Back in Time - LeRoy

LeRoy S.
Wind River High School
approximately 1988

Where do I begin? LeRoy (aka Captain America) was a colleague for many years, but he was also a teacher of mine when I was a senior. My senior business teacher died mid-year, and LeRoy, a teacher at a rival school (Morton High School), was asked to teach some of her classes (probably during his planning period). My school, Pavillion and Morton were scheduled to consolidate the following year to form Wind River. I returned approximately twelve years later, as an English (Language Arts) teacher at Wind River.

LeRoy was a jokester and through the years, he dished out as much as he received. One April Fool's Day, several of the teachers slipped into LeRoy's room and removed ALL the typewriters, opened the windows and waited for LeRoy to discover his room had been robbed.

Some of the men unhooked a trailer from behind his vehicle and hid it. They had informed the Sheriff's deputy beforehand, so the "joke" extended beyond the school.

LeRoy's school mailbox was on the top right corner, and he was notorious for letting his mail stack up until it was overflowing. His box was like a black hole where announcements and papers disappeared. I caught him "cleaning" out his box one day. (Note the mimeograph machine in the bottom right of the photo. The white board with the grid on the far right was the school's class schedule.)

Principal Bob B. presents LeRoy with a "door prize"

The consolidated school consisted of two campuses some twelve miles apart for many years: high school near Kinnear; middle school/elementary in Pavillion. The high school parent teacher conferences were usually held in the middle school/elementary gymnasium in Pavillion.

I can't remember the circumstances, but one year during conferences, the principal presented LeRoy with a "Door Prize," an actual door that was stored on the stage at the end of the gymnasium.

LeRoy hosted a "Dating Service" every year as prom approached, and the students loved it. His track teams could share many memorable times, too. The school's track and field bears his name, and he was named to the Wyoming Coaches' Hall of Fame.

For several decades, the Wind River staff remained fairly constant, and only the principals changed. Friendships and a camaraderie was established that benefited not only the staff but also the entire district and the students. Personally, I think LeRoy played a large role in that atmosphere.