IWU 1937
Helen Louise North attended eighth grade at the El Paso Grade School in 1930 and wrote a prize winning essay that was published in the Junior Pantagraph. In it she planned a career as a nurse: "Because of the great opportunity for service which it offers and because in itself it appeals to me very strongly, I have chosen nursing as my profession." Helen was especially expressive in her essay, which seemed beyond the usual grade school attempts in a small town school. However, at the time of writing this essay, Helen was also a grade school student at the Wesleyan Music School. I wondered whether she would continue in this intention of teaching nursing!
The North family moved to Bloomington, where Helen attended Bloomington High. Perhaps the family moved there so that Helen could attend high school in the city. At Bloomington High she was a member of the girls' basketball team and an orchestra member in the violin section. Helen continued her music studies at Wesleyan through high school and then became a college student there, graduating in 1938. She pursued drawing and painting as well at Wesleyan. She continued her work as a violinist playing frequently with a quintet and as part of a duo. She became a music teacher and even left Illinois in 1942 to become a music teacher in Indiana.
In 1948 she married Lyle Waddell. He was also a Wesleyan graduate and worked as a chemist at Beich Candy Co. at the time of their marriage. During WWII he was a cadet with the Army Air Force. In later years he was a U.S. Navy photographer and then a Civil Service photographer in Alamogordo, New Mexico.
Helen's education is also interesting in the fact that in 1930 her father was listed as farm hand in El Paso. How was it that a farm hand placed his daughter in the music program at Wesleyan University? His obituary indicates that during the 30s he worked as a real estate agent for the F W Tate Co in Bloomington and then a machine operator for WOH Corp. The census report had failed to reflect the capabilities of Merle North.
The State of Illinois's efforts in providing a quality education to "rural" children are proven in the life of Helen Louise North. In the 20s Illinois made a concerted effort to provide a better education to children in the rural areas through the standard school program. Although El Paso's school could not be termed "rural" the standardization program could not help but improve schooling throughout the state. This program set Helen's sights beyond the kitchen and motherhood and prepared her for a career she followed until her marriage, ten years after graduating university.