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Theodore Roosevelt College & Career Academy
Theodore Roosevelt High School crest.PNG
Address
730 West 25th Avenue

Gary
,
Indiana
46407

United States
Coordinates 41°34′27″N 87°20′43″W / 41.5742°N 87.3454°W / 41.5742; -87.3454
Information
Type Charter school
Established 1921
Oversight EdisonLearning
Principal Joshua Batchelor Sr.
Faculty 27
Enrollment 602 (2013–14)
Color(s) Black and gold          
Athletics conference Northwestern Conference
Team name Panthers
Website
Theodore Roosevelt High School
Roosevelt High School, Gary.jpg
Eastern side
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Location 730 W. 25th Ave., Gary, Indiana
Area 18 acres (7.3 ha)
Built 1930 (1930), 1946, 1968-1971
Architect Ittner, William Butts; Wildermuth, Joseph E.
Architectural style Colonial Revival
MPS Indiana's Public Common and High Schools
NRHP reference No. 12001059
Added to NRHP December 19, 2012

Theodore Roosevelt College and Career Academy (TRCCA), also known as Gary Roosevelt, was a special kind of public school called a charter school. It was located in the city of Gary, Indiana, United States. The school closed in February 2020. This happened after many pipes burst during the winter of 2019, causing a lot of damage.

At the time it closed, the school was managed by a company called EdisonLearning. It had different sections: a senior and collegiate academy for grades 9–12, and a junior academy for grades 7–8. Before 2012, Roosevelt was part of the Gary Community School Corporation. However, the Indiana Department of Education took control because of low student performance. They hired EdisonLearning to run the school, and that's when it got its final name.

Roosevelt's sports teams were called the Panthers. Their school colors were black and gold. The school was part of the Indiana High School Athletic Association and competed in the Northwestern Conference.

The school's story began in 1908 with a small, one-room school for African American children in Gary. Later, portable classrooms were moved to a new spot and named the Roosevelt Annex. In 1925, the school started offering high school classes. In 1927, an event called the Emerson School Strike led the city to build a separate high school specifically for Black students. This new building was designed by architect William Butts Ittner and opened as Roosevelt High School in April 1931. It was named after former U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt. The first students graduated from the new high school in 1933.

Roosevelt High School was part of the "Gary System" of education, created by William Wirt. This system offered both job training and college preparation classes. It also included sports and other activities. The school building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in December 2012, recognizing its historical importance.

School History

Theodore Roosevelt High School was named after Theodore Roosevelt, who was the twenty-sixth President of the United States.

The very first school for African American children in Gary opened in 1908. It was a single room. At the same time, the city's school board decided to separate its public schools by race. Students from this school and another one were later moved to Frederick Froebel School.

As Gary's population grew after 1915, more African American students were moved to portable classrooms. These classrooms were relocated in 1921 to the spot where Roosevelt High School stands today. They were called the Roosevelt Annex. In 1925, the Annex began teaching high school subjects. The school became officially recognized in 1930, and its first high school class graduated that June.

The Emerson School Strike

Even though Gary had separate schools, some Black students were allowed into schools for white students if there was space. In September 1927, eighteen Black high school students were moved to Emerson School. Many white students at Emerson protested this by walking out of school. This event was called the Emerson School Strike.

The strike lasted four days. It ended when the city council agreed to provide money to build what would become Roosevelt High School. They also built a temporary school to help with overcrowding. The Black students from Emerson were moved to this temporary school. Gary's mayor, Floyd E. Williams, promised the African American community that the new high school would be just as good as other high schools in the city. It would also have qualified teachers.

This event led to more formal segregation laws in Gary. However, the "Gary System" of education, created by William Wirt, continued. This system was innovative because it offered both job training and college preparation. It also included extracurricular activities and sports. Many other school districts across the United States adopted this system.

Roosevelt was recognized by the North Central Association of Schools and Colleges in 1931. The first graduation ceremony in the new high school building took place in 1933. Thirty students graduated that year.

Changes and Closure

In 2012, the Indiana Department of Education took control of Roosevelt High School. This happened because the school's academic performance was not good enough. The state hired EdisonLearning, a company from Tennessee, to run the school for the next four years. EdisonLearning changed the school's name to Theodore Roosevelt College & Career Academy.

Roosevelt High School was the first and only school built just for the African-American community in Gary. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places on December 19, 2012.

Donna Henry was the principal from 2013 to 2018. Under her leadership, the school received its first "A" grade from the Indiana Department of Education. Joshua T. Batchelor was the last principal of Roosevelt. He worked hard to keep the school open. In January 2020, the State Board of Education decided not to continue their contract with EdisonLearning. EdisonLearning then decided not to operate the school after June 30, 2020. Soon after, Gary Community Schools announced that Theodore Roosevelt would close for good. Its students would then attend West Side Leadership Academy.

School Design

The school's campus has brick buildings that were built at different times. Before the main high school building was constructed in 1930, an east building was built in 1923 and a west building in 1926. More parts were added to the school in 1946 and between 1968 and 1971.

Architect William Butts Ittner designed the main high school building. It faces Twenty-fifth Avenue and is in the Colonial Revival style. Construction started in 1929 and finished in 1930. The school grounds had playground equipment, a track, and a football field.

The most noticeable part of the school is its brick entrance. It has columns and an arched window above the main doorway. The main building also has a tall cupola on top, which looks like the one on Independence Hall in Philadelphia. Inside, the school originally had special flooring, glazed ceramic blocks, and plastered walls. It included classrooms, an auditorium, and a gymnasium. The new Roosevelt High School building was officially opened in April 1931.

Famous Alumni

Many talented people attended Theodore Roosevelt College & Career Academy. Here are some of them:

See also

  • List of high schools in Indiana
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