Paul Rogers Elementary Celebrates History

Celebrating its history, Paul J. Rogers Elementary School welcomed a special guest. Alan Harris, the grandson of the school's namesake Paul Rogers, and his family, arrived from their Washington state home to visit the school on March 5, spending time with students, staff and district board members in a school-wide celebration that educators said gave students the opportunity to learn more about the school's roots. Opening in 1967, the school earned its name from former Colton Joint Unified School District (CJUSD) Superintendent Paul J. Rogers, who served in that capacity from 1944 through 1966. During the celebration, Harris was presented with an honorary golden key to the school by the student council and school principal Lisa Mannes. Each grade also put on a performance of a song or poem for the honored guests. "This was a historic event for the students. They were not only learning about their school’s namesake, but also learning about the history of Colton," said Mannes. Having extensively studied the development and utilization of elementary schools, Rogers's ideas shaped the design of the elementary school that would soon bear his name. A doctoral student at USC, his dissertation, which was given at the university during Rogers's time as the superintendent of the Colton school district, focused on the development and utilization of elementary school sites. Harris remarked to district board members and school staff during the celebration that he sometimes remembers his grandfather doing his research. Local news reports from the time reported that architects who designed the elementary school campus began with Rogers's own preliminary sketches. The campus today still maintains separate play areas for older and younger students, safety-oriented parking and the location of the school near a park - all which were Rogers's ideas and were considered highly innovative in the 1960s. Originally, the campus cost $620,198 to build and included four buildings with 17 classrooms, a library, multipurpose room, a kitchen and administrative offices. It was also the first school in Colton to be air conditioned, with electrical innovations that would allow for electronic teaching aids of the day. One of the highlights of the March 5 visit was when Mannes, along with the sixth grade class, recited the original resolution officially opening the school nearly 50 years ago and its dedication to Dr. Rogers. The Harris family also received a mural depicting a family tree comprised of painted fingerprints of all the school's students, bearing the words "Together, may we give our children the roots to grow." Following the assembly, Harris donated family memorabilia including his grandfather's 1922 high school diploma and an old school report card. The celebration was so lively that passers-by were aware of it, shared Mannes. "The great celebration closed with the entire student body and staff cheering their 'Raccoon Rock.' The students were so loud the entire neighborhood knew there was a celebration happening at the school," said Mannes. Rogers first came to Colton and worked as principal of Woodrow Wilson School for five years before he became the district superintendent until he retired. Additionally, Rogers was known for his community involvement, serving as an elder at the First Presbyterian Church and serving as a longtime member of the Colton Rotary Club. He was also an active supporter of The Arrowhead United Fund and a member of the Arrowhead Council of Boy Scouts of America. Local newspaper reports from the time quoted Rogers as saying that the dedication of the elementary school, originally named the "Dr. Paul J. Rogers School" in a resolution unanimously approved by the school board, as one of the great moments of his lifetime.