Printed on front: Annie Wright Seminary

Circa 1930.

View of the Annie Wright Seminary Kindergarten-4 class; Arthur Norman, Calvin Bamford, Helen Bannon, Richard Boyd, Sandra Brines, Karen Halfhill, Katherine Howe, Christine Kunz, Bettylou Lagerquist, Donald McNeill, Susan Phillips, Jay Riebe, Steven Sutton, Elizabeth Taylor, Jenny Walker, Pamela Weinstein, Sandra Young, and William Young. Kindergarten-4 teacher is possibly Eloise Ash or Norma Lyness (AWS Shield, 1949).

Teachers--Tacoma; Classrooms--Tacoma; Boarding schools--Tacoma; Storytelling--Tacoma; Reading--Tacoma; School children--Tacoma; Annie Wright Seminary (Tacoma)--1940-1950;

May Day court - Annie Wright School. Although the school's name had changed from Seminary to School, traditions such as May Day still remained. The 1973 May Day Queen Lisa Bean and her royal court posed proudly for their formal portrait on May 12, 1973. Included were senior girls from Iran, Hong Kong and Japan. May Day ceremonies were part of events occurring on parents' weekend. Color photograph ordered by Annie Wright School. (TNT 5-18-73, A-8)

Annie Wright Seminary (Tacoma)--1970-1980; Private schools--Tacoma; Festivals--Tacoma--1970-1980; Bean, Lisa; School children--Tacoma--1970-1980; Students--Tacoma--1970-1980;

A newly crowned Kai Wonderly reigns as the 1968 May Day Queen on the campus of Annie Wright Seminary. Kai is a senior and the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Paul Wonderly of Tacoma. Dressed in traditional white gown with long, flowing train, she is seated on a flower-bedecked throne holding her scepter and a bouquet of colorful daisies. A jeweled crown rests upon her light brown hair. Color photograph ordered by Annie Wright Seminary.

Annie Wright Seminary (Tacoma)--1960-1970; Private schools--Tacoma; May Day; Festivals--Tacoma--1960-1970; Wonderly, Kai; Students--Tacoma--1960-1970; Crowns;

A smiling Kai Wonderly poses on the lawn of Annie Wright Seminary, 827 Tacoma Ave. No., as she waits to be introduced to the many parents and students during the school's 1968 May Day festival. Her long white train is being carefully tended by two young girls, members of the school's lower division. Kai, a senior at Annie Wright, is holding a ribboned bouquet of daisies. Photograph ordered by Annie Wright Seminary. (TNT 5-26-68, D10, 11)

Annie Wright Seminary (Tacoma)--1960-1970; Private schools--Tacoma; May Day; Wonderly, Kai; Festivals--Tacoma--1960-1970; Students--Tacoma--1960-1970; School children--Tacoma--1960-1970;

May Day at Annie Wright Seminary. May Queen Kai Wonderly waits with her senior attendant and small royal attendants on the grassy lawns of Annie Wright for the processional to begin on May 18, 1968. The petite youngsters are dressed in white with one carrying the queen's crown and another the scepter. Each year one senior girl was chosen as May Queen although the entire school participated in the festival. Kai is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Paul Wonderly; Mr. Wonderly was the operations manager of St. Regis Paper Co. Photograph ordered by Annie Wright Seminary. (TNT 5-26-68, D-10, 11)

Annie Wright Seminary (Tacoma)--1960-1970; Private schools--Tacoma; May Day--Tacoma; Festivals--Tacoma--1960-1970; Wonderly, Kai; School children--Tacoma--1960-1970; Students--Tacoma--1960-1970;

Dance at Annie Wright Seminary. Annie Wright students and their dates clasp hands and parade in circles under flower garlands during their Junior Prom on April 30, 1966. This is possibly the "Grand March." The girls are dressed in long evening gowns with many wearing elbow-length gloves. The boys have tuxes or suits; all seem to have flower boutonnieres. The large room is believed to be the school's Great Hall. Photograph ordered by Annie Wright Seminary.

Annie Wright Seminary (Tacoma)--1960-1970; Private schools--Tacoma; Students--Tacoma--1960-1970; Balls (Parties)--Tacoma--1960-1970;

Mrs. William A. Merrill and Mrs. Gardner's class of sixteen young pupils at Annie Wright Seminary smile for the camera on February 19, 1966. The children's names are written on railroad cars that decorate the blackboard. This was probably a pre-kindergarten or younger-aged kindergarten class. Photograph ordered by Annie Wright Seminary. TPL-8732

Private schools--Tacoma; School children--Tacoma--1960-1970; Annie Wright Seminary (Tacoma)--1960-1970;

ca. 1964. Students at Annie Wright Seminary. Small classes were the norm at Annie Wright. These 13 little girls were in the lower school at Annie Wright. Dressed in school uniform and saddle shoes, they posed for their Class 2 picture in early 1964 in the school library. According to the Shield yearbook, they were: (L-R) Katherine Wilson, Deborah Owen, Thea Wickstrom, Laura Jones, Wendy Sanford, Lisa Weyerhaeuser, Susan Ellison, Margaret Ann Swain, Christina Gratzer, Jaynee Crepin, Lorie Long, Elaine Cashar, and Elizabeth Merrill. With the group was Mrs. J.C. Chapman. Photograph ordered by Annie Wright Seminary. (1964 Shield, p. 10)

Annie Wright Seminary (Tacoma)--1960-1970; Private schools--Tacoma; School children--Tacoma--1960-1970; Uniforms;

Sixteen youngsters pose outside Annie Wright Seminary in March, 1963, for annual class pictures. These were members of the K-5 kindergarten group as eight little boys are included. Annie Wright accepted boys in this age group but girls only in later grades. L-R listed from the 1963 Annie Wright yearbook: First row: Nicholas Malden, William Rabe, Paul Rush, Caroline Wiborg, Rebecca Scott, Valerie Graves, Ann Rhea, Steven Crounse. Second row: Courtney Reid, Katherine Hokanson, George Buell, John Holl, Rodney Rosenthal, Jan Savini, Scott Dickman, Greta Simonson. (1963: The Shield, p. 29)

School children--Tacoma--1960-1970; Annie Wright Seminary (Tacoma)--1960-1970; Private schools--Tacoma;

These little Annie Wright Seminary pupils were probably studying the Netherlands in class as they stand by a table full of Dutch artifacts. Painted wooden shoes, books, and cutouts of a windmill and forest area adorn the large, round table. Most of the girls are holding dolls wearing Dutch costume and two clasping small shoes. L-R as listed in the Annie Wright 1963 yearbook are Class 3: Janie Gilpin, Vicky Daley, Janice North, Katherine Lisk, Sarah Fisken, Julie Johnson, Wendy Wagner, Cheri Crocker, Alice Reberger, Elizabeth Murray. (1963: The Shield, p. 31)

School children--Tacoma--1960-1970; Annie Wright Seminary (Tacoma)--1960-1970; Private schools--Tacoma; Toys; Books; Shoes; Dolls;

Twelve Annie Wright Seminary lower school students gather around a large wooden circular table in March, 1963, as they pose for annual pictures. They are probably in the school's library. Each girl is wearing a dark plaid dress, which is the same uniform worn by younger students. Class 6, L-R as listed in the 1963 Annie Wright yearbook: First row: Margaret Brown, Jeanne Rowland, Carol-Anne Wilson, Diane Hamill, Treena Andersen, Peggy Rockwood. Second row: Cathy Agrelius, Carla Will, Debra Gress, Jane Long, Brynn Ann Foss, Linda Ross. (1963: The Shield, p. 32)

School children--Tacoma--1960-1970; Annie Wright Seminary (Tacoma)--1960-1970; Private schools--Tacoma; Uniforms;

March 13, 1961, photograph of twelve small girls in classroom. Scholastic Magazines news map dated 1959-60 on blackboard wall behind them. These children, wearing school uniforms, were from the Lower School of Annie Wright Seminary.

School children--Tacoma--1960-1970; Annie Wright Seminary (Tacoma)--1960-1970; Private schools--Tacoma; Classrooms--Tacoma--1960-1970; Maps;

A classroom of bright eyed youngsters, students at the Annie Wright Seminary, smile for the camera on February 29, 1960. The eighteen girls and their teacher, Miss Hartwell, are doing a bit of light reading on this sunny morning. Classes were kept small at this private school with total enrollment approximately 300 and staff of 55. Holding the Alvin the Chipmunk doll is Nancy Bond at near right with Jamie May next to her. Blond Leilee Weyerhaeuser is seated behind Nancy. Other girls identified in the classroom were Jill Stone, Penny Rumbaugh, Mimi Wiborg and Ann Dickman. (Identification provided by a reader)

School children--Tacoma; Annie Wright Seminary (Tacoma)--1960-1970; Private schools--Tacoma; Teachers--Tacoma--1960-1970; Bond, Nancy; May, Jamie;

Each year the students of Annie Wright Seminary held a May Day festival to welcome back the blooming life of spring to the cool and gray Northwest. The ceremony in 1959 was held on a bright, sunny May 9th with the air stirred by a stiff breeze. 1959 was a special year, the 75th anniversary of the founding of the school, which opened in 1884 with a class of 93 from Washington, Oregon and British Columbia. Since most of the upper class girls were directly involved in the pageant, the entertainment was usually provided by the lower and middle school classes. This group appears to be performing a folk dance, perhaps from the Netherlands. Some girls are dressed in full skirts with aprons and boxy bonnets, some are dressed as boys in knee length pants and vests.

Annie Wright Seminary (Tacoma)--1950-1960; Private schools--Tacoma; Festivals--Tacoma--1950-1960;

Annie Wright Seminary's Masque Players production of the operetta "HMS Pinafore." The school presented the Gilbert and Sullivan comic opera May 1-3, 1959 for Parents' Weekend. The 1959 Parents' Weekend was a special celebration of the seminary's 75th anniversary. The plot of the operetta revolves around a captain's daughter who falls in love with a common sailor. It was first produced in 1878 and is probably the pair's most popular work. The Masque Players production was directed by Mrs. Diedre Monks and the players were assisted by the school's glee club choir and dance troop. The production featured Mitzi Weiss as Josephine, Gundl Primus as Ralph Rackstraw, Cynthia Fanshaw as Captain Corcoran and Anne King as Buttercup. (TNT 4/26/1959, pg D-11)

Annie Wright Seminary (Tacoma)--1950-1960; Private schools--Tacoma; Students--Tacoma--1950-1960; Costumes; Children performing in theatrical productions--Tacoma--1950-1960; Operas & operettas--Tacoma--1950-1960;

The 1959 Annie Wright Seminary May Day Queen was Cynthia Reid Fanshawe of Billings, Montana. She was crowned on a bright and sunny May 9th in 1959 in ceremonies performed on the lawn of the campus. Cynthia, also known as "Fanny," was a talented artist and musician. She belonged to the drama club Masque and sang with the choir. She was remembered in the yearbook as being enthusiastic, considerate and a good sport. She served as president of the athletic association S.A.C. (yearbook "The Shield" 1959, TNT 5/17/1959, pg. D-7))

Fanshawe, Cynthia; Annie Wright Seminary (Tacoma)--1950-1960; Private schools--Tacoma; Festivals--Tacoma--1950-1960;

The Annie Wright May Day Queen's train bearers smile winsomely at the camera. They are, left to right, Jean Buttorff and Nancy McGoldrick. Every year the students of Annie Wright Seminary celebrated the arrival of spring to the gray Northwest with the May Day festivities. A senior was chosen to rule over the festivities, with the younger girls as attendants. Lower school (primary) girls were chosen to serve as heralds, train bearers, flower girls, scepter bearers, crown bearers and pages.

Annie Wright Seminary (Tacoma)--1950-1960; Private schools--Tacoma; Festivals--Tacoma--1950-1960; Buttorff, Jean; McGoldrick, Nancy;

Every year, the student body and faculty of Annie Wright Seminary welcomed back spring with a May Day Festival. A senior girl was chosen to reign over the festivities as Queen, with other upper class girls as the court. Lower school (primary) girls acted as attendants. The girls pictured here in their May Day regalia on May 9, 1959 are, left to right, Muffet Gilfin, scepter bearer; Joan Anderson, herald; Terry Weyerhaeuser, crown bearer; Sally Dimant, page; Belinda McLean, flower girl and Rita Smith, flower girl. (yearbook "The Shield" 1959, TNT 5/7/1959, pg. D-7) )

Annie Wright Seminary (Tacoma)--1950-1960; Private schools--Tacoma; School children--Tacoma--1950-1960; Festivals--Tacoma--1950-1960; Gilfin, Muffet; Anderson, Joan; Weyerhaeuser, Terry; Dimant, Sally; Smith, Rita; McLean, Belinda;

ca. 1959. Aerial of Annie Wright Seminary in the North End of Tacoma. The heavily wooded area to the right is Garfield Park. The school is bounded by this park, Tacoma Ave North and No. 10th. Commencement Bay can be seen in the background of the picture. The school moved to this Gothic building in 1924 and remains there today. The girls' school offered grades Kindergarten through high school. In 1959, the college preparatory school had 300 students. It opened in 1884 with a total of 46 students under the guidance of founder Rt. Rev. John Adams Paddock. 1958-59 was the Seminary's Golden Jubilee, celebrating 75 years of achievement. (TNT 4/7/1959, pg. C-14)

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On August 19, 1959, eight co-eds from the Annie Wright Seminary lent a hand in mortaring the new library wing at the school. The girls were, left to right, Margaret Woodhams, athletics; Lib Hewitt, secretary service league; Frances Finnigan, Class VIII president; Peggy Yates, of Puyallup, senior yearbook editor; Caroline Woodhams, secretary treasurer of the student body; Shirley Cartozian, Christmas Carnival; Laurie Grenley, vice president freshman class; and Missy Hyde, Class VII president. This group was part of a larger planned gathering for class and school officers to make plans for the upcoming school year. The new library wing was completed in November of 1959 at at cost of $170,000. It was of Tudor design, with 4,000 square feet of room to house 16,000 volumes and 68 students. The upper floors had bedrooms, storage and bath space. Photograph ordered by AWS for the Tacoma News Tribune. (TNT 8/23/1959, pg. D-3-alternate photograph of students)

Annie Wright Seminary (Tacoma)--1950-1960; Private schools--Tacoma--1950-1960; Students--Tacoma--1950-1960; Woodhams, Margaret; Hewitt, Lib; Finnigan, Frances; Yates, Peggy; Woodhams, Caroline; Cartozian, Shirley; Grenley, Laurie; Hyde, Missy;

These little girls lounging on the grass at Annie Wright Seminary were probably part of the Lower School. They were waiting to participate in the school's annual May Day festival. It is likely that they would be performing a dance, perhaps ballet, for the enjoyment of parents and fellow students. Sepia photograph ordered by Annie Wright Seminary.

Private schools--Tacoma; School children--Tacoma--1950-1960; Annie Wright Seminary (Tacoma)--1950-1960;

The ivy-covered walls of Annie Wright Seminary do not appear to have changed in the decades since the school was established. The elegant brick buildings of the college preparatory school for girls still remain in the city's northend. The Tudor Gothic style buildings were designed by architects Sutton Whitney and Dugan and built by J.E. Bonnell, contractor. Photograph ordered by the Shield yearbook.

Annie Wright Seminary (Tacoma)--Buildings; Private schools--Tacoma;

Although Annie Wright Seminary had been at this location, 827 Tacoma Ave. No., only since 1924; it was in the process of celebrating its Diamond Jubilee in October of 1958 when this picture was taken. The first class of 93 girls entered Annie Wright in the fall of 1884 in the school's first building at Tacoma & Division Avenues. Annie Wright experienced financial troubles due to decreased enrollment in the 1930's and increased expenses during the early part of WWII; the school was nearly forced to close in 1943. Headmistress Ruth Jenkins and the Board of Trustees were given 48 hours to raise enough money to pay the most outstanding debts. Friends, alumnae and students rallied to save the school. Annie Wright Seminary continued to expand with a new wing added in 1957. In 2002, the school had pupils from seven states and eight countries and was planning to add a 10.3 million three story addition. (The Shield:1959, TNT 9-30-02, B-1)

Aerial photographs; Annie Wright Seminary (Tacoma)--1950-1960; Private schools--Tacoma;