Mabel Rush Day
November 11th is also the birthday of our school namesake, Mabel Rush.
Mabel Edith Rush was born on November 11, 1885 in Janesville, Minnesota. Her mother was Lucy (Baldwin) Rush, and her father was John Rush, an immigrant from England. She moved with her family to Newberg at the age of 5.
She attended Pacific Academy, the precursor to George Fox University. The February 21, 1907 edition of the Newberg Graphic notes that she earned her teaching certificate that month. She began her teaching career in the fall of 1908 at Springbrook School.
During her long career in Newberg, she served as a teacher and became the first woman in Newberg to serve as a school principal, serving 18 years as the principal of Central Grade School. She retired from Newberg Schools after 50 years of service. In 1961 Mabel Rush Elementary School opened and was named for her to acknowledge her contributions and dedication to the community.
Mabel Rush lived in Newberg until 1966 and spent her final years living at a retirement center in Salem. In 1975 the Newberg Professional Woman's Club named her "Woman of the Century" in conjunction with the Bicentennial celebration. That year she attended a tree-planting ceremony in her honor on the Mabel Rush campus.
Ms. Rush passed away on October 3, 1980.
Sources: The Capital Journal - October 23, 1975, United States Census
This is a test comment.