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Carroll Fowler School celebrates 50 years
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Students, parents, staff, district officials, School Board trustees, and the community celebrated the 50th anniversary of the opening of Carroll Fowler Elementary school at a party held Tuesday evening, Nov. 13.

Named after the late Ceres resident Carroll Fowler, the school opened in October 1957 and has remained a cornerstone of the Ceres Unified School District.

Members of the Fowler family were on hand in honor of this milestone. Fowler was the father of the late Hardy Fowler. Hardy's widow, Ceres historian Caryl Fowler attended as did Carroll Fowler's grandchildren, Mary Fowler and Robert Fowler, and great-grandson Jonah Fowler.

School Board member Eric Ingwerson attended Carroll Fowler School from 1959 to 1966. He shared his very first report card with the crowd, pointing out that "learning to skip" was a skill required for promotion to the first grade.

"Education standards have come a long way since then," he joked. "Today's kindergartners are learning a wide variety of academic skills that are quite different from skipping."

Several local and state representatives presented Carroll Fowler Principal Vicky Miller with plaques and certificates in recognition of 50 years of education excellence. They included Ceres Mayor Anthony Cannella, Assemblyman Tom Berryhill's representative Douglas Miller, and Congressman Dennis Cardoza's representative Lisa Mantarro Moore.

Modesto architect Michael Pratt shared with the crowd photos taken during the construction of Carroll Fowler School. Even though Mike was a kindergarten student in the opening year, his uncle was involved in building the school, and he kept a historical record of its construction through photos and documents.

Many other special guests were honored for their years of dedication and service to the students and staff of Carroll Fowler, including prior teachers, principals, past and present office staff, and school site support staff.

Carroll Fowler was an early-day Ceres resident. He was raised in Duarte, Calif., but visited Ceres as early as 1903. He was a teacher at the University of California. He quit teaching because of failing eyesight. In 1906 he married Aurelia Whitmore, daughter of Richard K. Whitmore.

In 1913 Fowler and his wife moved to Duarte to manage orange groves owned by his family. He commuted to Ceres once the Ceres ranch in Smyrna Park /Mae Hensley Junior High area converted to peaches.

Mr. Fowler was active in Ceres life and was president of the Ceres library association when it was formed in February 1905.