The Wrangell sentinel. (Wrangell, Alaska) 1909-current, 1953-01-23
ALASKA STUDENTS
SHARE PRIZES GIVEN
-RI Alaska SALMON INSTITUTE

! b ALASKA SALMON INSTITUTE
Eight Alaska students, the Jun
eau High School and Fairbanks
Denau Grade School will share the
$1,000 in prizes offered in the
1852 Alaska Salmon Institute Stud
emit Essay Contest. it was announe-
ed this week
As part of the first place award
in each of the contests two divis-
ions. SIPS sets of encyclopedias
have been shipped to Juneau High
School and Denali Grade School in
Fairbanks Students winning first
prize awards of $500 as well as sets
of encyclopedias for their school
Libraries We're Carroll Haggard,
10-year-old fifth grader at Denal
school, who won top honOrs in the
elementary school division, and
Robert II. Secrist, Jr., a 17-yeaf-
old senior at Juneau High Sybool,
whose essay was judged first in
the high school division.
Second prize of 500 in the ele-
mentary school division went to
Hugh NJ. Spur, an eighth grade
student at Fort Richardson Grade
School; third prize of $50 was won
by Guy Barber, a seventh grader
at Anchorage Junior High School;
and the $25 fourth prize went tc
Diane Burnham, a seventh grade
student at the Sitka Public School.
Tob,, Touee,, IViy,,aY
In the high school division, the
$1O0 second prize was won by John
Jensen, a senior at Douglas High
School; the $50 third place award
went to James c. Leyeque, a Fair
banks High School senior; and the
$25 fourth prize was awarded to
Gerda Nergaard, a senior at Ket-
chikan High School
The essay contest, limited to Al
askan students, was divided into
two categories with equal prizes
being awarded in both the elemen-
tary and high school divisions. The
subject for all essays was the Al
aska salmon industry and its i'm
portance to the Territory.
Contest judges reported that es-
says in both divisions were eX-
tremely we'll written and indicated
that students had done thorough
research jobs before composing
their essays. The essays showed
that Alaska5 boys and girls are
Wen ava. Of the salmon indus
trys problems and its Importance
othe economy of the Territory.
In his prize winning essay, Rob-
ert Secrist, Jr., described the i'm
portant part the salmon industry
has played in the development of
the Territory, the thousands of
jobs the salmon industry has Great
ed and the manner in which in
dustry taxes paved the way for
the steadily increasing prosperity
that Alaska has enjoyed since
1867"
Secrist's appraisal of the indus
try supported University of Wash
fngton Fisheries Research Institute
was typical of many essays. He
pictured the Institute as constantly
delving into the mystery of the
salmon to increase the annual
catch and to insure perpetuation
of a great natural resource.
The elementary school division
winner, Carroll Haggard, indicated
an unusual understanding on the
salmon industry when she wrote:
Salmon not only feeds people
every day, it furnishes jobs for
$4,000 people in Alaska. Millions
have been invested in the equip
ment needed. The industry is AL
aska's chief source of tax revenue.
1t was the search for gold tat
first brought people to Alaska.
Now another precious resource at
tracts many workers. Perhaps that
is why salmon are called The Sill
yer of the Sea-"
Honorable Mention winners in
the contest will receive Certifi-
Gates of Merit for their essays.
pTTpTYO CAME MEETING