Article by Jerry Callinan   Wilson Class of 1959                       The Story of Wilson High School                                                    Early Years In 1924, construction began on a new junior high school in St. Paul, to be located in the Midway area on the block bordered by Albert, Pascal, Lafond and Blair streets. The building was designed by Frank X. Teus, city architect, under the direction of L.R.S. Ferguson, State Commissioner of Education and S. O. Hartwell, School Superintendent.  That same year, on Feb. 23, 1924, Woodrow Wilson, 28th President of the United States, died at his home in Washington D. C. after a long illness. Wilson had served two terms as President, from March 4, 1913 to March 3, 1921. During his second term Wilson led the United States in World War I. Following the Armistice, Wilson traveled to Versailles to urge the Allied leaders to accept his Fourteen Point plan for peace, which included his call for a League of Nations. In 1920, Wilson was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts. However his peace plan, including the League of Nations, was rejected by the United States Congress.  Following Wilson's death, the St. Paul School Board decided to name the school being constructed as Woodrow Wilson Junior High School to honor his memory.  Wilson Junior High School opened in November 1925. The land cost $128,625 and the building, $360,977.96. Attendance the first year was 223 students. Mr. Arthur Gausemel, the first principal, served from 1925 to 1936. He was succeeded by Miss Mabel Colter as principal from 1936 to 1941. In February 1937 Wilson became a senior high school by adding the 10th grade, returning the seventh graders to elementary school. The other grades were added a half grade each term until they reached twelfth grade. Although the school was now called Wilson Senior High School, the inscription engraved high above the front doors remained Wilson Junior High School, which is the inscription yet today.  Under federal law any building named after a president can not be changed or the building defaced without the consent of the Secretary of the Interior or an Act of Congress. Therefore the building will always be called Wilson, regardless of the type of school located there.  The first issue of the school newspaper the Wilsonian was distributed on Nov. 1, 1937.  Copies of the Wilsonian, which are available on microfilm at the Minnesota History Center, were researched for most of this article's content.  For the first three years, the athletic teams from Wilson played what was termed a junior-senior schedule. In 1938, Wilson's initial homecoming included a dance on Friday and a football game on Saturday.  Ironically, the homecoming was a school celebration without any high school alumni. Students who had attended Wilson Junior High were invited back.  By 1940, Wilson had become a full size high school with classes ranging from 9 to 12.  Many of the teachers who later taught the Class of 1959 were already teaching at Wilson by 1940, including Miss Lola Fay, Miss Lucy Wells, Mr. Corliss Huntley, Miss Celia Bowen, Mr. Bill Fitzharris and Miss Mae Midje. In 1941, Wilson welcomed a new principal, Mr. Russell S. Peterson, who came from Roosevelt Junior High. Also hired that year were teachers Mr. Emmett (Doc) Raymond and Miss Gertrude Hartung.  In 1942, school enrollment reached a high of 1100 pupils, with classes being held in every available nook and cranny. Mr. Peterson later recalled how the journalism teacher, Mr. Hough, had to put his desk outside room 313 because the room was so crowded with students, there wasn't enough room for the teacher's desk. Traditions Since Wilson was a relatively new school, traditions had to be developed.  The first junior-senior proms were held in the school gymnasium. Sophomore boys could attend only if invited by senior girls and by paying a fee of 25 cents. No flowers were permitted.  One of the committees was called the Prom Dating Bureau, which was open after school until 3:30. The duty of the Dating Bureau was to find dates for all who desired them, so students who wanted to go to prom were urged to sign up.  Although Wilson High School players wore the colors red and white, the first teams did not have a nickname. Before 1940, the boys were called the Red and White or the Albert Street Gang. The name Pointers was suggested, deriving from President Wilson's Fourteen Points at the Versailles Peace Conference. The Cardinals was another early suggestion, drawn from the red of the school colors. In 1942, the Wilsonian referred to the basketball team as the Reds. Gradually the term Redmen came to be generally accepted, which seemed to refer only to the school colors.  In 1941, Wilson High School became a part of the St. Paul City Conference, along with the other smaller schools of Marshall, Monroe and Murray. These four schools joined up with Central, Johnson, Mechanic Arts, Humboldt, Washington and Harding to form the ten team St. Paul Conference. The conference would retain these ten teams until 1953 when Marshall closed as a senior high.  Since Wilson was one of the smaller schools in the St. Paul Conference, athletic success was difficult to achieve when competing with the larger St. Paul schools.  Wilson's first conference championship came in 1945 when the basketball team finished the season with a record of 8 wins and 1 loss in to claim the title.  One of the popular teachers in the early years of Wilson High School wasJerry Coleman, the physical education teacher and athletic director. Coleman had been a star athlete at St. Thomas College, where he played football, basketball and baseball and was the light heavyweight boxing champion for three consecutive years. Coleman coached basketball, baseball and gymnastics at Wilson. Sadly, the thirty-three year old Coleman died in a drowning accident in July of 1943 at Pattison Park Lake, just south of Superior, Wisconsin. Since that time, the Coleman Award has been presented each year to the top male athlete at Wilson in honor of Jerry Coleman.  World War II The outbreak of World War II had a great effect on the students and faculty of Wilson.  Student activity groups worked together to buy war bonds. The Wilson Student Council, under the advisory of Miss Lola Fay, sold U.S. Defense stamps. Several teachers, including Mr. Russell S. Peterson, Mr. William Carlson, Mr. Bill Fitzharris and Mr. Axel Kise began serving as evening instructors in the defense courses for Air Raid Wardens.  During the war, the yearbook titled The Log was reduced in size and a smaller version called “The Splinter” was issued.  The Wilsonian published a Wilson Hall of Fame Roster, listing all the names of former students fighting for their country. Special recognition was made for those who died in the war. Miss Ruth Hedman kept a record of service files of the former Wilson students who served in the Armed Forces. The Servicemen Honor list of Jan. 19, 1944, listed 370 members, including seven who had lost their lives. At the close of the war, 38 Wilson alumni did not return home. Hundreds of letters received during the war from former students serving in the war were later collected into four volumes in chronological order and presented to the Minnesota Historical Society as a gift from the school.  On Feb. 9th, 1944, Mr. Bill Fitzharris, social studies teacher and football and baseball coach, left his position at Wilson to serve in the United States Navy. Hired to temporarily replace him as teacher and coach was Mr. Martin Rossini. Two months after his induction into the Navy, Second Class Seaman Fitzharris returned on his ten-day leave and unexpectedly walked in to a school assembly where he was greeted by a loud standing ovation. Fitzharris later described this moment as “the biggest thrill of my life.” Following the war, Mr. Fitzharris returned to his position at Wilson in 1946.  The senior class of 1944 had several events hosted by their general chairman and master of ceremonies, a student named Dick Morrison. A few years later, Morrison returned to Wilson and taught both speech and theater. The graduation ceremonies for 1944 were held at the St. Paul Auditorium and featured a professor from Macalester College as the main speaker. His name was Hubert H. Humphrey.  Mr. Ole A. Nelson was hired as Assistant Principal in the fall of 1947. The first Assistant Principal was Mr. Lyle D. Koch who was appointed from 1940 to 1946. He was followed by Mr. William J. Scanlon, who held the position for the 1946-47 school year.  Two Wilson students of the later 1940's went on to attain some renown for their athletic endeavors. Joe Hutton Jr. played for Hamline College and then played professional basketball with the Minneapolis Lakers. Del Flanagan was a world class welterweight and middleweight boxer and became the second ranked welterweight boxer in the  world. Flanagan was admitted into the World Boxing Hall of Fame in 2002. The Fifties After a decline of enrollment numbers during the war years, attendance increased again. By 1950, Wilson's graduating class reached 241 students. The 1952 faculty roster listed several teachers hired to deal with these rising numbers: Mr. George DeLaitsch, Miss Eleanor Gallagher, Mr. Tom Jessen, Mr. Sol Mastbaum and Mr. Dick Morrison. By 1954, Mr. Paul Sokol, Mr. Bill Lorenz and Mr. John Wells had also joined the staff.  The 1950's brought more success to the Wilson athletic teams. The Redmen baseball teams won the conference title in 1954 and 1955 and the basketball teams won championships in 1956, 1957 and 1958.  Other titles came in tennis in 1953 and gymnastics in 1955. The Wilson swimming teams went undefeated in conference meets and won conference championships in 1954, 1955, 1956 and 1957.  In 1955, the school building was renovated with a new heating system and the coal room was changed into a band  and choir room. When the incoming freshman class of 1955 arrived, the students were greeted by a veteran staff of teachers under the direction of Principal Russell S. Peterson. The experienced Wilson faculty members were well prepared and eager to meet the challenge of the incoming class.  After four years of hard work and dedication, the 197 members of the Class of 1959 celebrated their graduation at the commencement ceremony held at the St. Paul Auditorium on Tuesday June 9, 1959. The red and white commencement program was almost an exact replica of the 1940 Class program for the ceremony held at the same location. Rev. A. Reuben Gornitzka, Pastor of Central Lutheran Church in Minneapolis, gave the commencement address on “The Importance of You”.  Principal Russell S. Peterson retired in 1959, having served 19 years at Wilson.  The Class of 1959 dedicated the yearbook to Mr. Peterson, in honor of his service to the school. After 1959 Wilson retained its high school status for only five more years. Mr. Ralph J. Engebretson succeeded Mr. Peterson and served as principal for three years. Former Assistant Principal William J. Scanlon returned to Wilson as the principal for the final two years of Wilson High School. In 1962, Wilson's basketball and football teams were St. Paul City Conference champions. This would be a final hurrah for Wilson's athletic teams. In the fall of 1964, Wilson returned once again to being Wilson Junior High School. Teachers and students were relocated to other schools in the city, many transferring to Central or the new Highland Park High School. Since that time Wilson has undergone several transformations. Wilson was a junior high from 1964 to 1980. In 1981 the building was used for students from K to 8 in the Benjamin Mays Fundamental School. The Benjamin Mays program continued until 1991 when it was moved to the Rondo Education Center. In 1992, the school was called the Expo for Excellence Middle School. Enrollment was limited to 540 students for grades 6,7, and 8. This middle school occupied Wilson for 11 years, from 1992 to 2003.  In 2004 Wilson once again became a four-year high school, called Wilson LEAP International Academy, under the leadership of Principal Rose Santos. LEAP stands for Limited English Achievement Program. The academy serves about 380 students who are immigrants to the United States and have a limited understanding of the English language. The program focuses not only on the teaching of English but also teaches core subjects so that students can earn their high school diploma.  The students, who range in age from 14 to 21, are a very diverse group from different ethnic backgrounds. They speak a combined total of eleven different languages. At first they seem to be vastly different from the Wilson High School students from a half century ago. However the school janitor, Greg Chandler, recently commented, “The students here are really nice young people. They love their school and take great pride in it.” Perhaps the school has not changed that much after all!    By Jerry Callinan Wilson Class of 1959  Oct. 2008

                                        More History

Article by Dick Morrison teacher/educator

     Between 1900 and 1920 the Midway area quickly filled with many single family
dwellings. Within the short period of 20 years an important neighborhood community
had been created. There were a number of grade schools and a high school, Central,
serving the area. However, a Junior High School seemed to be what was
needed. Construction of Wilson Junior High began in 1924 and was completed by
the time the school year begin in 1925 with a capacity of 875 students and at a
cost of $360,091.96.

     By 1938, demographic studies indicated the need for a second high school in he
area. Also, the 6 year elementary, 3 year junior High, 3 year senior high system
had lost popularity in many educational circles. When Wilson opened the doors
for a 1938 school year, it was as Wilson High School, with a 4 year program.
The first four-year-only class began in 1940 and graduated in 1944.

     A ten year study proposed that the building should return to a Junior High by
1953-54 but was shelved until 1955 at which time over a hundred thousand dollars
was spent on remodeling the building. Heating systems were updated, a
band/choir room as created out of the old coal room, new gym, locker and
shower areas were created, among a general face-list.

    Wilson continued as a high school until 1964 when it was returned to a
Junior high. Reconstruction and repair began again with many new rooms,
reference areas, study areas, and meeting rooms begin created with the
confines of the original structure. Many rooms were subdivided, the auditorium
was changed into three classrooms and a meeting area, some windows were
bricked in, doors with windows were replaced by solid doors, and the
playground was made smaller to accommodate off-street parking.

     By the 1970s, it was proposed that Wilson had probably outlived its usefulness
and should be condemned, perhaps even demolished and a new type of
community building could be constructed in is place. Once this became
public knowledge, a number of civic-minded groups and deeply concerned
neighbors became involved in dialogues with the School Board of St. Paul
Public Schools urging that the school building had many good years left
and, with some minor repairs, could continue its usefulness as a school building.

     In 1981, a new type of school using an old and more traditional approach to
education was opened-the Benjamin E. Mays Fundamental School, serving
a voluntary membership of students kindergarten through 8th grade.

    The focus of the school was on academic rigor, homework, discipline, dress code,
and correct speech. In June of 1991, the Benjamin E. Mays program moved
to another building and another innovative educational program, Expo
for Excellence Middle School, which was built around the Howard
Gardner Theory of thematic grouping of students in a magnet school-like
setting, made its home in the Wilson building. Both Benjamin E. Mays and
Expo Middle were St. Paul Public Schools.

     ADDENDUM TO WILSON'S HISTORY: Wilson remained Expo Middle school
from 1994 until the beginning of the 2000 school year when Principal Rudy Ross
embarked upon a one-man campaign to have the name of the school changed
back to Wilson. In April 2003, it was announced that Wilson would once again
undergo a change by dropping its Middle School title and come full-circle back
to being a Junior High. In addition to serving approximately 179 seventh and eighth
graders, beginning the 2003-2004 school year, Wilson will house the LEAP
English Academy, a 450 student program that serves recent immigrants.
LEAP students are in their late teens to mid-20s and because of the age span
of students in the building, the two programs use different passing times
and have different lunch periods. In spite of Wilson's recent challenges,
the St. Paul School Board recently approved a $2.8 million remodeling
project that will create a media center out of the old gym and a new
modern gym will be added.
     The Class of 1961 will always be a proud part of the history of this
unique and interesting school called WILSON!

(The above history was written in 1994 by Dick Morrison, and "moderately edited" by
Terri Wallace Ellisen. Mr. Morrison was a member of the first graduating class
(1944) of Wilson High School, who returned to Wilson as a teacher to many of us,
and who joined us for our April 2003 Class of 1961 Reunion.)