Morris High School
western Minnesota, 25 miles southwest of Alexandria on #59
Years Represented: 1920-1921
Marilyn Mitchell, Finlayson, MN, provided information about the Morris teams. Her mother was a member of both teams.
In the 1919-20 photo, Marilyn identified her mother, Mary French Witt, as the player on the right end of the line. No other players are identified (but may be members of the 1920-21 team listed below.
Information was provided from an unidentified publication. The article was titled, "Down Memory Lane." and included the 1920-21 photo.
The article began, "With basketball for girls making a comeback in many high schools, and in view of the interest generated recently in this area about people and happenings of earlier years, this picture of the Morris high school girls basketball team of 1920-1921 is timely. It was a pretty good team, winning most of its games, and probably rightly claimed the title of 'champs.' In front in the picture is Mary French Witt of annandale. Left to right in the second row is Julia LeSage Woolridge, Lulu Nelson Kolstad of Albert Lea and Pearl Lund Munson of Morris. In the third row is Julia Anderson Starr of Morris (deceased), Ruth Gillesby, teacher and coach, address unknown, and Katherine Sirr Carter of Minneapolis. The picture comes from Maurice N. Olson, of Plainfield N.J., whose wife was the former Elsa Klippstein, a teacher for several years in Morris high school..."
Our book, Daughters of the Game - the First Era of Minnesota Girls High School Basketball, 1891-1942, contains a team profile of Morris from 1934-1939 with information from Orell May Judd Jensen.
Orell said that, ..."the high school had a full intramural program, competition and all for girls....I can't exactly recall if we competed with other schools in the area. I have no remembrance of bus trips to play ball at other schools....I graduated in 1938 and the yearbook notes that I'm in #2 place as the most athletic girl. Which only means that basketball was very important in my life at that time, as well as swimming..."
Comment by book authors: Orell's information appears to describe a Girls Athletic Association program which replaced the interscholastic teams in larger schools like Morris in the 1930s.
Additional information about Morris is welcome to add to your history of girls basketball.
In the 1919-20 photo, Marilyn identified her mother, Mary French Witt, as the player on the right end of the line. No other players are identified (but may be members of the 1920-21 team listed below.
Information was provided from an unidentified publication. The article was titled, "Down Memory Lane." and included the 1920-21 photo.
The article began, "With basketball for girls making a comeback in many high schools, and in view of the interest generated recently in this area about people and happenings of earlier years, this picture of the Morris high school girls basketball team of 1920-1921 is timely. It was a pretty good team, winning most of its games, and probably rightly claimed the title of 'champs.' In front in the picture is Mary French Witt of annandale. Left to right in the second row is Julia LeSage Woolridge, Lulu Nelson Kolstad of Albert Lea and Pearl Lund Munson of Morris. In the third row is Julia Anderson Starr of Morris (deceased), Ruth Gillesby, teacher and coach, address unknown, and Katherine Sirr Carter of Minneapolis. The picture comes from Maurice N. Olson, of Plainfield N.J., whose wife was the former Elsa Klippstein, a teacher for several years in Morris high school..."
Our book, Daughters of the Game - the First Era of Minnesota Girls High School Basketball, 1891-1942, contains a team profile of Morris from 1934-1939 with information from Orell May Judd Jensen.
Orell said that, ..."the high school had a full intramural program, competition and all for girls....I can't exactly recall if we competed with other schools in the area. I have no remembrance of bus trips to play ball at other schools....I graduated in 1938 and the yearbook notes that I'm in #2 place as the most athletic girl. Which only means that basketball was very important in my life at that time, as well as swimming..."
Comment by book authors: Orell's information appears to describe a Girls Athletic Association program which replaced the interscholastic teams in larger schools like Morris in the 1930s.
Additional information about Morris is welcome to add to your history of girls basketball.
Morris 1920
Morris 1921