Miss Jane Allen Saxon and Miss Lois Robison followed Father VailSpinoza in the administration of the Hall. They recently had returned to the United States from Africa where they had been directing a missionary school. Miss Saxon was to be the head of the upper school and Miss Robison the head of the lower school. This division of duties was soon modified, and the result was that Miss Saxon became the headmistress and Miss Robison her assistant. principal of the lov/er school. Mrs. Marion Owens became the Miss Saxon and Miss Robison remained at the school for four years, longer than the others during this period of transition, and it was an interesting period for faculty and students alike. Miss Saxon, a very tiny woman, was a perfectionist and outspoken in her con- victions. It v/as her strong belief that the value of an independent school lay in offering to the students those advantages which were over and above those available in the public schools. Religious training, social training, careful supervision of appearance and manners. and high academic standards were strongly emphasized at the Hall during this time. The students were inspected as they marched into chapel every morning, and no student with a wrinkled jumper or ungroomed hair escaped the scrutinizing eye of Miss Saxon. Any girl who dared to march in line with conspicuous signs of makeup was quickly removed from the line and told to wash up! administration. The school was spotless during their An unexpected visitor might have seen the Misses Saxon and Robison v/hen they first arrived rushing by with mop in hand endeavoring to bring the school to their unusually high standards of order and cleanliness. Luncheon was always served by the maids and, even on school days, ice cream was never brought to the table without the dish being placed on a lovely doily. There were many formal functions in which the girls took part, and one formal dance a month was not unusual. Receiving lines in and ms? & �"1 9v y» J A A A A A A A A A 36 out were a part of every dance. Gloves and hats were an integral part of the wardrobe, and never did chaperone, teacher, or pupil go to town without both hat and gloves. fact, to attend a tea even in Scadding Hall, hats and gloves were required. In This disci­ pline was taken for granted by the girls and few really objected to it. Faculty meetings were conducted in a formal manner also. tea and elegant cookies served with doilies and the best silver. Every one enjoyed The agenda was always typed and business-like, but even so, the meetings often lasted into the dinner hour. The "ladies, " as they were called, had a great fondness for animals. Miss Robison owned a dog named Jiggs, Miss Saxon a Siamese cat named Tasha, both well-behaved members of the school family. On occasion a boarder was permitted to keep a cat. Every Sunday, tea was served by Miss Saxon and Miss Robison in their house on Fourteenth Avenue, where at one time the junior college boarders had lived. Father Neville Blunt, the chaplain, was often there talking to the students who were invited. These women were strong, high church Episcopalians and believed that those teaching in an Episcopal School should be Episcopalians. They also highly disapproved of all Christmas cards which used any motive other than a religious one. One of the things which did please the faculty and students was the traditional birthday telegram sent to the person celebrating a birthday that day. The school was maintained in strict order during their four years of administration. Miss Saxon was extremely outspoken and always strived to secure better salaries for the teachers and better learning conditions for the students. Progress reports were re­ quired from all the teachers, and class work and instruction were carefully watched. In 1952 the board accepted their resignations when they retired. They live now in Florida. The Hall’s finances after the departure of the nuns had gone from bad to worse. None of the administrators had been experienced in financial administration during this period of fiscal crisis, and the additional salaries required to replace the sisters were a tremendous strain on the budget. In 1950 there was great danger of not meeting the June payroll, and it was due largely to the sale of "Everglade" that the bills were paid that year. In 1953, with a deficit of $30,000 facing the board, the situation was acute.* *The Board of Trustees at this time consisted of Bishop Dagwell, Mr. William Adams, Mrs. H. M. Bouvy, Mr. R. M. Colwell, Dr. H. C. Fixott, Mr. C. K. Gabriel, Mrs. Walter Holman, Dr. Lansing Kempton, Mrs. Thomas Sharp, Rev. George Swift, Rev. George Turney, Mr. William Knight, and Col. Charles Ott. ��^9/ 37 Mrs. Gertrude Houk Fariss was asked to return to the Hall to assume its direction. She was particularly well-suited for this task with her great executive ability and her years of academic and administrative work at the Hall in the upper school and junior college. It was with a wel I - justified feeling of hope and encouragement that the board faced the coming year. Parents, faculty, and alumnae were called upon to help the school. Com­ mittees were formed, plans were made, and everyone displayed great cooperation in & Jf' helping to put the Hall back on a secure financial course. In April, 1955, at the end of Mrs. Fariss1 first year as director, a report was published informing the parents, students and friends of the activity and progress of the year. Bishop Dagwell, president of the board, thanked the board, and said that "he could write with more confidence about St. Helen's Hall at this time than he had been able to in the last six years." of the year of progress, and told of the board's coordination of its activities with parents, staff and church in order to obtain maximum benefits for the school. A A J A A Decisions on policy and operation were made with continuity of operation in mind rather than expediency. Mrs. Fariss spoke of her conviction that the confidence sustained by loyal friends and parents of the Hall had been fully justified. The report indicated the courageous manner in which the board of trustees and the administration had met the challenge of instituting business-like procedures, accurate accounting practices, and more efficient management in all departments. A careful analysis of expenditures was made in order to stay within the income of the school. Mrs. Fariss, in her message said: Through difficulties and fulfillments, hardships and rewards, bad times and good, through many changes of Administration, the Spirit of St. Helen's Hall has for 86 years remained constant and unfaltering. jr W J J J J J Mr. Fred Fowler, vice chairman, in his message spoke In weathering a major crisis, as the Hall did in 1954, the school was indeed fortunate in the leadership of Mrs. Fariss and in the cooperation and the many hours' work expended by the board, the administration, the teachers, friends and parents. Everything was needed: financial assistance, property improvements, new construction, sound business management, better public relations and, last but not least, increased enrollment. A new building for 125 pre-school children was built on Thirteenth Avenue for $70,000. The friends, faculty, parents and administration together helped to finish the building when the cost was soaring above the amount budgeted. They nailed plywood �38 (g and plasterboard into place, laid asphalt tile, and contributed uncounted hours of cheerful labor to make a pleasant, functional pre-school building. The March deadline was met and with great pride the building was turned over to Mrs. Clyde Wright, the principal. Repairs and improvements in buildings and grounds proceeded. through the 6th grade was established. Co-education Cm a The boarding department, the kitchen, and transportation organization were streamlined for greater efficiency and economy, Public 0* interest focused on the school as a result of a broad program of publicity and public Cm relations. Ca Parents became more interested in the school through greater participation. The enrollment increased, the financial condition improved steadily and, as always, the high academic standards continued to be upheld. The awards for outstanding achievement and the clubs to which the girls belonged v/ere a stimulating contribution to the student activities. cherished award was the Alumnae Award. In 1955 the oldest and most This was given to the graduating senior who demonstrated the most sound scholarship, constructive leadership, selfless school service, and loyalty to school ideas and traditions. The Dagwell Cup went to the girl who had tried to exemplify Christian character throughout the year. The Mary Rodney Award was conferred on Class Day to the graduating senior reflecting the qualities of character and decorum that were first established by Miss Rodney. There was (I) an Academic Honor Roll, and (2) the Mary Plaque, on which were inscribed the names of the students chosen to play the role of the Virgin Mary in the Christmas play. Boarders' Council actively carried out their duties. B_sharp Club, sang for school functions. The Student Council and the The Glee Club, known as the rg ft a Helenas was a select group whose membership was chosen for their evidence of strength of character, willingness to serve, and ability to lead. Helenas members served as Altar Guild for the chapel and served at Communion services. The Hallites, in red shirts and shorts, were the members of the basketball and ifi volleyball teams. The Delphic, the year book, published by the senior class, reflected ffg activities as well as accomplishments of the year. The Halltonian was a bi-weekly newsletter, presenting news and relating current events to all members of the school a community. r* Great activity stirred in the various academic departments. were studying French artists as well as belles lettres. maps to bring to life the story of the Odyssey. The French students <TM i The English I class made relief The biology class undertook to assemble ■ r4 . «4 (fi i ��A 39 and cultivate several hundred spring bulbs and later made a gift of the collection to the Hall garden. Latin came to life through Latin diaries, menus, and Roman models. Church symbolism and related subjects were enhanced by a display of vestments assembled by the Christian education classes. Nor was the social side of life forgotten . At the beginning of the school year the traditional Old Girl-New Girl Tea was held in Scadding Hall or, when the weather permitted, on the lawn outside. In October the juniors sponsored "Red Letter Week," amid carnival atmosphere, to finance the junior-senior prom in the spring. During the annual Christmas dinner party Santa distributed presents, and all looked forward to the elegant Christmas formal, the social highlight of the school Christmas season. The real climax of the week, however, was the traditional dramatic presentation of the Christmas story, and the announcement of the selection of the girl to portray the Virgin Mary. The play often was presented in the chapel accompanied by the music of the glee club. in the year, on Valentine's Day, the fathers were invited to dinner with the girls. was always great fun for guests and hostesses alike. informal dance in February. Later This The sophomore class sponsored an Sometime during the spring the senior class traditionally exercised its prerogative of skipping classes for one day to be spent at the beach or on Mt. Hood and each year the junior class dutifully welcomed them home with a large bouquet of flowers. council. The spring May Fete was a large program sponsored by the student Following the investiture of the court, the audience enjoyed a program of dancing, readings, and music. Always an exciting part of Class Day before commence- ment time was the tapping of each new member of Helenas with a yellow rosebud. In 1955 the fees for boarders were $1550 per year in the upper school and $1350 in the lower school. For day students they were $485 in the upper school and from S325 to $400 for the lower school. •z The pre-school fees were $540 for a full day and $280 for a half-day .* (g g rg *The Country Fair has been the principal money-raising project for St. Helen's Hall since the early I950's. It originated as a two day antique and hobby show where stamp, rock and other collections were on exhibit. The project soon grew into a considerable "fair" with ponies, games, etc., etc., etc. added to the activities. All parts of the school were involved: parents, teachers, students, staff, friends. Much good was done and is done by the funds laboriously earned for the school in this way. T. a Cg q tea ��> -n > X m 70 > c O X m to O Z Z m 70 z £ o 70 70 GO X > �40 The uniform for girls was a navy blue jumper and a short sleeved blouse topped with a dark blue blazer. Each wore a colored scarf to indicate her class. required to reach mid-calf, often barely missing the tops of bobby socks. the lower school wore navy blue cords, white shirts and pullover sweaters. Skirts were The boys in The chapel veils of the 1920's and 1930's, so difficult to keep straight on the girls' hair, had been replaced with "beanies." The school continued to grow and prosper. Dagwell as chairman of the board. Bishop Carman succeeded Bishop The buildings of the school then consisted of Morris Hall, which housed the chapel, administrative offices, library, classrooms, science laboratory, dining rooms, infirmary, staff bedroom, kitchens and laundry; Scott Hall, a resiidence for upper school boarders; the Mary Rodney House for senior residents; and Scadding Hall which contained the auditorium and stage, the music and art studios and the party kitchen. The lower school building, formerly the junior college building, contained class rooms, a domestic science unit, a chapel seating approximately two hundred, and a library. quadrangle. The covered outdoor play area and gymnasium completed the On the opposite side of Thirteenth Avenue was the pre-school with large play areas on either side, a parking lot, and the home of the lower school girls who were residents. JJ J J J J J J J J a A A A A Everything here was in keeping with the age group accommodated and was gay and suitable for the younger student. This remained the residence for the lower school and was always called "the cottage." Generally the students living there were in the fifth through eighth grades, but there were at times third graders, and once even a first grader lived there. (This little girl came from Alaska. boarding high school students at the Hall . Her two older sisters were Their mother had died and their father, seeking a solution, sent the little girl with her older sisters to Portland, where they successfully made their difficult adjustment with the help of the staff at the Hall.) The academic curriculum was strong and was supplemented by a broad and varied program of physical education. The latter included team sports, swimming, modern dance, calisthenics, and classes in health and education. Courses in home nursing, life saving, and first aid were given, at the end of which most of the students earned Red Cross certificates. Horseback riding at a local academy, and skiing classes at Mt. Hood were arranged for those who were interested. available to every student. Special counseling was A religious program designed to give the students a ��I , "T $ ^MrS-rfe1 S5 -i > i -f J j a A A l A GROUP OF STUDENTS OUTSIDE THE AUDITORIUM IN SCADDING HALL �m ! 41 knowledge of the Bible and a concept of Christian ethics looked forward to the future life of every young woman. Chapel services began the day for students, faculty, and administration . rk The school was progressive and liberal, yet demanding in its philosophy. The rk ' following is from the I960 catalogue: Students are self-governing insofar as is consistent with their ability and experience. They are encouraged to meet informally to work out difficulties of adjustment and temperament. They are expected to be loyal to one another, to the faculty, and to the traditions of St. Helen's Hall . It is further expected of all students at all times and in all places that they will conform to the standards of the School. fk rk k &== V V1 �w VIII MOVING AGAIN St. Helen's Hall has always been able to adapt itself to the trends and needs of the times, to survive the many changes it has been forced to make. Another was to occur in 1964 after the state highway department had informed the school of plans for a freeway to bisect the school grounds. to vacate the premises. The Hall was given the deadline of June, 1964, The board found and purchased thirty-two acres of rural land which formerly had been the Nicol Riding Academy. Plans for the construction of another new home for the school began immediately. At the time of this change,the faculty, residence personnel and office staff numbered over fifty people. The pre-school had an enrollment of almost one hundred children three, four, and five years old; the lower school included almost two hundred boys and girls; and the upper school had an enrollment of one hundred girls. The resident department housed sixty-two girls coming from cities and towns throughout Oregon, Washington, California, other continental Western states, Alaska and Hawaii. Filled to capacity, the department was faced with refusing qualified students because of the shortage of space. Graduates of the Hall attended Smith, Radcliffe, Mt. Holyoke, Bryn Mawr, Cornell, Chatham, Dickenson, Carleton, Lawrence, Principia, Stanford, Scripps, Mills, Occidental, Whitman, Willamette, and state universities. In September of 1964, St. Helen's Hall began another chapter in its long career. The big move from Hall Street to the suburban campus in Raleigh Hills began in June, even before commencement. It was a busy summer for everybody connected with the school, but the labor and enthusiasm of faculty, parents, and board members J J J j j: j JL JL AA made this tremendous task possible. During a ceremony outside Morris Hall, the cross high above the chapel came down to be moved to the new wooded campus. With the aid of a hook and ladder, firemen were able to remove the cross from the steep roof �(T) oo > on —I I m > m ■n O 73 —i m — _, !Z z OZ^ ^ -*- O qSS-" rcm •■ >1 30 on ' ^ < 30 ~n 73 m z on [I I >;o 30 03 o8x O <m > -< ron .Z. on on to -21_ _ 73 (~) -L 7<ror Z ■< m l/l>ZO o — I > 7- mZ I Pm oOm > ~o £ > CD^ z^O m 30 O rz to — to to 30 J o x_ > 30 o Z^oon 4*. 0s^ m J> m ~d —i ' Xm 7s O m 73' lOfl "D 03 [D suiSx’:-- to to o 3 “* -z-o ^^30 s>0 ■ zI >9=4 ' �A A J J J A A A A J A A A 43 many stories above the ground. Inside the cupola, and unseen by the many spectators, was custodian Frank DeKay who unbolted the shaft which anchored the cross. then tied the cross to the ladder and slowly lowered it to the ground. Firemen Mrs. David Charlton rang Miss Rodney's brass school bell and told of some of the favorite nooks in the old building which had special significance for those who had spent school days there. (Several generations of students had found the organ pipe loft above the chapel a fascinating spot!) Dr. Lansing Kempton of Trinity Church gave an invocation and spoke of the time-worn, historic building. Assistant Fire Chief Ray Dunford, husband of the school's executive secretary, spoke of the excellent fire record of the school. Accom­ panying the cross on its journey to the new campus was the old cornerstone bearing the date of the founding, and removed this time from the junior college building. When this historic marker was firmly strapped to the van, the moment had arrived, and away the school family went to Raleigh Hills. The historic school bell was moved from its site in the gymnasium to its new campus location. Given to Bishop Morris by St. Luke's congregation in Germantown, Pennsylvania, this huge bronze bell had been brought around the Horn in 1870. It was moved from location to location as time progressed, and for many years hung in the outdoor gymnasium. A girl rang it every morning at school time. When the gymnasium was moved to the corner of Thirteenth and Montgomery, adjacent to the junior college chapel, the bell was placed in the east end and remained there until its transfer to the new school site in 1964. It is a traditional June ceremony that the seniors on the night of commencement ring the bell one time for each year of the school's age. At the new school the bell is hung in a shelter especially designed by Lewis Crutcher, the architect, visible to all who approach the campus and a reminder of the continuity of the spirit of the Hall as it journied to four different campuses in one brief century. �n co 70 m 95 o S — Z O,o -< ^ c oo U z co Z3 > O <£ -o ~T 1=0 Oi> 0^0 -n ^ Z —m m [Z iz-r °° oo I m I 0^0 0^0 73 L T1 iO m to ^0 x£ mZ iilliiili: -O > cn c CO ^ m On Si< — m -n □ to • --T0 ^ on — xi > I>1 55gIP —o 03 ^ CD > -H ^ m I O m n 0 Q r- O O £Oz n < 70 $o >^ oo S. *wiSl5 Et2 �IX WITH BISHOP DAGWELL HALL In 1965, a companion school. Bishop Dagwell Hall, opened for resident and day boys in grades seven through twelve. Bishop Dagwell Hall in its first year. Mr. John Hodgdon was the principal of He had arrived in Portland several months pre­ vious to the fall opening of the school and spent long and enthusiastic hours talking -f to groups of prospective students, arranging for equipment to be purchased, and generally working on the new organization. The next year he left Portland to assume a position in the East and Mr. Marvin Burke, dean of boys in the school's first year, assumed the principalship. In 1967 the Rev. David Leech, headmaster of a school in the East, was appointed principal of Dagwell Hall. as director of St. Helen's Hall . Mrs. Gertrude Fariss remained During this time each school followed an independent course. J In the fall of 1967, after her long and productive years at the Hall, Mrs. Fariss submitted her resignation to the board, to take effect at the end of the 1968 school year. In the spring, a large banquet for several hundred guests at the Hilton Hotel paid her tribute. J J J J J J J J J J s. j J J A A A AA Senator Mark Hatfield spoke of her many contributions to education made during his administration as the Governor of Oregon, and the board of trustees spoke words of gratitude for her fine achievements. Mrs. Fariss was given a sabbatical year's leave of absence after which her retirement would take effect. The schools' trustees decided to unite the two institutions under the leadership of one headmaster, the Rev. David Leech. Subsequently, at the diocesan convention in 1968, the church, as a practical convenience for conducting the business affairs of the two schools, accepted the name Oregon Episcopal Schools as a sensible "umbrella" name for the coordinate institutions. It was emphasized, however, that neither school was to lose its identity as St. Helen's Hall or Bishop Dagwell Hall. In addition to the �o0 w m -i c F o S. m m 3s 05 *n oo on-00 •~1 O <m I 73 m m SQ zO oo 73 SO m —1 i<z m m m 73 to _p CT > o Z3° O 73 73 m —i —I 73 73 > 71 73 Q ^ S. _ m _, o m0S z_ *o o O CO 73 —| >x —i O 73 ^rm> 03 Z > OO ?Z -O 0 c m m Im o£ Z3 go <r>> ^ Z Z' :-y-';.-,,"i i-r �O' o 3^: UZ Z on 3 3 Q_ j Q < zU <LU *” Q . Q Z < Qon £< 1 2* 2 T u 1 OP oy z °O' LU j. t on 1— h 2 ip ■ A , |fc 4 »m : �—I _J 18 ux 2u C£ LO Q_ O' ,-UU _ Q_ o_i OO _J Z< uj X ^ oo ■jj 5 (_) oo oo ^n LU (J UO <?; 2 ° Q°° <-J LU <C X q- O IU i l l CL­ UJ LU z 90 ><J) < UJ 0 c£ O �< C . l p -----1 Q —1 ^ LU 0$: g! >< dQ Q_ yi rv' LO LU CQ Q LU LL o <x _jO 9zO U 00 Jf Zc£ J £2 ^> 0 —T l< -> ^ 3 2 2 z >- L1J CQ X 2 2 00 2' 1 �ft I ft (A 45 appointment of a single headmaster as overall superintendent other appointments were ft ft made: Miss Claire Kleinschmit was made principal of the upper school of St. Helen's Hall, Mrs. Betty Jo Wright was made principal of the lower school, and Mr. Frederick ft Wood succeeded Mr. Leech as principal of Bishop Dagwell Hall. Acceptance of the new concept of coordinated schools was again a progres­ sive step for the Hall. The board for the two schools in 1968-69 included: ft ft the Rt. Rev. J. W. F. Carman, Chairman; Mr. Julian Cheatham, President; Mr. Robert ft Leedy, Secretary; Mr. Calvin Clements, Treasurer; the Rev. Duane S. Alvord; Mr. Philip Bogue; Mr. Ted Gamble; Mrs. Charles Heltzel; Mr. Ronald Honeyman; Mr. Daniel Kingsley; Mr. Willett Lake, Jr.; the Rev. Thomas Murdock; Mr. Carl Reynolds; Mr. John Schetky; Mrs. William T. C. Stevens, Jr.; Mr. Ralph Schlesinger; Mrs. Carl Strand; Mr. Fred Terrill, Jr.; Mr. Lome Turville; and the Rev. Don Walster. From the beginning, the conception of Bishop Dagwell Hall and its relation to its sister, St. Helen's Hall, called for coordinate rather than coeducational education. By this it was intended that two middle and upper schools--not one--would live side by side on the compact suburban campus. Several facilities would be used in common: the chapel, the library, the gymnasium, a laboratory suite, and the dining room. But the two schools were to remain two; the traditions of St. Helen's Hall were to remain intact and the new Bishop Dagwell Hall would be given every opportunity to develop its own traditions and procedures as a boys' school. Classes would be coeducational only when and if it served the best interests of the boys and girls. When it was Best to do so--and it was believed it would be often--boys and girls would be taught separately. The coordinated program would begin in the middle school. It was not to be coeducational, but would be, in the true sense of the word, a "bridge school," a preparation for the more mature analysis and study in breadth and depth found in the upper school. More advanced laboratory experimentation, special instruction in language arts, mathematics, and science would prepare the student to assume the responsibilities of the academic requirements which lie ahead. This portion of the schools would serve as a social bridge, also, as these years hold much of the carefree fun and imaginative creativity of childhood as well as increasing growth toward maturity. The upper schools, grades 9 to 12, offer college preparatory courses of study in both Bishop Dagwell Hall and St. Helen's Hall. Small classes and careful counseling ft �46 produce students well prepared for entrance into colleges throughout the country. Mathematics at many levels, history taught as an increasingly sophisticated intellectual discipline, four or more years of Spanish, French, and Latin, biology, chemistry, physics, English composition, grammar, literature are some of the courses offered by highly trained and experienced teachers. activities in sports and the fine arts. Both schools encourage extracurricular The constantly increased and enriched cultural opportunities of Portland are seen and used as semi-curricular opportunities for students at the Halls. Non-academic events on the campus offer a variety and rich learning experiences. Informal and formal dances, soccer, basketball, wrestling, track, lacrosse, tennis and, for the girls, fencing and modern dance enhance the academic program. The development of Mt. Hood as a major American ski resort has added to the attrac­ tiveness of winter weekends for boarding students at the Halls. St. Helen's Hall, now as in the past, has many activities in which the student body participates: The Student Council is a keen, spirited group which leads in orga­ nizing student affairs in conjunction with the students of Dagwell Hall. The Delphic Staff, always searching for something representative to enliven its fine year book, has joined the boys' school in a cooperative publication. The Junior Red Cross actively encourages the girls to learn first aid as a sensible skill everyone should have. The Altar Guild is a large group which does as any altar guild does and must do in a school with more chapel services, weekly, than most parish churches! Affiliations group is interested in people of other lands. in Arundel, Southern Rhodesia, and Sapporo, Japan. J J 2 2 2 2 A2 2 2 special group, as always. scholarship and service. The Foreign Sister schools to the Hall are The National Honor Society is a These girls keep alive the Helenas ideals of integrity, The Art and Literature Club promotes the creation of any form of art whether it be a painting, poem, or story, and works with modest success on an annual literary publication. The Boarders' Council works to create a home-like atmosphere for the boarders and seeks to handle day-to-day problems in group living. The Glee Club is an active organization which performs throughout the year and leads always in liturgical music in the chapel. �< ! (A 47 Ca And memories are not always reverent! Some recall with poorly suppressed mirth the skeleton from the biology laboratory devoutly propped in the chapel in the position of prayer. During the 1950's a few unnamed ones developed great skill in (a using mascara to simulate stocking seams, thereby giving the false impression that the required stockings were present. As always, authority seemed to deal lightly with those involved in such pranks, realizing how varied must be the many aspects of the (a liberal education of girls. % The Hall is one of the oldest church-affiliated schools in the West and appar­ ently the oldest Episcopal school west of the Rocky Mountains. Because it has always maintained a progressive attitude toward new educational concepts it has endured and grown. Its association with the church, its continuing strong efforts to develop char­ acter and a sense of moral responsibility in its students assuredly have contributed to its strength and ability to continue to serve a greatly changed society. In the second century of its life, St. Helen's is directed on a new course, in a new location and, again, with a new educational program. The same ideals: dedication to scholarship as a worthwhile and good calling; patient persistence in believing that schools can inculcate morality and character; teaching towards personal goals of fair leadership as v/ell as the skills to persevere in quiet service: these shall, with God's help, live another century in St. Helen's Hall. Her graduates and those of her brother school, Bishop Dagwell Hall, shall continue to bear, in their lives, the fruits of these con­ victions put to practice in the work of education. �- APPENDIX A THE ALUMNAE ASSOCIATION The first gathering of alumnae of St. Helen's Hall took place in 1894, when a "Reunion Tea" was given to commemorate the first quarter century of the school. This was a gala social function and the preparations were elaborate. The following account was published in The Oregonian: The guests were greeted by the Morrisses and the Rodneys and were welcomed into the parlor where Portland's loveliest matrons and maidens were assembled. The beautiful mantel was decorated with ivy and La France roses, and musicians dispersed sweet strains between the literary parts of the program. Reminiscenses prepared by Miss Evangeline Breck were read by Mrs. Horace Ogilvie (nee Sophie Holman) and an exquisitely delicate poem written by Mrs. Dudley Evans (nee Nellie Seeley, '77) was read by Miss Henriette Ellison Failing. After the program, the ladies adjourned to the Senior Room, which was adorned with roses and wax candles. Tea was served by Miss Lizzie Myrick and Miss Louisa who presided at the tea table. By 1903 the Alumnae Association, or Society of Graduates as it was also called, had elected officers and published a membership list. Officers at this time were Miss Martha Hoyt, president; Miss Henriette Ellison Failing, vice president; Mrs. William McKenzie, treasurer; Miss Bylieu Loundsbury, secretary; and Miss Alice Andrews, Jt assistant secretary. Every spring a tea was given to welcome the new graduates into the association. Jt jt j j j. :> j J It was a well arranged party, and to be eligibl e was something of which to be proud. There were no annual dues collected, but there was a ten dollar sum asked of every graduate which gave her a life membership in the association. was purchased and presented to the Hall. With this money a gift After a number of years it was suggested that, instead of a tea, a luncheon should be given and that an award should be made to the outstanding senior in the graduating class. Later again, the schedule was changed �-tp Ca 49 Ql to include two meetings a year, one a fall meeting and tea, and the other a spring meeting and luncheon where the award would be presented. 4^ It was hoped that this would enable the graduates to keep more in touch with each other and with the school. With the advent of the junior college and its graduates the question arose as to whether Q (a these graduates should become members‘of the Alumnae Association. There had been a precedent set in 1911 by the post graduate school, the graduates of which did become members. After great deliberation, the Alumnae Association decided to accept graduates Gk fA •of the junior college. Yet another group who had left the Hall came into prominence at this time. These were students who had attended the Hall for a few years and had moved away or & for some reason had changed to other schools. & It was believed that there were many of (a these who continued to be interested in the Hall although their secondary education had been continued elsewhere. For this reason the Alumnae Association decided to include & A all women who had attended the Hall as students even though they had not graduated. These were designated as associate members of the Alumnae Association. In 1957 the Alumnae Association, after a thorough study, established an endowment fund for the long-range benefit of the school. A small sum of money which, as the Mary Rodney Fund, had originally been designated for scholarships, was used as the nucleus of the endowment. It was felt that this type of fund could attract larger sums of money and would assist substantially in giving the school a much needed and sound financial structure. Each year, at the time of Miss Rodney's birthday in November, voluntary contributions have been received and added to the fund. Since its inception the earnings of the fund have been given to the school's building fund. However, when the income is large enough it can be used for scholarships, salaries, library resources and other legitimate needs as designated by the fund's trustees. The alumnae, with characteristic foresight, took the lead in anticipating and creating a financial instru­ ment whose care and growth may well be the key to the school's ability to live to serve a second century of children and young women. ! �r •i 50 St. Helen's Hall Alumnae Association Board Members, School Year 1969-70 President Mrs. David B. Charlton (Frances Spaulding) First Vice-president Mrs. Neil Mathisen (Nancy Collins) 1834 S. W. Vista Avenue 223-3391 2850 Wembley Park Road Lake Oswego Mrs. Richard Sichel Executive Secretary Miss Jeanette Jones III S. W. Harrison Street 228-5710 Recording Secretary Mrs. E. G. Richards (Anne Wentworth) 2792 S. W. Old Orchard Road Corresponding Secretary Mrs. Harry C. Clair, Jr. 1630 S. W. Clifton Street Treasurer Mrs. A. W. Butler (Sylvia Rawlinson) 223-7464 223-1027 (Mary Helen Spaulding) 4404 S. W. Twombley Street 244-9878 (Geraldine Hanny) Directors Mrs. Robert R. Helber (Rosalind Richardson) Mrs. Ivan Langley (Jean Langille) Mrs. Boyd MacNaughton (Joan Roberts) Mrs. George C. Reinmiller (Janice Wiecks) Mrs. Wellesley B. Taylor Jl 2 2 2 636-1018 6235 S. W. Nevada Court 246-8317 Second Vice-president 17328 Canyon Drive Lake Oswego 636-1272 1536 S. W. Elizabeth Court 222-3985 631 S. W. Evans Street 246-5903 13581 S. W. Fielding Road 636-1949 Lake Oswego 4265 N. E. Halsey Street (Catherine Mayhew) 287-9417 Miss Helen van de Water 1515 S. W. Cardinell Drive 223-5931 Mrs. Roger Warren 11828 S. W. Riverwood Road 636-6710 (Jill Stanford) > Advisor Mrs. Ronald J. Honeyman (Suzanne Caswell) Centennial Historian Mrs. Lansing Stout (Sally Reed) Honorary Alumna Mrs. Carl N. Reynolds 2767 S. W. Rutland Terrace 223-2035 01895 S. W. Palatine Hill Road 636-4472 2025 S. W. Mt. Hood Lane 227-5770 �T 'i T t ! ' i 1 Hi g �51 On May 2, 1903, Dr. A. A. Morrison, a trustee of St. Helen's Hall, called on the mother superior at St. John Baptist House, New York City, and proposed that the community undertake the management of St. Helen's Hall, Portland, Oregon, which proposal was made to the chapter and was accepted. June 29th, 1903 Diocese of Oregon The Board of School Trustees to The Mother Superior Sisters of St. John the Baptist, 213 East 17th Street, New York, N.Y. Madam: In confirmation of the proposition made to you by the Reverend A. A. Morrison, Rector of Trinity Church of this city, and a member of the Board of School Trustees of the Diocese of Oregon, the Board has formally instructed me to request your Order to take full charge > A -> > A A and control of St. Helen's Hall, commencing with the opening of the School year in September, 1904. It is understood as a part of this proposition that three Sisters are to come to the school about January first next, in order that they may arrive at an understanding of the character of the school, and of the work to be done before assuming charge, and in order that the pupils may become acquainted with them and their methods. The report of Dr. Morrison of his success in persuading you to take up this for us was received by the Board of School Trustees and by its president, the Right Reverend B. Wistar Morris, with great pleasure and with the fullest confidence that by this step the success of St. Helen's Hall in the future is assured. In behalf of the Board I beg to assure you that you will have the heartiest cooperation in the conduct of the School and in your efforts to make it what is v ery much needed on the Pacific Coast, a Church School in every sense of the word. I remain Yours Respectfully John K. Kollock, Secretary �<4^ 52 (4^5 The mother superior answered July 28, 1903. She requested that one of the stipulations wouid be that the sisters would return to the convent for their summer rest every three years and that the mother superior should visit the school once every two <4^? years. The expenses incurred should be paid from the school funds. This was later changed to two years for the sisters and one year for the mother superior. The sisters and the community did not receive any other remuneration. On April 7, 1904, the mother superior, Sister Elisa Monica and Sister Mary Blanche arrived in Portland. They were met by Dr. Morrison and were taken to the little cottage rented for them at 232 Stout Street. on June 15th but the sisters were not invited. Commencement was held at the Hall On June 30th Miss Tibbetts reluctantly & handed the keys to Sister Elisa Monica and the sisters moved into the Hall. On August 13th Sister Julia Frances and Sister Mary Katharine arrived from New York. & In September the Reverend W. A. M. Breck was appointed school chaplain by the Board of Trustees. School opened September 14, 1904, with a surprisingly good l enrollment in the day and in the boarding departments. Maria arrived. On October 16th Sister Agnes On October 1st the first celebration of the Holy Communion was held. The day scholars asked for Confirmation instruction. A class was formed. On November 30th, St. Andrew's Day, the Society of the Royal Banner was organized. On Christmas Day Mr. Edward Simpson celebrated at midnight. at 7:15 a.m. Mr. Breck celebrated Mr. and Mrs. Simpson were made associates of the community. On February 26th Sister Sara Josephine arrived. In March during Lent the members of the Royal Banner sewed once a week for missions; also miteboxes for the Easter offering for general missions were given to the pupils and teachers. On April 23rd, the bishop being ill. Confirmation was postponed until Easter 1 afternoon. The four first communicants received Holy Communion early Easter morning = and were confirmed in the afternoon. A reception followed. On June 8th the accounts of the Hall were sent in. S700 in addition to $400 for a student scholarship. was satisfied. The sisters contributed All bills were paid and the board a �r Jt 2 Jt 2 53 Portland, Ore., June 14, 1905 Elisa Monica, Sister Superior, C.S.J.B. St. Helen's Hall, Portland, Oregon. Madam: At the regular monthly meeting of the Board of School Trustees held yesterday, the following resolution was unanimously adopted and the Secretary was instructed to transmit a copy to yourself: "Resolved that the Board of School Trustees, having had under their consideration the final reports and accounts of St. Helen's Hall for the year ending 31st May, 1905, hereby desire to express in the strongest manner their hearty and unanimous appreciation and satisfaction of the able administration and management of the insti­ tution by the good Sisters of the Community of St. John the Baptist; and we desire to convey to them our best congratulations on the great success that has attended their labours in conducting the Hall. When we consider the many difficulties and opposition surrounding the good Sisters in the initial year of their undertaking, we regard the result of their work as an achievement worthy of the highest praise and commendation. "We deem this to be a fitting opportunity to convey to the Sister Superior and her colleagues of the Community of St. John the Baptist, a full expression of the confidence we have in their ability and the methods employed by them, and our hearty and best thanks for their services so ably rendered. " Your report and communication to the Board having been read the following resolution was also unanimously adopted: Resolved that the Board of School Trustees accepts with grati­ tude a generous donation of S700 made by the Community of St. John the Baptist to St. Helen's Hall; and in recognition of the liberal spirit which prompted the gift it is further "Resolved that the Board of School Trustees will at any time upon request of the Sister Superior of St. Helen's Hall contribute a like sum of S700 to the Chapel fund or such other fund as the Sister Superior may designate. And be it further "Resolved that the Secretary be instructed to communicate to the Mother Superior of the Community of St. John the Baptist the sincere thanks of the Board for the generosity evinced by this donation. " Will you please communicate these resolutions to the Mother Superior of your Order. Yours very truly, John K. Kollock, Secretary �& 54 On June 12th an operetta was presented by the younger students; on June 13th the junior recital and commencement concert were given. June 14th was the first commencement day beginning with Holy Communion and hymns in the morning. commencement was an entirely religious service. gave addresses. The Bishop Morris and Bishop Keeler The girls received their diplomas. On June 18, 1905 a resolution by the Convention of the Diocese of Oregon was passed as follows: Resolved: That this Convention desires to express its grateful appreciation of the manner in which the affairs of the School of St. Helen's Hall have been conducted by the Reverend Sisters of the Order of St. John the Baptist during the past year, for their devotion to the educational and religious training of the pupils committed to their charge, which must result in lasting good to these young persons and benefit to the Church in the Diocese of which this Institution is one of the Missions. Signed: Colonel J. McCracken During July and August, 1905, many repairs and much painting were accom­ plished both inside and outside the building. On September 15, 1905, the school reopened with a larger enrollment. On June 10, 1906, the Reverend A. A. Morrison preached the baccalaureate sermon, and conferred the diplomas on June 13th as the bishop had died on April 7th. On August 25th Sister Jessie Gertrude and Sister Virginia Dorothea arrived in Portland. Oregon. In September, 1906, Bishop C. S. Scadding was consecrated at La Grande, On October 12th the bishop arrived in Portland. Shortly after, he visited the Hall and spoke to the girls in the chapel. On February 16, 1907, the bishop blessed the new gymnasium on Fourth Street. On June 12th commencement was held in the new gymnasium. The girls wore white veils for the first time. On February 16, 1908, a retreat of one day for ladies was conducted by the Reverend H. G. Neimeyer Clinton of Vancouver, British Columbia, all very devotional and quiet, much more so than the year before. During the winter St. Helen's Hall re­ ceived the right of certificate to Wellesley College. successful enthusiastic alumnae meeting. On May 16th there was a very �c: 55 On June 17th the Bishop of Eastern Oregon made the address and gave the diplomas at commencement. In 1909 the sisters purchased a house in Montavilla to begin a training school for girls with problems. It was blessed by the bishop as St. Elizabeth's House November 30, 1909. In May, 1910, there was a scarlet fever epidemic in Portland near the Hall. One student in the kindergarten training class, Carrie Slever, died. The school closed for two weeks. The alumnae meeting on June 4th was very good and enthusiastic. of 1910 was the first to come into the alumnae association as a body. The class In November Father Huntington of the Order of Holy Cross gave a day's retreat for ladies at the Hall. In 1911 the kindergarten was given up and the building used for sixth and seventh grades. This year the day school reached the largest number we had ever had-- l57--but the boarding department was small. Owing to past deficits and the small number of resident students, the accounts were such that we had to borrow $2000 from the Community of St. John Baptist to pay the bills. On January 2, 1912, Sister Waldine Lucia arrived, St. Helen's Hall had a prosperous year and paid off all its debts except $500. In September, 1912, school opened with 45 resident pupils and fewer day 3 3 jt 3 3 3 3 3i students than usual. The presidential election, Miss Catlin's new school and the new Lincoln High School were causes, as well as some dissatisfaction with an arrangement which placed the "first academics" in the same room with the seventh grade. Sister Elisa Monica had returned to the convent and Sister Julia Frances was appointed sister superior that summer. On Thursday, September 3, 1914, about four o'clock in the morning fire broke out in the lift in the Hall. It was discovered by Mrs. Collins, nurse and chaperon. At the time of the fire, school had not opened. the maids and the sisters were in the house. One boarding student, one teacher, All escaped to safety, but Rebecca, our * * * * * # * faithful maid, nearly lost her life. At once mother superior left for Oregon with Sister Florence Teresa and �4^ & & 56 arrived in Portland on the 8th. r* In the meantime the new Bishopcroft was offered to the sisters. Sister Julia Frances with Dr. Morrison's help worked to get the gymnasium building in readiness for the opening of the school. Ten boarders were taken in at Bishopcroft and about 69 day pupils came when school opened on the 15th. In the spring St. Elizabeth's was given up and the income which was sent from the East was given to support the Hall during these times of trial . During the summer the old Bishopcroft on Everett Street and a smaller house were rented from the trustees. houses were badly in need of repairs. Both The sisters worked strenuously to get them in order for the boarders in September, 1915. Bishop Sumner, who had been elected bishop in the autumn of 1914 to succeed Bishop Scadding, took up residence in the new Bishopcroft after the sisters vacated. The school opened in September, 1915, with a slight increase in number of students. Only one girl, Ethel Malpas, was graduated in June, 1915. training school was reopened. building. The kindergarten teacher's The bishop, trustees, and sisters built a new kindergarten In the spring the gymnasium was moved to the site of the old Hall, and with the new kindergarten building formed the day school buildings. After the fire the community considered giving up the Hall . However, Sister Mary Angela, who had just resigned as mother superior because of ill health, asked to be sent out for three years on the condition that if at the end of that time the school was not prospering, the community should withdraw. Waldine Lucia took charge temporarily. In August, 1916, Sister Sister Mary Angela recovered. A third house on Everett Street was secured in the spring of 1916. The bishop and trustees built a chapel on the Vista Avenue ground adjoining the gymnasium. The sisters strongly felt there must be a change to improve the facilities. felt they were overcrowded and were not doing good work. They Sister Mary Angela, Sister Alice Ursula and Sister Waldine Lucia went to examine the Portland Academy building to see if it could be used for both boarders and day students. All the sisters thought it was very practical and after a few months of pressing this point with the bishop and trustees, the buildings and grounds were rented for the modest sum of 52,600 per annum. �w 57 On July I, 1918, they moved to the former Portland Academy. After a very strenuous summer all was ready in September for the reopening of the school. the property was purchased. mortgage of SI05,000. In 1920 Five thousand dollars was paid by the school with a large In June, 1920, an additional five thousand dollars was paid, which reduced the mortgage to $100,000. The school was very full that year. In the latter part of October and early November the school was closed for seven weeks because of the influenza epidemic. During part of that time Sister Alice Ursula, Sister Mary Elizabeth and Sister Waldine Lucia worked down in the auditorium nursing day and night. The auditorium was used as a hospital because all the hospitals were full to capacity. In October, 1920, the Reverend W. A. M. Breck, the chaplain, died in the chapel sacristy as he was preparing for evensong. The Reverend E. H. Clark became chaplain for the school . In 1921 the commencement was held in Trinity Church. In September Sister Katharine Angela arrived to help in the school. Marguerite was ill. On January 4, 1922, Sister Mary Angela became very ill again and she and Sister Marguerite went east. J J J J Jt Jt J 3 Sister Sister Waldine Lucia was appointed sister superior of the school and Sister Alice Ursula was made officially the assistant; Sister Katharine Angela became house sister. On April 1st the beautiful iron cross of Flemish design was erected on the chapel wing in memory of our beloved chaplain, the Reverend W. A. M. Breck. was the gift of the students and friends of the school. It Another valuable gift to the school was the Percival cabinet of very valuable minerals. In 1927 the enrollment increased to such an extent that it became necessary to have a new building for the lower school and an assembly hall. On June 1st Bishop Sumner wrote a very cordial letter to the mother superior, in which he told of being at commencement at St. Margaret's School in Boise, Idaho. He spoke of the dissatisfaction in the church at the large amount of money the general church was putting into the school and was pleased that St. Helen's Hall was indepen­ dent and offering "twice as much in religious instruction as any other Church School in ; the Province." This was extremely gratifying to us all. �58 & In July, 1928, the boarders made a better record in the college entrance board examinations than ever before. They had begun to take these examinations in June, 1920, as our own self-imposed outside test. It quickly brought up the standard Vs Vs Vs of the school. On March 4, 1927, after seven years of great struggle the mortgage was paid off and the Hall was ours. the future of the school. This was the result of Sister Mary Angela's great vision for The sale of the Vista Avenue property greatly helped in reducing the mortgage, but the sisters did not realize as much out of the sale proceeds as Sister Mary Angela had been promised in a lump sum; they were given small sums at various times as lots were sold. From June to August many improvements were made. In June, 1928, the American Chemical Essay Prize of twenty dollars in gold was won by a senior. Another senior, Janet Wentworth, won a five hundred dollar scholarship for Radcliff. A junior won the Beekman Prize of forty dollars given by the Oregon Historical Society. Emma Johnson won a three hundred dollar Radcliff scholar­ ship on her high record made in the college entrance examinations and was exempted from all freshman English and language courses. She also won the Barnard Scholarship. On April 26, 1929, Bishop Sumner presented Louise Holford with a gold cross and testimonial for bravery. She had helped rescue a little girl from drowning in Lake Oswego. In August Sister Agatha Louise took charge of the lower school. Elizabeth Roberta returned to the convent. Sister On October 10th Sister Mildred Eleanor arrived to take Sister Ellen Juliana's place as school sister. Sister Ellen Juliana returned to the East because of ill health. On January 9, 1930, the remainder of the school property at Vista Avenue was sold. In June the graduating seniors gave the school a beautiful Chippendale electric clock and the alumnae gave a gift of two hundred dollars. The girls gave the bishop one hundred seventy-five dollars for his trip abroad. The financial condition of the country was very grave during this period. On June 23rd the auditorium building was begun; it was planned to make a large addition for classrooms, etc. a. �w '*■ 59 On September 1st Father Richard F. Ayres, a splendid young priest, became chaplain. A need for a recreation house for the boarders to direct their excess energy was made known to the trustees. On September 20th the trustees investigated the Oswego property and were greatly pleased with it. On October 1st the house at the lake became the property of the school for seven thousand dollars. be done. Boats were donated and a house was built. There was much to The house was called Everglade as the point was much under water; also the name composes the initials of the senior boarders. A car for transportation was needed as the bus was too expensive. On January 19, 1931, a custom built Lincoln car was purchased from Mrs. Malarkey for twelve hundred dollars. was built. It held eleven people and was a wonderful help. A garage Many gifts were given by alumnae and friends for Everglade. On March 7, 1931, a quiet day for ladies was conducted by Father Joseph, O. S. F., with many present. The sisters gave many addresses at Salem, St. Mark's, etc. On December 4, 1931, there was a big run on the banks. Sister Waldine Lucia had difficulty getting enough cash to pay the teachers, but was able to get one-half the amount after sitting waiting for four hours. After ten days things were better. On March 4, 1932, the sisters' little chapel at Everglade was built, which was a wonderful spot. At this time pressure was put upon the sisters to open a junior college, as a new ruling had been made by the University of Oregon that they would not accept post-graduate work from any school to meet a student's entrance requirements. 3 Jt On November 22, 1933, at a momentous meeting of the trustees, it was decided to let the sisters build a college building at a cost of twenty-three thousand dollars, which was to come from student drive funds, plus a small mortgage of nine thousand dollars. The cost of the chapel of three thousand dollars and a window at fifteen hundred dollars was to come from special funds given many years ago for a chapel fund in Sister Elisa Monica's time. On December 4, 1933, an elevator given by the trustees was installed. December 28, 1933, the ground was staked off for the new building, necessitating ft On �60 removal of many beautiful trees. On January 10, 1934, a simple ceremony was held that was attended by the faculty, students of both schools and the trustees. Sumner turned the first spade of earth for the college building. Bishop Mary Janelle, who & acted as the flag bearer during the ceremony, was the daughter of Mrs. J. A. Janelle who had attended the laying of the cornerstone in 1890 at Vista Avenue. & On March I, 1934, we were unanimously accredited as a junior college. On May 26th there was a big alumnae tea and unveiling of the cornerstone and blessing of the chapel windows. first graduating class presided. Mrs. C. C. Strong and Mrs. F. R. Strong of the These windows are now in the new chapel at St. Helen's Hall v/ith three new panels made much later by the same artist. On June 3rd baccalaureate was at Trinity Church. preached. Bishop Crosse of Spokane On June 5th the high school commencement was held at Trinity, and on June 6th the college commencement was held there also with the college instructors in the procession. Dr. Coleman of Reed College gave the address. In June a set of muses that had been given by Professor Thornton were put in the college library. The originals had been executed in 1809 from sculptures then in Paris. September 13, 1934, eight days after school opened. Sister Katharine Angela became ill and returned to New York on November 4th. Sister Margaret Helena, a novice, who was known by many at the school as Miss Forney, was sent out to help. Sister Katharine Angela returned April 12th, glowing with happiness at being at work and at St. Helen's Hall again. She took up the direction of the boarding department and the planning and direction of the music and social activities for commencement. On Saturday evening, June 1st, she and sister superior stayed with the girls at the dance. Sister Katharine Angela was lettering the girls' names on the diplomas. After the party she said good-night to sister superior about twelve-thirty, and sister superior said, "Now go to bed quickly, sister, tomorrow will be a long day." The next day was baccalaureate Sunday. Both St. Helen's Hall and the junior college were to have their service at Trinity Church in the morning and there was a picnic and torch-light procession planned at the lake house in the evening. �E wm 61 Sunday, June 2nd, Sister Katharine Angela did not come to the early service. As soon as it was ended, sister superior went to her room to see what was the trouble and found she had passed away. When Dr. Margason came he said death had come instantly and probably just as her head had touched the pillows. I"- It was a very great shock and the sisters thought it better not to tell the girls that day because it was meant i * J: Jt Jt 3 A to be a happy day for them. However, many of them sensed something was wrong, even though out of their love they tried not to show it and entered into all the festivity that had been planned. They were told the next day, and all of the commencement activi­ ties were carried out with a spirit of dedication to sister's memory and with the under­ standing that it would have been her desire. When we checked the diplomas we found Sister Katharine Angela had finished the last one. Bishop Sumner officiated at her funeral in the junior college chapel the morning of June 5th. He wrote a very beautiful prayer of thanksgiving for her life and work which he read at the end. He, himself, was soon to answer his own call. The bishop also wrote a tribute to sister for the Oregon Churchman, parts of which are quoted below. Sister Katharine Angela was a graduate nurse from St. Luke's Hospital in New York. She had planned to become a missionary nurse. She ministered to the students, caring for them in many emergencies. As an artist, the products of her pen and brush adorn everything in connection with St. Helen's Hall and Ever­ glades. As a musician, the high standard of music of the Hall was to her credit. Whatever she touched, however common, was made beautiful. She spread sunshine with her ever prevailing cheerfulness and changed many clouds into bursts of joy and happiness. In charge of the boarders she was a mother to the precious children who were under her guidance, and were made better and happier for their contact with her. As a member of the Community, her life was one of constant consecration and the living embodiment of the ideal of the Order, "Ilium oportet crescere, me autem minui, " "He must increase but I must de­ crease." We who knew her, the students and faculty with whom she was associated, knew her but to love her and we sadly miss her. May she rest in peace! Sister's body was laid to rest in the plot Miss Percival had given the sisters at Riverview Cemetery on the slope of the hill facing Mt. Hood. Bishop and �& 62 Mrs. Scadding are buried nearby. All the expenses including the cross on her grave & were paid by the trustees. & In September, 1935, there was a very full school in the high school and in the college. On September 4th Bishop Sumner died. acc epted election to the diocese. On October 29th Bishop Dagwell On December 24th the college girls sang carols at the hospitals and the old people's home, and then returned and sang at the college. In January, 1936, Charlotte Lee, a junior, presented to the college chapel a very beautiful font that she had made. fe* fee fee fee It was given in memory of Miss Lee's father, John Henry Brooks. Dean Dagwell was consecrated in Trinity Church as Bishop of Oregon on February 12, 1936. On March 1st the Jewel School property across 13th Avenue was purchased for S7,500 on a mortgage. On April 21st the first school bus was purchased. fee It was very helpful. On June 2nd, Mr. Howard, State Superintendent of Schools, gave the address for the college commencement. On September 7th the college nursing department was begun. On October 31st Father Keiter was ordained priest in the school chapel. girls sang splendidly. The fe= Mr. Denton played. On January 28, 1937, the diocesan women's auxiliary held a business meeting and luncheon in the auditorium. On February 13, 1937, a ladies' retreat was conducted by Bishop Dagwell. fee At Confirmation by the Bishop there were seventeen girls, three of whom were from the college, and Mrs. Esther MacDonald, secretary of the school. On February 18th the Bishop celebrated his first mass in the college chapel for the college girls who had breakfast with him afterward. Catherine Boydon won the state Gorgas Prize and also a scholarship for Mills College. On June 8th, the Bishop of Houston gave the baccalaureate address. In June 1937, the alumnae association redecorated the parlor. �63 In September the Knapp Memorial Fund founded by the Mother's Club of the college gave three partial scholarships for the college in memory of our former gym teacher, Mrs. Nan A. Knapp. Mrs. Walker, college registrar, one of the faithful women who helped to build the college, left to go to Columbia. This was a great loss to us. All the desks were taken out of the classrooms and small tables and chairs were substituted to meet the needs of modern techniques. October 21, 1937, the mortgage on the college building was paid in full. In December 1937, the high school and college girls took care of St. Philip's and the Japanese Mission's Christmas trees. institutions. Three groups of girls sang at various They gave a very excellent presentation which was well prepared. In March 1938, Sister Waldine Lucia, Mrs. Fariss, Sister Mildred Eleanor and Miss Brace went to Spokane for the Northwest Education Association meeting. On May 4th, the International Relations Club of the college and high school went to the Lake House for dinner and discussions for two nights, which was very helpful for the school. January 1939 started driving lessons for the girls. J J J J Jt P P P p p p p p p p \p. The following is a letter from Bishop Benjamin Dagwell to Sister Waldine Lucia. The Bishop of Oregon 720 S. W. Washington Street Portland June 8, 1939 My dear Sister Waldine Lucia: Now that the shouting is but an echo, I want to congratulate you on another fine year at St. Helen's Hall and Junior College. The more I see and hear of the work the more I appreciate the extent of your burdens. You and your Sisters are doing a grand job as educators and missionaries, I am proud to have a small share in your work and I want you and your associates to know that it is deeply appreciated. I hope and pray you will get some rest this summer and that each one will return refreshed in the Fall. Material help will be provided eventually and you must not sacrifice yourselves for the sake of saving necessary help to carry some of the responsibilities. Faithfully yours, Benjamin Dagwell �64 August- 28, 1939, a conference of church workers was held here for the week. Members lived in the wing; lectures and services were held in the college. On September 1st a new chaplain, Father A. A. Va 11 - Spinosa, began his duties. In 1940 Mrs. Walter Beebe gave the Hall a pipe organ composed of over onethousand pipes. This was a wonderful gift. On March 14th, Dr. and Mrs. C. B. Kingery (Marian Farrell, a graduate of *0* the Hall) were confirmed in the school chapel. In 1940 the college chapel communion rail was given in memory of Bishop Sumner by the Mother's Club of the college. This was a very active club. On April 25th, the Gray house was purchased because the boarding department was overcrowded. The lower school boarders were moved there. On August 25th, the bishop asked us to take charge of Ascension Chapel Sunday School, which was a big undertaking, but we felt we must do it. Sister Agatha Louise and Sister Margaret Helena and the students helped. On September 9th, school opened with an enrollment of over four hundred. We had to utilize a classroom as a dormitory. On November 7th, Charles Blum, our faithful janitor, had an accident and was killed. He had been with the Hall for twenty-seven years and was most devoted. This was a great loss to all . March 29, 1941, a ladies' retreat was conducted by Father Keiter. On April 9th, the school was evaluated by the Northwest Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools and given a superior rating. We were asked to be on the curriculum program project under the State Department of Education. In May the Synod met in Portland. hundred guests. The school gave a tea with over three The sister superior was asked to address the Synod. In August 1941 the war affected our enrollment; it was very small. In October our funds were very low; we tried in every way to reduce expenses. The main building was not heated after 3:00 p.m. We had only two men who drove the car and bus, no chaperone, and only six maids which included the cafeteria help. Ops �£ 65 On December 7th, the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. , • •• war basis: blackouts for four days, no radios allowed. r school alarm system. r School was put on a We were tied in with the public Evacuation plans were made ready in case of need. In January, a meeting of the Good Samaritan Hospital authorities was held, ■ and it was decided to keep the college open during the summer for the nurses' training, as requested by the Governor. Sisters and girls began taking first aid classes. On March 7th, there was a quiet day for the college. themselves. The girls managed it Father McDonald was the conductor. On June 22nd, a submarine shelled the coast near Seaside, causing great anxiety. Sister Mildred Eleanor and Sister Agatha Louise were there. On August 16th, Dr. Claude E. Sayer became our new chaplain. In September the pre-school was open from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.--long hours but part of our war work. 1 helped in the dining room, etc. effort. > We had no maids owing to war conditions. The girls had a great sense of doing this as their war The lake house was used every weekend. This was soon to stop as gasoline rationing was begun within a month. In 1942-43 we had a large boarding department and day school. severe winter. Jt Jt Jt 3 3 Boarders Fuel oil was rationed. We were cut severely. It was a very There was food rationing also, which caused great anxiety. On April 10th, a quiet day for ladies was held. Mr. Richardson gave the meditations. On April 28th, $10,000 of government war savings bonds were purchased with funds from the school special savings fund, general savings and from the checking account. P P P p P P p P P P P P r * On May 4th, the diocesan convention met. ladies. Sisters gave meditations to the Sisters spent two days on the convention. In December, 1942, Sister Alice Ursula, who had worked at the Hall for a number of years after the fire, was elected superior of the community. On May 20, 1943, she came to visit the school and to make the mother superior's visitation. Having been one of the sisters who inspected the Portland Academy and helped make the decision to move the school there, it was intensely interesting and gratifying �66 & to her to see how the school and property had developed. delighted her. Everything she saw and did On the afternoon of May 25th, the boarding department gave a beauti­ ful tea in her honor and many of the "old girls" who had known her came to greet her. & & & It was a great pleasure for her. & The next morning she did not feel well and left the breakfast table; within the hour she died of a massive heart failure. Her funeral was in the college chapel. Dagwell, Father Ayres and Father Simmonds had the service. the faculty and college and high school girls. Bishop The requiem was sung by & & She is buried in the sisters' plot in & Riverview Cemetery beside Sister Katharine Angela. On June 1st, Father Sayer left as chaplain. On July 30, 1943, Sister Waldine Lucia left Oregon with no return ticket after over thirty years working in the school. community. She was elected mother superior of the For some time the shortage of sisters in the East had been an anxiety. In August Sister Mildred Eleanor, who was in charge, told Bishop Dagwell it would be necessary for the sisters to withdraw from St. Helen's Hall in June 1944. "It is with *•= great regret that we do so, but the shortage of sisters and the work in the East make it necessary.11 In September, 1943, we had a good school and junior college enrollment. On October 25th, a high school alumnae meeting was followed by a memorial service for Sister Alice Ursula. The bishop took the service. On June 1st, at the meeting of the auxiliary of the high school mothers, they expressed appreciation of the sisters and their great regret at their leaving. On July 26, 1944, the sisters left the Hall for the East. That chapter in the story of St. Helen's Hall is closed as far as the Community of St. John Baptist is concerned. Only the Lord knows why it should be so, but we give thanks for having been part of the school for forty years. t= it �67 MOMENTS OF MEMORY The overall history written above sounds as if all had been a prosperous journey, r r but there were many dark moments and times of anxiety in those forty years. There were years of low enrollments and financial difficulties, but by God's grace and the loving help of countless friends they were overcome. When the sisters left the Hall there was a large enrollment, S50,000 in the savings accounts, plus a similar amount in war bonds-and the hope that the school would go "from light to light." A tall, lovely young woman arrived in the spring of 1927 to do some secretarial work. She had an undergraduate degree from the University of Oregon, and a Master's degree from Cornell; she was Miss Gertrude Houck, who the next fall began her career as a teacher. Her wedding to Mr. Crecene Fariss was an event of the summer, but to the school family she remained "Miss Houck" for some time. Now, in 1969, we realize that most of her professional life has been spent at the Hall, first as head of the English department of the high school, then as academic dean of the college, and later as principal . Her devotion to the sisters and the school has been demonstrated in many ways, some hidden, some self-evident. I remember one summer when the junior college was being planned, how she, Sister Katharine Angela, Sister Mildred Eleanor and Miss Forney painted the dormitory furniture while they discussed those plans, soon to Jt 3 A US' I* & be so ably implemented. Carrie Paige, a young woman who graduated from the kindergarten training class, went on to take a degree and become a mathematics teacher. She has been a devoted friend and Associate of the Community of St. John Baptist, and has given to the school girls whom she has trained her own insights and lovingness. Jocelyn Foulkes, of the Class of 1886, welcomed the sisters in 1904, and was a devoted and gifted friend, associate, teacher and guide. Then there was Charles Blum, that wonderful gardener who always brought !► I* W *- I* w I# W I* lilies and delphinium for St. John Baptist Day and Michaelmas daisies for St. Michael's Day. He could build anything, and much of the school furniture was the product of his skill. His devotion to his work was an inspiration to us all. After his death, William McCullough (Mack) followed in his stead, continuing to build and be equally devoted to the school and his work. �4* 68 4* There was Rebecca, another loyal devotee. When the sisters were nursing at the auditorium during the 1918 "flu" epidemic, Rebecca used to walk downtown every 4* 4* night to walk home with Sister Waldine Lucia at midnight. There was Edith, the very gifted housekeeper who drove the car and was 4* 4* beloved by sisters and school girls. 4* Also there was Mr. Sanderson Reed, who for many years was our most able attorney and friend. His daughter, Sally Stout, went through the school and wrote 4s its history. Among other valued friends were Mr. William W. Henderson and Mr. Clarence Porter, for many, many years members of the Board of Trustees--and all the other trustees who gave of their time and talents to the school. They did not always see eye to eye with the sisters, but when convinced were strong supports, In the hard financial situation of 1918 the trustees did not think that we should acquire the Portland Academy; but I well remember Sister Mary Angela saying, "Very well, gentlemen. We are not doing good work and we cannot continue under these conditions." Whereupon the trustees retired to another room for a private conference and returned to g.ve the sisters leave to move the school. Persuading the seniors to give up their fancy commencement dresses and to wear academic gowns and veils was a dramatic moment artfully planned by the sister superior. We recall the storm of protest from neighbors because the girls were allowed to play volleyball on Sunday, which convinced the trustees of the need for Everglade. We remember Sister Agatha Louise being severly censured for dramatizing Bible stories. 4* 4* Also Carolyn Bowers, the tall, beautiful, tragic Antigone, who after taking a graduate degree at Columbia returned to the junior college as an instructor; and after having married and lived in the East for some time, returned again to the faculty of St. Helen’s Hall. Then there was Ruth Rose Richardson, the child with the exquisite red hair, 4* 4* 4a 4* 4* 4 4* 4* 4* 4s 4s 4s 4s 4s 4s 4s 4a 4s 4s 4a 4a 4a who presently upholds the high standard of scholarship in the English department. Many recall Sister Agnes Maria. She was taking some girls to church one Sunday when Bishop Morris boarded the street car and sat down near her. 4a He began 4a 4 4 4a �rr 69 conversation by asking sister if she knew Germantown, Pennsylvania, his home town. As the bishop was very deaf, sister's replies were quite audible. 7 r She replied that she did know Germantown. Quoth the bishop, "I used to know the Lambdins; did you know little Aggie Lambdin?" In the silence of the school girls and above the rattle of the car, sister replied, "Bishop, I am Aggie Lambdin." In pleased surprise the bishop said over and over, "Little Aggie Lambdin! " This was a glorious moment for school girls r ■ ir !! r and Sister Agnes Maria was "Sister Aggie" ever after. There were retreats every year and baptisms and confirmations, as well as Lenten projects and Christmas giving. Bishop Dagwell used to say that he could always tell when there was a Hall girl in the congregations he visited, by the way the sacristy work was done. ! There was also a wide variety of social and cultural opportunities offered to the girls at the school and in the city. r These were considered parts of education as important as the spiritual and academic sides of life at the Hall. The traditional Hall girl was socially well poised and gracious of manner, a person of integrity, concerned for the happiness and welfare of those with whom life surrounded her. Being a Hall girl was a position of responsibility and even the youngest had some understanding of it. A small girl in the nursery school had discovered that she could engender a satisfying amount of parental concern by screaming when she was brought into school. sister superior happened to be passing when this took place. One morning the She stopped and said to the little one that this could not be, for no one could act like that at St. Helen's Hall. Late in the afternoon, after naps were over, a very small and polite little girl came up the stairs and asked if she could see the sister superior. ! ’ ; sister was working at her desk. She was shown into the office where Climbing onto the chair beside the desk, she asked most demurely, "Sister superior, if I behave like a Hall girl may I stay at this school?" Besides those so briefly mentioned here, there were hundreds of school girls, i teachers, parents and other friends who moved across the screen of history and occupied places of importance and value in the life and traditions of St. Helen's Hall. i Most of all we owe our deepest gratitude to the bishops under whom we served and who were always sympathetic and helpful, indeed truly "Fathers in God." �0* 0* 0a 0a <0= 0a 0a <0= 0= 0= 05 05 05 05 0= 0= 05 <05 0= 0= 05 05 05 0= 05 05 03 0s 03 03 0= 03 03 0! 0 0 0 0 �V * ST. HELEN'S HALL r r ■ SCHOOL SONGS >" r r r ’ r* ■' A REPUBLICATION OF AN EARLIER UNDATED SELECTION 4 . ■ ! :' h APPENDIX C �^ss 1JB=* *=* fc* �V ■ r 72 r r Tune: Cornell "Alma Mater." Where the bright Willamette windeth Past the mountains blue. Stands our noble Alma Mater Glorious to view. Chorus: Lift the chorus, bear it onward, Sing we one and all: Hail to thee our Alma Mater, Hail St. Helen's Hall! Where Mt. Hood in snowy splendor Proudly looketh down. Stands she with green hills around her Circling like a crown. Chorus: | I ! Where the roses ever blossom, Grass is evergreen, Decked with ivy, crowned with turrets, Stands she like a queen . Chorus: �¥ ¥ ¥ 73 ¥ ¥ ¥ ¥ II. ¥ ¥ ¥ Tune: "Home, Sweet Home." ¥ ¥ There are schools in the East, there are schools in the West But in the Rose City's the one we love best. The cross on her tower shines brightly o'er all, And there's no place on earth, girls, like St. Helen's Hall ! ¥ St. Helen's Hal I! There's no place on earth, girls, like St. Helen's Hall! ¥ ¥ ¥ ¥ ¥ There are streams great in story, and hills o'er the sea. But the sparkling Willamette's the river for me. As it winds past Mt. Hood with his snow crest so tall, Just facing the windows of St. Helen's Hall. ¥ ¥ ¥ ¥ We came here when little to learn how to spell. And riding and dancing and tennis as well; To manage The Spinster, and play basket ball. For there's no place for learning like St. Helen's Hall! c * There's a spring in each footstep, a smile on each face, A spirit of kindliness reigns o'er the place. The friends that we make here we love best of all, For there's no place for friendship like St. Helen's Hall. 6 6 6 We loved her when younger, we love her today, And we'll love her the same when we grow old and gray, We'll watch o'er her welfare and come at her call, For there's no place on earth, girls, like St. Helen's Hall! St. Helen's Hal I! For there's no place on earth, girls, like St. Helen's Hall! 4 4 4 4 4 i i i i i i i �74 1* f* III. (Tune: "The Midshipmate") * * A A * £ ic u iK Iv IW I* 'Twas in sixty-nine in the summer late, (Cheerily ye girls yo, ho!) A bishop came to the Beaver state, (Cheerily ye girls yo, ho!) He had a plan in his dear wise head. We'll found a school for girls, he said. And others followed where he led. Cheerily ye girls yo, ho!) Chorus: With a long, long pull, and a strong, strong pull Right onward the school shall go. And we'll sing a lay of the Hall to-day With a "Cheerily girls yo ho! " He built his school and he set it down, (Cheerily ye girls yo, ho!) Right in the middle of the little town (Cheerily ye girls yo, ho!) He hung up a bell the girls to call And they came flocking, one and all And that was the first St. Helen's Hall (Cheerily ye girls yo, ho!) Chorus: ► l* 7> P P p �75 Both school and town began to grow, (Cheerily ye girls yo, ho!) And soon 'twas plain one had to go, (Cheerily ye girls yo, ho!) And people said "They never wi 11 Go to a school way up that hill," But the girls they came, and they're coming still! fe* fe=* (Cheerily ye girls yo, ho!) Chorus: Then came the days of ninety-three, (Cheerily ye girls yo, ho!) When things looked black as black could be, (Cheerily ye girls yo, ho!) But St. Helen's friends were staunch and true. They stood by the Hall and they pulled her through And so she's here for me, for you, (Cheerily ye girls yo, ho!) Chorus: We're growing now, and we'll never stop, (Cheerily ye girls yo, ho!) There's always room on the mountain-top, (Cheerily ye girls yo, ho!) The girls will come where'er we go. For we're the Bishop's school and so. We're part of the Church, and we're bound to grow fe* fe* fe» fe* fe* fe* fe* (Cheerily ye girls yo, ho!) Chorus: With a long, long pull, and a strong, strong pull Right onward the school shall go, And we'll sing a lay of the Hall to-day, With a "Cheerily ye girls yo, ho!" fe> fe* fe* �76 IV. r Tune: "Rule Britannia . " We come, St. Helen's, to sing to thee. To praise thy ivied walls and beauty. To tell thee of our love and loyalty-Dear Alma Mater, Our girlhood's happiest hours We spend beneath Thy lovely ivied towers. Chorus: Hail St. Helen's! St. Helen's, hail to thee! Thy daughters ever, ever, ever true will be! Thou standst upon the wooded height. Like the mountains round about, clothed with strength and might. Thy shining cross, like snow, a sign of truth and right. Like thee we'll ever Be worthy of the land And aye endeavor Firm like thee to stand. Chorus: To us thou'rt like a shepherdess Of the mountains, guiding unto pleasantness. And pointing out the meadows in a wilderness. With thee to cheer us. We climb the wooded ways. Thy lights of love and learning Now we praise. Chorus: �* * 77 «s *5 «S V. COMMENCEMENT HYMNS (Tune: <* "Daybreak"--Berthold Tours) Behold us, gracious Savior, In girlhood's morning bright— Look on us in Thy mercy. And guide us with Thy light. Life's journey lies before us. Go with us all the way. So shall we love Thee truly And serve Thee day by day. %s Those gathered here together Will soon be far apart. But in Thy love and service Unite us heart to heart. And keep us pure and loyal Where'er our lot may be. True daughters of St. Helen's And true our God to Thee. So when Thou comest in glory To gather in Thine own. And we shall stand for judgment Before Thy great White Throne, Then place us at Thy right hand And Hearken to our prayer. Of all St. Helen's daughters Let none be missing there! �f* T* 78 T* f* ** * VI. r r. A AA AA AA AA A f! RECESSIONAL HYMN O God of Hosts, to Thee our hymn we offer With Angel spirits gathered round Thy throne. Where Saints triumphant, join in endless worship. We too would meet Thee and our homage own . Look Thou upon us gathered here before Thee, Life just beginning, radiant with light; Nothing to hinder us from growing like Thee, Thou, Who hast made us in Thine image bright. Forth to the fight, we go. Thy hand upholds us. Victory sure, if Thou our Captain be; Many a wound with dangers all around us. But we shall conquer, if we trust in Thee. Firm in the faith, our shield the truth to cherish From lurking foes and poisoned doubts within; Nothing can harm us or our footsteps hinder If faith be with us, shielding us from sin. If grief and suffering in our life beset us To make the way seem long and full of fears, O Hope of Glory, Christ within us lighten. Thy strength upholding as the darkness clears. When faith and hope shall end in vision glorious, Love shall continue in eternity, Stronger than death and evermore victorious; O give us love the greatest of the three. I �*50 79 *50 *50 *50 *5® *50 *0 *60 *50 *60 *50 Love Love Love Give that is kind and evil never thinketh; that can suffer, counting not the loss; that can bear, nor from the battle shrinketh; us that love which led Thee to Thy Cross. Love is the road Thy footsteps trod before us Making the crooked straight, the rough path plain; Shedding a light so altogether glorious, That we must follow, Lest Thou love in vain. *0 *0 *50 *50 *50 *53 Be Thou our joy throughout our journey homeward Making us strong with grace to persevere; Lighting the way, and leading ever upward, Till in Thy presence joyful we appear. *50 Laud we the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, *=0 To Whom be glory, thanks and endless praise; Ours is the need, and Thine the grace and merit; O Triune God, to Thee our hearts we raise. *ac <5* ��*S3> *53! fcsS «s %BS %sa %=S � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Oregon Episcopal School Documents Subject The topic of the resource High schools Alumnae and alumni Dance cards Diplomas Report cards Periodicals Songs Poetry Short stories Description An account of the resource This is a collection of documents from the Oregon Episcopal School (OES). The bulk of the documents are from St. Helen's Hall, the all-women high school. The documents included in this collection are a sampling of course catalogs, diplomas, school songs, dance cards, report cards, and writings by the students. In addition, this collection also includes "The OES Belltower - Oregon Episcopal School Celebrates 125 Years of Academic Excellence" and "The First Century" a brief history on the first 100 years of St. Helen's Hall. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Oregon Episcopal School Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Oregon Episcopal School Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1873-1995 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource All rights are reserved by Oregon Episcopal School. Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Course catalogs Diplomas Periodicals Conforms To An established standard to which the described resource conforms. Describing Archives: A Content Standard (DACS) Medium The material or physical carrier of the resource. documents Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Extent The size or duration of the resource. 1 Medium The material or physical carrier of the resource. document Title A name given to the resource The First Century Subject The topic of the resource Alumnae and alumni, Students High schools, Student activities Teachers Periodicals Description An account of the resource This is a historical account of the first 100 years (or century) at St. Helen's Hall. The research and writing was conducted by Sally Reed Stout and published in 1969. The book reviews the founding of St. Helen's Hall, documents the various locations of the school, and outlines principle players in the school's history. In addition to St. Helen's Hall, the book describes the addition of the Junior College and the all-boys school counter-part, Bishop Dagwell Hall. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Oregon Episcopal School Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1969 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource All rights are reserved by Oregon Episcopal School. Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Documents Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context oes_thefirstcentury-compressed.pdf Alumnae and alumni Student activities; Teachers; Periodicals; Students; High schools