1957
On May 7, the 43rd Annual Convention of the Tenth District Minnesota
Federation of Women’s Clubs was held here at the Congregational Church. Mrs. Henry Hartig and Mrs. J. W. Bobleter were co-chairmen. Mrs. J. Clifford
[Georgette] Boise, president of the Federation, presided. There was a scrapbook contest and the scrapbook of the Robbinsdale Library Club, compiled by Mrs. C. E. Kitner, won first prize.
The League of Women Voters of Robbinsdale formally organized on
April 29 and Mildred McGeorge was elected the first president. Under the guidance of Gladys Wik, the first “Know Your Town Survey” was printed with copies distributed to schools, the library, and the public. The first study subjects included the State constitution, reapportionment, water, and local parks. The League supported improving Robbinsdale water by filtration and some softening. Filtration was finally voted in. In 1959, the League supported a bond issue for Lakeview Terrace Park, there being no other large park in Robbinsdale. The League of Women Voters is nonpartisan, concentrating on studying, supporting and lobbying for issues for the public good. It routinely publishes Voters Guides and “Know Your Town” surveys, holds candidates meetings, helps register voters, and members have spoken to high school classes about voting.
Our School District 24 was changed to School District 281. 1957 was the first year the school district’s budget climbed over a million dollars.
On October 4, Russia launched the first satellite, Sputnik, into space and we all had nightmares of orbiting bombs and missiles. Four months later the United States launched the Explorer I which discovered the Van Allen radiation belt. Thus the space race began, twelve years after the “atomic age” had begun. A side effect was the emphasis on the teaching of more mathematics and science in the schools and in the late 1960’s courses in computer language began.
This post is part of a series loosely based on the book Robbinsdale Then and Now by Helen Blodgett. The picture at the top of the post features the Robbinsdale Library in 1957.