Sitka in Sitka Borough, Alaska — Northwest (North America)

Sheldon Jackson School Staff

Voices of Sheldon Jackson School and College

Photographed by Shirley A Stirling, August 5, 2026

1. Sheldon Jackson School Staff Marker

Inscription.

Sheldon Jackson School Staff. Voices of Sheldon Jackson School and College. , Sheldon Jackson School was a Presbyterian mission; many of the staff came as missionaries. , Gladys Whitmore came as a volunteer in 1939, and stayed on to teach at the college. The building now called Whitmore Hall was originally Home Missions Monthly Hall, or HMH, In the 1970s this was going to be named after a donor, but students insisted it be named after Miss Whitmore. , Miss Whitmore directed annual musicals, but did not approve of dancing to rock music. , Sheldon Jackson School staff in 1948: seated left to right: 1 Alice McDonald, Science; 2 Jim Robinson, Supervisor Senior Boys; 3 Larry Doig, Engineer; 4 Edwin Floyd, Maintenance Engineer; 5 Leslie Yaw, President; 6 Caroline Yaw; 7 Georgia Conley, 8th Grade; 8 Eleanor Miller, Arts and Crafts; 9. Mildred Norris, Office Assistant. Standing,left to right, Fern Gabel, Supervisor Senior Girls;2 Geraldine Beam, Music; 3 Mrs. Helen Hatch, Director of Religious Education; 4 Cora Houk, Supervisor Junior Girls; 5 Chester Latta, Carpentry; 6 Gladys Whitmore, Principal, Science; 7 Mrs. Hunter; 8 John C. Stoner, General Worker; 9 Phyllis Latta; 10 Reverend Elwood Hunter; 11 Phila Mae Helt, English; 12 Jessie Fraser, Dietitian; 13 Roland B. Worster, Dean, Social Studies; 14 Carol Null; Nurse; and 15 Dean Nelson. Photo taken in front of the Presidents House, at the corner of Jeff Davis and Lincoln Streets. Sheldon Jackson Collection, Alaska State Library, Historical Collections. ,

"The best part of my time at SJ was 7th and 8th grade. It was something new, and the teachers, I really liked, especially Miss Conley: Miss Georgia Conley She was great, I thought. She took pains to - really get the students to understand what she was talking about, and she always encouraged people to ask questions. She made you feel like she really wanted you to learn. Most of the staff members at Sheldon Jackson were all missionaries. Really made it a great school. They, I think, really had lots of spirit there - like one big family." Charles Daniels, Class of 1949. Interview December 2012

, Irene: Miss Whitmore. Didn't matter what she was teaching, you learned something. Talking to her you learned something. Amazing lady. Geology, chemistry, biology, anatomy and physiology, anthropology. , Helen: Campus cat, orange cat, got something wrong with it, it couldn't walk. I came to class that morning and here's Minerva's head, sitting on the desk. She explained why, what had happened, the blockage that happened, wanted to show the kids. , Irene: We dissected [the cat] in anatomy and physiology class. Interview Irene Schuler, AA 1958, and Helen Mercado, Class of 1957, 2/20/14., sjvoices.org

Sheldon Jackson School was a Presbyterian mission; many of the staff came as missionaries.

Gladys Whitmore came as a volunteer in 1939, and stayed on to teach at the college. The building now called Whitmore Hall was originally Home Missions Monthly Hall, or HMH, In the 1970s this was going to be named after a donor, but students insisted it be named after Miss Whitmore.

Miss Whitmore directed annual musicals, but did not approve of dancing to rock music.

Sheldon Jackson School staff in 1948: seated left to right: 1 Alice McDonald, Science; 2 Jim Robinson, Supervisor Senior Boys; 3 Larry Doig, Engineer; 4 Edwin Floyd, Maintenance Engineer; 5 Leslie Yaw, President; 6 Caroline Yaw; 7 Georgia Conley, 8th Grade; 8 Eleanor Miller, Arts and Crafts; 9. Mildred Norris, Office Assistant. Standing,left to right, Fern Gabel, Supervisor Senior Girls;2 Geraldine Beam, Music; 3 Mrs. Helen Hatch, Director of Religious Education; 4 Cora Houk, Supervisor Junior Girls; 5 Chester Latta, Carpentry; 6 Gladys Whitmore, Principal, Science; 7 Mrs. Hunter; 8 John C. Stoner, General Worker; 9 Phyllis Latta; 10 Reverend Elwood Hunter;

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11 Phila Mae Helt, English; 12 Jessie Fraser, Dietitian; 13 Roland B. Worster, Dean, Social Studies; 14 Carol Null; Nurse; and 15 Dean Nelson. Photo taken in front of the Presidents House, at the corner of Jeff Davis and Lincoln Streets. Sheldon Jackson Collection, Alaska State Library, Historical Collections.

"The best part of my time at SJ was 7th and 8th grade. It was something new, and the teachers, I really liked, especially Miss Conley: Miss Georgia Conley She was great, I thought. She took pains to - really get the students to understand what she was talking about, and she always encouraged people to ask questions. She made you feel like she really wanted you to learn. Most of the staff members at Sheldon Jackson were all missionaries. Really made it a great school. They, I think, really had lots of spirit there - like one big family." Charles Daniels, Class of 1949. Interview December 2012

Irene: Miss Whitmore. Didn't matter what she was teaching, you learned something. Talking to her you learned something. Amazing lady. Geology, chemistry, biology, anatomy and physiology, anthropology.

Helen: Campus cat, orange

Photographed by Shirley A Stirling, August 5, 2026

2. Sheldon Jackson School Staff Marker

cat, got something wrong with it, it couldn't walk. I came to class that morning and here's Minerva's head, sitting on the desk. She explained why, what had happened, the blockage that happened, wanted to show the kids.

Irene: We dissected [the cat] in anatomy and physiology class. Interview Irene Schuler, AA 1958, and Helen Mercado, Class of 1957, 2/20/14.

sjvoices.org

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Education • Religion & Religious Structures. A significant historical month for this entry is December 2012.

Location. 57° 3.052′ N, 135° 19.47′ W. Marker is in Sitka, Alaska, in Sitka Borough. It is on Lincoln Street east of Jeff Davis Street, on the right when traveling west. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 801 Lincoln Street, Sitka AK 99835, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Southeast Alaska,

in Tlingit and Haida & Tsimshian Region.

It is also on the American Pacific Coast.

Globally, it is in North America,

in the Inside Passage,

on the Ring of Fire,

in the Pacific Rim,

in the Western Hemisphere,

in the Western World,

and in the

Two markers side by side. image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Shirley A Stirling, August 5, 2026

3. Two markers side by side.

Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Russian Empire.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Sheldon Jackson Museum (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); The 1910-1911 Campus (about 500 feet away); Fisheries of S.E. Alaska (about 700 feet away); St. Peter's by the Sea Episcopal Church (about 700 feet away); St Peter's Episcopal Church and the See House (about 800 feet away); Emmons House (approx. 0.2 miles away); a different marker also named Fisheries of S.E. Alaska (approx. 0.2 miles away); Finding Common Ground (approx. ¼ mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Sitka.

Credits. This page was last revised on August 11, 2026. It was originally submitted on August 8, 2026, by Shirley A Stirling of Lacey, Washington. This page has been viewed 16 times since then. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on August 8, 2026, by Shirley A Stirling of Lacey, Washington. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.