The Historic Gym was abuzz with excitement and nostalgia on Saturday, May 18, as hundreds of people gathered to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Eden Prairie School District at the Citywide Prom.
Attendees, many decked out in elegant prom dresses and tuxedos, gathered to reminisce, dance, and honor the district’s history. They enjoyed dancing to the band Wondercure in a gym adorned with historic artifacts from the Eden Prairie Historical Society and decorated with crêpe paper and balloons, serving as a poignant reminder of the past.
Opened as a consolidated school in 1924, the building housing the gymnasium is a historical landmark and a functional space used by the district for preschool, Early Childhood Family Education, and adult enrichment classes like tai chi and yoga. Eden Prairie Schools hosted the event with the Eden Prairie Historical Society and the Restore the Gym Task Force.
“When I started first grade in 1950, there were 13 girls and seven boys in my class, and we thought that was wonderful,” recalled Sever Peterson, one of many who spoke on the gym’s stage at the beginning of the event while attendees sat on the bleachers. “Kindergarten didn’t exist in Eden Prairie back then, so we learned colors and the alphabet in first grade.”
Peterson, a lifelong resident who graduated from Eden Prairie High School in 1962, said lunchtime in the gym was one of the most enjoyable parts of the school day. Students would sit in the bleachers, the older kids at the top and the younger kids lower down.
“It was a wonderful social time, with good food and great banter,” he remembered.
The arrival of television became a popular topic of conversation among students. “We watched ‘I Love Lucy,’ which aired on Monday nights, and on Tuesdays, we’d talk about it in the bleachers,” Peterson remembered.
Honoring community leaders
Curt Connaughty, a retired longtime former teacher and coach who started Eden Prairie’s football and track programs in the late 1950s, was named prom king, while Eden Prairie Historical Society President Kathie Case was named prom queen. Those attending the event were able to vote for prom king and queen while purchasing tickets.
Connaughty, who taught biology, industrial arts, and physical education, and served as an assistant principal, expressed his delight at the honor. He coached the football team until 1969 and retired in 1986 but has continued to be actively involved in the community.
Learn more about Curt Connaughty in our feature from May 8, 2023.
“Thank you very much for this surprise,” Connaughty said. “My wife (Mary) and I started our journey together (here) in 1955. We love Eden Prairie and its schools, which have always been a wonderful place for us.”
Case was also surprised to be named prom queen. “I don’t know if I’m deserving of this. I’ve never been a prom queen,” she said. “This is pretty amazing at 67.” She then shared a first dance with Connaughty to start the evening.
Robb Virgin, assistant superintendent of secondary education, emphasized that Case’s selection as prom queen was well deserved. “We literally wouldn’t be here tonight for this event and in this physical space without her,” Virgin said. “She fought to preserve historical spaces in Eden Prairie and led us to be a better community.”
Reflecting on growth and community
Virgin highlighted the remarkable growth and development of the district during his address to the crowd.
“Four one-room schoolhouses came together to create what is now Eden Prairie Schools, a thriving district serving over 9,000 students and about 1,800 employees,” Virgin said. “It’s hard to believe that 100 years ago, we started from such humble beginnings and have grown to this scale. What better way to celebrate than with a citywide prom?”
He acknowledged the efforts of the Historical Society and the Restore the Gym Task Force in saving the gym.
“Jewels like this don’t exist in every community,” Virgin said. “When you look at this treasure, it takes intentionality to create a space with such deep meaning.”
Case was a member of the 1999 Save the Gym Task Force, which was formed after learning that the district planned to convert the gym into classrooms. Members presented to the school board to emphasize the gym’s importance to the district and the community. The effort to save the gym was aided by the discovery that the old bleachers were still intact behind a wall installed to create a band room in the 1960s.
“I can’t tell you what it’s like to stand on this stage. It’s so cool,” Case said. “This charming little 1924 space was so important to Eden Prairie.”
Case had attendees picture what the school was like back in 1924 when the superintendent played “Stars and Stripes” on a Victrola and handed each child a slate as they entered.
“These children came from farmhouses without electricity or plumbing,” Case said. “They walked into this building and experienced a flush toilet, a drinking fountain, heat, and electricity for the first time, and then had to return home to an outhouse. It’s just amazing to think about all of that and how this was a community building as well. It served as a town hall, a place where ladies ironed on Tuesdays, and where families watched movies and had popcorn on Friday nights.”
Remembering the past
Bob Hallett, a long-time educator in the Eden Prairie School District, retired in 1998 after 35 years of service. He began as a fifth grade teacher and later became a principal at Prairie View, Forest Hills, and Eden Lake schools.
“I had 33 kids in class with no art teacher, no music teacher, no physical education teacher, and no librarian,” Hallett said of his first year teaching in 1963. “We did it all.”
Peterson said sports were much different in Eden Prairie when he was growing up, with only basketball and baseball available until Connaughty introduced wrestling, soccer, volleyball, and football.
“Girls’ sports hardly existed until Dorothy McIntyre, a dedicated teacher, expanded opportunities for girls,” Peterson said.
The Historical Society brought various items to be displayed at the event, including a cheerleading uniform, vintage prom dresses, yearbooks, photos, and a drumhead featured in one of the window photos and in an Eden Prairie Local News story.
A look back in time
Retired Minnesota Supreme Court Justice Paul Anderson, whose family dates back to Eden Prairie’s early settlers, reflected on the town’s diverse makeup, past and present.
“Mark Twain said, ‘History does not repeat itself, but it often rhymes,'” he recounted, wearing the traditional attire of his ancestors.
Anderson recounted a story of early tensions between the city’s Scotch-Irish and Czech Bohemian settlers, illustrating how these groups eventually became friends. “If you think there are tensions between ethnic communities now, know that they existed from the beginning,” he said.
He said his Scotch-Irish relatives were somewhat discriminatory toward the Czech Bohemians who settled around Bryant Lake. But as time went on, he said, these communities learned to coexist and thrive together.
“As we move forward in Eden Prairie, when we think about diversity, remember that history rhymes,” he said. “We’ve had tension in the past, but when I graduated high school, the Czech Bohemians in the north and the Scotch-Irish in the south were the best of friends. Look around, look at your neighbors, and appreciate this diversity. Think about history rhyming.”
Mayor Ron Case, a former teacher in the district, expressed pride in the partnerships among the school district, city, and other entities that have shaped the community.
“I’m sure past mayors and superintendents have thought, ‘Hey, this is the best the city’s ever been – we’ve arrived, it’s phenomenal,'” Mayor Case said. “But I will say that today, May 18, 2024, I think this is the best we’ve ever been, and I believe the best is yet to come. Part of this is because there’s so much noise in our world that’s not positive, whether politically or otherwise, across the United States. Here in Eden Prairie, things work. We get along. Our school district and city are such close partners.”
Honoring the past and looking to the future
Eden Prairie Schools Superintendent Josh Swanson echoed those sentiments, noting the district’s success is built on its past.
“I’m just finishing my 12th year in the district, which is a short time compared to the district’s 100-year history,” Swanson said. “Throughout my time here, I’ve connected with leaders from different decades, hearing their stories and learning about the commitment to education that this community has upheld for a long time. It’s not always smooth sailing, but the continual commitment to education and community is vital.”
A few days after the last dance at the Citywide Prom, Connaughty reflected on the experience.
“That’s one thing nice about teaching, you know, you go through about 300 to 400 kids every year,” he said. “They have good and bad memories, I guess, of you (as a teacher). But I enjoyed it, and the ones I talked to (at the prom) had nice memories.”
Connaughty also expressed his gratitude for his time in Eden Prairie.
“I just enjoyed it so much, and I feel very fortunate that we signed the contract (to come teach in Eden Prairie),” he said, referring to the decision he and his wife, Mary, made. “I spent my whole adult life there in Eden Prairie. I’m still there.”
A tale of two proms: celebrating together and apart
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