A Chronology of Sheldon Jackson School and College: The High School
Sheldon Jackson was a grade school only, then in 1917 became a High School, which lasted until 1967.
After the 1920s the younger grades move to Haines House, an orphanage at Haines, Alaska. Students came to Sitka for 5th grade and up. 7th and 8th grades were phased out in the 1940s. A few non-Native children from other communities also attended Sheldon Jackson. Until 1949, Native students could not attend Sitka High School, so if they wanted secondary education they had to go south, or to Wrangell Institute (the high school moved to Sitka in 1946, and became Mt. Edgecumbe High School), or to Sheldon Jackson.
All Native education in Alaska, whether day schools or boarding schools, was premised on the belief that Native culture, language and identiy were incompatible with Western education, with success or even survival. The goal, which officials and teachers believed was helping Native people, was to wipe away every vestige of Native identity. This was part of a larger philosophy of separating Indigenous people from their lands. We know now that culture and language are not barriers to success, and that individuals whose culture, history and language are valued, and who have strong family and community relationships, thrive.
In 1926 Tillie Paul Manor (infirmary) was built. In 1928 Houk House was built, to replace the Lottie Hapsgood Practice House, which had burned down. These were purpose built for training girls in domestic skills, which remained part of the program into the 1950s. Older girls would spend a term living in the house and practicing house keeping. From 1913 they had used North Cottage as a practice cottage.17
In 1928 Les Yaw became Superintendent; in 1929 the Sage Building was constructed, to replace the Shepherd Building for vocational training. In 1934 a gymnasium was built, north of Allen Hall. In 1936 the Native and White Presbyterian churches reunited (the white church had split off from the original, integrated, church in 1889). The white church was near the blockhouse and the Pioneer Home, down town. It was later called the Tower Apartments because of its steeple.
In 1934-35 the high school had 71 students, and the grade school had 55.18
In 1936-37 the seiner SJS was built by Peter Simpson and crew at his shop at the Cottages; a commercial fishing boat owned by school, it was used to generate income, for fishing and hunting for the school, as a mission boat, and to take students to and from their homes in SE Alaska.
In 1941 Princeton Hall was built, by students, school staff, and professional boatbuilders including George Howard and Andrew Hope. She was built at the shop of George and David Howard, the brothers of Hope's wife Tillie (Howard) Hope. David Howard and Andrew Hope were both graduates of the school. The shop was located next to the current Seafood Producers Coop plant at the north end of the Village. The shop, which was new at the time, had to be extended several feet to accommodate the 63-foot Princeton Hall.
Launched just days before Pearl Harbor, the Princeton Hall and the seiner SJS were requisitioned by the U.S. Navy. The Navy painted the Princeton Hall gray, and mounted a machine gun on the deck. The skipper of the SJS, Dick Nelson, enlisted in the Navy.
The Princeton Hall, a beautiful and seaworthy yacht, was a mission boat. She transported students, and missionaries, to villages, camps, canneries, mines and other settlements.
With the loss of the SJS, Andrew Hope builts the seiner SJS II for the school, launching her in 1943.
Music and musicals were a big part of campus life. In 1947 the Sheldon Jackson High School choir, under the direction of Geraldine Beam, was invited to perform at the Presbyterian General Assembly in Seattle. The choir made the trip on the school boats Princeton Hall and SJS II.
In 1942, the first students stayed on for junior college work; the Junior College officially began in 1944.
In 1946 Mt. Edgecumbe High School, a BIA (Bureau of Indian Affairs) boarding school, opened in the former Naval Air Station buildings on Japonski Island.
In the early 1950s Tillie Paul Manor (Sheldon Jackson infirmary) was used by the community of Sitka as its hospital until Sitka’s community hospital was completed; many Baby Boomer Sitkans were born there: from 1949-51, a total of 116 babies.
In January of 1952 the college’s first president, Les Yaw, was dismissed. At that time, the Sheldon Jackson School and all of the Alaska churches and missions were controlled by the Board of National Missions in New York City, and their Board of Christian Education, in Philadelphia; the Alaska missionaries had little say. Dismissal of Yaw may have been because the Board of Education wanted a more academic focus. It could also have been a case of personality conflict. The person who made the decision, the head of the Presbyterian Board of Christian Education, Katherine Gladfelter, held that position from 1949 to 1960. The dismissal was divisive for the campus community. Alumni and leaders, including Governor Gruening, wrote letters to the board of Home Missions urging his retention.
In the late 1940s through the 60s Sitka schools fielded some great basketball teams, and games were a big part of Sitka life, with intense rivalries among the three high schools, as well as city league and regional teams. In 1949 Sitka's ANB team (starring SJ alumni) won the regional Juneau Lions Club Gold Medal Tournament.
In January of 1952 Roland B. Wurster becomes president; in 1955 the Yaw Building (library and classrooms) was completed. In July of 1956 R. Rolland “Army” Armstrong became Sheldon Jackson's 3rd president.
In 1958 Condit Hall was built as women's college dorm (Condit was later torn down to make way for the Sweetland Hall.)
In 1959 Sheldon Jackson Junior College was 2/3 Native, 1/3 white; the High School was ¾ Native, ¼ white. In 1961 the school had 37 full time college students.
The next major transition occurred in 1966, when Sheldon Jackson Junior College was accredited. In July, Dr. Orin Stratton became president. His model for Sheldon Jackson was Whitworth College, a Presbyterian school in Washington.
In 1966 the Rasmuson Building was built, as the Student Union and cafeteria, also known as the A-frame. In 1965 Kellogg Hall opened as a dorm for women. Later it became Volunteers In Mission apartments.
In 1967 the last high school class graduated.
17Armstrong, 98.
18Lottie E. Stevenson, “History of Sheldon Jackson High School” The Verstovian Vol. 21, No. 7, April-May 1935, in Armstrong, 66 .
After the 1920s the younger grades move to Haines House, an orphanage at Haines, Alaska. Students came to Sitka for 5th grade and up. 7th and 8th grades were phased out in the 1940s. A few non-Native children from other communities also attended Sheldon Jackson. Until 1949, Native students could not attend Sitka High School, so if they wanted secondary education they had to go south, or to Wrangell Institute (the high school moved to Sitka in 1946, and became Mt. Edgecumbe High School), or to Sheldon Jackson.
All Native education in Alaska, whether day schools or boarding schools, was premised on the belief that Native culture, language and identiy were incompatible with Western education, with success or even survival. The goal, which officials and teachers believed was helping Native people, was to wipe away every vestige of Native identity. This was part of a larger philosophy of separating Indigenous people from their lands. We know now that culture and language are not barriers to success, and that individuals whose culture, history and language are valued, and who have strong family and community relationships, thrive.
In 1926 Tillie Paul Manor (infirmary) was built. In 1928 Houk House was built, to replace the Lottie Hapsgood Practice House, which had burned down. These were purpose built for training girls in domestic skills, which remained part of the program into the 1950s. Older girls would spend a term living in the house and practicing house keeping. From 1913 they had used North Cottage as a practice cottage.17
In 1928 Les Yaw became Superintendent; in 1929 the Sage Building was constructed, to replace the Shepherd Building for vocational training. In 1934 a gymnasium was built, north of Allen Hall. In 1936 the Native and White Presbyterian churches reunited (the white church had split off from the original, integrated, church in 1889). The white church was near the blockhouse and the Pioneer Home, down town. It was later called the Tower Apartments because of its steeple.
In 1934-35 the high school had 71 students, and the grade school had 55.18
In 1936-37 the seiner SJS was built by Peter Simpson and crew at his shop at the Cottages; a commercial fishing boat owned by school, it was used to generate income, for fishing and hunting for the school, as a mission boat, and to take students to and from their homes in SE Alaska.
In 1941 Princeton Hall was built, by students, school staff, and professional boatbuilders including George Howard and Andrew Hope. She was built at the shop of George and David Howard, the brothers of Hope's wife Tillie (Howard) Hope. David Howard and Andrew Hope were both graduates of the school. The shop was located next to the current Seafood Producers Coop plant at the north end of the Village. The shop, which was new at the time, had to be extended several feet to accommodate the 63-foot Princeton Hall.
Launched just days before Pearl Harbor, the Princeton Hall and the seiner SJS were requisitioned by the U.S. Navy. The Navy painted the Princeton Hall gray, and mounted a machine gun on the deck. The skipper of the SJS, Dick Nelson, enlisted in the Navy.
The Princeton Hall, a beautiful and seaworthy yacht, was a mission boat. She transported students, and missionaries, to villages, camps, canneries, mines and other settlements.
With the loss of the SJS, Andrew Hope builts the seiner SJS II for the school, launching her in 1943.
Music and musicals were a big part of campus life. In 1947 the Sheldon Jackson High School choir, under the direction of Geraldine Beam, was invited to perform at the Presbyterian General Assembly in Seattle. The choir made the trip on the school boats Princeton Hall and SJS II.
In 1942, the first students stayed on for junior college work; the Junior College officially began in 1944.
In 1946 Mt. Edgecumbe High School, a BIA (Bureau of Indian Affairs) boarding school, opened in the former Naval Air Station buildings on Japonski Island.
In the early 1950s Tillie Paul Manor (Sheldon Jackson infirmary) was used by the community of Sitka as its hospital until Sitka’s community hospital was completed; many Baby Boomer Sitkans were born there: from 1949-51, a total of 116 babies.
In January of 1952 the college’s first president, Les Yaw, was dismissed. At that time, the Sheldon Jackson School and all of the Alaska churches and missions were controlled by the Board of National Missions in New York City, and their Board of Christian Education, in Philadelphia; the Alaska missionaries had little say. Dismissal of Yaw may have been because the Board of Education wanted a more academic focus. It could also have been a case of personality conflict. The person who made the decision, the head of the Presbyterian Board of Christian Education, Katherine Gladfelter, held that position from 1949 to 1960. The dismissal was divisive for the campus community. Alumni and leaders, including Governor Gruening, wrote letters to the board of Home Missions urging his retention.
In the late 1940s through the 60s Sitka schools fielded some great basketball teams, and games were a big part of Sitka life, with intense rivalries among the three high schools, as well as city league and regional teams. In 1949 Sitka's ANB team (starring SJ alumni) won the regional Juneau Lions Club Gold Medal Tournament.
In January of 1952 Roland B. Wurster becomes president; in 1955 the Yaw Building (library and classrooms) was completed. In July of 1956 R. Rolland “Army” Armstrong became Sheldon Jackson's 3rd president.
In 1958 Condit Hall was built as women's college dorm (Condit was later torn down to make way for the Sweetland Hall.)
In 1959 Sheldon Jackson Junior College was 2/3 Native, 1/3 white; the High School was ¾ Native, ¼ white. In 1961 the school had 37 full time college students.
The next major transition occurred in 1966, when Sheldon Jackson Junior College was accredited. In July, Dr. Orin Stratton became president. His model for Sheldon Jackson was Whitworth College, a Presbyterian school in Washington.
In 1966 the Rasmuson Building was built, as the Student Union and cafeteria, also known as the A-frame. In 1965 Kellogg Hall opened as a dorm for women. Later it became Volunteers In Mission apartments.
In 1967 the last high school class graduated.
17Armstrong, 98.
18Lottie E. Stevenson, “History of Sheldon Jackson High School” The Verstovian Vol. 21, No. 7, April-May 1935, in Armstrong, 66 .
