Amelia Earhart, Aviator and Minnesotan
Amelia played basketball at St. Paul Central High School
Years Represented: 1913-1914
The 2009 release of the movie, Amelia, sent us into biographies of her life to learn more about this fascinating woman.
And a startling piece of information was uncovered in a biography, East to the Dawn: the Life of Amelia Earhart, by Susan Butler. Butler reported that Amelia enjoyed playing basketball at St. Paul Central High School. This piece of information spurred further research by Dorothy E. McIntyre, co-author of Daughters of the Game with support from Joel Rippel, Minneapolis Star Tribune. (see 2Days2Cents, Amelia Earhart, Joel Rippel, Nov 23, 2009, Mpls Star Tribune)
Amelia Earhart was born in Atchison, Kansas, later moving to Des Moines, Iowa.
In 1913-14, Amelia's family moved to to the Crocus Hill area of St. Paul, Minnesota. Parents, Edwin and Amy, Amelia and sister Muriel lived in a large residential home. Amelia attended St. Paul Central High School for her junior year.
Butler's book stated, "In those areas of her life where she functioned on her own - at school and at church - Amelia's concentration and enthusiasm carried her through. At the St. Paul Central High School she took advantage of the extensive range of courses offered. She took physics, maintaining an 85 grade point average for the year, and she did even better in Latin, achieving an 88 grade point average. She started German, which should have made her father happy, and she did quite well in this course too, in fact achieving her best mark for the year, a grade of 91.
Amelia played basketball, making the basketball team, which she enjoyed, writing her Atchison school chum Virginia Park, 'You miss much by not having Gym.'"
In the book, The Sound of Wings, by mary S. Lovell, Amelia's enjoyment of playing basketball was shared with her friend Virginia Park, "Last Friday we had a circus. We played basketball, just like you and I did once (remember). No boys tho. I don't know when I've been so tired."
After reviewing the information gleaned from various biographies, McIntyre noted, "We had hoped to find a photo of Amelia on the St. Paul Central basketball team that since 1901 had annually played other St. Paul schools. However, in 1914, Central provided class team tournaments for the girls and did not play other area schools." The St. Paul Pioneer Press, February 1, 1914, stated, "Central girls have no representative team, but the interclass clashes are more than making up for what is lost not meeting outsiders."
Amelia, Muriel and mother Amy attended St. Clement's Episcopal Church where they were active in church activities.
Amelia sang in the Sunday School choir. Her friend, Marion Blodgett, was a year ahead of her at Central and lived a block away on Osceola Avenue. They walked to St. Clement's together and were members of the Altar Guild, running errands and helping where they were needed. Marion thought Amelia was "lots of fun," and recalled how their giggling would draw a reprimand from the choir director.
In the book, The Sound of Wings, Amelia said in a letter to a friend, "All the girls are so nice it's a joy to be with them don't you know." It took only a few months for Amelia to 'talk Minnesotan!'
During 1915, after Amelia left for Chicago, Central again had an interscholastic team, and won the City Championship. (See photo, St. Paul Schools, pp. 263-64, Daughters of the Game)
Amelia carried her enjoyment of basketball with her into her career as a social worker. At the Denison House, a settlement house in Boston, Amelia was in charge of girls activities from five to fourteen. In the book, East to the Dawn, it stated, "Amelia's Chinese girls soon were enthusiastic basketball players and fielded a team that 'had a fine year,' even venturing to play a New York City team from Greenwich Settlement House.'" Amelia recognized that basketball could open up the American experience to the first-generation Syrian and Chinese girls.
So, let's acknowledge our pride that it was in a Minnesota high school that Amelia enjoyed playing as a member of a basketball team and, as a 'daughter of the game,' she passed on the lessons learned to other young women.
A truly remarkable woman was one of us for all too short a time.
"Courage is the price that life exacts for granting peace."
Amelia Earhart
Photo Credits:
Earhart home; St. Clements Church - Dorothy E. McIntyre, 2009
Amy at sixteen, St. Paul: permission to post has been granted by the Schlesinger Library, Radcliffe Institute, Harvard University, photo olvwork20003727. Home page: http://www.radcliffe, edu/schles/
And a startling piece of information was uncovered in a biography, East to the Dawn: the Life of Amelia Earhart, by Susan Butler. Butler reported that Amelia enjoyed playing basketball at St. Paul Central High School. This piece of information spurred further research by Dorothy E. McIntyre, co-author of Daughters of the Game with support from Joel Rippel, Minneapolis Star Tribune. (see 2Days2Cents, Amelia Earhart, Joel Rippel, Nov 23, 2009, Mpls Star Tribune)
Amelia Earhart was born in Atchison, Kansas, later moving to Des Moines, Iowa.
In 1913-14, Amelia's family moved to to the Crocus Hill area of St. Paul, Minnesota. Parents, Edwin and Amy, Amelia and sister Muriel lived in a large residential home. Amelia attended St. Paul Central High School for her junior year.
Butler's book stated, "In those areas of her life where she functioned on her own - at school and at church - Amelia's concentration and enthusiasm carried her through. At the St. Paul Central High School she took advantage of the extensive range of courses offered. She took physics, maintaining an 85 grade point average for the year, and she did even better in Latin, achieving an 88 grade point average. She started German, which should have made her father happy, and she did quite well in this course too, in fact achieving her best mark for the year, a grade of 91.
Amelia played basketball, making the basketball team, which she enjoyed, writing her Atchison school chum Virginia Park, 'You miss much by not having Gym.'"
In the book, The Sound of Wings, by mary S. Lovell, Amelia's enjoyment of playing basketball was shared with her friend Virginia Park, "Last Friday we had a circus. We played basketball, just like you and I did once (remember). No boys tho. I don't know when I've been so tired."
After reviewing the information gleaned from various biographies, McIntyre noted, "We had hoped to find a photo of Amelia on the St. Paul Central basketball team that since 1901 had annually played other St. Paul schools. However, in 1914, Central provided class team tournaments for the girls and did not play other area schools." The St. Paul Pioneer Press, February 1, 1914, stated, "Central girls have no representative team, but the interclass clashes are more than making up for what is lost not meeting outsiders."
Amelia, Muriel and mother Amy attended St. Clement's Episcopal Church where they were active in church activities.
Amelia sang in the Sunday School choir. Her friend, Marion Blodgett, was a year ahead of her at Central and lived a block away on Osceola Avenue. They walked to St. Clement's together and were members of the Altar Guild, running errands and helping where they were needed. Marion thought Amelia was "lots of fun," and recalled how their giggling would draw a reprimand from the choir director.
In the book, The Sound of Wings, Amelia said in a letter to a friend, "All the girls are so nice it's a joy to be with them don't you know." It took only a few months for Amelia to 'talk Minnesotan!'
During 1915, after Amelia left for Chicago, Central again had an interscholastic team, and won the City Championship. (See photo, St. Paul Schools, pp. 263-64, Daughters of the Game)
Amelia carried her enjoyment of basketball with her into her career as a social worker. At the Denison House, a settlement house in Boston, Amelia was in charge of girls activities from five to fourteen. In the book, East to the Dawn, it stated, "Amelia's Chinese girls soon were enthusiastic basketball players and fielded a team that 'had a fine year,' even venturing to play a New York City team from Greenwich Settlement House.'" Amelia recognized that basketball could open up the American experience to the first-generation Syrian and Chinese girls.
So, let's acknowledge our pride that it was in a Minnesota high school that Amelia enjoyed playing as a member of a basketball team and, as a 'daughter of the game,' she passed on the lessons learned to other young women.
A truly remarkable woman was one of us for all too short a time.
"Courage is the price that life exacts for granting peace."
Amelia Earhart
Photo Credits:
Earhart home; St. Clements Church - Dorothy E. McIntyre, 2009
Amy at sixteen, St. Paul: permission to post has been granted by the Schlesinger Library, Radcliffe Institute, Harvard University, photo olvwork20003727. Home page: http://www.radcliffe, edu/schles/
Earhart home, St. Paul
St. Clements where Amelia sang in choir
Amelia at sixteen, St. Paul, Minnesota