Theodore Roosevelt College and Career Academy facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Theodore Roosevelt College & Career Academy |
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730 West 25th Avenue
, 46407
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| Coordinates | 41°34′27″N 87°20′43″W / 41.5742°N 87.3454°W |
| 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 | |
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Theodore Roosevelt High School
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Eastern side
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| Location | 730 W. 25th Ave., Gary, Indiana |
| Area | 18 acres (7.3 ha) |
| Built | 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) was a special school in Gary, Indiana. It was also known as Theodore Roosevelt High School or Gary Roosevelt. This school was a charter school, which means it was run by a private group but still received public money.
In February 2020, the school had to close. This happened because some pipes burst during the winter of 2019. The repairs were too expensive. At that time, a company called EdisonLearning managed the school. It had different sections for grades 7-12. Before 2012, Roosevelt was part of the Gary Community School Corporation. However, the state took over because of low test scores. EdisonLearning then started running the school and gave it its final name. The school's sports teams were called the Panthers, and their colors were black and gold.
The school's story began in 1908. A small, one-room school opened for African American children in Gary. Later, in 1927, a protest at Emerson School led to the city building a separate high school for Black students. This new building was designed by architect William Butts Ittner. It opened in 1931 and was named after former U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt. The school was part of the "Gary System" of education. This system offered both job training and college preparation. The school building became a historic landmark in 2012.
Contents
History of Roosevelt School
Theodore Roosevelt High School got its name from Theodore Roosevelt, who was the twenty-sixth President of the United States.
Early Beginnings
The very first school for African American children in Gary opened in 1908. It was a single room on Twelfth Avenue. This was the same year that Gary's school board decided to separate schools by race. Later, students from this school and another one moved to Frederick Froebel School.
As Gary's population grew, more schools were needed. In 1921, some portable classrooms were moved to the spot where Roosevelt High School would later stand. These classrooms were called the Roosevelt Annex. In 1925, the Annex started offering high school classes.
The Emerson School Protest
Even though schools were mostly separate, some Black students could attend 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 agreed to build a new high school just for Black students. This new school became Roosevelt High School. The city's mayor promised that the new school would be just as good as other high schools. This event led to more formal separation of schools in Gary.
The Gary System of Education
The Gary System was a new way of teaching developed by William Wirt, the city's first Superintendent of Schools. This system was special because it offered both training for jobs and classes to get ready for college. It also included sports and other activities. This idea was very new and influenced how schools developed across the United States. Roosevelt High School was an important part of this system.
School Leadership and Changes
Roosevelt High School was recognized by the North Central Association of Schools and Colleges in 1931. The first high school graduation ceremony in the new building happened in 1933.
Over the years, many principals led Roosevelt High School. H. Theo Tatum became principal in 1933 and served for a long time until 1961. Robert E. Jones was principal from 1970 to 1990. The last principal was Joshua T. Batchelor. He worked hard to keep the school open.
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, to run the school. EdisonLearning changed the school's name to Theodore Roosevelt College & Career Academy.
Roosevelt High School was the first and only school built only for the African American community in Gary. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in December 2012.
School Closure
Donna Henry was principal from 2013 to 2018. Under her leadership, the school earned its first "A" grade from the Indiana Department of Education.
In January 2020, the state decided not to continue its contract with EdisonLearning. EdisonLearning and Gary Community Schools could not agree on how to keep the school running. So, EdisonLearning decided to stop operating the school. Soon after, Gary Community Schools announced that Theodore Roosevelt would close for good. Students were then moved to West Side Leadership Academy.
School Design and Building
The school's campus has brick buildings that were built at different times. Before the main high school building was finished 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 from 1968 to 1971.
William Butts Ittner, an architect, designed the main high school building. It was built in the Colonial Revival style. Construction started in 1929 and finished in 1930. The building has a special entrance with columns and a balcony look. The top of the main building has a tall cupola, like the one on Independence Hall in Philadelphia. Inside, the school had classrooms, an auditorium, and a gym. The new Roosevelt High School building was officially opened in April 1931.
Famous People Who Went to Roosevelt
Many talented people attended Theodore Roosevelt High School. Here are some of them:
- Charles Adkins - An Olympic gold medal-winning boxer.
- Dick Barnett - A basketball player who won two NBA championships with the New York Knicks.
- Avery Brooks - A well-known actor and musician.
- Lee Calhoun - An Olympic gold medal winner in hurdles.
- Winston Garland - An NBA basketball player.
- Jackie Jackson - A member of the famous music group The Jackson 5.
- Rebbie Jackson - A singer and older sister of Michael Jackson.
- Tito Jackson - A singer and guitarist, also an original member of The Jackson 5.
- Wallace Johnson - An MLB baseball player.
- William Marshall - An actor, director, and opera singer.
- Willie McCarter - A basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers.
- Lloyd McClendon - A former MLB baseball player and manager.
- Glenn Robinson - An NBA basketball player.
- The Spaniels - A famous music group.
- George Taliaferro - An All-American football player and NFL Pro Bowler.
See also
- List of high schools in Indiana
