ELWYN B. ROBINSON DEPARTMENT OF SPECIAL COLLECTIONS
CHESTER FRITZ LIBRARY
UNIVERSITY OF NORTH DAKOTA
GRAND FORKS, NORTH DAKOTA 58202

ST. JAMES HIGH SCHOOL RECORDS

COLLECTION: OGL #56

DATES: 1926-1969

SIZE: 10 linear feet

INTRODUCTION

ACQUISITION: The St. James High School Records were deposited in the Orin G. Libby Manuscript Collection. The acquisition records are unavailable.

ACCESS: Available for inspection under the rules and regulations of the Department of Special Collections.

HISTORICAL SKETCH

The Ursuline Sisters founded St. Bernard's Academy in 1885, with assistance from St. Michael's Catholic Church. Located at 1600 Fourth Avenue North, the Academy was a combined classroom and dormitory facility. Financial difficulties forced the Ursuline Sisters to sell the building, which was purchased by the Sisters of St. Joseph in 1914. The Sisters then opened St. James Academy, which stressed scholarship, music and the arts.

World War II halted efforts to renovate the building, as construction materials and labor where urgently needed for the war effort. Finally in 1956, after an aggressive, half-million dollar fund raising campaign, the new St. James High School was dedicated. The school had twelve classrooms as well as a large gymnasium/auditorium. Student enrollment at the time neared 400.

Construction of the new facility, however, did not end its financial concerns. Problems centered around the physical plant, originally constructed not long after the sale of St. Bernard's Academy in 1914. Recommendations to close St. James High School were received from both the local Catholic School Board, as well as the Diocesan Board. The final commencement ceremony for St. James High School occurred on May 25, 1969, after which the school was closed.

Sources: They Came to Stay: Grand Forks, North Dakota Centennial: 1874-1974. p. 66

Grand Forks: A Pictorial History (1986): p. 25, 35

Grand Forks Herald: 25 May 1969

SCOPE AND CONTENT NOTE

The St. James High School Records date from 1926-1969, and are divided into three series.

Series I consists of scrapbooks dating from 1927-1969. The scrapbooks primarily include newspaper clippings from the Grand Forks Herald, which outline news and events from St. James High School. The clippings regard the results of athletic contests, happenings at the school, and news of students and alumni. Due to their size, several scrapbooks were separated and placed on the shelves adjacent to the collection. See the Separations Record below for more details. Box 1 - Box 3

Series II contains several different student publications, dating 1926-1968. The publications include the Signet yearbook, a literary magazine entitled the Wild Rose, and the student newspaper Stella Matutina. Lives of the Seniors, by the Juniors, a collection of short biographical sketches of the Senior Classes of 1938 and 1939, is included as is Trumpet Royal, a general student magazine published in the 1960s. An undated "10:00 World History Class" also edited Our Changing Times, a collection of essays and editorials. Box 4 - Box 5

Series III includes miscellaneous photographs, letters and newspapers.

BOX AND FOLDER INVENTORY

Box 1
SERIES I: Scrapbooks
Volume

  1. Scrapbook: 1927-1932
  2. Scrapbook: 1932-1939
  3. Scrapbook: 1940-1944
  4. Scrapbook: 1940-1944
  5. Scrapbook: 1945-1946
  6. Scrapbook: 1947-1948
  7. Scrapbook: 1949-1950
  8. Scrapbook: 1951 (Minnesota History)

Box 2
Volume

  1. Scrapbook: 1953-1956
  2. Scrapbook: 1955-1956
  3. Scrapbook: 1954-1955
  4. Scrapbook: 1957
  5. Scrapbook: 1959-1960
  6. Scrapbook: 1943-1953

Box 3
Volume

  1. Scrapbook: 1960-1961
  2. Scrapbook: 1961-1962
  3. Scrapbook: 1962-1963
  4. Scrapbook: 1963-1964 (see Separations Record)
  5. Scrapbook: 1964-1965
  6. Scrapbook: 1965-1967 (See Separations Record)
  7. Scrapbook: 1967 (See Separations Record)
  8. Scrapbook: 1967-1968
  9. Scrapbook: 1968 (See Separations Record)
  10. Scrapbook: 1969 (See Separations Record)

Box 4
Folder
SERIES II: Student Publications

  1. Lives of the Seniors, by the Juniors, 1938, 1939,
  2. The Signet yearbook, 1948, 1949, 1954, Class of 51
  3. The Signet yearbook, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1958
  4. The Signet yearbook, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962
  5. The Signet yearbook, 1963, 1964, 1965
  6. The Signet yearbook, 1967, 1968, 1969
  7. Student publication Our Changing Times
  8. Student publication The Wild Rose, 1926-1927
  9. Student publication Trumpet Royal, v. 1, nos. 2, 3, b
  10. Student publication The Wild Rose, 1928

Box 5
Folder

  1. Student publication, Stella Matutina (Morning Star) 1940-1946 (broken series)
  2. Student publication, The Morning Star, 1947-1953 (broken series)
  3. Student publication, The Morning Star, 1954-1965 (broken series)
  4. Student publication, The Wild Rose, 1929-1932
  5. Student publication, The Wild Rose, 1926-1928 (bound)
  6. Student publication, The Wild Rose, 1928-1932 (bound)
  7. Student publication, The Wild Rose, 1930-1932 (bound)

Box 6
Folder
SERIES III: Miscellaneous

  1. Newspapers:The American Soldier Dec. 18, 1898, a newspaper from the Philippines; the Grand Forks Herald. v. 1, no. 1; misc, others
  2. Newspapers of World War I
  3. Newspapers of World War II
  4. Grand Forks Herald 75th Anniversary of the Founding of UND
  5. Dedication of St. Michael's Hospital, Oct. 26, 1952
  6. Grand Forks Herald: Jan. 1, 1958, and 75th Anniversary issue
  7. Grand Forks, North Dakota Charter and Ordinance (1908)
  8. Miscellaneous pamphlets
  9. St. James High School Dedication Program: March 11, 1956
  10. Plaque: "Matrix Plaque Presented to Best High School Publication Edited by a Woman. 1948 NIPA Contests Stella Matutina"
  11. Miscellaneous Programs and Newspaper Clippings

Volume

  1. PTA publicity Scrapbook, 1958-9
  2. PTA publicity Scrapbook, 1959-60

SEPARATIONS RECORD

Due to their size, nine bound volumes were placed on the shelves adjacent to the collection.

Volume 18: Scrapbook: 1963-1964
Volume 20: Scrapbook: 1965-1967
Volume 21: Scrapbook: 1967
Volume 23: Scrapbook: 1968
Volume 24: Scrapbook: 1969
Volume 25: Catholic Action News: June 1940 - February 1969
Volume 26: Bound copies of Stella Matutina: 1940-1941
Volume 27: PTA Publicity Scrapbook: 1956-57
Volume 28: PTA publicity Scrapbook, 1957-8

30 photographs and one folder of slides were separated and added to the Orin G. Libby Photograph Collection.

OGL#56-1 to OGL#56-16 Photo album of students of St. James High School by rooms, 1962
OGL#56-17 Minnie Trepanier, First Valedictorian
OGL#56-18 St. James Academy: undated
OGL#56-19 Commencement Ceremony: undated
OGL#56-20 Father Schiller, Bev Brown, Rita Keegan: 1955
OGL#56-21 Students
OGL#56-22 Sister M. Hubert, Librarian: undated
OGL#56-23 Library during Book Week
OGL#56-24 Library during Book Week
OGL#56-25 Library during Book Week
OGL#56-26 Library during Book Week
OGL#56-27 Unidentified Students and Teacher: undated
OGL#56-28 Sister Alice Veronica and unidentified nuns
OGL#56-29 Christmas scene, St. James High School
OGL#56-30 Unidentified nun and student

35mm. slides of St. James High School dedication, students and events

 Original Donation  First addition: 1958,1983
 Second addition: 1964  

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