About 18 years ago, John Ahlman was driving past his former school, Roosevelt Elementary in Santa Barbara, with his wife, Barbara, when they saw that the school’s original building — the building that Ahlman’s father attended — was being turned into rubble.
The old building was damaged in the 1925 earthquake and, after years of use, was being torn down so that a larger and safer building could take its place. Ahlman wanted to grab a piece of not just Santa Barbara history but his family’s history before it was gone.
He tried to get a piece of the rubble, but a security guard wouldn’t let him past the fence.
“If I tell this story, I’ll probably get sent to the principal’s office,” Ahlman joked as he told the story to the current generation of Roosevelt students at an assembly on Friday.
When the guard moved to the back of the school, Ahlman hopped the fence and grabbed a piece of rubble that had been part of the building’s original archway. He took the piece of rubble home, kept it in his backyard for 18 years and is now donating it back to Roosevelt in honor of the school’s 100th birthday.
“It was by luck that it happened, but it felt good. I think everybody’s going to enjoy it,” Ahlman said. “I think that it will be a part of this school for a long, long time.”
Ahlman graduated from Roosevelt in 1958. His father, Gustave, graduated in 1925, just before the earthquake, and his daughter, Christine, graduated in 1991.
The school is located at 1990 Laguna St., near the Santa Barbara Mission.
In honor of the school’s 100 years, students and staff have been spending the year celebrating each decade of its history, giving students a chance to learn about their school and the history of Santa Barbara.
On Friday, students and staff celebrated the 1950s. Kindergartners wore pink, a few wore poodle skirts, and they performed a dance to a song from the 1950s. They also got to hear about Roosevelt from Ahlman and his former classmate, Tony Miratti.
“I have nothing but great thoughts about this great school,” Miratti said to the students on Friday. “You should be very proud to be going to school here because it’s a great place. Santa Barbara backs you up, and it’s a great place to start your life, so good luck.”
Roosevelt Principal Valerie Galindo told Noozhawk that they’ve been thinking about the 100th celebration for the past two years. Through her research, Galindo learned not only about the school’s history but discovered a family connection.
Galindo’s grandmother attended Roosevelt as a child, and her great-grandmother, also named Valerie, was the school’s first-ever PTA president — a fact that Galindo didn’t know when she first took a job at Roosevelt five years ago.
“It was a really special moment where I thought, I’m supposed to be here, and be celebrating just who this community is,” Galindo said.
When realizing the school’s approaching 100th birthday, Galindo knew they had to go big. Parents helped with planning over the summer and have been searching news archives and the school’s archives to study the school’s history and share it with everyone.
Roosevelt’s student council president, sixth-grader Samara Natale, has been helping to plan assemblies and spirit days, and she helped put together a student store for students to buy centennial swag to show their school spirit.
“It feels very special that the whole school kind of worked together,” Natale said. “I think the 100th year is something that really brings all of Roosevelt together as one.”
As part of the centennial celebration, Roosevelt is inviting alumni to share photos and stories from their time as Roosevelt. The school is specifically looking for photos from the 1940s and 1960s to fill gaps in the archives.
“We really want to hear from the community,” Galindo said. “Please come and share your story. We want to celebrate you, we want to hear about what it was like to go to Roosevelt in your decade.”
Alumni or former staff members can share photos and memories of Roosevelt here.
