When I look at the picture, it evokes a vision of one of the beautiful grandmothers we see around us: with her white hair, careful grooming and neat dress, an air of calm and peace, and the evidence of pride in a long life well lived.
Look at the School House! She stands there, gazing out over the farms and farm places which sent her her many children. She is proud of the care and shelter she provided for them and of the intellectual growth they achieved while in her care. But that part of her life is over now; the children are all gone, the rooms and playground are silent. She has her memories and works at keeping up her appearance (she still looks wonderful at an age of one hundred years). She still serves her community in less demanding ways.
She is still a great lady: I salute her and feel genuine affection for her.
No doubt, Scott Center School operated below some educational poverty level. But we did not know that and just did what was expected of us: to work hard and learn. Actually, we were eager to learn. Like a blade of grass pushing up through a crack in concrete, we learned in spite of limited educational facilities provided by the school. Overall, Scott Center prepared us for Rembrandt High School at least adequately, I think.
It is noteworthy that at least three children who attended Scott Center in that time period (and then went on to Rembrandt High) later earned doctorates in higher education. That the three I know of were from the same family reinforces my belief that family influence is of paramount importance for success in school.
Written by Dr. Clement Kevane in Rembrandt Remembers.
Clement Kevane played basketball at Loras College in Dubuque. Then, after serving in the Navy for four years, he earned B.S. and Ph.D. degrees from Iowa State University. After working for Motorola for three years, he taught physics at Arizona State University for 31 years.