Vera Kelsey

  • The historian of the class of 1909 was Vera Kelsey, who was to write many books on Latin American countries, British Columbia, murder mysteries and Red River Flows North. Her class history described a wonderful heroic ride and wiener roast, and the great Eclectic-Minerva debate. The whole high school adventure she called a railroad trip, concluding, "At last we came out on the broad straight track to Commencement City, which gleamed in the distance. Then with a final spurt, we steamed into the station, and forty-one happy seniors alighted."


    The next class staged a rebellion. The seniors determined to extend their Christmas vacation by a half-day, signed a covenant to that effect, and stayed away from school the last afternoon before the scheduled holiday. "Everything worked out as planned, with the exception of the special exercises, held on the first Saturday morning after vacation, in which all offenders took part."