THE ECHO

The Echo is St. Louis Park High School’s Student newspaper.

1916-1917

The first edition of the Echo was issued on October 6, 1916.  A copy of that first issue, called The School Echo, is on file at the high school.  Officers were:

Editor-in-Chief:  Winifred Fox

Assistant Editors:  Lloyd Hatch, Elizabeth Colwell

Society:  Mary Emma Taggart

Literary:  Jack Downing

Athletic:  Henry Jensen

Business Manager:  Ion Hanke

The first issue had a “jaunty green cover,” was 12 pages long, and carried news of high school, grade school, and village events.  It bore this verse:

The School Echo is my name as you can see,

I hope you have a dime so you can look at me;

I’m not very old, but for wisdom I am famed,

If my words drive you mad, I suppose I’ll be blamed;

I’m not very big and I’m not very small,

But I’m a whole lot better than no paper at all.

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Eight issues were published in 1916-17.

The following is from an article in the St. Louis Park Echo from May 27, 1976 written by Howard Milstein, Rori Wilensky and Tim Zuel

Two score and 19 years ago Ms. Winifred Fox Fletcher was on her way to school to fulfill her job as Editor-in-chief of the St. Louis Park ECHO.   At that time the high school building was located where Central Junior High is now.

In the morning, the school’s 8-12 classes collected in the assembly hall for announcements.

Ms. Fletcher recalled one day when her English teacher mentioned that a school newspaper would be an interesting project.  After Ms. Fletcher was appointed Editor, she acquired a room which they christened the ECHO Press Room.

The ECHO started as a pamphlet that covered school gossip and sports events. The gossip in 1917 was limited since the average class size ranged from 15-20 students.  The gossip usually contained information on school events.  The sports section covered the Park basketball team which was the only outstanding varsity team of the period.

The most unique thing about the ECHO issues of 1917 was the joke section.  “I’m afraid the jokes would be too tame for these days,” Ms. Fletcher reflected.

Ms. Fletcher’s staff consisted of five people, all of whom chipped in to publish the ECHO.  The paper carried local ads for stores that were scattered along Walker Street.

Days were long ones back then since there were only two modes of transportation.  The first was the street car which ran from Reeses’ (sic), down Lake Street to downtown.  The other was walking.  Ms. Fletcher walked 1.5 miles to school from her home, which was near Brookside School.

She spent hours in the ECHO room writing copy and designing layouts and then walked 45 minutes home.  The reason?  “Because it was fun,” she said, “besides during the winter a friend of mine had a sleigh hooked up to a team so I saved on the walking.”

As Ms. Fletcher sat during the graduation ceremony of the class of ’17, of which she was valedictorian, she wondered what would happen to the ECHO.  As she looks at it today, she says she is very proud.

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1917-1918

In 1917-1918, a section was added with news of Park servicemen in World War I, a humor column, illustrations and photographs.

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1918-1919

The eight issues of 1918-1919 were printed, but in subsequent years the paper was mimeographed.

 

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1925-1926

Thanks to Mr. Al Pooler, the Historical Society has a copy of the first issue of the 1925-1926 Echo.  It is a mimeographed document on newsprint, and covers both the junior and senior high schools.  The faculty advisor was Miss Wharton.

Officers were:

Managing Editor:  Ruth Norrgard
Assistant Editor:  Astrid Lindquist
Social and Department Editor:  Alice Boyd
Sporting Editor:  Harold Hofstrand
General Reporter:  Dorothy Clark
Community News:  Dorothy Triden
Cartoonist:  William Jaglo
Jokes:  George Seirup
Publication Manager:  Mae DeVorre
Assistant Publication Manager:  Dorothy Wolford
Staff Artist:  Virginia Dare
Junior High Reporter:  Carroll Thomas
Senior Reporter:  Girard Weissmann
Junior Reporter:  David Henderson
Sophomore Reporter:  Wilbur Wright
Freshman Reporter:  Helen Risler

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1930-1931

The 1930 – 1931 Echo was printed monthly by the publishers of the Hennepin County Review, in Hopkins.

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1933-1934

In the 1933 – 1934 school year, only one printed issue was produced.

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1939-1940

In September 1939 the paper changed styles to a tabloid size that would remain for decades.

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1945-1946

Winifred Fox’s daughter, Jean Fletcher, was co-editor of the paper in 1945-46.

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1949-1950

In 1950 the Echo won the Dillman Award, given to the best high school newspaper in rural Hennepin County.  The award was sponsored by the Rural Hennepin Editorial Association in memory of Willard Dillman.  This was the first year that the Dillman Award had been given.

 

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1950-1951

The Echo also won the Dillman Award in 1951.

 

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1951-1952

The Echo won the Dillman Award in 1952.

 

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1969-1970

The Echo was named All-American for the spring 1969 school year.  This was the 12th straight semester that the Echo had received this honor.

 

In October 1969 an alternative paper called the St. Louis Park Current was circulated, touted as “independent student journalism.”  It apparently did not catch on.

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OUR COLLECTION

Thanks to donations by Park alumni, the High School, and the efforts of SLP HS member Don Schimmel, our collection of Echoes has grown.   However, there are some gaping holes, so if you are interested in donating your collection for preservation by the Historical Society, please contact us.  Thanks!

 

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