Fifty-two years ago Mr. Charles E. Keyes began his long and varied career as teacher and principal. Having graduated from Marietta College, Ohio, he taught for a time, and in 1879, fifty years ago, he received his first principalship in Belpre, a little village. After teaching for twelve years in Ohio, he came to Portland, Oregon, where he taught for six years, and for one year as principal of a grammar school.
He has worked in the Oakland schools since 1896, except for one year, during which he was supervising principal at Riverside. For eight years he was principal of Lafayette Grammar School. Later, Mr. Keyes taught Latin and Mathematics under Oakland High School's first principal, Mr. McChesney.
For twenty-one years Mr. Keyes has been the honored and loved principal of this school. His is a record that can scarcely be equaled. Out of his fifty-two years of school work, only eleven have been spent in teaching, and forty-one in principalships. Mr. Keyes is now leaving to take up a different line of work, in which he will be in touch with the counselors. This position has educational guidance work as its main purpose.
We hope that he will be very happy in it, and wish him the very best of all good things. We know Oakland High School will deeply feel his loss. nevertheless, we still feel that "Daddy" Keyes is ours for always, no matter where he is, or where we are, and that we and all the alumni are his children.
We shall never forget him, and we thank him for the wonderful work he has done, the splendid guide and lovable comrade he has always been.
So, good-bye, Daddy, and good luck to you.
Class of 1929