Theodore Roosevelt High School
National Register of Historic Places

Theodore Roosevelt High School

Des Moines, Polk County, Iowa
Listed
October 23, 2002
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
02001234

About this property

Theodore Roosevelt High School, usually referred to simply as Roosevelt High School or TRHS, is a public secondary school located on the west side of Des Moines, Iowa. It is one of five secondary schools in the Des Moines Independent Community School District, and was named after the 26th President of the United States, Theodore Roosevelt. The construction of the building in which TRHS is housed was initiated in 1922 by Proudfoot, Bird, and Rawson and opened in 1924 with 1,282 students. The final cost to build was $1,331,600. The building's design has won many awards and is considered one of 50 most significant buildings in the state by Iowa PBS. The building is on both the State and National Register of Historic Places. Students must be enrolled in physical education at least one semester each year and complete CPR certification. They are also required to take core academic courses in order to graduate and receive a diploma. These include Social Studies, English, Mathematics, Science, and Art. Roosevelt offers a range of visual and performing arts programming, including 2D & 3D design, painting and drawing, band, orchestra, theater, choir, and AP Music Theory. 16-time State Champions (1929, 1930, 1931, 1932, 1933, 1934, 1936, 1938, 1939, 1940, 1940(F), 1941, 1941(F), 1946, 1947, 1967) 12-time State Champions (1939, 1940, 1943, 1944, 1945, 1948, 1950, 1951, 1952, 1953, 1959, 1963) Margaret Allen, first woman to perform a heart transplant Sean Bagniewski, member of the Iowa House of Representatives Bill Bryson, best-selling author; inducted in school's Hall of Fame in 2001 Randy Duncan, runner-up for Heisman Trophy, first pick of 1959 NFL draft Ann B. Friedman, founder of Planet Word, a museum of language arts Everett Gendler (class of 1946), rabbi known as the "father of Jewish environmentalism" Hoot Gibson, former professional basketball player Nate Green, NBA referee, former professional basketball player Robert Helmick, president of the United States Olympic Committee Steve Higgins, announcer, The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon Lolo Jones (class of 2000), Summer and Winter Olympian, track-and-field and bobsled athlete Natasha Kaiser-Brown, sprinter, Olympic silver medalist and relay world champion Cloris Leachman, Emmy and Academy Award-winning actress; 1987 Roosevelt Hall of Fame inductee Patricia Schroeder (class of 1958), member of US House of Representatives Jane Skiles O'Dea, naval aviator, flight instructor and commander; TRHS Hall of Fame Paul Schell, architect, commissioner, dean of University of Washington College of Architecture and Urban Planning, former mayor of Seattle, Washington (1998–2002)

Location

4419 Center St.
Des Moines, Polk County, Iowa
41.59268, -93.67936

Categories

ARCHITECTUREEDUCATION
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Nearby Historic Sites

Boyd, Byron and Ivan, House
Industrial
0.5 mi
Plymouth Place
Industrial
0.5 mi
Des Moines Art Center
Industrial
0.7 mi
Stoner, Thomas I., House
Industrial
0.8 mi
Sylvan Theater Historic District
Listed
0.8 mi

Questions about this property

When was Theodore Roosevelt High School listed on the National Register?

Theodore Roosevelt High School was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on October 23, 2002.

What type of historic resource is Theodore Roosevelt High School?

Theodore Roosevelt High School is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Theodore Roosevelt High School?

The period of significance for Theodore Roosevelt High School is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Theodore Roosevelt High School?

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