How Time Flies -- U.S. History and Lee

School Memories

Mrs. Jean Dickinson’s Fifth Grade Class, 2003-2004

Lee School Centennial Project

Authors

Devon CampbellNeesy CarterMarquez DampierTre DemyanAbigail EckerlePreonica GrayNick HamiltonChristopher HighTre KeyDylan Koenig

Cheyenne LaceyKristian LozanovDiana McFarlandClaudia PetersHans RobinsonMartha Sanchez-VillegasZola Sturtz Andrew SolorzanoJamal TooleyJin Yan

Consultants and Editors• Mrs. Sharon Schauwecker• Mrs. Jean Dickinson• Dr. Peggy Placier

Sources• Kingwood College, American Cultural

History website• Library of Congress, American Memory

website

• The Twenties,known as “The Roaring Twenties,” was the decade for:

• Harlem Renaissance• Ford cars• Charles Lindbergh

Historical and Cultural Events• Penicillin was discovered. • Continental Baking

Company introduced Wonder Bread.

• Thanks to Henry Ford and mass production, one could buy a Ford for $290. 

• This was a period of  prohibition and intolerance, speakeasies, flappers, gangsters, and crime.

Presidents,1923-1932

Woodrow Wilson Warren G. Harding Calvin Coolidge (right)

Herbert Hoover

Warren G.Harding was the 29th president of the United States(1921-1923). He was one of eight presidents born in Ohio.

Coolidge was one of two presidents born in Vermont. He was the 30th president of the United States.

                                                        

Calvin Coolidge

1923 - 1929

Warren G. Harding1921-1923

The Harlem Renaissance was also a big event in American history. This is Louis Armstrong, and he was a famous musician during that time.

“SATCHMO”

I, too, sing America. I am the darker brother. They send me to eat in the kitchen When company comes, But I laugh, And eat well, And grow strong. Tomorrow, I'll be at the table When company comes. Nobody'll dare Say to me, "Eat in the kitchen," Then. Besides, They'll see how beautiful I am And be ashamed– I, too, am America.

James Langston Hughes was born February 1, 1902, in Joplin, Missouri. Here is one of his poems.

Fads and FashionsBoys by the 1920s were dressing more casually. Suits were increasingly reserved for formal occasions. Increasingly boys would wear knickers and a simple shirt, perhaps with a sweater during the colder months. This would be the common attire of American boys in the years before jeans.

• Men: Clothing for men

became a bit more conservative.  Trousers widened to as wide as 24 inches. Knickers grew in width and length and were called 'plus fours'.

• Women:  By 1921 the longer skirt was back - some long and uneven at the bottom. The short skirt was popular by 1925.  This period was called the Flapper Age.

Young women were called flappers. They wore dresses that were calf length.

         

Famous people of the 1920s

• Henry Ford (creator of the Ford car and truck)

• Dutch Schultz (poet) • Al Capone (gangster)

• Rudolf Valentino

(movie star) • Clara Bow (movie star)

Al Capone (Scarface) was a gangster who lived in the 20’s.

Harry Houdini was a very famous escape artist in the 20’s.

AMERICAN BASEBALL Who do you think are the greatest baseball players of all time? If it were 1927, you might have named Babe Ruth or Ty Cobb. In this picture, Babe Ruth has just hit a home run. On July 18, 1927, Ty Cobb recorded his 4,000th career hit. Can you imagine getting 4,000 hits?

The Great Depression Begins

Another big event that happened at the end of the 20’s is the stock market crashed, and many people became very poor. This was the start of the Great Depression.

Mary Kathryn Jacobs Sells 1925-1931

“Mrs. Lewis, in the sixth grade, made grammar, poetry and reading come alive. I have lived by the poem she recited, author unknown, and have given many hours of volunteer work. The poem follows.”

Lost, somewhere between sunrise and sunset,

Two golden hours

Each set with sixty diamonds minutes.

No reward offered,

They will never be found.

Earl Leslie Proctor1925 - 1930

“I was a member of the School Boy Patrol and I received a certificate for perfect attendance in 6th grade.

I served four years in the army during World War II and landed on Omaha Beach on D-Day, June 6, 1944. I received several medals including the Silver Star.”

Dorothy Hatfield 1927

“I remember, after roll call, there was the Pledge of Allegiance, followed by the Lord’s Prayer. Margaret P. Lewis was the principal. There was one phone in the building and it was in the hall just outside her class. I was phone monitor for her in 6th grade – yes, the phone rang in the middle of the Lord’s Prayer, and I just kept praying. She was pleased.”

What Happened Next?

• In the 1930’s the government helped people survive the Great Depression.

Men’s overcoat: $18.50

Women’s bathrobe: $1.00

Sled: $3.95-$8.95

Table lamp: $1.00

• In 1930 you could have a meal for under a dollar.

• Bread …….9 cents a loaf

• Milk…. 14 cents a quart

• Round steak….42 cents a pound

#1 The Cat Who Went To Heaven

#2 Waterless Mountain

#3 Young Fu of the Upper Yangtze

#4 Dobry

In the 30s, there was no TV, so you listened to the radio. By 1939 about 80 percent of the population owned radio sets. Franklin Roosevelt used radio in his "Fireside Chats" to influence public opinion. 

In the Thirties art was important. This is Grant Wood's famous work, "American Gothic."

Male: Hats were mandatory for the well dressed male.

Female: The simple print dress with a waist line and longer hem length replaced the flapper of the 1920’s.

• Some of the young men used to wear Zoot Suits on their special nights. Here is someone modeling an old Zoot suit.

In the 1930’s, the kids dressed differently than we do today.

In the 1930’s basketball players wore short shorts but were great athletes.

Gone With The Wind

Mr.Smith Goes To Washington

Classic Musicals

• Roberta • The Wizard of Oz• The Story of Vernon

and Irene Castle• Top Hat• Shall We Dance• Follow the Fleet• Care Free

                           

• Bambi was one of Walt Disney’s famous animated films that came out in the 1930’s.

Hugh E.Stephenson, Jr., M.D. 1928-1932

“I am told that the [old] school was built on the bed of a pond. In fact, an unfortunate drowning had occurred at that location prior to the construction of a new Robert E. Lee School. I remember we always celebrated May 1st with a May pole dance in the front of the school. In those days, no one was promoted to the next grade unless they passed academically. I remember two students who drove their cars to Lee School!”

Betty Jacobs Aufranc1931-1937

“In the old Lee school the 4th grade was upstairs in the northeast corner, and the bricks had come out of the corner in spots, and when it rained and the wind blew we would move our desks toward the center of the room. When it snowed and the wind blew hard, the snow flakes would come dancing in. It was in the spring of 1935 we moved into the new Lee School…we had to take all our books, Crayolas, and other items home with us that night and bring them back the next day to the ‘new’ Lee School.”

Fred Krusekoph 1930’s

“I started First Grade in 1931, and Miss Fewsmith was our teacher. She was a wonderful teacher, and she made us learn how to read and write, she was tough, but also real nice. I remember I kissed my first girl, and it made her cry, and this little girl told on me. I thought I was in bad trouble – but Miss Fewsmith just laughed and told her, ‘Someday, honey, you will want the boys to kiss you.’”

Robert Sisson1930’s

“We had a unique system to control behavior. Each month the grade that received the least number of ‘checks’ against it for students’ misbehavior would get Friday afternoon off from school. I think it was a pretty good system. What do you think?”

Naoma Powell1930’s

“A new building made Lee the newest school in Columbia. An auditorium/gym occupied the central front of the building, with two main entrances. Stained glass insets of Mother Goose characters were in the first-grade windows; new desks were in every room…air quality was improved by ventilated air circulation, heated in the winter. The auditorium had a stage from which performances could be given by students and outside groups.”

Anna Teague1930’s

“We vacated the new building in less than one week because of a leaking roof…Ms. Fewsmith, first grade, had high, lace collars and a rocking chair…In 6th grade, Richard Johnson and I got the giggles. I stuck my head in the desk and couldn’t get it out. They had to call Mr. Goslin, the custodian.”

Leslie Green1930’s

“When I was in the 6th grade, my family moved to Daytona Beach, Florida for a year. The entire 6th grade wrote to me there with their best wishes. We returned to Columbia. I played football for Hickman along with friends Earl Proctor, Sam Walton, Jack Nowell, Clay Cooper, and Fred Brady, to name a few.”

John Epple, Jr. 1932

“I got in trouble and got sent to the principal’s office. The principal’s name was Miss Lewis…I was given the maximum penalty, which consisted of sitting in the coat closet sitting on a hard wood paddle. After staring at the wooden paddle for a while it occurred to me that I could improve its looks by taking sharpness off its edges. So I took out my pocketknife and started scraping off little pieces. By that time the wooden paddle was gone and all that was left of it was a pile of shavings on the floor. Just then Miss.Lewis walked in, rolled her eyes, grabbed me by the ear, and took me to class.”

Paul C. Krusekopf 1933-1939

“Mr. Goslin would ring a large brass hand-bell when school started. If he saw you coming, he would wait until you were inside to ring the bell, so you wouldn’t be counted as tardy. We always took a brown bag lunch -- usually a sandwich, carrot and fruit. I frequently traded my peanut butter sandwich with the country kids who usually had ham sandwiches.”

Reba Barnhart1930’s

“I remember, when it was time to come in from recess, we didn’t HAVE to line up and file in quietly! We came in smiling and happy but not loud. The teachers would be standing in the hall beside their room -- and they would be conversing with each other quietly and also greeting us as we came back in. As soon as the teacher closed the door, we were in our seats, quiet, and ready to go to work. It was a fun place for me.”

“I remember well my 5th grade class at Lee Elementary School and the things our teacher, Miss Wilhite, taught us that have been helpful ever since. I remember the 3rd grade, in the last year the old school building existed on the corner of Waugh & Locust Streets. I remember Locust being closed so we could use the street as a playground while construction of the new school building and playground was being completed.”

Former Lee Student1930’s

Helen Simpson1934-1937

“These are the happiest memories. The dungeon of the girls’ bathroom in the basement – unforgettable -- and the new Lee School – beautiful, bright, lovely, new bathroom, and behold! A gymnasium for indoor play – outdoor recess on the merry-go-round, eating pomegranates and pickles.”

Vera Jacobs Coats1934-1939

“There was a terrible snowstorm and dad drove the horse-drawn sleigh to pick us up from school. I was very shy and embarrassed to climb aboard, but all of the city kids were quite anxious to ride. I think it was in second grade that we were to bring empty food containers to school for the ‘store’ in order to learn how to buy at a grocery store. There are many others I could probably share, but these are most vivid.”

1940’s

History

President Roosevelt.

President Roosevelt brought the country out of the Depression and led the nation during WWII. In this picture, he is on the left, looking up at British Prime Minister Winston Churchill.

World War II

• World War I had been called the war to end all wars. World War II was called many things. Some people called it the “right”war.

• In the next couple of clips we will talk about important WWII events.

Pearl Harbor

On December 7, 1941, Japan bombed Pearl Harbor. More than 2,300 Americans died. The U.S.S. Arizona was destroyed, and the U.S.S. Oklahoma was sunk.

Holocaust

During WWII Hitler murdered millions of Jewish people in concentration camps, and his armies invaded Europe and African countries.

Kilroy was here

Kilroy was known as a super G.I. that always got there first. Every time he got there first he would mark it with his “signature.” That’s only one of many legends.

Men’s Fashions

He is stylin’!

Music

Music was important during The Forties. Here are some styles of music and dancing.

BebopBebop was called modern jazz back in the Forties. “I Got Rhythm”and “Cherokee” are two songs played in bebop.

THE JITTERBUG

A popular dance, the Jitterbug, made its appearance at the beginning of the decade.

Cab Calloway

He was a famous band leader and played at the Cotton Club. His most favorite song was “Minnie the Moocher.”

DUMBO

This movie came out in 1941. Dumbo is a baby elephant in the circus. He can fly. It was another Walt Disney movie.

Milton Berle's Texaco Star Theater was credited with creating the demand for televisions. Its greatest rival was Ed Sullivan's Toast of the Town.

 Kula, Fran & Ollie kicked off children's television as in 1947, followed by the Howdy Doody Show.

Howdy Doody was a popular children’s puppet show.

Hi kids

J. Ross (Bud) Fleetwood, Jr.1940s

“The one memory that really stands out is my very first day of school. I needed to go to the bathroom and I went to the first one. That was a mistake. A great big girl confronted me—she was much older, she had to be in the sixth grade! She proceeded to inform me I was in the wrong bathroom! I said how can that be? I use the same one at home that my mother uses and she doesn’t care! This girl told me to get out and go down the hall and use that one.”

Bill Ridge1940s

“I remember first grade. The principal came into the room (I believe his name was Joe Barnes). I don’t remember why he was in the room, but I do remember him telling of a ‘special paddle’ he had in his office. Now all of us knew about that ‘special paddle.’”

Mary Ellen Barnhart McCoy1940s

“Mr.Brown was our wonderful janitor and friend. He taught us to play softball on noon lunch hours, and also taught us to play on the playground equipment. I remember one time having an enormous splinter under my fingernail, and Mr. Brown, using his pocketknife, pulled it out. He was a jack of all trades.”

Clarence Johnson1941

“I remember that each desk had an ink well. About once a week we’d have penmanship, using a wooden shaft that held a separate pen point. . . Our 6th grade teacher was Mrs. Schlotzhaur. All of us really liked her. She had a husband who was inflicted with polio, and a pretty young daughter who was a singer. We were happy when they visited us.”

Ruth Ann Barnhart Aldag 1941-1946

“In third grade I had Mrs. Patton. I loved school, learned well, and there was always order in the classroom. We raised our hand to talk or ask a question. It seemed normal to us. We did not act up in the classroom because all of us students knew our parents would be most unhappy with us when we got home. Whatever the teacher said, we did. If we misbehaved, it was taken very seriously at home.”

Reuben T. Jacobs, Jr.1942 - 1948

“I was one of 8 Jacobs’ kids and we all attended Lee. . . When there would be a wedding at the Catholic Church during school hours, the teacher would let us stand at the windows . . . and watch the people going in or coming out. . . On Christmas, my father dressed up in a red Santa suit with all the trimmings. I recognized him because his galoshes gave him away.”

Mrs. Betsey Heyl1944-46

“It was the happiest time of my twelve years in school. Sometimes you don`t know that until you look back on an event or situation. I loved my 6th grade teacher, Mrs.Schlotzhaur, because she played the piano for us on Friday afternoons. We sang patriotic songs about the ole` south, western cowboy songs, and songs from World War II.”

Phyllis Barton Wulff1945 - 1951

“In the auditorium we had many plays. We did ‘Sweet Betsy from Pike’ and I played an Indian girl. . . In the back of the playground were mulberry trees. Our parents must have disliked that since we had stains on our clothes. In the winter, girls played jacks on the floor during recess. . . We also held YoYo champion contests during recess. My father had a large bakery, so I had special cakes for my birthday at school.”

Dianne Hart Miller1946

“I was on the girls’ baseball team and sometimes my hits would go across the street to the Sacred Heart Church! My 6th grade teacher was Mrs. Dorothy Schlotzhauer, and she must have been 5 feet tall and some of the boys towered over her, and when she wanted to quiet us down, she would say, ‘If you don’t quiet down, I’m going to walk among you.’”

Kay Baird1946

“My most vivid memory was first grade and sixth grade. In first grade I had a next door neighbor who had a very serious speech impediment. Because we played at home daily and had for several years, I was the only person who could understand him, so I had to sit next to him and tell the teacher what he was saying when he wanted to ask a question.”

Emilie Martin Moore1940s

“Oh brother, do I remember fourth grade, Miss Berry, and long division. I remember the windows being open, the flies buzzing, the warm, sweet spring air smelling so-o-o good, and there we sat, doing long division. Bo-o-o-r-r-r-ing!

I was called into Mr. Lowrey`s office one day. I still remember standing in front of this desk, listening to him lecture me, but seeing the quietest smile play over his face.”

George Vemer1948 - 1951

““There are many fond memories, but There are many fond memories, but one that comes to mind is when my dog one that comes to mind is when my dog Mickey broke out of the pen 3 hours Mickey broke out of the pen 3 hours after I had walked to school. Mickey after I had walked to school. Mickey ran one mile to school, through the front ran one mile to school, through the front door, and up the stairs into our 5door, and up the stairs into our 5 thth grade, grade, which disrupted the class and got me which disrupted the class and got me into slight trouble with my teacher.”into slight trouble with my teacher.”

Wait ‘til you see what happens next!

• Korean War• Dr.Salk created the polio

vaccine. (He is pictured on the right.)

• Disneyland opened in California.

• There was also the first color TV.

• Harry S. Truman approved production of the Hydrogen bomb.

• Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on a public bus.

• Alaska & Hawaii become the 49th and 50th states.

• The best President in the 50’s was Harry S. Truman, from Independence, Missouri.

• He was the President after World War II.

• He approved the Hydrogen bomb.

• The sign on his desk read, “The buck stops here.”

Eisenhower was President for two terms, 1952-1960. His motto was “I like Ike!” He was a general in World War II.

The Cold War was not a war that freed people. It was a war of money and technology. Why I say that is, if the U.S. had a certain number of bombs, then the Soviet Union wanted to have more.

“I’ve got 9,956 of these.”

“Well I’ve got 11,987 of these.”

Rosa Parks was famous in the Fifties, because she refuse to give up her seat on the bus to a white man, and at that time many whites thought they had control over blacks.

 

• 1950 - The Door in the Wall by Marguerite de Angeli  1951 - Amos Fortune, Free Man by Elizabeth Yates  1952 - Ginger Pye by Eleanor Estes  1953 - Secret of the Andes by Ann Nolan Clark  1954 - ...And Now Miguel by Joseph Krumgold  1955 - The Wheel on the School by Meindert DeJong  1956 - Carry On, Mr. Bowditch by Jean Lee Latham  1957 - Miracles on Maple Hill by Virginia Sorenson  1958 -Rifles for Watie by Harold Keith  1959 - The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George  Speare 

1950: Song of the Swallows, Leo Politi 1951: The Egg Tree, Katherine Milhous   1952: Finders Keepers, Nicholas Mordvinoff; text: Will, pseud. [William Lipkind] 1953: The Biggest Bear, Ludwig Bemelmans  1955: Cinderella, or the Little Glass Slipper, trans. from Charles Perrault by Marcia Brown 1956: Frog Went A-Courtin',

1957: A Tree Is Nice, text: Janice Udry  1958: Time of Wonder by Robert McCloskey 1959: Chanticleer and the Fox, text: adapted by Barbara Cooney 

In the fifties there were a lot of fads, like poodle skirts and hula hoops. Here is a picture of a poodle skirt.

• Pony tails for girls• Flat tops and crew cuts

for guys• Davy Crockett coon

skin hats• Silly Putty

                    

              

     

                         

Family Comedies

• The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet (pictured on the left) was a popular family program

• The Honeymooners

• Lassie

• Father Know Best

• I Love Lucy

• “I Love Lucy” premiered in the 1950’s, and is still shown on cable TV today.

Families enjoyed variety shows with hosts like Walt Disney and Ed Sullivan on Sunday evenings. Daytime “soap operas” like Guiding Light were popular and helped advertisers sell products to homemakers of America.

Other shows popular with kids were called “westerns” or cowboy shows. Girls played with Dale Evans gear, and boys played with Roy Rogers paraphernalia .

Western Shows

From his performance on Milton Berle's show he got the nickname Elvis the Pelvis. On Ed Sullivan’s show, he was shown only from the waist up! It is estimated that 52 million people - one out of every three Americans – saw his performance.

Dulcie Camp1950`s

“In the Fifties, a decade owned by the architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright, Lee School was the kind of elementary school building often replaced in those days with a bland, low-roofed, single story, sprawling ranch style, whose clean lines and large windows gave the impression of a factory. But Lee School was anything but a factory. Standing tall and proud in ruddy red brick with white capped cornices and cornerstones, it announced its purpose to the world as a sturdy repository for young minds and bodies.”

Ken LaZebnik 1955-1961

“There were baseball giants at Lee school in those days. I’m sure there are some good players there today, but believe me they can’t compare with the Jouret brothers, our greatest athletes, who regularly hit towering home runs, depositing the ball over the fence onto the street. It was Gene, I think , who in our own urban legend hit a ball all the way to Sacred Heart.”

Phyllis Lowrey Masters1956-1963

“My father, Burel Lowery, was also the principal while I attended Lee. Sometimes I felt this was an advantage, while other times I felt this was a hindrance. It seemed that teachers had a little more patience with me, although I do not remember anyone giving me any special favors. Probably the biggest complaints teachers had with me would be my talking and chewing on my hair.”

Ruth ShannonSecretary, 1950s-60s

“I was working at my desk when a teacher came in to put something in her box. At the same time a 5th grade boy came into the office... A large cricket was sounding off under the filing cabinet. I was enjoying the cricket’s symphonic rhapsody when the teacher maliciously squashed him. I was devastated to think of this fate would befall my cricket and made the expected, ‘Oh no, you killed him; he was entertaining me. He was my friend, how could you?’ The next morning when the school bus arrived, the little boy who had observed the previous incident handed me a jar with a cricket in it. It was a gift to me and it was to replace the one the teacher had killed.”

Scary How Time Flies!

Important Events In The 60’s

• Martin Luther King Jr. gives his “I Have a Dream” speech

• Civil Rights Movement• Neil Armstrong walks on

moon• St. Louis Arch is built• President Kennedy is

assassinated• Vietnam War begins

Presidents In the 60’s

President JFK was elected 1960. His Vice President Lyndon Baines Johnson took over after Kennedy was assassinated. In 1968 President Richard Nixon was elected.

 

  

 

  

Tragic Events

• Martin Luther King Jr., leader for the Civil Rights Movement, was assassinated.

• President John F. Kennedy was assassinated.

• Robert Kennedy, brother of JFK, was also assassinated.

                                                        

Newbery Awards Books Children's Book Award Winners of the Sixties

Newbery Award Winners - Began in 1922 (awarded to the most distinguished children's book of the previous year) 1960: Onion John by Joseph Krumgold1961: Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell 1962: The Bronze Bow by Elizabeth George Speare 1963: A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle  1964: It's Like This, Cat by Emily Neville  1965: Shadow of a Bull by Maia1966: I, Juan de Pareja by Elizabeth Borton de Trevino  1967: Up a Road Slowly by Irene Hunt  1968: From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg 1969: The High King by Lloyd Alexander 

• Elvis Presley• The Beach Boys

• The Beatles• The Rolling Stones

• Supremes

Elvis returned to the music scene from the US Army, joining Bobby Darin, Neil Sedaka, Jerry Lee Lewis, Paul Anka, Del Shannon and Frankie Avalon. In the mid-60s the Beatles created a sensation.

The Motown Record Company specialized in black rhythm and blues -- female groups such as Gladys Knight and the Pips, Martha and the Vandellas, the Supremes, and Aretha Franklin, as well as black men Smoky Robinson, James Brown, Jimi Hendrix, and the Temptations.

Bob Dylan helped bring about a folk music revival, along with Joan Baez and Peter, Paul & Mary.

Fads And FashionsG.I. Joe

Barbie Dolls

Skateboards

Trolls

Slot Cars

Afros

Go-Go Boots

Tie-Dyes

Poodle Skirts

Famous TV Shows In The

60’sThe Jetsons

The FlintstonesStar Trek

Alvin & The ChipmunksMr. Magoo

Beverly HillbilliesThe Addams Family

Larry Hartmann1960s

“I, too, went to Lee School and lived on Rosemary Street. Lee School’s principal was Burel Lowrey, a very nice man. I remember playing softball, and someone hit the ball out of the playground. It went into the yard of a very mean old man, and he kept the ball. I thought Sally Brown was the cutest girl in our school.”

““In fifth grade, a new kid came to class. Kids can In fifth grade, a new kid came to class. Kids can be cruel, as you know; because his head seemed be cruel, as you know; because his head seemed small and somewhat pointed, someone started small and somewhat pointed, someone started calling him calling him Turtlehead. Turtlehead. He was a smart kid and He was a smart kid and got good grades, which may have increased the got good grades, which may have increased the animosity toward him. Anyway, for reasons no animosity toward him. Anyway, for reasons no longer clear to me, it became the thing to do to longer clear to me, it became the thing to do to want to want to beat up Turtleheadbeat up Turtlehead.” (The start of a .” (The start of a wonderful story – see the Memory Book for wonderful story – see the Memory Book for more!)more!)

Bennett Bartlett1960’s

“I remember being sent home in second or third grade because I went to school wearing pants. Back then the school code of conduct didn’t allow girls to wear pants. I was so humiliated.”

Saskia Bartlett1960’s

Betty Alexander Thomas1960s

“I was very excited this fall to find out that my grandson, Alex Sanedone, would be entering kindergarten there. So at Christmas, when I visited them from Colorado, we went by the school for a picture together on the front steps. Considering all the places where Dave and I have lived, it was amazing that we would have a grandchild at Lee School.”

Dr. Victoria Barnett Harris1960s

“We had a lot of music in our classrooms. When Miss Flossie Belle McDonald would arrive, she would be greeted by all, ‘Miss McDonald is here!!’ and some kids would run up to her to give her a hug. We sang, played rhythm instruments, danced, listened to orchestral music, had so much fun. There was a piano in every room. . . My classmates at Lee are among my friends now, and are treasured. I wish my kids could have had a school like Lee.”

Philip LaZebnik1958-1965

“My most vivid memory from grade school was the day President Kennedy was assassinated. I remember that there was an announcement in the middle of the school day that the President had been shot. They dismissed classes, and I went home and watched T.V. for three days straight. The entire nation stopped in its tracks and mourned together.”

Jim Delbert Principal, 1959-1969

“Before the Christmas Holiday, the whole school would gather in the upper floor hallway and stairway and sing Christmas carols. Everybody sang with piano accompaniment. Christmas trees could be found in each classroom, purchased from one of the local service club projects. Students had a gift exchange with their classmates. For Halloween, the staff and students dressed up in their outfits for our annual parade around the block. Refreshments followed in each classroom.”

Janet Berkley1959-1962

“We were studying about peace and underdeveloped countries. We decided to raise money to donate to the Peace Corps - a government agency that President John F. Kennedy started in 1960. We were very excited to be able to personally hand over the check to someone that was a member of the Peace Corps.”

“Third grade was my best year. Mrs. Frazier was very nice, and we read great books about American history. We also had a big tee-pee in the classroom. Sixth grade is a year full of stories. It was the year our school was integrated. Our first teacher quit teaching to have a baby, and we had three other teachers after that. One boy in our class talked out in class so much, the teachers would walk up to him and put tape on his mouth.”

Mrs. Vernon (Elizabeth) Anderson1962-68

Bronwen Jones Ashburn1964 - 1971

“The principal back then was Mr. Delbert. He stood out in the hallway every morning and greeted each child by name. That made me feel special. . . I remember lunch costing $.25 (Do you still have to ‘take three Lee bites’ of your lunch?). The year I started third grade, 1967, Lee School was integrated. I remember the new students on their first day looking a bit nervous, but they quickly became our friends.”

Teresa Hartel McAllister1965

“What a pleasure it is for me to write you a letter about my memories of time spent at Lee. My 2nd grade teacher was Miss Prather, a tall, thin lady but a very sweet, patient teacher. . . Milk for lunch came in small glass bottles that we had to place in empty crates when we were done. My favorite dessert was a lemon cake with a lemon sauce that the cooks made from scratch.”

“Our teacher was Mrs.Hanley, and I remember her as a young, vivacious, and encouraging teacher. One of the many projects we did that year was to send messages up in helium balloons to see where and if they would be found. My balloon was only one of three found from over 20 balloons we sent! It had landed in a cornfield in Illinois, over 200 miles away! It was maybe the first time I realized that we were all part of a big, awesome world and that Columbia, Missouri was only one small (very special) part of it.”

Tom Wilson1964-1974

Cindy LaZebnik1964-1971

“In the summer of 5th grade, the Supreme Court abolished dress codes. That meant for girls that they could wear pants to school; before, we could only wear dresses and skirts. One teacher told us she hoped we would just wear skirts or dresses anyway, but that first day of school most girls showed up in pants. We were going to exercise our full rights!”

Paul Overby 1965-1969

“Once the fire department came to Lee School and gave a demonstration. All the kids sat on the lawn in the front of the school and the ladder truck extended its ladder as high as it would go. One firefighter climbed all the way up to the top with a floppy dummy in his hands. He would drop it down to a circle of other fireman holding a big round, trampoline-like ‘catcher.’”

David A.Wilson 1966-1972

“Mrs.Lauderdale had us grow pumpkin seeds in a Styrofoam cup filled with vermiculite and potting soil. We planted the seeds on May 12th. Most of us took our baby pumpkin plant home in June when school ended. We were instructed to transplant them in a sunny place in our yard facing south. I transplanted my little plant and watered it and weeded it all summer long. By October, at the beginning of sixth grade, I had an enormous pumpkin plant with more than six medium-sized pumpkins.”

Tami Ballard Firsick1967 - 1973

“My kindergarten teacher was Mrs. Guy, and we had a very special bond because we shared the same birthday. My dad worked for the University Agriculture Department so we took a field trip to ‘his farm’ and watched them make apple cider. . . Mrs. Guy and I continue to send Christmas and birthday cards to one another even after 37 years. . .”

““My fifth grade teacher was Mrs. Barron, and her My fifth grade teacher was Mrs. Barron, and her nick name was ‘The Red Barron.’ They called nick name was ‘The Red Barron.’ They called her that because she had red hair. I had a friend her that because she had red hair. I had a friend named Gordon McCune. One afternoon after named Gordon McCune. One afternoon after school we were walking home in the snow. We school we were walking home in the snow. We began to argue for some reason, and Gordon began to argue for some reason, and Gordon picked up a rolled up newspaper and hit me over picked up a rolled up newspaper and hit me over the head with it. The paper had frozen solid in the the head with it. The paper had frozen solid in the snow. I had quite a headache.” snow. I had quite a headache.”

James Wilson1967-1971

Important Events

• First Earth Day• Gerald Ford becomes

President when Nixon resigns.

• “Sesame Street” appears on TV.

• Apollo 17

                                                       

   

                                                     

Richard Nixon Gerald Ford Jimmy Carter

The 1970’s

The Decade of Big Hair

The first earth day was in 1970.

April 22, 2004 marked the 34th anniversary of the first observance of Earth Day.

As many as 20 million Americans participated in environmental rallies, demonstrations and other activities as part of the 1970 Earth Day.

1970: Sounder by William H. Armstrong1971: Summer of the Swans by Betsy Byars 1972: Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH by Robert C. O'Brien1973: Julie of the Wolves by Jean Craighead George1974: The Slave Dancer by Paula Fox1975: M. C. Higgins, the Great by Virginia Hamilton1976: The Grey King by Susan Cooperand….

One of Our Favorites

1977 Newbery Award Winner:

Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry, by Mildred D. Taylor

Look! Some cool fads and fashions from the seventies, like Star Wars figures, Rubik’s cube, Sea monkeys, Smiley face, bellbottom pants, platform shoes, leisure suits, and hot pants.

Pet Rocks

Earth Shoes

Mood Rings

Saturday Night LiveHappy DaysSesame Street*M*A*S*H*Star WarsJawsThe GodfatherBrady Bunch

Wendy Kvam1967-1972

“I learned about punishment for bad behavior the easy way. I was waiting for my mother to pick me up in the office one day, and the principal came out with a little boy. The principal was holding a paddle, and the boy was crying. When I told my mother what I had seen, she called the school and told them that they were not to paddle me if I did something wrong. They put my name on the no-paddle list.”

Janell L. HornParent, 1970s

“It was winter and there was a big snow fall. As the snow and ice melted and then re-froze over night, icicles formed and hung from the building. Dr. Schlimme, being the kind, caring principal that he was, went outside and threw balls at the icicles in order to knock them down so they wouldn't fall on any child. That work fine except it seems there was a bat that was hibernating somewhere in the attic of Lee School! The PTA meeting was held in the cafeteria/gym. Shortly after the meeting began, you guessed it, a bat flew through the room.”

Jason Hamilton1970’s

“Mrs.Strickland made a very positive impression on me, in showing how she cared about me. I was bored in class, and she bought me some workbooks to give me extra stuff to do. Even at eleven years old, I realized that she had spent her own money to help me in school.”

Kitty GibbsSecretary, 1971 - 1990

“I can’t remember a day I was not happy to go to work and spend time with the kids and school staff. I felt I had the best job in the building. . . The Lee School environment has changed considerably since I was employed there, but the goals are the same – educate the kids while making the classroom an inviting place to be.”

Anne Wilson Ferrell 1969-1975

“Mrs. Reed formed a ‘secret’ society called Knights of the Reading Table. It was a special activity within the classroom that anyone could participate in, but it meant you had to do a lot of extra reading, so not everyone was interested. She had a way of making the Knights seem magical through elaborate props, specially designed membership cards, exotic initiation ceremonies, and created an atmosphere where you felt really special being included.”

Rob LaZebnik 1970’s

“In fifth grade we had a mock presidential election. It was1972, and Richard Nixon was running for re-election against George McGovern. I was deeply disappointed that McGovern had dropped Missouri Senator Tom Eagleton as his running mate, but wanted him to win nonetheless. I’m pretty sure Nixon won the mock election, just as he did the real one.”

Tyson Horn1970’s

“I heard from Mrs. Frazier recently, and thought what a lucky man I was to still have contact with my 1st grade teacher after 28 years. Our principal, Dr. Schlimme, was one of the first people to welcome me back after I returned from Iraq during the 1st Gulf War in1991. I had not been inside Lee for many years, but it was as comforting to walk into his office at the age of 21, as it had been when I was 5 (even though there was the ominous paddle with the speed holes rumor).”

The 1980,s became the Me! Me! Me! generation of status

seekers.

The 80’s were mostly about making more money.

In 1980-88 Ronald Reagan was President.

1980: A Gathering of Days: A New England Girl's Journal, 1830-1832 by Joan W. Blos1981: Jacob Have I Loved by Katherine Paterson1982: A Visit to William Blake's Inn: Poems for Innocent andExperienced Travelers by Nancy Willard 1983: Dicey's Song by Cynthia Voigt1984: Dear Mr. Henshaw by Beverly Cleary

Eighties' mothers ran carpools after work. Kids had after school and weekend cheerleading, baseball, football, soccer, gym, dance, jazz, you name it! And what hair!!

Pop, rock, new wave, punk, country, and especially rap or hip hop became popular in the 80’s. Rap was new in the late 80’s  and 90’s.  It had started in prison 20 years earlier by jailed black inmates who, in the absence of instruments, turned poetic meter into musical rhythm.

Sweetarts, Skittles, Nerds, Runts

Sweetarts, Skittles, Nerds, Runts

• In 1981, VCR sales rose 72% in 12 months. By 1989, 60 percent of American households with televisions received cable service. 

• Cosby Show

• Cheers

• Roseanne

• A Different World

• America's Funniest Home Videos

• Golden Girls

• The Wonder Years

• Empty Nest

• 60 Minutes

• Unsolved Mysteries

Lauren Brooke Bishop1982-1987

“I remember towards the end of every school year, all of the classes would have competitions out in the playground. We did the three-legged race, potato sack race, and many others that I can’t remember very well now. I visit my grandparents every summer. I always have them take me by Lee School so I can see how much it has changed.”

Liz Gilles1983-1990

“The Drill Team! Mr. Ro was the playground supervisor. He started teaching kids to do different routines. We got pretty good and got to do some shows for people. Drill Team was fun, but I was never any good at it. I remember in the 5th grade my friends and I made a newspaper and passed it out to our friends at recess. We had a fashion column, a gossip column, and then games you could play. I still remember the first fashion advice that we gave.”

Karen RidgeTeacher: 1983 - 2002

“Lee School filled a huge chapter in my life which resulted in knowing some very unique people, enjoying special moments, and making memories for a lifetime.”

Andrew Gilles1984-1990

“I got into a fight with David Willis at recess and had to go to the principal’s office. I thought David and I would get suspended or even worse. Instead, Dr.Schlimme pulled me, David Willis, and our friends out of class one day a week for the rest of the year and we played basketball together in the gym. Now I know it seems like a very strange punishment…But Dr.Schlimme was a smart man. After a year of playing basketball together me and my enemy, David, had become good friends. I think that was Dr. Schlimme’s plan the whole time.”

“I still remember my first day of Kindergarten, and being afraid while walking up to the double glass doors that I wouldn’t get them open, or even worse, that I would get lost on the other side…I found myself alone standing on the sidewalk facing 1208 Locust Street, confronted by towering, overwhelming glass doors-one door mocking my small five-year-old hands, the other door protecting me from the labyrinth of dark hallways and multitude of older, smarter kids that my five-year-old brain envisioned were awaiting my entrance…I like to think a part of me still resides somewhere behind the doors of Lee School.”

Elise Kirk1983-1990

Jackie Stamper (1974-1988)Judy Denny (1989-1998)Teachers at Lee School

“My sister, Judy Denny and I, Jackie Stamper, are writing this letter to you jointly. We both taught school at Lee. I taught 6th grade there for 14 years, and my sister taught 4th grade for 9 years. During our years there, we saw and helped implement many new programs such as: The Annual Multicultural Night, Whole Language, Literature Groups, and finally, Emphasis on Visual Arts. There were many other successful projects implemented in Lee School, but we are just mentioning a few.”

Kate Boyd2001

“In November of 1998, when I was in Mrs. Hood’s class, a tornado destroyed my house. I lost everything. . . Not long after I returned to school, Mrs. Hood planned a surprise party for me at school. The party was called, ‘The Giving Tornado.’ Everyone in the class, including Mrs. Hood, brought gifts for me. The entire class brought in money to get me a huge stuffed animal. It meant so much to me that Mrs. Hood planned that party. I still have the stuffed animal. Every time I see it, I think of Mrs. Hood and my 3rd grade class.”

The 1990s and Beyond

• Lee School continues to inspire its graduates.

• Today’s students can look forward to the 150th Birthday!