History of the SCC Foundation
by Paula Fitch, Trustee
In 1938 the South High housed the 9th through 12th grades and the North High housed the 7th through 8th grades. Yet the North High was still not big enough, so another wing was added to the building that extended to the east. In the 1940s the North High extended classes from 7th to 10th grades until 1946 when things flipped and the North High had 9th through 12th grades and the South High had 7th and 8th grades. But wait, we're not done yet. In 1953 the final construction to the building on Block 35 began and the building we now call the Stillwater Community Center was finally completed with an auditorium, offices, library, vocal room, and band room. This was the Stillwater High School until 1960 when the doors closed as a high school and those students moved to the new C. E. Donart High School that was built on Boomer Road, now called the Stillwater High School. At the beginning of the 1960-61 school year, the doors to this building opened as the new Stillwater Junior High School for 7th-9th grade students. The 1971-1972 year was the last year as a Junior High holding classes for 7th-8th grade students. The next year it would change to a Middle School housing 6th – 8th grade students as it would remain until 1987 when the doors closed to Stillwater students for the last time.
In summary, this block in Stillwater was dedicated to the instruction of Stillwater's children for more than 90 years, from 1896 through 1987. During those years these children experienced statehood, world wars, pandemics, industrial revolutions, and desegregation. In 1896 there were many schools in a relatively small area because the children had to walk to school. In 1987 big yellow buses toured around town picking students up and dropping them off. In 1889 the children sat on uncomfortable home-made benches made from green lumber. There were no textbooks while the teachers used crude black boards and had to rely on creative solutions to overcome the lack of supplies. In 1987 the children in Stillwater were already moving from using electric typewriters to computers. Teachers were using white boards and overhead projectors. But it was clear that this building was not equipped for the changes that were to come. By the end of the 1960's, the Stillwater school system was fully integrated but many students with disabilities were still not capable of easily entering and using the school on Block 35. It just wasn't built with them in mind. In the 1980's disability activists began pushing for legislative changes that would result in the 1990 passing of the American with Disabilities Act. It was during this period of societal and legislative changes that the building would close as a school. It had simply not kept up to the changes in our society and Stillwater's rapidly evolving demographics. |
Winfrey Houston led some interested and dedicated residents to form the Citizen's Initiative Group. They were determined to demonstrate to the City Commission the level of support for this type of facility and identify types of use and potential uses. This was to help the City Commission with their struggle on whether to support a Community Center. By February of 2002, the Citizen's Initiative Group accomplished four important goals.
But, really we had already gotten started. By April of 2001 we had setup a bank account and had received our Federal Tax ID number. The group, still identified as the Citizen's Initiative Group, had initiated the Show you Care…Buy a Chair campaign and had raised $14,700 for the purchase of new seats for the auditorium. Yet because we were not yet a 501(c)(3) at the time, those donations went into the City's coffers. When our 501(c)(3) status was confirmed in October those donations had increased to $16,000. In an August 2004 press release, Ann Houston reported that |
2001
|
More citizens who helped in the years
|
Theater seating is now fully funded, thanks to generous donors who funded more than $50,000 of
the $108,633 project through the three-year Stillwater Community Center Foundation’s “Show You Care, Buy A Chair” campaign,” said George McElhoe chair, Stillwater Community Center Foundation. “The City of Stillwater picked up the tab for the balance so patrons can expect to have comfortable theater seating in the near future.” But whatever happened to that $500,000 anonymous donation the City declined? Ann Houston's press release answers that question. The secret $500,000 donor was revealed as the late Robert Lowry and his wife Marion. Through the Lowry’s generous donation, a school gymnasium was transformed into the fully functional Lowry Activity Center including facilities for catering services. It is now open for public use. The Lowry Activity Center dedication was held on May 20, 2004. The program listed the members of the Stillwater City Commission. Larry Brown was not on that list but Mayor Bud Lacy was listed and would prove to be a supporter of the Stillwater Community Center. The future of the SCC seemed to be looking bright. But the Stillwater Community Center Foundation would go through years without purpose or funds. At times it almost folded and even considered transferring the few dollars they had to other non-profits. |
Stillwater Community center |
|