As a member of the extended Washburn High School and Washburn High School Foundation family, we are interested in getting feedback from you on how we can better deliver programs, services and information to our community.  Your insights and opinions are crucial to the Foundation’s ability to fulfill its mission of raising funds to invest in Washburn High School and advocating for the students, faculty and staff within the broader Washburn community.

Please take the following survey – which should take you no longer than 5 minutes to complete – so that we may gain this valuable information.

In order for us to do the best job we can once faculty and staff return in August we need to get your responses as soon as possible.  Please complete the survey by Thursday, July 21^st.  Your responses will be confidential!  For those who choose to provide us with updated contact information, a drawing will be held for a $5 Caribou Coffee or Starbucks gift card at the conclusion of the survey period.

To begin the 5-minute survey please CLICK HERE!

THANK YOU!

James Arness, the Minnesota city boy who became television’s strongest, most stoic symbol of the Old West, died Friday at age 88 of natural causes.

Arness was born James Aurness in Minneapolis, Minnesota.  His parents were Rolf Cirkler Aurness (July 22, 1894 – July 1982), a businessman, and Ruth (née Duesler) Aurness (died September 1986), a journalist. His father’s ancestry was Norwegian, his mother’s German.  The family name had been Aursnes, but when Rolf’s father Peter Aursnes emigrated from Norway in 1887, he changed it to Aurness.

Arness attended John Burroughs Grade School, Washburn High School and West High School in Minneapolis. Despite “being a poor student and skipping many classes”, he graduated from high school in June 1942. He then enlisted in the United States Navy to serve in World War II.

Arness’ younger brother was actor Peter Graves (1926–2010). Peter used the stage name “Graves”, a maternal family name.

Arness was best known for the role of straight-shooting straight-arrow U.S. Marshal Matt Dillon, the lead character in “Gunsmoke,” which ran on CBS from 1955 to 1975.  It’s tied with “Law & Order” as the longest-running dramatic series in network history.

Born James Aurness (he dropped the “u” when he took up acting), he grew up in south Minneapolis and attended John Burroughs Elementary and Washburn and West high schools. His younger brother, Peter Graves, who died last year, found fame on his own terms as the star of “Mission: Impossible.”

Arness, who rode tall in the saddle at 6 feet 7, was hired to play Dillon on the recommendation of his mentor, John Wayne, who made a rare TV appearance to introduce the very first episode. Before being taken under Wayne’s wing — they made four films together in the 1950s — he fought in World War II and appeared in more than 20 films.

When the show premiered in 1955, mother Ruth Aurness told the Star Tribune that she was distressed about the kind of character her son had signed up to play. “But I suppose I have to think about his career,” she said.

“Gunsmoke” would go on to become the quintessential Western, with Arness as a small-screen Gregory Peck. It was television’s most-watched show from 1957 to 1961. Thirty Westerns came and went on TV during its unprecedented run.

Arness, who rarely agreed to interviews, credited much of his success in playing tough characters to his Minnesota upbringing.

“It must be the Viking blood in me,” the Norwegian-American actor said in 1955. “I’m always thinking about the times I sailed my sailboat in [Lake] Calhoun …”

He is survived by his second wife, Janet, two sons and six grandchildren. A private memorial service will be held in California.

Join the Washburn High School Foundation Thursday, October 14th, for its 2nd Annual Fall Kick-Off Event as we celebrate the students of Washburn.

Relive those High School memories with special student performances, great food and good friends.  Recapture those Washburn feelings as we pay tribute to the school and raise much needed funds for the classrooms.

Buy your tickets now!

Event Schedule:

Thursday, October 14th

6:30 pm – Mexican Munchies prepared by Joe Senkyr (bring your appetite, it is going to be amazing…)
7:15 pm – Washburn High School Student Performance Spectacular
8:00 pm – Fund-a-Need and Special Appeal to support WHS
8:20 pm – After Party at Pepito’s and The Parkway Theater

Come for the Program, Stay for the After-Party…

Event Details:

$25 in advance, $30 at the door (if tickets are still available)  [your receipt is your confirmation]

The Parkway Theater
4814 Chicago Avenue S.
Minneapolis, MN 55417

Valet parking available, street and lot parking as well

Please contact Jeffrey Prottas, Executive Director, at 612-668-3843 to register for more information, Or register online at the brownpaper tickets link above.

Lecture and Book Signing by author and Washburn descendant Kerck Kelsey. Event will be held at 11:00 am at the Washburn Library located at 5244 Lyndale Avenue S., Minneaoplis, MN 55419.  Tom Balcom, a longtime Tangletown resident and Washburn alum will introduce Mr. Kelsey.  Mr. Kelsey has chronicled the Washburn family for the past 19 years.  He is a historian and a story-teller delivering lectures on the Washburn’s across Maine and in Illinois, New York, Wisconsin and Minnesota.  Click here for more information about the event or here for more information on the book and author.

Become a Member of Washburn Connections. Re-connect with your past, learn about our future, and help us build this website. We would like to keep you informed as Washburn High School makes important new developments. Please register and provide as much detail about who you are, your professional life, family, year you graduated, whatever you want to share.

Many thanks to Greg Brinker of Fallon for putting so much effort into creating this awesome film about Washburn High School, it’s staff, students and community. It’s truly an amazing story about all the good things that are happening on West 50th street, and about all the good things to come. It’s about 18 minutes, but well worth your time. Click here if you would like to donate to our cause if you feel so inclined.