Evening star., 1951-01-22

IC3 0VAAA NoGAVAs
World War !, according to Mrs.
Arthur c. Perry Of 1901 Vermont
avenue NV. . graduate Of the
class OF 1922. The school was
then owned by James e. Ament.
Mrs. Cassidy had died in 1910 and
Mr.. Cassidy sold the school in
1916.
1.-THE girls all had finished high
school and most Of them had been
allowed to have dates at home" !"
Mrs. Perry said. eve had an oc-
casional dance at the school to
which boys were invited but they
still tried to hold the old type of
parties without boys. You could
Just feel our Christmas party fall
fiat with those girls even though
we had q Santa Claus come out
from a Washington department
store"
Many Of the National Park
girls had dreams Of the stage.
Despite the way the Cassedys had
discouraged careers for women
one of their pupils became an
outstanding success in the amuse-
ment world, Irene Castle. Mrs.
Castle had popularized modern
dancing and bobbed hair.
Change Was Resisted.
It was only natural that Ma
tional Park girls wanted to bob
their hair. But Mr.. and Mrs.
Ament. who had gone a long way
with the changing times. did their
best to prevent it. They made a
rule that before any pupil could
have her hair cut she would not
only have to have letter from
her parents authorizing 1t. but
also a letter from her doctor say
ing that the haircut was neceS-
sary on grounds Of health.
One change brought about by
the Aments that pupils of that
period remember with pleasure
was deepening Of the length Of
Rock Creek that ran through
school property into a canoe
basin. The girls could recline on
the canoe cushions and daydream
or read 1.-THE Sheik," a very ro-
mantle novel that was very popu-
lar.
Mr.. Ament continued the Cas-
sedy tradition of having persons
with glittering names visit the
school and meet the girls. The
biggest excitement was caused
by the announcement that Queen
Marie of Romania was to visit
the school. Neapolitan ice cream
In the Romanian national colors
was ordered. The teachers tried
to create the same effect in the
assembly by grouping girls ac-l
cording to the color Of their
dresses.
Then just on the eve Of the big
day, it was announced that the
Queen had broken all engage
ments and was returning to
Romania because the king had
fallen gravely i'll. There was
great disappointment. But the
school had lent three of its
throne-like chairs in the ball room
to the Romanian legation for the
reception of President and Mrs.
Coolidge by the queen. When
the chairs were returned pictures
of the President and his wife and
the royal visitors were placed over
the chair each had sat in.
Threatened in Depression.
The most important change
was in education. Finishing
schools were going out. Girls
wanted to go to college-to have
careers. Attendance at National
Park Seminary fell off during the
depression to the point where
continuation of the school was
threatened.
Mr.. Ament died in 1896. In
1887 the school was purchased
by Roy Tasco Davis, former min
lister to Costa Rica, who had been
business manager of Stephens
College. Columbia, Mo-. before
World War I.
One Of the things that made
Stephens College famous was that
it provided a home for Maude
Adams in her retirement from the
stage. On hearing that Maurice
Maeterlink's 'sBlue Bird had been
first played in America by the
girls Of National Park Seminary,
he toyed with the idea Of provid-
ing an American home for the
aging Belgian playwright at the
school. But nothing came Of it.
Mr.. Davis was converting the
school into a junior college and
had brought attendance up to ca
pacity for several years when the
war caused the Army to take it
over for a hospital. He was paid
$500, 900 for the property.
The alumnae of the school hold
a convention every year with
women attending from every Sec
ton of the. country. Some still
hope that the school will be re-
vived on the same site-no other
site will do for them. But Mr..
Davis and others familiar with the
property believe the Army will
never let 1t 60.
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