The Tribune Jan. 17, 1901

The board of school trustees have been instructed to hire a principal and open the (high) school at once. They have the school room fitted up in temporary quarters in the Central School building, and have written to the department of education in Victoria to send them a principal as they did not wish to break up the present teaching staff of the public school at Nelson, which they believe is one of the best in the province. The high school will be opened as soon as a principal for it can be secured.

Editors Note:
The high school spent a year in the Central School, moved again temporarily to the Odd Fellows Hall (southeast comer of Kootenay and Baker Streets) and finally into the new high school building on Latimer Street in January, 1902. The school was designed by local architect Alex Carrie, and with a number of additions served the community until the move to the new L V. Rogers High School in 1956.

First principal was Mr. Richard "Dickie" J. Clark, who went on to a newspaper career until World War 1 during which he lost his life. Clark was succeeded by C. McLean Fraser in 1904. Fraser became a distinguished marine biologist and advisor to the Emperor of Japan, who was a pioneer in Pacific Rim cooperation.

Commemorated in the name of the new high school opened in 1956 is LeslieVivian Rogers, who served as principal from January 1922 to August 1946. Rogerswas an orphaned English boy brought to Canada in 1891 who served in the South African War before becoming a teacher and beloved principal.

Members of the first class of Nelson High School (at Central School) were: Pauline Annable, Helen G. Campbell, Ian Campbell, Alice Ebbs, Maude Elliot, LuluEllis, Marion Louise Horton, Margaret Mabel Mc Vicar, Donald Mc Vicar, ThomasGallon, Vivian Gallon, Wilmot Steed, Bessie Lillie, Norman Stewart, AlbertWallace, and Roy Wallace. They were joined in September by Ida Donnan, EmmaDonnan, Annie Fawcett, Bessie White, James Ferguson, and Ross Fleming.

Among them are a Surveyor General of B. C., a distinguished writer; a number of verysuccessful businessmen and women, public servants, teachers, and homemakers.

From an article by Ross Fleming written at the opening of L VR. in 1956

History in the News