Miss Phillips was an excellent teacher and also a visionary concerning the growth of Tucson. She was one of many in the 1920s who homesteaded land as it became more obvious that Tucson and Amphitheater District would be expanding to meet the needs of new arrivals.

In 1924, four classrooms were added as the teaching staff expanded with stable growth for the District. At the end of the school year in 1928, Miss Phillips retired after eleven years at Amphitheater where she worked as a teacher and principal. That same year saw the establishment of a school carnival that was run by parents and became a unifying yearly event for the entire school community. This fall event became a major fund raiser and reflected the small-town atmosphere that lasted until the last District-wide carnival in 1958.

Amphitheater School 1924 Prince Road location

		Helen Keeling began her career in Amphitheater in 1930 as a teacher and later principal and under her tenure the District's educational offerings matured and flourished. The management of growth issues would be one of her major concerns: 1919 student population was 48 students and in 1934 was projected to be 500 eager learners.
Miss Stella Phillips Class 0f 1924-1925		Amphitheater School 1930                   Class of 1935-1936

The construction of Amphitheater High School in 1939 required a unique combination of adobe construction, state funding, and WPA funding from the federal government. This new school building resulted from the efforts of Helen Keeling and E. C. Nash who had become the District's first superintendent in 1937. Two of the three board members voted in the affirmative (Mrs. Helen Wetmore and F.O. Holaway) and the landmark “H” building would become a reality.

                                                                                  
             Construction of the "H" building out of adobe                                   Amphitheater High School 1939 and later
                                                                                                                                      Junior High 1956

The other landmark during this decade would be the establishment of the Christmas Pageant and the yearly portrayal of the Christmas story under the guidance of Mrs. Margaret Brown. She was a teacher in the District and then a principal in the District for 24 years for Amphitheater; her memories of this era give a clue as to how busy and yet happy these years were.

The position of superintendent was formalized with the employment of Mr. Nash in 1937. Superintendents who followed Mr. Nash were George Stewart and Paul Guitteau. Mr. Guitteau was the first District leader to really address the tax issues and consequent funding for the construction of new schools.

The acquisition of war surplus buildings and the opening of Keeling Elementary and Wetmore Elementary became a reality as the District became a part of the ever-growing Tucson community.

Keeling Elementary 1947                                    Wetmore Elementary 1949

View video "Margaret Brown recalls the war years"

School newsletter 1934                                   Teacher contract 1939 Amphitheater District 1942

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