The Seattle School District purchased property for “Northeast High School” in 1917.  Because of World War I, construction did not start until 1921, but the School Board had changed the name to Roosevelt High School, in honor of President Theodore Roosevelt.

 

When the school opened in 1922, with almost 1,300 students – and many folks had wondered who would go to high school, way out in the sticks!  The school , under Principal V. K. Froula, was dedicated  on Teddy Roosevelt’s birthday, October 27, 1922.

 

The students took the name “Rough Riders”, after the volunteers that Teddy Roosevelt had led in the Spanish American War, 24 years earlier.  Roosevelt’s Oyster Bay Estate in New York was the source for black walnut trees planted in front of the school.  To this day, students are often called “Teddies”.

 

The nearby business soon took the Roosevelt name for the chamber of commerce, but it wasn’t until 1934, when President Franklin D Roosevelt came to Seattle, and dedicated the new University Bridge, that 10 Avenue Northeast was named Roosevelt Way.

 

By 1927, Roosevelt’s enrollment had grown to almost 2,000, in a building designed for less than 1,500.  A north wing, to accommodate an additional 450 students opened in 1928.  When V. K. Froula died, in 1938, enrollment had reached 2,500.  The Froula Organ was installed in the 1,500 seat auditorium, in his honor.

 

Enrollment continued to increase and wooden portables were added to provide for the 2,700 student body.  In 1960, a new gymnasium was added, southwest of the 1922 building.  In 1965 some portables were removed and a two story building, connected to the 1922 building by a skybridge, was added to house a cafeteria and large kitchen on the upper floor and shops and art classrooms on the ground floor.  For some years, the kitchen served as the central kitchen for preparing meals for all northend schools, much to the displeasure of our neighbors on 68th, who had to suffer from all the early morning deliveries of groceries to the kitchen and later deliveries from the kitchen to all the other schools.

 

In early 2002 a School Design Team was formed to design a budgeted 84 million dollar renovation of the school.  Several of our RNA members, and two neighbors on 68th participated in the School Design Team. The fruits of the design teams efforts are what you see nearing completion today.  In addition to the buildings that you can clearly see, there will be parking for 172 cars on the northwest corner of the campus and there will be an artificial turf football/soccer/la crosse field, surrounded by a four lane quarter mile track, with two additional sprint lanes. See photos of the renovation.

 

In September 2006 the students, faculty and staff returned for the start of the new school year.  Ribbon cutting occurred August 30, (read about it here) and an open house is planned for September 30 from 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM.

 

Distinguished Roosevelt High alumni include Dan Evans, our former three term governor and United States Senator, former King County Executive Randy Revelle and former Mayor Dorm Braman and many state legislators and county council members.

 

For current information see Seattle Schools - Roosevelt High School.