Ckemawa History
On February 25, 1880, Lieutenant
M. C. Wilkinson, as superintendent,
began the school for Indian youth ot
the Northwest at Forest Grove, Ore
gon. The school was located on a
four acre tract belonging to Pacific
university. After five years the In
dian school had outgrown its quar
ters at Forest Grove and was moved
to its present location at Chemawa.
The first commencement for the
Indian school now located at Che-
ma.va was held in the late spring of
1886. The graduating class had com
pleted a curriculum equivalent to
th j present sixth grade. By 1888, an
additional two years had been added
and the first eighth grade graduates
received their diplomas. A few years
later two more years had been
added and classes were graduated
from the tenth grade until 1924. A*
this time a full four-year high school
course was approved. In 1927, Salem
Indian school, as it was then known,
graduated its first high school class.
The school has grown from the tiny
campus with two or three frame
buildings built by older students, to
the present school of over four hun
dred acres which includes a spacious
campus with its stately fir and
spreading maple trees, dotted with
its modern brick and frame build
ings, housing the various phases of
the educational program. The en
rollment has grown from the original
eighteen students to the present en
rollment of slightly over five hundred.
Chemawa, now in its sixty-ninth
year, has had twenty-one superin
tendents, serving for various periods
of time varying from three months
to ten years. In 1894 two superin-
tencents each served for three
months but, up to date, the honor
of holding the longest term, 1916 to
1926, goes to Mr. Harwood Hall. It
is noteworthy that a former superin
tendent of Carlisle Indian school, Mr.
O. H. Lipps, administered Chemawa's
educational program from 1927 to
1931. Mr. Russell M. Kelley, the twen
ty-first superintendent, is at the
present time directing the well-bal
anced program of vocational and
academic training provided for the
Indian boys and girls at Chemawa.
Published during the school year by
Chemawa Indian School. Address all
communications to the Chemawa American,
Chemawa, Oregon. Published in accord
ance with the Interior Department Appro
priation Act, 1940, approved May 10, 1939.
Subscription 50c a year.
Russell M. Kelley, Superintendent
Miss Beatrice Morse, Journalism Sponsor
Allan Shepard, Printing Instructor
COMMENCEMENT
NUMBER
HJ£
ßWMWi) OHIJßiHl
MAY • 1949
Contents
Chemawa History...........................................................................
Superintendent's Message ............................................................
Valedictory ......................................................................................
Individual Achievements ..............................................................
Salutatory ................................
Class Prophecy ..........................................................
Class History .............................................................................
Class Will ..............................................................
.. . .
Bird's-eye View of Forty-Niners....................................................
Junio-s ...........................................................................................
Sophomores ....................................................................................
Freshmen ...............................................
Seventh and Eighth Grades.................................
Grade School Scenes..................................................................
Navajo Students ............................
Commencement ...............................................................................
General Activities...........................................................................
McNary Self-Government .............................................................
Athletics and Intra-mural...............................................................
Vocational Shop Activities.............................................................
Down on the Farm....................
Campus News .................................................................................
Home Economics.............................................................................
Campus News .................................................................................
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