![[School History Logo]](../images/misc_schls_bldgs/logo_160_color.JPG){kind=logo}
Site Navigation: History Homepage / Biographies Index / Building Index of Libraries and Schools / Ethnic History of Schools / FAQs - Did You Know? / Historian's Roundtable of Wyandotte County / Maps and Land Records / One-Room Schoolhouses / Picture Gallery / Publications, Online Transcriptions, Links / Queries / Copyright/Disclaimer
Contact the History Webmaster - Patricia Adams
T A Edison Elementary School
A History of the City of Rosedale, Kansas by Margaret Landis.
Copyright 1976. Reproduced on the Kansas City, Kansas Public Library
web site with permission from Ms. Landis.
Named for Thomas Edison (American inventor) - See information at bottom of page.
SUMMARY
1954 - In June of 1954, a school was under construction at 10th and Locust. Located west of Rosedale, outside of the city limits (but in the school district), it was a 10-acre site. The children in this area previously attended Maccochaque.
Pupils in the Odell Addition, north of the Johnson-Wyandotte County line and east of 10th Street, went by bus to Maccochaque. The southwest part of the Kansas City school district included a fairly new development in the vicinity of 10th and Locust. Children were transferred in buses to Maccochaque School, some distance away, and a new school was needed there.
1956 - On September 12, 1955, Thomas A Edison School was in use for the first time. The building consisted of ten rooms, brick and stone, facing south on Locust, with a Kindergarten, activity room, and library. The principal was Miss Etta Mae Conrad. The school was in the school district, but the area was not part of the city. Two hundred children transferred from Maccochaque to Thomas A. Edison. Architect: Raymond E. Meyn. Contractor: M J Gorzik
This was the first school to be completed under long-range plan for 1953 bonds.
The dedication was held on November 10 with W A Bailey, Kansan editor, speaker.
1984 - September 1: Major Hudson joined Noble Prentis. Major Hudson was divided into three schools. Walkers from Greystone to 10th & Shawnee Rd., including side streets off Shawnee Rd. were to go to Noble Prentis. From Mill Street to Southwest Blvd would go to Frank Rushton. From Southwest Blvd to 14th & Roe would go to T A Edison.
2001 - Voters approved a proposed $120 million bond issue at the Municipal Election Tuesday (April 3, 2001) to air-condition schools, improve technology, and make other upgrades to schools and public libraries. T A Edison was part of Phase I, which was completed in the summer of 2001.
PRINCIPALS
1955-63 - Etta Mae Conrad; 1963-68 - Marie Brotherson; 1968-74 - Loren Pendergraft; 1974-75 - Frank Scott; 1975-78 - Vera Smith; 1978-84 - Betty Burgess; 1984-89 - Wayne Winkler; 1989-93 - Carol Phillips; 1993-95 - Darla Ross Berry; 1995-98 - Mary Welsh; 1998-2003 - Debbie Blancarte; 2003-2008 - Ms. Geri Cunningham / 2009 - Cynthia Cop
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The school was named in honor of Thomas
A. Edison. Contrary
to popular belief, Thomas Edison was not born into poverty in a
backwater mid-western town. Actually, he was born -on Feb. 11,
1847 - to middle-class parents in the bustling port of Milan, Ohio,
a community that - next to Odessa, Russia - was the largest wheat
shipping center in the world. In 1854, his family moved to the
vibrant community of Port Huron, Michigan. Tom especially enjoyed reading and reciting poetry. His life-long
favorite was Gray's Elegy In A Country Churchyard.
Short Timeline (not all inclusive)
1857 Set up a chemical laboratory in the cellar of his home.
1862 Printed and published "The Weekly Herald," the first newspaper ever to
be typeset and printed on a moving train.
1868 Came up with his first patented invention, an Electrical Vote Recorder.
1869 Went into partnership with Franklin L. Pope as an electrical engineer.
Radically improved stock tickers and patented several associated inventions,
among which were the Universal Stock Ticker and the Unison Device..
1872-1876 Worked on and patented several of his most important inventions,
including the motograph and automatic telegraph systems such as the quadruplex,
sextuplex and multiplex telegraph which saved Western Union many millions
of dollars in wiring. Also invented paraffin paper (which was first used
for wrapping candies), the electric pen, the forerunner of the present day
mimeograph machine, the carbon rheostat, the microtasimeter, etc.
1879 Invented the first commercially practical incandescent electric lamp.
1876-1877 Invented the carbon telephone transmitter "button", which finally made
telephony a commercial success. Significantly, this invention not only led to
the development of the microphone, which made early radio possible, but the solid
state "diode" or transistor which makes so many of today's electronic devices
possible. Invented the phonograph.
1879 Invented the first commercially practical incandescent electric lamp.
1880 Invented further improvements in systems and details for electric lighting
and laid the first groundwork for introducing them on a commercial basis.
The information on Thomas Edison was found at: http://www.thomasedison.com/ - We are grateful to Gerry Beals. for allowing us to use this information and highly recommend you visit the web site for more information.
Additional Links
Edison Birthplace Museum
Thomas Alva Edison, inventor of the phonograph, the incandescent
light bulb, and many other devices that make our lives fuller and
simpler, was born in Milan, Ohio, in 1847. The Edison Birthplace
Museum features a collection of rare Edisonia, including examples
of many of Edison's early inventions, documents, and family mementos.
The Birthplace is open February through November and is located
at 9 Edison Drive in Milan, Ohio (near Exit 118 of the Ohio Turnpike).
Telephone (419) 499-2135.
Links using reader are marked ( pdf ).
Click icon to download reader.
Use browser's back button to return
Contact the History Webmaster - Patricia Adams
History Site created on December 02, 2002
Page last updated:
29-Apr-2010
