How The Traditions Began

In the beginning there was an idea, a complex plan took form. But that was not the end. From the plan evolved the creation of the Roy J. Wasson High School. Over three and a quarter million dollars and two years of work were not enough, however, to fully create a school. Students were needed, and they came and they built traditions. From the Wahian, Vol 1, 1960

The year was 1948. These were the years that followed the Great War and many of those returning fighting men and women would make Colorado Springs their home. It was the start of a decade that saw great expansion along the Colorado front range. Districts including Fountain Valley schools and the Cheyenne school, serving the children of the Broadmoor dating back to shortly after the establishment of the Fountain Colony, were expanding to meet a new level of expected enrollment.

Fountain Valley would create the Fountain Fort Carson High School. The Broadmoor School would see the population of their new Cheyenne Mountain School district swell from 359 students in 1946 to over 1500 in 1958, opening the new Cheyenne Mountain High School in 1962. A new high school to serve the children of the Air Force community would be built and open in 1956 on the grounds of the recently opened United States Air Force Academy. The town of Widefield would open a new high school in 1958.

A new Superintendent had recently taken the reigns for Colorado Springs School District Eleven. Dr. Roy J. Wasson assumed the role as Superintendent in 1942. After arriving in the Pikes Peak region during the early 1920, Dr. Wasson, a Cornell University trained educator, began his service to District Eleven as a classroom teacher at North Junior High.

Through the principle of hard work he moved through the ranks to serve as a principal, director of instruction and finally as the superintendent of schools. His intelligence, training, wisdom and foresight served the district exceptionally for nearly 40 years, the final twenty one as superintendent.

The challenge facing the new superintendent in the decade from 1948 until 1959 was to navigate the district through the growth. This included planning and opening schools in time to meet enrollment needs and yet stay within the fiscal restraint of the district's budget. The decade would see total enrollment grow from 9,000 in 1951 to over 20,000 by 1961, outpacing the growth of the previous 80 years and more than doubling the district's student population.

Rather than wait until a need arose Dr. Wasson and his team compiled a plan that would include buildings for all levels of instruction from elementary through high school. Noting that the new high school would be needed by 1959. During the time frame between 1948 and 1958, fourteen new elementary schools were constructed along with two new junior high buildings. The district would begin budgetary planning in 1955 and 1956 for monies needed for land acquisition.

In November of 1956 Colorado Springs School District Eleven, under the leadership of Dr. Roy J. Wasson, would purchase land of the legal description: Block # 2, Highland Village # 1 subdivision, with the apropos nickname, “The Bird Farm”. The new high school plant, originally referred to as the Northeast High School, would see the bond money approved by the citizens of Colorado Springs on December 10th, 1956.

The District and the City of Colorado Springs began negotiations February 13, 1957 on a parcel of land North of Constitution Ave. between Circle Dr. and Glen Summer Rd. that became Wasson Park. The drawings by Architects Edward L. Bunts and F. Lamar Kelsey were approved on April 29th, 1957. Ten months later, on March 1st, 1958, construction would begin with a scheduled completion date of August 15th, 1959.

During the Board of Education regular meeting of November 13, 1958 the board after finishing it business was read a report on the renaming of two facilities and the search for a name for the new high school. The report including renaming the Palmer school (which was an elementary) to Queen Palmer. The new name for Colorado Springs High School would be William Jackson Palmer High School. Continuing the report the committee chairman said the new high school will honor a man whose steady handed leadership and superior vision for the education of all children, Roy J. Wasson!

Dr. Wasson, caught by surprise, dropped his face into his hands as the room full of people errupted in thunderous applause. The Board of Education had voted unanimously to honor the sitting superintendent by naming the district’s newest building in his honor.

On November 29, 1959, after construction had been completed earlier that month, Mr. William H. “Brick” Preston presided over the dedication ceremony for the school he had been chosen to lead as principal. The festivities included a concert by the Roy J. Wasson High School band, under the direction of Mr. G.E. Jackson; invocation by Reverend Hurley Begun, D.D.; and vocal selections by the Roy J. Wasson Choristers, directed by Mr. Charles A. Meeker.

The dedication address was delivered by Mr. Wilber S. Marshall, President of the Board of Education, and was followed by remarks from Mr. F. Lamar Kelsey, Mr. W. Don Weidner, President Wasson PTA and Mr. Douglas Johnson, student and member of the Wasson High School Student council.

The heartfelt response by Dr. Wasson thanked those who had worked with him, as teachers and administrators during his time of educational service. He also thanked his wife it gives me extraordinary satisfaction to especially mention my wife, the other member of the Wasson partnership, who is being honored too on this occasion.

The following is a passage from his talk that day to the student body.

“To the students of Wasson High School, both those of the present and of the future, I am proud to have my name associated with your school. I trust you may find some of the joy and satisfaction in work that I have always found. It is a great blessing. But what reputation Wasson High School earns in the future can in no way be assured by its name, even if it were the most illustrious name in history.

The opportunity is yours to create a tradition and make a reputation for your school; it is yours to write on the blank pages of the future. May I say that I think that the students this year are making a fine start and showing a fine spirit under the guidance of a wise and capable principal and faculty and such an example will make it easier for classes of the future to follow successfully.

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